Chapter 1: School woes
Chapter Text
Gonzalo yawned as he sat up in bed and turned off his alarm clock, his sock covered feet quickly taking him to the bathroom.
Miles stretched beneath the sheets, his eyes sliding to the window as he slipped out of bed and pulled open the curtain.
He hummed as he wiped condensation from the glass, the charcoal colored sky riddled with heavy rain as he turned the lock on the frame and pushed open the window.
Deeply inhaling the chilly morning air as he stepped into his house shoes, his attention sliding to the bathroom as the shower started.
Gonzalo closed his eyes as he adjusted the nozzle of the shower, he groaned as hot water pelted his face and chest, washing the sleep from his body.
He placed his hands flat across the cool tiles of the shower wall, his mind quickly sprinting through the busy schedule for the day, his thoughts jumbled and unorganized as he ran through the list of family and personal duties.
Inhaling and exhaling deeply as he mentally prepared himself for filming.
He was on set today.
In front of the camera.
In front of the crew that harbored aggressively curios gazes and maintained a chilly cautious distance.
Gonzalo sighed as apprehension slid from his pores, the sensation more intense than usual as he struggled to gather his bearings.
His anxiety trickling thickly down his insides as he made the mental note to call his Doctor.
Miles’s fingertips hesitated on the doorknob as he felt the stirrings of unease float across their link, rigid anxiety chipping at his good mood as he pushed open the door and stepped into the bathroom.
“Morning.” Miles said politely, interrupting Gonzalo’s train of thought as he lifted the toilet seat and pulled down his boxers.
“ Morning.” Gonzalo said as he ran a hand through his wet hair, pushing curls out of his face as the toilet flushed and Miles pulled the shower curtain open.
A smile on his full lips as he kicked off his boxers and stepped into the shower, his warm body bumping into the smaller man as he pulled him backward, his arms locking around the Omega’s waist.
“How’d you sleep?” Miles asked as he shifted on his feet, switching their positions, pressing his lips to Gonzalo’s forehead as hot water splashed down his back.
“I slept ok.” Gonzalo said with an airy sigh as he closed his eyes, going boneless as the warmth of Miles’s body radiated reassuringly
into him.
“That’s good.” Miles said as his hands slid up Gonzalo’s back and stopped just below his armpits. “I was sleeping ok too- until you left me in bed…alone.”
Gonzalo’s lips curled into a smile as his eyes open, amusement dancing across his attractive features.
“You’re so dramatic.”
“You knew that before you agreed to marry me.” Miles reminded with an amused hum that made Gonzalo shake his head, his long wet tresses bumping into Miles’s wrists as he laughed.
“Your hair has gotten long.” Miles said as he slowly pulled away, his fingers lightly tangling in the curtain of soft curls that spilled graciously down the shorter man’s back.
“It’s always been long.” Gonzalo snorted as he pulled out of the taller man’s embrace and stepped around him, lightly bumping the taller man with his arm as he took his place back under the water.
“I go to the studio today.” Gonzalo said lightly as Miles pressed a soft kiss to the back of his neck, mindful of his mood.
“It’ll be ok-“
“I don’t want to be late.” Gonzalo interrupted in one breath. “ But there’s so much to do. I have to get the twins ready, then drop them off, then I have to-“
“Don’t worry about the twins. Just worry about work.” Miles interrupted politely as he trailed lazy kisses down the nape of Gonzalo’s neck.
“You sure?” Gonzalo asked as he turned around, interrupting the stream of affection as he held Miles’s gaze. “They’re difficult in the morning…”
Miles snorted. “I know how OUR kids are.”
“Besides it’s raining and you know what that means.” Miles added, his arms wrapping around Gonzalo’s waist as he spoke.
“Traffic.” Gonzalo answered dryly, his eyes narrowing with irritation at the idea of being bumper to bumper in the middle of a downpour before 8 am.
“I was going to say-you’re going to be late regardless.” Miles mused as he suddenly lifted the smaller man high in his arms, crashing their lips together as he pressed him back first into the cool tile wall of the shower.
“M-Miles…NO. Your going to make me late.” Gonzalo moaned as Miles gripped him tighter, his hard dick sliding across the crack of Gonzalo’s ass as he gently pressed into the smaller man.
“Your going to be late anyway.” Miles said with a smile between kisses as Gonzalo’s thighs tightened around him.
“What? I-“
“It’s storming.” Miles admitted as the head of his dick slid deep into the smaller man, pulling a loud groan out of him, Miles bit his bottom lip as he watched Gonzalo’s eyelids flutter and his jaw drop as the sensation of feeling full took over.
Miles consumed him with well rehearsed ease.
His illicit touches and feverish kisses quickly swaying the shorter man and changing his tune.
“T-TEN MINUTES.” Gonzalo said breathlessly as he pulled away, his cheeks darkening with color as he held the taller man’s gaze.
Miles considered his words and smiled as he spoke. “Fifteen.”
Gonzalo opened his mouth to protest, his words sliding behind his teeth as Miles pressed their lips together, a soft chuckle escaping his lips as he bounced the smaller man on his dick, water splashing to the bathroom floor as he moved, manhandling the smaller man, biting his bottom lip as Gonzalo’s arms wrapped around his neck.
Gonzalo pulled away and pressed his lips to Miles’s ear, an airy smile illustrating his words as a series of wanton moans fell from his lips.
“I said TEN minutes.”
“I’ll…never get tired of hearing you like this.” Miles groaned as Gonzalo’s soft cries filled the bathroom, bouncing off the walls and into his soul, making his dick harder.
“Lets…make it an hour.” Miles pleaded as he stepped backward, his right hand sliding up Gonzalo’s back until it reached the nape of his neck and tangled deep into the Omega’s hair, a smile sliding across his lips as he tugged lightly, making the smaller man bare his neck, exposing the delicate teeth marks that graced his throat.
Arousal dripped heavily across their link as Miles’s dick slowly dragged in and out of the smaller man, pulling colorful sounds out of him as the water grew hotter, filling the room with heavy moisture.
“I wish-we could stay like this ALL day.” Miles confessed as he pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s throat and thrusted harder, bouncing the smaller man faster and faster as his hands started to roam.
“M-miles please…I-I..have to get dressed.” Gonzalo struggled to say as Miles slammed into him over and over, endless moans slurring his speech as he clung to Miles, his nails dragging down the Alpha’s chest as hot arousal burned through their link, making him cry out.
“Fuck…you feel so good.” Miles groaned as he pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s, his hips bucking wildly into the smaller man as his pace quickened, a breathless groan leaving his lips as
Gonzalo’s walls tightened around him.
Gonzalo’s nails sank into Miles’s shoulders as his breathing grew erratic and his cries grew desperate, a familiar sensation blossoming in the pit of his stomach.
“You…close?” Miles asked breathlessly midthrust, his dick throbbing as his grip on the smaller man tightened, his arousal buffering higher as he dragged feverish kisses across the Omega’s jawline and collar bone, making him shiver as his climax loomed near.
“I’m-I’m close….” Gonzalo panted breathlessly as he struggled to hold on, the joyous sensation deliciously mounting as his hands found their way into Miles’s hair.
Gonzalo threaded his fingers through Miles’s thick coils and yanked him harshly forward, crashing their lips together as he came, his orgasm making him see white as it slammed into him, pulling a whimsical cry out of him.
Miles pulled away and watched Gonzalo fall apart in his arms, his blissful expressions and desperately needy cries pushing him over the edge as he came, his thighs shaking as he continued to wildly bounce the shorter man on his dick, spilling deep inside him.
The sudden desire to grab his sketch pad becoming overwhelming as he fucked Gonzalo
senseless, a smile crossing his lips as the Omega started to babble uncontrollably, his eyes lodged in the back of his skull.
“A…a..again” Gonzalo drunkenly demanded, his fingers digging deep into Miles’s forearms as the Alpha continued to bounce him, elation sliding through their link as Miles met his gaze.
Hobie yawned as he turned the radio up, stretching to the soft hum of an acoustic guitar as his longs legs carried him to the kitchen window.
“Winter is finally here.” He said out loud to no one in particular as he cracked the window, and inhaled the snowy air.
“Morning Daddy.” Kabir said with a smile as she stepped into the kitchen and sat her books on the table, her long hair swaying wildly behind her.
“Good morning lovely.” Hobie said with a smile as he lit the joint in his hand and blew the smoke out of the window.
“You ready for classes today?” He asked as he turned in his daughter’s direction, smoke spiraling from his nostrils.
“Of course.” Kabir said sarcastically with a roll of her hazel eyes as she plucked a box of pop tarts from the top of the refrigerator and popped a pack into the toaster.
“Why so excited?” Hobie asked with a laugh as he placed his joint across the ashtray, and grabbed a cup from the cabinet.
Kabir shrugged her shoulders dismissively as she watched her father pull a carton of orange juice from the fridge.
“Almost holiday break.” Hobie added as he poured the juice into the cup and slid the carton of orange juice back into the fridge.
“Dad I have finals, remember?” Kabir asked as her pop-tarts popped out the toaster, the edges now brown as she gingerly slid them onto a small plate and took her seat at the table.
“You’ll do fine. Your smart.” Hobie said dismissively as he handed the cup to his daughter.
“Just like your old man.” He added with a wink as he lifted his joint from the ashtray and brought it to his lips.
“Which one?” She asked with a laugh as she broke her pop-tart in half and bit into it.
“Cheeky like him too.” Hobie said as he took a long drag of his joint, a smile spreading across his lips.
“Kabir-do you have your notecards? Did you sleep long enough? Where is your sweater?” Pav questioned rapidly as he breezed through the kitchen like a hurricane, ready to helicopter parent as he stepped toward the table, his hair a disheveled mess and his arms full of unnecessary items.
“Yes I have my notecards. Yes I slept long enough and I’m wearing my sweater DaDa.” She pointed out with a laugh as Pav sat across the kitchen table and smiled, dropping the assortment of items in front of him.
“Ah you do-I’m just nervous! It’s finals week!” Pav said happily as he clapped his hands together.
“After finals-you have back to back SAT prep classes and we need to seriously discuss which colleges you’ll be touring this semester.” Pav said with a proud smile, his vibrant red robe flowing around him.
Kabir rolled her eyes, uninterested in the conversation as she bit into her pop tart.
“Did you comb your hair? It’s all over your head.” Pav asked as he looked over his daughter’s wayward tresses, ignoring the slight scowl forming on his daughter’s lips.
“DaDa my hair looks like yours.” Kabir deadpanned, an impassive expression gracing her features as she held her father’s gaze unamused.
Neither one of them had combed their hair.
“That’s because he just rolled out of bed.” Hobie mumbled as he lifted the empty plate from the table.
“What about the Winter formal?” Hobie asked curiously, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his full lips. “You goin?”
Kabir opened her mouth to speak, her response swiftly interrupted by Pav.
“OUR Kabir? Go to a school formal?” Pav asked with a lifted brow as he sat his elbows onto the table.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kabir asked as she bit into her second pop-tart, her eyes twisting daggers into her father.
“Uhhh honey…we both know you don’t leave the house.” Pav said gingerly, earning a look from the preteen.
“Orrrr have any friends.” Pav mumbled quickly.
Kabir lifted her cup of orange juice from the table and looked away, clearly offended.
“Wellllll-Do you have any plans for the holiday break-besides studying?” Pav asked casually as he tried to change the subject as Hobie placed the empty dish into the sink.
“Uh yeahhhh, gun practice with her old man.” Noir interrupted as he stepped into the kitchen, gun on his hip and a mischievous twinkle in his hazel eyes as he pressed a kiss to Kabir’s right brow.
“Morning Princess.” He said happily as he stepped toward the refrigerator and pulled the door open, his eyes roaming the racks in search of substance.
“Morning Pop.” Kabir said as she brought her cup to her lips and chugged the remaining contents in three greedy gulps.
Pav frowned, his upper body turning in Noir’s direction as heavy disapproval weighed down attractive features. “Noir we talked about thi-“
“Morning Pav.” Noir said as he turned toward the shorter man and quickly pressed their lips together, cutting him off before he could continue his complaint.
“Noir-your not teaching our baby to shoot anything!” Pav said as the Alpha pulled away, a smile on his lips as he plucked last night’s left overs and several other items from the fridge.
“What are you talking about NOW Pav?” Noir asked sweetly as he handed Kabir her school lunch.
Pav’s eyes narrowed, making the taller man laugh as he turned in Hobie’s direction, a dopey smile sliding to his lips as he winked, sending warmth up the Omega’s chest.
“She’s old enough to learn how to shoot-she’s just a little bit older than I was, when I learned.” Noir reasoned as he took a seat at the table, leaving the leftovers cold and forgotten on the counter behind him.
“That doesn’t make me any more comfortable-in fact that makes me worry MORE!” Pav snapped growing more flustered, ready to start an argument at the table.
“DaDa it’s ok-I’m fifteen.” Kabir said as she pressed a kiss to Pav’s cheek and checked the watch on her wrist.
“Pop learned around my age and he turned out fine.”
“Yeah.I turned out fine.” Noir nodded in agreement, pulling a disapproving sound from the back of Pav’s throat .
“You are STILL fourteen-your birthday isn’t until Friday.” Pav reminded, earning an eyeroll from Kabir as she stepped around the kitchen table.
“If she can take her SAT-she can shoot with me.”Noir said evenly, his closed fist floating toward Kabir, making her giggle as she bumped her father’s fist in agreement, annoying the shorter man more and pulling a snicker from the teen.
Hobie shook his head amused as he observed the table, silent as he enjoyed the morning banter, Kabir laughed as she shoved her lunch into her backpack, her eyes on the bickering Alphas as they continued to go back and fort.
Hobie’s eyes jumped to Pav, an annoyed grimace smeared across his face as he went back and forth with a smiling unbothered Noir.
Hobie hummed as a serene feeling of wholeness blossomed across his chest and wrapped around him.
“I love everyone in this room.” Hobie said abruptly as he lazily ashed his joint in the ashtray in the center of the table, a soft smile sliding across his lips as he gazed out the window, ignoring the three sets of eyes that curiously turned his way.
“Dad is going to be mad… if you do that.” Matéo said as he stepped into the bathroom doorway, his tone nonjudgmental as his eyes observed his sister’s movements.
Marianna snorted undeterred.
“Which one?” She asked as she lifted her ponytail above her head and rotated her head left and right, her eyes on her reflection.
“Hand me the scissors.” Marianna said as she turned her head toward her brother, a smile sliding across her lips as her eyes fell on the already offered scissors in her brother’s hand.
“You know me so well Tay-Tay.” She said with a pleased giggle as she tucked her fingers into the holes of the scissors and brought them down below her hair tie.
“Any last words?” Matéo asked as he drummed his fingertips across the top of the bathroom counter, a soft smile sliding across his lips.
“Yeah-I’m going to miss waking up early.” Marianna said sarcastically as she closed the scissors, Matéo’s laugher filled
the room as her ponytail fell lifelessly into the sink.
“Ugh! Now I don’t want to leave.” Gonzalo said dryly as he stepped into a pair of black slacks, his damp hair swaying around him as he quickly moved around the room, getting dressed.
“You could stay home.” Miles suggested wistfully as he pulled his sweatpants up his legs and stepped into his house shoes, his eyes on his other half as he watched him pull a black turtle neck over his head.
“Miles I’m going to work.” Gonzalo said with an eye roll as he ran a wide tooth comb through his hair. “We’ve discussed this-“
“Hey! I was just agreeing with what you said.” Miles said with a light laugh as he pulled a hoodie over his head and stepped toward Gonzalo, a soft smile sliding across his full lips as placed his hands on the shorter man’s hips.
“Your going to have a good day.” Miles said as he pressed his face into Gonzalo’s hair, his hands sliding up the Omega’s waist as he pulled him closer, their chests now touching as they continued their morning affirmations.
Gonzalo sighed deeply, his body relaxing as he repeated Miles’s words. “I’m going to have a good day.”
“The little things won’t bother me.” Miles said as he pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s forehead and waited for him to repeat the words.
“The little things-won’t bother me.” Gonzalo said with a sigh as he closed his eyes.
“Good.” Miles said softly as he pulled away, a ghost of a smile floating across Gonzalo’s lips as he reached for Miles’s hand and pressed a quick kiss across the band on his finger.
“Let’s go check on the twins.” Gonzalo suggested as he slowly pulled away, quickly plucking his shoulder bag from the dresser.
“I’m pretty sure they’re up being difficult.” Miles said with a laugh as he followed his other half out of the room and into the kitchen.
“Can you hand me the cereal?” Marianna asked as she grabbed two bowls from the cabinet , her eyes foreword as she opened the dishwasher and pulled out two spoons.
Wordlessly Matéo pulled a chair from the kitchen table, his movements quick as he pushed the chair in front of the refrigerator.
“Which box do you want?” He asked as he stepped into the seat of the chair and stood on the tips of his toes, his eyes roaming across the labels of the different boxes.
“Do you care?” Marianna asked as she sat the bowls on the kitchen counter, her eyes sliding to her brother.
“Not really.” He said dismissively.
“Just don’t pour milk in my bowl.”
“Yeah yeah-get the fruity pebbles.” She said with a wave of her wrist as she untwisted the cap from the milk.
Matéo sat the open box of cereal beside the bowls.
“Thank you.” Marianna said politely as she poured a large amount of cereal into each bowl, a frown instantly sliding across her brother’s lips as he watched her pour a healthy amount of milk into each bowl.
“You annoy me.” Matéo said as he pulled his bowl from the counter and stepped toward the kitchen table, dragging the chair away from the fridge behind him.
“You have to drink milk or you won’t grow.” Marianna cautioned as she dug a spoon into her cereal, nearly knocking the bowl to the floor as Gonzalo’s voice erupted from the entryway.
“MARIANNA RIO MARIE MORALES!!!”
Miles’s eye brows slid into his hairline, shock galloping across his face as his eyes fell onto his daughter’s hair.
Her ponytail gone and her tight coils no longer past her shoulders.
“Que le hicistes a tu cabello?!” Gonzalo snapped as he let go of Miles’s hand and stepped through the kitchen, his shock sliding into sadness as he got a closer look at his daughter’s impromptu haircut.
Matéo sat his spoon down and wordlessly rose from his seat, his legs quickly taking him to his sister’s side.
“Gonzalo…cálmate.” Miles said evenly as he stepped into the chaos, his other half’s sadness vibrant as it slid through their link.
“I AM calm.” Gonzalo said as he reached for Marianna, placing his hand under her chin as he turned her head left and right, his eyes widening as he took in the butchered cut.
“Marianna why did you do this?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest in disbelief.
“Because I don’t want long hair.” Marianna admitted as Miles stepped around Gonzalo and touched his daughter’s hair, taking in the uneven long and short pieces.
Gonzalo’s left brow rose quizzically. “Why didn’t you tell m-“
“I did-more than twice.” Marianna interrupted, her wide Heterochromia colored eyes boring into both men as she held their gaze.
Miles pressed a kiss to Marianna’s temple.
“It’s ok you’re not in trouble…we’re just trying to understand WHY… you cut ALL your hair off.”
Gonzalo frowned, his eyes sliding onto Matéo. “Did you try to stop your sister?”
Miles’s eyes slid to his son, an impassive look schooling his features as he held their gaze, the unimpressed slope of his eyes reminiscent of Gonzalo’s.
“Neither of you are allowed to have scissors.” Miles reminded.
“No.” Matéo said quickly, his dark and light brown eyes flickering between both men.
Gonzalo sighed deeply. “Why not?”
“Because I don’t like the way my hair is either.” Matéo admitted devoid of emotion as he pulled the rubber band from the end of his hair and quickly started to unbraid his hair.
A pleasant smile marching across his lips as his curls blossomed freely around his face, dropping past his eyes and stopping just above his nose and lips.
The kitchen goes silent, an unreadable emotion sliding across Gonzalo’s features as his arms dropped to his sides and he sighed tiredly in defeat.
He didn’t have time for this.
He was going to be late…
All because Marianna wanted a bald fade.
“The little things.” Miles gently reminded as he watched the shorter man squeeze the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb.
“I CAN’T deal with this right now.” Gonzalo said as he spun around on his heels and headed toward the hallway, mumbling unhappily about the time and in search of an umbrella.
“Baby, why did you cut your hair?” Miles asked lightly as he squatted to eye level with the seven year old, patient as he waited for her response.
Gonzalo turned down the radio as he exited the highway, his mood gradually sliding to an unhappy place as he parked and turned the car off.
He sighed as he gripped the steering wheel, inhaling and exhaling deeply before he reached for the door.
He slid his bag across his shoulder and grabbed his umbrella, his eyes forward as he stepped into the rain, rushing past coworkers and unfamiliar faces from other departments.
“Morning Zalo.” Kim said with a smile as she handed him a coffee, her usual smile bright and wide.
“God you look happy to be here.” Gonzalo said dryly as he inhaled the offered coffee, already over the work day before it’d began.
“I’m never happy to be here.” Kim tsked, her smile unmoving as she tossed her head back and laughed.
Gonzalo smiled as she fell in step beside him, her animated chatter and vibrant mood instantly putting him at ease as they stepped into the employee break room.
“Morning Miles.”
Gonzalo’s smile dropped as his eyes slid to a familiar face, the smirk on the man’s lips amused and unmoving as he dropped a half eaten bagel into the trash behind him.
“We’ve addressed this already.” Gonzalo said dryly as he brushed past the man, refusing to give him more attention then he already had.
“I’m NOT Miles.”
“Ohhhh sorry Gonzalo-I always forget…you two just look so much alike.”
Gonzalo pulled open his locker, irritation sliding up his spine as the man stepped beside him and leaned on the closest locker, his heavy cologne irritating the Omega’s senses.
“Honestly if it weren’t for the hair…and your smaller build…” Dean trailed off wistfully
as his eyes slid down the curve of Gonzalo’s back, the unwanted attention making his skin crawl. “I wouldn’t be able to tell you two apart.”
“WHAT do you want Dean?” Gonzalo hissed as he pulled his hairtie from his wrist and gingerly pulled his hair into a low ponytail, his eyes on the mini mirror in his locker in front of him.
He doesn’t have to face Dean to know he’s staring.
Can feel the Alpha’s eyes casually roaming.
Casually watching his movements.
“Busy this weekend?”
Gonzalo’s left eye twitched.
“I’m having a party-“
“NO.” Gonzalo said flatly as he shut his locker abruptly, startling the taller man.
Dean frowned, unhappy with the rejection, he opened his mouth to speak, Kim’s unfriendly tone swiftly interrupting him.
“Dean-WHY must you torment us daily with your horrid appearance?” Kim asked with a lifted brow as she grabbed a muffin from the snack table.
Dean scoffed. “Did you just call me ug-“
“Gonzalo!!! Kim!!! I’ve been looking all over for you two!” Larry from hair and makeup swiftly interrupted, a tight smile on his lips as he brushed past Dean.
“Hurry up! Hurry up! You two are already running late.” He chastised as he ushered the pair out of the break room and into the hallway.
“I’m literally behind the camera.” Kim reminded as she waved and pivoted on her heels, smiling as she sprinted off with her muffin to the lighting department.
Gonzalo exhaled deeply as he fell instep with the older man. “Thank you-“
“He asked you out again didn’t he?” Larry asked with narrowed eyes as he pulled his cellphone from his pocket and checked his appearance on the blacked screen.
“He does…every morning.” Gonzalo confirmed with a sigh.
“I have no idea why he keeps asking you out.” Larry said with disgust as they rounded the corner.
“I’ve told him-I’m not interested AND I’ve gone to HR about it.” Gonzalo said dryly as Larry ushered him into a chair.
“What has HR said?” Larry asked as he moved around his station, grabbing miscellaneous items.
“Because at this point-Honey this is HARASSMENT.” He added with annoyance before Gonzalo could answer.
“But I guess when your mommy owns the company-you can do no wrong.” Larry added as he lifted his water bottle from a nearby table and took a sip.
“To be honest…I think he’s into Miles-NOT me.”
The Omega clarified as he closed his eyes.
Larry snorted as he ran gentle fingers across Gonzalo’s face. “You think he’s into your husband?”
“Yup.” Gonzalo said as Larry started to clean and prep his face.
“That’s fucking creepy.”
Gonzalo laughed, his shoulders shaking lightly as he visualized the older Omega’s face, disgust heavy and weighing down his exaggerated features, as he applied a light layer of primer to his face.
“That makes it even worse.”
“How?” Gonzalo asked as he stifled a laugh.
“I’m literally married to super hero. I’m not surprised people are obsessed.”
“I’d be obsessed too.” Gonzalo added cheekily, making Larry roll his eyes.
“We KNOW. We ALL know!” Larry said as he grabbed a make up brush, frowning as Gonzalo leaned forward and laughed harder.
Miles pulled to a stop and put the car in park, his eyes sliding to the rear view mirror and meeting Matéo’s.
“Have a good morning. We’ll be back-“
“I’m going to school alone?” Matéo interrupted, his lips curving downward with discontent as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
“Just for the morning.” Miles said as he turned around in his seat, committing his full attention to the seven year old.
“Mari is getting dropped off after we leave the barber shop.”
“I’ll be back before lunch.” Marianna said as she turned toward her brother, the two of them exchanging a silent conversation as she reached into her backpack and handed him her pencil box.
“In case you need a pencil.” She hummed as he slid the box into his backpack and quickly zipped in closed.
“I’m not talking to anyone.” Matéo said dryly as he pushed opened the car door and slid across the seat.
“Tay! It’s ok to talk to people.” Miles said as Matéo’s feet touched the wet sidewalk.
“I know.” Matéo said evenly as he pushed the hair from his eyes and met his father’s gaze.
“I DON’T want to talk to people.” He clarified dryly, his obsidian and honey gaze boring into his father.
“See you soon?” Marianna interrupted, her happy tone dancing into the conversation, as a smile slid across her lips.
Matéo’s eyes slid to his sister as he pulled his hand away from his face and smiled, his hair falling back over his eyes as he nodded.
“See you soon.” Marianna said with a wave as Matéo shut the car door and turned away.
“Is he…always so intense?” Miles asked as Matéo headed toward the school doors, taking his time as children and teachers alike rushed into the building.
“Daddy…what are you talking about?” Marianna asked dismissively as she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed into the passenger seat.
Miles leaned backward in his seat and wordlessly watched Matéo maintain an icy distance, his head held high as he slowly took the steps two at a time into the building, the invisible wall around him growing.
“Does he really NOT talk to people when you’re not around?” Miles asked as Marianna buckled her seatbelt and changed the radio station.
“He doesn’t talk at all.”
Miles blinked, dread sliding into the pit of his stomach as his phone vibrated viciously to life in his pocket.
“Not even to teachers?” Miles asked as he unlocked his phone, his eyes sliding to an email notification.
“Nope.” Marianna said as she lifted the armrest and pulled out a bag of gummy worms.
“No candy in the morning.” Miles said as he plucked the bag from Marianna’s hands, earning an unhappy sound from the child as he clicked open the email.
“Your teacher emailed me.” Miles said as he pushed the bag of candy back into the armrest his eyebrows slamming together as he browsed unhappily through the message.
“You want me to-WHAT?” Lyla asked in shock as she watched Jessica spit into the bathroom sink.
“I want you to push back the wedding date….again.” Jessica repeated casually as she grabbed her face towel and refused to meet Lyla’s intrusive gaze.
“Jessica! This will be the SIXTH time!!”
“Why are you so loud?!” Jessica snapped as she tossed her face towel into the sink and met Lyla’s gaze.
“I know it’s the sixth time-no need to REMIND me.” The Beta hissed as she brushed past Lyla and stepped into the bedroom.
“Why are you avoiding this? Are you getting cold feet?” Lyla asked as she trailed behind Jessica, hot on her heels in need of an explanation.
Jessica inhaled deeply as she stepped into the room, her toes digging into the carpet as she pushed past dated memories of David.
Her first marriage forever a stain she’d never be able to remove.
“Marriage is so….” Jessica trailed off as her eyes closed and David’s divorce papers flickered across her mind.
Everything had changed seemingly overnight.
His demands and treatment wicked as he terrorized her with ludicrous impulsivity, constantly chanting the promise of making her life miserable, if he didn’t get his way.
The man she’d once loved had become unrecognizable, seemingly in the blink of an eye.
“So permanent.” Jessica concluded as she opened her eyes.
“What?! You have THREE kids with him!! How is that NOT permanent?!” Lyla asked as her eyes went wide.
This wasn’t making any sense.
“Do you really think Miguel won’t notice?” Lyla asked as she flickered beside Jessica, her shades sliding down the bridge of her nose.
“He’s so busy-hopefully he won’t notice.” Jessica said with a weak smile that didn’t touch her eyes as she grabbed her dress from the bed and pulled it over her head.
“Won’t notice what?” Miguel asked with a smile as he stepped into the room, his arms wrapping around Jessica’s waist and startling her.
“That I gained three pounds.” Jessica lied quickly, as she pressed her lips to Miguel’s before he could respond.
“Three…five…twenty-I don’t care.” Miguel said with soft laugh as he pulled away, his eyes on Jessica as he held her waist close.
“I’ll still love you.” Miguel gently reminded as he pressed his forehead to hers and exhaled deeply, his shoulders dropping.
“Rough morning?” Jessica probed gently as she ran a comforting hand down his forearm.
“Always.” Miguel said with a wistful sigh as he slowly pulled away, his arms sliding down her waist and onto her lower back.
“I’ve been fighting to get approval on the budget for the learning center down town.” Miguel said with an eyeroll as he stepped backward, his eyes roaming the neatly decorated walls of the room.
Jessica’s right brow lifted. “You’re adding a learning center in the outskirts?”
Miguel didn’t respond, his eyes floating to the ceiling as the wheels of Jessica’s mind turned.
“Miguel, the Omega District isn’t going to fund anything Alpha related-and you KNOW that.”
Miguel didn’t respond.
“Miguel you had to raise the money yourself to even get anything built.” Jessica reminded, remembering his stressful and sleepless nights in the beginning.
Miguel exhaled, his eyes closing as he spoke.
“I intend on turning the outskirts into a District.”
“What’d you say?” Gwen asked as she struggled to push the phone back to her ear, her arms full as she strode through the living room, the sleeping baby in her arms happily snoring.
“I said-WE’RE pregnant!!” Margo sang happily into the line, her good mood contagious as a smile slid across Gwen’s lips.
“I’m so happy.” Gwen whispered into the line as she layed the snoozing four month old down into his crib.
“Yeah…I just left my appointment. We’ll know the gender in a few months.” Margo said as she took a seat in the nearest chair.
“But I don’t give a fuck what we’re having-as long as it’s healthy.” Margo added breathlessly as she spun around in her seat, earning a smile from Peni as she stepped into the doorway, IPad in her hands.
“You putting Wei-Wei down for a nap?” Peni asked, her voice distant as she moved around the office,casually ease dropping on the conversation as she pressed a quick kiss to Margo’s cheek and sat on the edge of the desk, her feet swinging.
“He’s knocked out.” Gwen confirmed as she grabbed the baby monitor from the dresser and tiptoed out of the nursery and into the hallway.
“That’s good…he was rather fussy yesterday.” Peni said as she dragged her finger across the screen in her hands. “I think he’s teething.”
“Already?” Margo asked as she turned toward Peni, her brows sliding into her hairline.
“Most babies do start growing teeth…around six months.” Peni pointed out as she sat the iPad face down on the desk and met Margo’s gaze.
“I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.” Gwen said with a sigh as she pulled the clip from her hair, her sock covered feet quickly taking her into the kitchen.
“Spider kids…are a little advanced.” Peni said softly, making Margo snort.
“A little?” Margo asked, her right brow lifting quizzically. “Did you forget how quick Kabir started walking and talking?”
“Yeah that was crazy…she started talking before Mayday.” Gwen reminded as she open the dishwasher, and pulled several plates from the bottom row.
“I meannnnn-she has like THREE different spider variants-I’m NOT surprised.” Peni said with a laugh, as she remembered the identical looks of joy that had painted Noir and Pav’s faces.
The Alpha’s absolutely smitten with the tiny infant that held Hobie’s complexion, Noir’s eyes and Pav’s tresses.
The delivery room had been absolute chaos.
“I’m surprised the twins haven’t skipped grade school-yet.” Peni said blankly as she plucked her IPad from the desk and opened several applications at once, Margo hummed in agreement as she pulled a pack of cookies from her purse.
“They’re pretty advance for seven year olds.”
“Mari…do you want to talk about why you cut your hair?” Miles asked gently as he watched the seven year old marvel at her reflection, her ends no longer jagged and bluntly cut.
Marianna smiled as she ran her fingers through the vertical short strip of curls that graced the middle of her head.
“I like my mohawk.” Marianna said happily as she turned away from the mirror and met her father’s concerned gaze.
“Baby…im glad you like your hair but-“
“I cut it off because…I didn’t like it.” Marianna admitted sheepishly shrugging her shoulders, her eyes sliding to the floor.
“I don’t want my hair to be like Papi’s….thats too much. I want to wear mine like yours Daddy.”
Miles blinked, taken aback by the confession.
“Mari…I cut my hair regularly.” Miles said gently as he squatted to eye level with his daughter.
“And I do too.” Marianna said quickly, making Miles laugh as he took her hand and rose to his full height.
“You do.” Miles said as he pushed opened the barbershop door, Marianna quickly falling in stride beside him as he stepped into the parking lot.
“Do…you like school?” Miles asked curiously as he took his time buckling Marianna’s seatbelt.
Marianna considered the question before she answered truthfully. “Not really.”
“Oh…why not?” Miles asked as he slid into the front seat and started the car, his hand grabbing the seat belt as Marianna met his gaze in the rear view mirror.
“Don’t you like seeing your friends-“
“What friends Daddy?” Marianna swiftly interrupted as she plucked her backpack from the floor, her dark and honey brown eyes boring into him as she unzipped her bag and pulled out a book.
“You don’t have friends?” Miles asked, trying to shove down the surprise leaking into his tone as he pulled out of the parking lot.
“I don’t want school friends.” Marianna said dismissively as she flipped open the book.
Miles sighed as the lengthy email from her home room teacher flickered across his mind.
The woman had a list of concerns ranging from behavioral to academic.
She’d requested a parent teacher meeting.
Opting to personally set the time and date without confirmation of his availability.
Miles opened his mouth to speak, Marianna’s words swiftly shoving his concern deeper into his chest.
“I have enough friends Daddy.”
Matéo hung his backpack on the hook in the corner and wordlessly strode across the classroom, quickly finding his seat as two older students bumped into his desk, knocking his pencil box to the floor.
“Buenos diasssss BUG boyyyyy.” Victor sang with a laugh as he pushed out a harsh accent, his hot breath pulling a frown to Matéo’s lips.
“Where’s your know-it-all sister?” Frank asked as he looked around the room, his eyes sliding to the door.
“Did she ditch you?” Frank asked with a snort as he tapped intrusive fingers across the top of Matéo’s desk, invading his personal space and popping his bubble of peace.
“Aweeee she did.” Both boys snickered.
“Are you going to talk today or do we have to make you?” Frank asked as he shoved Matéo’s books to the floor, a smile spreading across his lips as he waited for the smaller boy’s response.
Matéo shifted in his seat with indifference, his face forward as the teacher shuffled oblivious to the front of the room.
“You look like a girl.” Victor blurted out after a moment, as his eyes took in the soft curls that framed and concealed majority of the shorter boy’s face.
“Aweeee Tay-Tay you look SO pretty today.” Frank said as his eyes slid to Matéo’s hair
Matéo’s bottom lip twitched with irritation at the casual use of his nickname, the minor action pulling illicit laughter from both boys.
“You look as pretty as your weird sister.” Victor said as he reached a hand toward Matéo’s hair, the smaller boy moved, swiftly catching his wrist and stopping his actions.
“Don’t talk about my sister.” Matéo said evenly, his eyes forward as the teacher started to take attendance.
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Victor snapped as he yanked his wrist back hard, his eyebrows crashing into his bushy hairline as Matéo’s fingers tightened around his wrist, holding him firmly in place.
“Ohhhh Tay-Tay talked.” Frank said with a laugh as he watched his classmate struggle to pull out of the smaller boy’s grasp.
“Let go of me!” Victor snapped as he yanked his arm backward aggressively, Matéo’s head turned in Victor’s direction, his fingers uncurling as he wordlessly watched the older boy crash into a nearby desk before falling to the floor.
“ Aweee is Tay-Tay mad?” Frank teased, as he watched Matéo school his expression, his lips sliding into a straight line as Victor struggled to his feet, clumsily bumping into a nearby classmate.
“Don’t call me that.” Matéo said dryly as he rose from his seat and lifted one of his notebooks from the floor.
Victor’s foot connected with Matéo’s pencil box and sent it flying halfway across the room, the abrasive action making him pause as he angrily turned toward the taller boy.
“What are you going to do about it Tay-Tay?” Frank challenged with a condescending laugh as he stepped into Matéo’s personal space, crushing books beneath his muddy shoes, his amusement swiftly ending as the smaller boy swung in his direction.
Miles parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt, Marianna quickly mirroring his movements as she grabbed her backpack and pushed open the door, leaving Miles behind as she started to run toward the school doors.
“Mari! Why are you running?” Miles asked as he closed the car door and quickly followed behind her, pushing open the school door before she could touch it.
“Tay-Tay needs help.” Marianna said as she brushed past her father and stepped into the front office, her eyes widening as they fell on her brother.
His usually neat clothes, disheveled and his mood indifferent as the Assistant Principal stepped beside him, his wrinkled face pinched together with disapproval.
“What happened?! Are you ok?” Marianna asked as she pushed past the older man nearly knocking him over as she approached her brother, worry heavy in her tone as she gently pushed the hair from his eyes.
“I’m fine.” Mateo said evenly as Miles stepped into the office, his eyes going wide as he met Matéo’s gaze and took in his appearance, his bad mood apparent as he waved at his father.
“Heyyyy Tay….is everything ok?” Miles asked as he stepped deeper into the office, his eyes sliding away from his son’s unhappy eyes and onto the stiff faced older man hovering close.
His eyes narrowed as he watched the children’s interaction, judgement spilling from his pores as he watched Matéo gently push his sisters’s hand from his hair,his lips sliding into a soft smile as he spoke.
“Your hair looks better.”
The man’s head titled curiously, as he watched the boy respond, no longer mute as he laughed, his body visibly relaxing as his sister continued the conversation.
The wall of indifference quickly falling as he tucked a stray curl behind his ear.
“You likeeeeee? Should I keep it?” Marianna questioned with a laugh as she struck a pose, making her brother laugh again, the soft sound sparking movement in Miles’s feet as he took a protective step in front of both children.
“What is going on?” Miles asked, his sharp tone snatching the Principal’s attention to eye level.
A fake smile slid across the older man’s lips.
“Mr.Morales-I was just about to call you.”
“SUSPENDED?!” Gonzalo squawked in disbelief, his eyebrows slamming into his hairline as Miles pulled his hands from his pockets and sighed.
“FOR WHAT?! Tay doesn’t even TALK!”
“Apparently…fighting.” Miles filled in as he took a seat at the kitchen table, his arm bumping into Gonzalo’s bag as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes on the ceiling as Gonzalo processed his words.
“Fighting?” Gonzalo echoed as he pivoted on his heels and turned on the coffee machine, suddenly needing caffeine as he pushed open the kitchen curtain, a frown sliding across his lips as he watched stray drops of rain trail down the window.
The rain had been never ending.
“He gave TWO of his classmates a black eye.”
Miles filled in as he closed his eyes, his body sliding back into the Principal’s office.
The older man’s vibe off putting and unwelcoming as he spoke, a questionable smile plastered on his face.
“Mr.Morales…Matéo will be suspended and it’s fortunate the parents of those other children-aren’t pressing charges.”
Matéo shifted uncomfortably in his seat beside Miles, the action pulling a concerned look to his sister’s face as she turned her full body in his direction.
“Tell them what you told me.” Marianna said evenly, her sharp eyes sliding to the principal as her delicate features twisted together unhappily.
“Tell them or they’ll blame you-like last time.”
Miles shifted in his seat, his eyes sliding to both children as Matéo leaned forward and reluctantly spoke, his soft curls obscuring his face.
His voice crisp and clear as he spoke.
“They touched me FIRST.”
“TWO?!” Gonzalo snapped, pulling Miles back into the kitchen as he sat two large mugs on the table and took a seat across from him.
Miles nodded as an unsettling thought crossed his mind, his mixed emotions sliding across their link and stopping Gonzalo’s movements mid sip of his drink.
“What aren’t you telling me?” Gonzalo asked as he sat his cup down and reached for Miles’s hand, his obsidian eyes warmly burning into the taller man.
“I…think Tay’s being bullied.”
Kabir waved as she watched Noir drive away, her smile quickly dropping as she pivoted on her heels and headed toward the rest room.
She unzipped her bag and smiled, quickly stepping out of her school skirt and stepping into a pair of uniform plaid pants, not bothering to tuck in her shirt as she pulled her jacket from her arms and shoved it into her backpack, her actions well rehearsed as she stepped into the hallway and quickly opened her locker.
She grabbed her black vest first, swiftly sticking her arms through the holes of the leather material, the buttons and pins comfortingly bumping together as she reached for her nose and lip rings, wordlessly flying through her usual morning routine as she pulled red lipstick from her locker and dabbed the space between her eye brows, a smile sliding to her full lips as she stared at her reflection in the mini mirror of her locker.
She ran her fingers through her tangled ends a few times before pulling her hair into a low ponytail and quickly braiding the end.
“Morning Kabir.”
Kabir slid her bag up her arm and closed her locker, her sharp hazel eyes sliding onto a familiar face.
“Morning Khalid.” Kabir said absently as she spun on her heels, her long legs quickly taking her down the hallway, the buckles on her boots loudly bumping together as she bypassed several students in the crowded morning hallway.
“Wait! Kabir I wanted to talk to you about something.” Khalid said awkwardly as he struggled to keep up with her pace, eagerly following the tall girl down the crowded hall.
“Why does he do this?” James asked as he unhappily watched his step brother chase behind the antisocial school pariah.
A routine the two seem to partake in daily.
“She’s clearly NOT interested.” James added as he watched the interaction unfold.
“I think it’s cute.” Clair said with a light giggle as she grabbed James’s hand. “Your brother is in love.”
James made a face, his disapproval only growing as he watched Kabir abruptly turn in Khalid’s direction, her right brow lifted high.
“It’s a tale as old as time.” Clair giggled.
”Good boy-falls for the weird alt girl.” Clair added with excitement, making James roll his eyes.
“She’s…so-“ He trailed off unable to find the right word.
“Creepy? Weird? Standoffish?” Shawn filled in as he stepped into the conversation, letterman jacket tossed across his shoulder as he bit into an apple.
“I think it’s her eyes.” He said between chews as his eyes slid onto Khalid, the young Omega happily basking in attention. “How does he do it?”
“It’s like she can see straight through you.” Cheeia said with a shiver. “I don’t like her either.”
“What’s up Khalid-why ya following me to first period?” Kabir asked as she committed her full attention to the conversation, her body shifting in his direction as she watched him gather his bearings, a shy smile sliding to her lips.
“You walk really-really fast.” Khalid said as he shuffled the books in his arms, his breathing rushed as he struggled to catch his breath.
Kabir simply nodded, her eyes sliding above his head and onto the group several feet away behind them.
They were staring.
Their gazes laced with unnecessary curiosity and open disapproval.
As usual.
“I wanted to know if you were going to the Winter formal?” Khalid asked, his question surprising Kabir and bringing her back to the conversation.
“Mmmh…” She shrugged halfheartedly, the silver bracelets on her wrists clashing together as she moved. “I haven’t thought much about it…why?”
“I uhhhh…wanted to know if you’d go with me?” Khalid asked, his cheeks darkening as he held her gaze, the shy smile on his lips heavy with nervousness. “As…my date…”
“Oh my God-he’s doing it!” Clair said with excitement as her long nails dug unattractively deep into James’s forearm, making him scowl.
“I hope she says no.” James said dryly as he watched his brother fumble through the conversation, the tips of his ears gradually growing redder and redder.
“What a weird pairing.” Shawn said as he took another bite of his apple. “Nothing about her is inviting.” He added.
“She literally has spikes on her boots.” He added.
“If they start dating we don’t have to hang out with her-right?” Cheeia asked dryly as she watched a soft smile slide across Kabir’s double pierced lip.
“You know she hasn’t presented yet-right?” Cheeia asked scandalously, his eyes sliding to James’s, making the young Alpha frown.
“What?” Clair asked, her eyes going wide.
“I thought that was just a rumor.”
“Thats actually normal. We all develop at different rates.” Chandler said as he stepped into the circle, biology textbook in hand.
“Is it really though?” Shawn asked mid burp.
“Literally everyone in our Sophomore class has presented.” Shawn added with a shake of his head.
“Late bloomer?” Chandler offered with a weak shrug of his shoulders.
James snorted, his voice over weight with malice as his eyes roamed Kabir from top to bottom.
“Great-my brother is in love with a defective giant.”
“Khalid…did you just ask me to Winter Formal?” Kabir asked with a soft laugh as she held the shorter boy’s gaze.
“I…did.” Khalid said with a nod as he pulled a bookmark from between the pages of a journal and held it out to her.
“I uhhh…made this..for you.” He said sheepishly as her eyes trailed from his face and onto the handmade bookmark in his hand.
“I know your birthday is in a few days….”
Wordlessly she accepted the gift, the red strings of the tassels bumping into her fingers as she took in the array of gently pressed flowers and silver lettering.
“You made this?” She asked as she trailed a curious finger across the letters of her name.
“Yeah-“ He admitted with a frantic nod as he watched her slowly turn the bookmark over in her hand, taking in the tiny encouraging words neatly written in Arabic.
“I uh-…noticed you fold the pages of your books…so I made you a bookmark…” He trailed off as her sharp eyes met his, making him suddenly feel self conscious as he started to ramble.
“That’s….t..this is-lame isn’t it?” He blurted out, embarrassed as she wordlessly watched him fumble gracefully toward the one sided conclusion.
“No. It’s not lame.” Kabir said as she shifted her bag on her arm and slowly slid the bookmark into a side pocket. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Khalid exhaled deeply and laughed.
“I didn’t think you’d like it.”
“Why is that?” Kabir asked as she zipped the pocket and turned back to Khalid, her ears picking up the entertaining commentary several feet away.
“You’re so cool…I just assumed-you wouldn’t.” He confessed wistfully, his shoulders dropping as he awkwardly shuffled the books in his arms, the school bell chiming a five minute warning above their heads.
Kabir blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the compliment.
“Give me your phone.” She said as she held her neatly manicured hand toward him, her palm up.
Khalid quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her, his eyes going wide as she dialed and called a number.
She quickly disconnected the call and handed him back the phone, a smile sliding across her lips as she pivoted on her heels.
“Text me later.” She said with a dismissive wave, leaving him awe struck in the middle of the hallway.
“Maybe if I kill the members of the board-I’ll get that funding.” Miguel said as he browsed through his emails, earning a tired sigh from Lyla.
“Or just charged for murder of the elderly.” She said dryly as she pulled her shades from her eyes and shook her head.
“You age me more and more each day.”
Miguel snorted. “It’s not like you’ll die of old age-any time soon.”
“It’s not like you’ll die of old age.” Lyla mimicked, making Miguel laugh as he leaned back in his seat, his hands sliding down his thighs and onto his knees.
“I still can’t believe you finally wore the board down and got the approval for those buildings.”
Lyla said as she pulled up Miguel’s outline for the Alpha District he’d slowly been creating over the last decade.
Miguel’s eyes roamed the paperwork on his desk,
his mind spiraling and sprinting until it arrived at a plausible solution.
“I could host a fundraiser.” He suggested, tossing the idea into the air. “Maybe donate some art, call in some favors.”
“Mmmmh-or maybe find like minded investors.”
Lyla suggested with an eye roll as she pulled up her daily horoscope.
Miguel considered her words, his mind rapidly falling through a maze of options.
“That may take some time…let’s push up the wedding date.” Miguel said as he rose from his seat.
“What?” Lyla asked as she closed her horoscope, her eyes going wide at his suggestion.
“Finding investors may take longer than anticipated.” Miguel repeated, earning a look from his assistant.
“Lyla pull up my calendar.”
“Did you have a date in mind?” Lyla asked as the calendar flickered in front of them, the Omega’s eyes trailing across the months.
“No-but I could have sworn we were getting married sooner...” Miguel said as he looked over the calendar a second time, confusion coloring his tone.
“Well at least this-year.”
“You’ve just been busy with running a District and building another.” Lyla lied with a weak shrug as Miguel turned her way.
“Let’s push up the wedding date by three months. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Miguel said as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I’m going to schedule a meeting with the wedding planner.” Miguel said as he unlocked his phone screen, his thumbs rapidly typing up a message as Lyla stood rooted in place, unsure what to say or do next.
“That should free up my schedule a bit.” Miguel said with a smile as he slid his phone back into his pocket, his eyes sliding back to the plans scattered across his desk.
“You think Jess would like four or five tier cake?” Miguel asked with a dopey smile, a soft scent streaming from his pores as he fantasized about meeting the Beta down the aisle.
He didn’t give a fuck which cake she wanted.
“Yeahhhhh…I don’t think she’s concerned about what cake you get.” Lyla said casually as she looked away.
Gwen yawned as she sat the baby monitor on the coffee table and slumped over the armrest of the couch, exhaustion pulling at her eyelids as Margo appeared from the kitchen, a large bag of cookies in hand.
“Gwen go get in bed, I’ll take over.” Margo suggested softly as she pulled Gwen from the couch and took her hand, quickly guiding her down the hallway and into their bedroom.
“I’m glad you’re home.” Gwen yawned as she fell face first onto the bed, dragging Margo’s concern deeper into the bedroom as she struggled to untangle the sheets on the bed beneath her.
“Are you not enjoying maternity leave?” Margo teased as Gwen pulled the socks from her feet and tossed them across the room.
“No…I love it-it’s just…” Gwen trailed off with a tired sigh as she pulled the hair tie from her hair, yawning tiredly as her hair fell past her shoulders.
“No one told me it’d be this exhausting.” She admitted as she fell backward into the pillows.
“Gwen-I suggested a nanny and you said-“
“We don’t need a damn nanny.” Gwen interrupted, making Margo roll her eyes as she rose from bed and pulled the coat from her arms.
“I know we agreed to take turns staying home with Wei-Wei…but being a new mom is overwhelming…sometimes.” Gwen admitted as she grabbed a handful of the comforter, her eyes sliding to the baby monitor on the dresser.
“I feel guilty trying to sleep-what if I miss something? What if Wei-Wei needs something?” Gwen asked as she nervously squeezed the comforter in her hand, her thoughts shifting to her deceased mother.
She’d been thinking of her more and more lately.
The uncomfortable feeling swiftly turning into sadness as hesitated with asking her father for parenting advice.
“Gwen you aren’t raising Wei alone.” Margo reminded gently, pushing away Gwen’s worrisome thoughts.
Margo closed the closet door and spun around, her eyes on Gwen as she sat on the foot of the bed.
“And you shouldn’t feel guilty for being tired.” Margo said as she reached for Gwen’s foot under the blankets.
“You’re at home all day with a four month old-THAT sounds tiring.”
Gwen smiled softly as Margo squeezed her big toe reassuringly.
“Gwen…is something else bothering you?” Margo asked gently as she ran her fingers along the arch of Gwen’s foot.
Peni hummed as she placed her order, her good mood only growing as she scrolled through positive reviews on her company site.
Glad she’d taken a reckless leap of faith into the world of business, as she scrolled through another happy testimony.
“Being successful is so rewarding.” Peni hummed as she clicked onto an incoming email notification.
“What the fuck?!” Peni yelled startling the woman behind the counter as she reread the contents of the message a second time.
“What’s wrong?” The cashier asked as she handed Peni her order.
“WE’RE BEING SUED?!” Margo snapped in shock, as she pulled her eyes away from the email.
“This is OUR idea! Well…your idea-but still!!”
“What?” Gwen asked sitting up in bed, her eyes still closed as Peni started to pace the length of the room anxiously, her mind rapidly cartwheeling to the past.
The stress of semester exams weighing down her shoulders as she pushed away her books and grabbed her laptop, desperate for a distraction as she pulled up the rough draft of a program she’d been working on, the eyes of another curiously burning into the back of her head as her fingers moved.
“Peni what ya working on?” Xiang asked as she took a seat beside the Beta, her almond eyes on the screen.
“It’s a program that monitors your stress levels.” Peni said offhandedly, her attention to the conversation nonexistent as Xiang pulled her laptop from her bag.
“I wanna make something that can help…with depression.” Peni said as the colors of the screen rapidly changed n front of her.
“Ohhh…tell me more.” Xiang giggled with excitement.
Peni blinked, the realization abruptly dawning on her as the dated memory fizzled to an end.
She’d told Xiang everything.
“By who?” Gwen asked startled, as liquid anger slinked across their link, an unhappy sound leaving Peni’s throat as she wordlessly stormed out of the room.
“I think Dad is…upset…” Matéo said as he stepped out of the bathroom, his hair pulled into a messy ponytail as he climbed up the ladder to his bed.
“Well you did get suspended.” Marianna said as she stepped out of the closet clad in her pajamas, yawning as she plucked her plushie from the floor and climbed into bed, her eyes wide as she stared up at the bottom of Matéo’s bunk.
Matéo sighed deeply as he turned on his side,his eyes closing as flash backs of his classmates danced across his mind, making him second guess his choices.
“Victor or Frank?” Marianna softly asked after a moment, interrupting her brother’s tangled thoughts.
“Both.” Matéo sighed as he pulled the band from his hair, his wet ends gently falling back in place over his eyes.
“What’d they say?” Marianna asked dryly, her irritation crawling in bed beside her as the conversation continued.
“We don’t have to talk about it-“
“Show me.” Marianna demanded, sitting up in bed, her ears open and her eyes closing.
“It was about my hair…and they kicked your pencil case.” Matéo confessed as he opened his eyes and shifted in bed, the events from earlier splashing from his mind and spilling across his sister as she fell into the memory.
Marianna silently watched the exchange start, her eyes roaming across the classroom as she watched Victor and Frank rise ominously from their seats.
Anger biting at her finger tips as she watched Frank tap questionable fingers into Mateo’s personal space.
Marianna watched as the memory sped up, quickly flashing through the impending altercation.
Her insides grew warm with annoyance, her brother’s emotions wrapping around her he caught and held the taller boy’s wrist.
Anger kicked at her insides as everything on Mateo’s
desk was shoved to the floor.
Marianna exhaled deeply as the memory started to slow, highlighting her brother’s thought process as he slowly rose from his seat, his attention on her pencil box and his new library books.
The toothy smirk on Victor’s face seem to widen as he kicked Mateo’s pencil box clear across the room and laughed, both boys eagerly feeding off each other’s energy as Frank stomped mud covered shoes across the spines of Matéo’s library books.
Marianna flinched.
The rage is instant.
Like a teapot left boiling over on the stove unattended.
Matéo shifted, his arm moving like lightning as he slammed his closed fist into the left side of Frank’s face without hesitation.
Fear and panic flashed across Victor’s face as Matéo stepped in his direction, his movements swift as he hit Victor in the opposite eye before he could move.
Marianna opened her eyes as Matéo shut his, the memory instantly stopping as Victor crashed into the desk behind him screaming.
“An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.” Marianna sang as she bounced her bear in her arms.
“Dad said swinging shouldn’t be your first response.”
“They stepped on my books.” Matéo hissed.
“MY LIBRARY BOOKS.” He added crossing his arms over his chest.
“What was there to talk about? The mud or the harassment?” Matéo asked dryly.
Marianna tsked, her brother’s bad mood seeming to slowly plateau as she processed what’d she’d just seen.
“You should have hit them harder.” She said dryly, making her brother laugh.
“You’re right.” Matéo said as he sat up and lifted his pillow. “I shoulda just-MINK MINK MINK.” He concluded as he rapidly punched his fist into his pillow, making his sister erupt with laughter.
The soft sound of knuckles across their open bedroom door interrupts the conversation.
“You’re both in bed early.” Miles said with a soft smile as he stepped into the bedroom, a peace offering in each hand.
“Is that hot coco?” Matéo asked dropping his pillow onto the bed, a smile sliding to his lips as Miles stepped deeper into the room, mindful of misplaced books and stray toys.
“It is.” Miles said with a nod as he handed each child a steaming mug.
“Extra marshmallows.” Marianna sang happily as she plucked several from her cup and plopped them into her mouth.
Matéo chugged his drink as soon as the cup touched his hands,satisfaction gracing his lips as he handed the cup back to his father.
Always ready to indulge in chocolate, regardless the day or hour.
“What gives?” Marianna asked curiously as her eyes slid from her cup and onto her father.
“You don’t give us sweets before bed-“
“You keep pointing it out and he won’t ever again.” Matéo said dryly as he climbed down the ladder and took a seat beside his sister in bed.
“We wanted to talk to you both…” Gonzalo said softly as he stepped into the room with a half eaten bag of marshmallows, his hair freely flowing around him.
“Are we in trouble?” Marianna asked as she sat her now empty cup on the nightstand beside the bed.
“Why do you think you’re in trouble?” Gonzalo asked with a raised brow as he took a seat on the rug in the middle of the room.
“No-you’re not in trouble.” Miles said reassuringly before he tossed Gonzalo a look, as he sat cross legged beside him on the rug, the bag of marshmallows tucked neatly between them.
Miles cleared his throat and brought his hands together in front of his chest, palm to palm, briefly hesitating before starting the conversation.
“We wanted to talk to you two about-“
“…what happened at school yesterday?”
Matéo filled in as he nervously dug his toes into the carpet, making Marianna frown beside him.
“Yesssss…it is-but you’re not in trouble.” Miles pushed out before Gonzalo could speak, earning an unimpressed look from the Omega as he leaned backwards, his palms flat to the carpet as he gave Miles the floor.
“Is there anyone at school being mean to you…or hurting you?”
Matéo blinked as Marianna looked away, crushing the plushie in her arms as Matéo hesitated, his voice nonexistent as Gonzalo wordlessly watched him shuffle uncomfortably through a series of unhappy emotions.
“Matéo is anyone picking on you?” Gonzalo asked bluntly, his voice warmly sliding into the conversation as he held his son’s gaze.
Miles waited for a response, his eyes shifting between both children.
“Yes.” Marianna said softly after a moment, the shy confirmation instantly pulling sadness across Miles’s chest, as Matéo’s head turned in his sister’s direction.
Marianna sighed as she lay her plushie on the bed beside her, refusing to meet her brother’s gaze as she spoke, her words sparking anger in the pit of Gonzalo’s stomach.
“Kids…at school mess with Tay because he doesn’t talk…they pull his hair and hide his things-“
“Andddd THEY don’t include you in things, they don’t talk to you and they call you a know it all.” Matéo added stiffly, before his sister could finish her sentence.
“It’s NOT just me.” Matéo added looking away.
Miles rose from the floor, quickly crossing the room in two steps, his arms wide as he plucked Matéo from the bed and cradled him in his arms, sadness spilling from his pores.
“Tay…Mari-why didn’t you say anything?”
“We told the teacher-but…” Marianna shrugged halfheartedly as she trailed off, watching her father push the hair out of her brother’s face.
“Nothing changed.” Matéo filled in solemnly, making Gonzalo sigh as he rose to his feet, his hand unraveling the tie on the bag of half eaten marshmallows.
“Marianna…” Gonzalo said evenly as he sat beside her on the bed and pulled her into his arms. “Perdoname por gritarte en la mañana.”
“It’s ok Papi…I know you have difficult mornings.” Marianna said as she reached her hand into the bag of marshmallows.
“Yes…I do.” Gonzalo admitted, making Miles snort.
“But that’s no excuse for yelling.” Gonzalo said as he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
Marianna simply hummed as she shoved several marshmallows into her mouth, over the conversation and happy she’d gotten a haircut.
“Matéo.” Gonzalo said as he tipped the bag in his son’s direction, his Obsidian eyes warmly burning as he spoke.
“We’re talking to your teacher AND principal tomorrow about this-ok?”
“Ok.” Matéo said as he reached into the bag and grabbed a handful of marshmallows.
“Daddy can I talk to you?” Kabir asked as she stepped into the bathroom, her eyes sliding to Hobie as he turned the water off and lifted his head from beneath the faucet.
“Of course.” Hobie said as he grabbed a large towel and quickly wrapped it around his wet hair, mindful not to slip on the way out of the bathroom.
“What’s up?” Hobie asked as he gingerly towel dried his hair, his eyes closing as he suddenly remembered the slice of cheesecake he had waiting in the fridge.
“I got asked to the Winter Formal.”
Hobie hummed, a soft smile sliding across his lips as he spoke. “I knew you were going.”
“Daddy please.” Kabir said with a tired sigh as she sat on the edge of the bed, the Omega lightly laughing as he stepped back into the bathroom and pulled open the cabinet, leisurely plucking haircare items as he waited for her to continue.
“A really…nice guy asked me to go…and I don’t know what to wear.”
“Ohhhh we’re talking about nice guys?” Noir asked playfully as he stepped into the room, earning another sigh from the teen as she flopped backwards onto the bed, embarrassed.
“What makes him so nice?” Hobie asked curiously as he unwrapped the towel from his hair, his eyes on his reflection as he took his time moisturizing his hair, Noir’s ears tuned to the conversation as he stepped into the closet and pulled the jacket from his arms.
“Do you like him-like him or is this a friend?” Hobie probed gently.
Kabir blinked as warmth rushed to her cheeks, and thoughts of Khalid’s smiling face and shy demeanor flickered across her mind, making her hesitate.
He was always smiling.
No matter the time of day, his braces always made an appearance.
She’d be lying, if she said she hadn’t noticed the way his dark brown eyes lit up, each time she stepped in his direction, his excitement unending as he picked her brain about any and everything, indifferent to the stares and open hostility of others.
Often teetering along the line of normalcy as he went out of his way to find her in the hallways, and in between classes, his eyes always managing to meet hers as the warning bell went off.
Noir’s head curiously popped out of the closet.
“I uh…both?” Kabir fumbled awkwardly, making Hobie laugh as Noir stepped out of the closet, ready with a list of questions.
“Ahhhh…so this is why you don’t know what to wear to the Formal.” Hobie said as he took his time washing his hands.
Kabir pulled the bookmark from her pocket, a soft smile sliding across her lips, as she gingerly turned the hand made gift over in her hands, the red tassels lightly bumping into her fingertips.
“He…made me a birthday gift.” Kabir said softly, her tone making Noir’s eyes go wide as he took a seat beside her on the bed.
“He made you this?” Noir asked softly as Kabir placed the bookmark into his hand, the color quickly returning to her cheeks as Noir’s eyes fell onto the bold silver lettering of her name.
“I wanna see.” Hobie said as he stepped out of the bathroom, the smell of strawberries and mangos clinging to his skin as he took a seat on the opposite side of Kabir.
“Aweee my baby has a crush.” Hobie said wistfully as he took the bookmark from Noir’s hand.
“….oh…my…god.” Kabir mumbled ready to sink in between the cracks of the floorboards.
“She’s growing up before our eyes.” Noir said thickly, as Hobie’s emotions slid into him, their link oozing with warmth as he blinked away tears.
“Oh my god-please DON’T do this!” Kabir said as she plucked the bookmark from Hobie’s hand and rose from the bed.
“Do what?” Hobie asked with a laugh as he wiped away a stray tear.
“Get all weird-and start crying because I’m growing up.” Kabir snapped, making Hobie laugh as Noir’s eyebrows slid into his hairline.
Noir leaned backward and considered her words, a frown sliding across his lips as he disagreed.
“We don’t cry-“
“YES you do!” Kabir swiftly interrupted as she shoved the bookmark into her back pocket.
“You cried last week when you dropped me off for SAT prep classes!”
“I don’t remember that.” Noir said as his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose in disbelief.
“You cried my first day of piano practice.”
“Ohhhh-that was definitely Pav.” Hobie said with a snicker.
“Pop you cried YESTERDAY when I told you, I didn’t need help cutting my pancakes.”
“Ohhh….that was yesterday.” Noir said lightly, the realization suddenly dawning on him as Hobie burst into laughter, clutching his sides as Pav stepped into the room with fresh laundry.
“What’s so funny?” Pav asked with a curious smile as he dumped the armload of laundry onto the bed, quickly sorting the clothes into neat piles as Kabir shot Hobie and Noir a warning look.
“We were just talking to Kabir about what she should wear to the Winter Formal.” Noir said with a smile as he rose to his feet and plucked a towel from Pav’s hands, the Alpha’s eyes going wide as the words registered.
“Our Kabir was asked out by a nice young man.” Hobie added as he fell backwards into one of the warm piles of laundry.
“Here we…go.” Kabir mumbled.
Pav turned toward Kabir, surprise skating across his features before sadness took over.
“Oh-Kabir!! Your growing up before my very eyes-“
“DaDa stop! We’re NOT doing this!” Kabir swiftly interrupted as she pivoted on her heels and stepped out of the room, mumbling under her breath about unnecessary waterworks.
“What did I say?” Pav asked as he turned toward Hobie, confusion coloring his tone as Noir laughed.
“Thank you.” Miguel said with a smile as he lifted his pizza order from the cashiers hands, his feet quickly taking him to the parking lot.
“I got the pizza Dad.” Ignacio said eagerly as he plucked the three boxes from his father’s arms before he could pull open the car door.
“Don’t eat any-until we get home.” Miguel warned as he slid into the passenger seat.
“Yeah-keep your gross hands out of the food.”
Andrés said with a snort as he shot his brother a heated look.
“My hands aren’t dirty.” Ignacio hissed as Summer started the car, her voice loud and clear as she spoke.
“Seatbelts everyone.” Summer said as her eyes slid to the review mirror, narrowing as they met her younger brothers.
“Yeah-yeah it’s on.” Ignacio said with an eyeroll as Andrés double checked his seatbelt and nodded.
“Are you ready?” Summer asked with a smile as she turned toward Miguel.
“Take your time getting home.” Miguel said as he pulled his phone from his pocket, curiously checking to see if the catering company had emailed him back.
“He did what?!” Jessica asked in disbelief, nearly dropping the dish in her hand as she spun around and met Lyla’s gaze.
“He pushed the wedding back up to its original date.” Lyla repeated with a sigh as she watched Jessica start to pace the kitchen, her brows knitted together with discomfort.
“I thought you said he was busy.”
“He is.” Lyla said with a head nod, as she watched Jessica carelessly drop the bowl in her hands into the sink.
“But he…wanted to make getting married a priority.”
Jessica sighed as she squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger.
“How was that?” Summer asked as she put the car in park and turned it off.
“You did well. Just remember to always use your turn signals and don’t drive to close to other cars.” Miguel said as he leaned over the armrest and pressed a kiss to Summer’s forehead.
“You”ll have your permit before you know it.”
Ignacio snorted as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
“At least you didn’t hit any mailboxes this time.”
Summer turned around in the driver’s seat and faced her brother, her irritation loud and apparent.
“Shut up and get out.”
“You did better than last time.” Andrés said as he unbuckled his seat belt and pushed open the car door.
“No fighting.” Miguel said with an eyeroll as he pushed open his car door and stepped out, quickly pulling his keys from his pocket and searching for his house key as his children continued to argue.
“She not getting shit.” Ignacio whispered as he stepped around the car, a laugh freezing on his lips as Summer met and held his gaze.
“DON’T ask me to take you ANYWHERE-once I have my permit!” Summer snapped as Miguel twisted open the front door and stepped inside.
“No fighting.” Andrés gently reminded as he stepped past his bickering siblings,a pizza box high in his arms as he followed behind their father, his right hand sliding into the open box.
“I think you should talk to him about this.” Lyla encouraged awkwardly, unsure if she was crossing a boundary with the suggestion as Jessica abruptly spun around on her heels, a strange emotion pulling at the wrinkles on her forehead.
“You think-he WANTS to TALK about why I don’t want to get married?!” Jessica snapped, her irritation floating out of her pores as she held Lyla’s gaze.
“You ...don’t want…to get married?” Miguel asked faintly, softly interrupting the conversation, sadness eating away at his tone as he stood several feet away, an unopened pizza box in his hands.
“Shit.” Lyla muttered as Jessica’s eyes went wide.
“Miguel-wait..let me explain.” Jessica pleaded as she stepped toward Miguel, the scent around him souring with unease as he took several steps backward, avoiding the Beta’s touch.
“What’s there to explain-you don’t want to get married…and didn’t plan on telling me.”
Miguel said evenly, sending guilt up Jessica’s spine as an uncomfortable silence wrapped around them.
“Mom…Dad…what’s going on?” Summer asked as she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes sliding between her parents.
“Dad you said-no fighting.” Andrés said stoically as he stepped into the kitchen, indifferent to the commotion as he grabbed a plate and snatched six slices of pizza from the box before sitting it on the counter.
“I’m eating in my room.” Andrés said casually as he stepped out of the kitchen before either adult could stop him.
“Nothing new.” Ignacio said with disinterest as he pivoted on his heels and headed up stairs with the box of half eaten pizza in his hand.
“How long have you been pushing back the date?” Miguel asked abruptly, startling Jessica as his mind sprinted back to the delayed date that had marked his calendar that morning.
“Summer…honey-can you go upstairs-your father and I need to talk.” Jessica said as she turned her attention to Summer.
A frown slid across Miguel’s lips as he started to piece together the pieces.
This wasn’t the first time.
Wasn’t the second or third time, she’d changed the date without telling him.
“You don’t have to Summer-I was just leaving.” Miguel said abruptly, his sharp tone laced with ice as he turned away, ending the conversation.
“Miguel I-“
“I’ll be staying at the office if you need me.” Miguel stated dryly as he plucked the car keys from Summer’s hand and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
Jessica moved, her feet quickly carrying her across the kitchen and into the doorway, sadness nipping at her heels as she reached for Miguel, her hands sliding down his arm.
The Omega stiffly pulled away, not bothering to stop as he yanked open the front door and stepped outside into the night, softly closing the door behind him and disturbing Jessica’s peace.
Margo hummed as she dropped several chip bags into the basket, happily swaying with Wei-Wei in her arms as she led Peni and Gwen down the aisle, completely ignoring the grocery list.
“Look at her.” Peni said lightly as she nudged Gwen with her elbow, the Beta’s eyes flickered from the box of pasta in her hands and onto Margo.
“She looks so happy.” Peni said as Gwen dropped the box into the basket, her eyes following Margo into the next aisle as Peni fell in step beside her, pushing the partially full basket with ease.
“She does.“ Gwen said in agreement as she leaned toward Peni, mindful of her volume as she whispered.
“Should we be concerned with how happy she is?”
Peni snorted as a smile slid across Gwen’s lips.
“I think-she’s always wanted to be a mom.” Peni said softly as she watched Margo press a quick kiss to Wei-Wei’s temple.
Wei-Wei clung to Margo, his fingers tangling in her braids as his eyes slowly closed, a blissful expression crossing his small face as he drifted to sleep.
“I wish I could get Wei to go to sleep that fast.” Gwen said in awe as Margo slowly rocked the baby in her arms, her eyes jumping across the seasonings on the shelf in front of her.
“Mmmmh…I think his nights and days are still mixed up.” Peni said as she pressed a quick kiss to Gwen’s cheek.
“You’re doing fine.” Peni said reassuringly with a smile as she pulled away.
“Are you?” Gwen asked, side stepping back into the uncomfortable conversation Peni had been trying to avoid.
“Do you know who-“
“Yes.” Peni said quickly, her eyes closing as she sighed deeply, processing her thoughts as Margo tossed several cans into the basket.
“Someone I went to University with-is claiming they HELPED me come up with the concept for my business and wants 50% of everything I’ve made over the last five years.”
“Damn.” Gwen whistled.
“She didn’t help me come up with anything.” Peni snapped as she slowly pushed the basket out of earshot of Margo.
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
“You sure…cause that email looked pretty aggressive.” Gwen said with a frown as she looked down at the watch Peni had made her.
“Do you seriously think-someone showed me how to make this?” Peni asked as she tapped the screen of the watch on Gwen’s wrist.
“She’s only claiming to have helped me because she was in the room, when I was working on it.” Peni said stiffly, as she grew lost in thought mid conversation.
“Is that everything?” Margo asked cheerily, pulling Peni from her thoughts as she placed a snoring Wei-Wei into her arms.
“Thats everything.” Peni said with a genuine smile as Gwen stepped behind the basket, concern warming their link.
“You ready to do this?” Miles asked as he placed the car in park and pulled the key from the ignition, his eyes on Gonzalo.
Gonzalo lifted his shades from the glove compartment and pushed open the car door, his annoyance apparent as he slammed the door shut behind him.
“I need you to breathe.” Miles encouraged as he fell in step beside the shorter man, quickly lacing their fingers together.
“Miles, I’m fine.” Gonzalo said with a sigh as he stopped walking, and turned toward him.
“I’m just…it’s…just-what if they’re on some bullshit?”
Miles’s brows slid into his hairline, his mind cycling back to the disapproving scowl that had took up residency on the Assistant Principal’s face their entire interaction.
“We’ll deal with it and go from there.” Miles said as he lifted their joined hands and pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s knuckle, soothing his nerves.
“Good afternoon Mr and Mr…Morales.” The woman behind the front desk said happily as she ushered them into another room.
“Kabir!! Kabir!!” Marianna sang happily as she clung to the older girl, refusing to let her brother join the hug.
“I missed you!!”
“You two literally saw me last weekend.” Kabir reminded with a laugh as she lifted Marianna high in the air, her laughter sincere as she slowly started to spin.
“Lies!! Now spin me next!” Matéo demanded as Kabir placed Marianna back onto the ground, happily giggling as she stumbled away.
“You two are spoiled brats.” Kabir said as she plucked Matéo from the ground and spun him around.
“We aren’t brats.” Marianna said from the kitchen, as she pushed a chair to the counter and climbed on top of it.
“We just know what we want.” Marianna said slyly as she opened the cabinet and pulled a bottle from the shelf.
“But you ARE spoiled?” Kabir asked with a raised brow as she plucked the container of chocolate syrup from Marianna’s hands.
“Just a bit.” Matéo said with a head nod not bothering to argue.
“Rightttttt. How bout we order pizza and do our homework.” Kabir suggested as she lifted Marianna from the counter and sat her in the chair, making her giggle as she quickly pushed the chair back to the table.
“We don’t have homework-we’re suspended.” Matéo filled in as he handed Kabir a flyer for Dominos.
“WHAT?!” Kabir asked as she spun toward Matéo, the bangles on her wrist chiming harshly together in shock.
Miles twisted the cap from his water bottle and took a sip, his eyes on the woman speaking.
“You think Matéo’s on the Spectrum?” Gonzalo asked bluntly, not bothering to beat around the bush as he picked through the woman’s flowery synopsis.
“I…uh…we do.” The woman said with a nod.
“As his homeroom teacher…I can honestly say I’ve never heard him say anything but “here”. And that’s when I take attendance.”
“Matéo is just a quiet kid. He doesn’t talk unless he wants to.” Gonzalo said dryly as his shades slid down the bridge of his nose.
Unwelcoming as always.
“He only…speaks when Marianna is around.” The P.E. Teacher butted in softly.
“But both children are excellent athletes and have no trouble in my class.” He quickly added.
“Both children despite all this… excel in my class.” Mrs. Garcia said cheerfully. “Both speak excellent Spanish.”
Gonzalo shot the woman an inquisitive
look, his obsidian eyes burning.
“Despite what?” He asked tilting his head.
“You sound surprised they’re bilingual.”
Mrs. Garcia shrank in her seat uncomfortably.
“I..uh…that’s not what I meant.”
“Our last name is Morales-WHAT did you mean?”
“Gonzalo.” Miles softly warned, as he closed his water and sat it on the table in front of him.
“Mrs.Rogers…you said both children are scoring above average and should be state tested?” Miles asked, turning the conversation back toward the homeroom teacher.
“Yes.” She said quickly with a nervous nod.
“Both children need to be tested AND evaluated-“
“For Autism?” Miles asked curiously, thinking back to the way Matéo had kept an overly icey distance away from students and teachers.
“Yes…but the school will have someone from the district conduct the testing.”
“Yeah. You should have hit them harder.” Kabir snorted as she poured ranch over her slice of pizza.
“Is…it the same for you..?” Matéo asked sheepishly as he bit into his pizza.
Kabir blinked, fully aware of what he’d meant.
She too dealt with the hushed whispers whenever she stepped into a room.
The untrusting and judgmental gazes of her classmates ever present as she strode through the halls, her eyes forward as she tuned out the noise and held her head high.
“It’s hard for me to make friends too.” Kabir said with a sigh, as she leaned back in her seat and tilted her head backward, her eyes on the ceiling as she spoke.
“Yesterday someone said my eyes were unsettling and could see into the soul of others.” She snorted, partially amused.
At least the recent stream of insults had been somewhat creative.
A leap and step above creepy.
“That’s just rude.” Marianna said as she dipped her slice of pizza into barbecue sauce and shook her head with disgust. “You aren’t unsettling or creepy.”
“Me gusta tus ojos.” Matéo added as he reached for his cup. “They’re pretty like Tio Noir’s.”
“Thanks for encouragement.” Kabir said with a smile as she reached for another slice of pizza.
“Do you have a boyfriend yet?” Marianna asked curiously, a smile sliding to her lips as she watched the older girl drop her slice of pizza before it touched her plate.
“Or girlfriend?” Matéo inquired slyly.
“What?!” Kabir asked, her cheeks darkening with color.
“Ohhhh she does!” Marianna sang, making her bother laugh as Kabir rolled her eyes annoyed.
“His name is…Khalid-but he’s NOT my boyfriend.” Kabir shared with a sigh.
“Not yet.” Matéo mumbled into his drink.
“Ohhhhhhh tell US more.” Marianna said as she politely sat her slice of pizza onto the plate and playfully batted her lashes.
Matéo snorted.
“He uh…asked me to the Winter Formal yesterday…” Kabir said awkwardly rubbing her arm, making her bracelets bump together as Marianna giggled.
“Formal….like a dance?” Matéo asked curiously.
“Si.” Kabir said as she reached for a napkin.
“Did you say yes?! What will you wear? Have you told Tio-“
“Ohhhh you have follow up questions.” Kabir interrupted with a laugh as she plucked her slice of pizza from the table and bit into it.
“Do you think she’ll want our help picking a dress?” Noir asked curiously as he stepped into the living room, brushing snow from his shoulders.
“Mmmmh I’m sure she’ll say something when she’s ready.” Hobie said as he turned down the volume on the tv, a smile floating to his lips as Noir took a seat beside him on the couch.
“Yeah…like she told us about Khalid?” Noir asked with a light laugh as Hobie shifted completely in his direction, placing his feet into the Alphas lap.
“That was so cute.” Hobie said with a laugh as he watched Noir pull his mask from his face.
“It really was.” Noir hummed in agreement as he ran his fingers through his hair. “Our baby has a boyfri-“
“No the hell she doesn’t!” Pav swiftly interrupted as he stepped into the room, large bowl of popcorn in hand.
“What do we even know about this boy?” He asked as he rudely wedged himself between Hobie and Noir, earning an amused grin from the Omega.
“That he’s nice.” Noir said as his back pressed into the couch and he took the bowl from Pav’s hands.
“He made her a thoughtful gift-“
Pav snorted unimpressed. “A bookmark.”
Hobie nodded, as he remembered the carefully thought out selection of vibrant flowers gently pressed into the expensive paper, the soft slop of the letters neatly written in Arabic and the red tassele ribbon neatly weaved into the paper.
That hadn’t been a regular bookmark.
“Lame.” Pav said with an eyeroll, interrupting Hobie‘a thoughts.
“Regardless-she likes the gift and she likes him.” Hobie said evenly as he met and held Pav’s gaze.
“You better chill out before she stops sharing things with us.” Hobie warned with narrowed eyes.
“Anyway-“ Pav said flippantly as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“She will be wearing a traditional dress to the Formal.” He added changing the subject.
“What?Who decided that?” Noir asked as Pav thumbed through his messages.
“Aunty Maya…she already bought a dress.”
“SHE JUST TOLD US ABOUT THIS.” Hobie said in shock. “WHEN did Aunt Maya even buy the dress?!”
“That is…aggressively fast.” Noir said as he tossed several pieces of popcorn into his mouth.
“The dress will be arriving tonight.” Pav mumbled, earning a look from both men.
“What if she doesn’t like it?” Noir asked curiously as he lifted the remote from the table and muted the show.
“I fucking knew it.” Gonzalo said dryly as Miles started the car and quickly pulled out of the school parking lot.
“That was…” Miles trailed off, at a loss of words.
The meeting had swiftly spiraled off the rails, Gonzalo’s final nerve snapping as the tone of questioning turned oddly judgmental.
“You don’t think they’re overly close?” The Assistant Principal asked, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward in his seat.
“What?” Miles asked, caught off guard by the question.
“He won’t even talk UNLESS his sister is in the same room.” The man added as he tapped his fingers across his notebook on the table.
“Who even are you?” Gonzalo asked abruptly, rudely snatching the man’s attention.
“My name is Greg Meadows.” Greg filled in dryly, as he shifted his entire upper body in Gonzalo’s direction, ready for a confrontation.
“Ah Greg-when will the actual Principal be back from vacation?” Gonzalo asked with a smile, sending sparks of animosity across the table, causing several teachers to squirm uncomfortably.
“Mr.Morales why isn’t Marianna in class today?” Mr.Roger’s asked curiously.
“I teach math. He reminded.
“She stayed home with her brother today.” Miles said evenly, his gaze locked on the Assistant Principal.
“What are you implying?” Miles asked sharply as Gonzalo crossed his arms beside him, their link burning with mutual irritation.
“You see what happens when they aren’t together.” Gonzalo said dryly.
“One student being suspended isn’t an excuse for another to be absent-“
“My children are being BULLIED in your classes and you didn’t even NOTICE.” Gonzalo snapped, gutting his sentence and making the man winch as the air in the room grew tense.
Miles sighed as he stopped at a red light.
“How do you feel about Tay potentially being on the spectrum?” Miles asked softly.
Gonzalo exhaled deeply. “I don’t know.”
“The P.E. Teacher said he’s never even heard Tay speak. Not even for attendance.” Gonzalo reminded.
“I think….we should have them both evaluated and tested. I don’t think they’re even in the right grade.” Miles added as he stepped on the gas easing into traffic.
“I caught Marianna reading, The Odyssey.” Miles said with a laugh as Gonzalo’s eyes slid into his hairline.
“What?! Why?!”
“I think Kabir had mentioned it to them the last time she baby sat and Marianna checked it out that following Monday.”
“I think we should get them tested by HQ.” Gonzalo said openly, surprising Miles as he merged into another lane.
“I just think HQ maybe be…better suited for this.” Gonzalo admitted with a tired sigh.
“What if…the twins are struggling in school because they need to be around-children more like them?”
Miguel yawned as he reluctantly opened his eyes, and grimaced, annoyed as rays of sunlight slipped between the blinds of his office, waking him before seven am.
“Lyla-cancel all my appointments for this morning.” Miguel said dryly as he pulled the blankets back over his head and groaned.
“For this morning…?” Lyla asked as she appeared on his desk, concern weighing down her features.
“You’re right. Cancel ALL of them.” Miguel said as he closed his eyes.
“Even…the one for cake testing this afternoon?” Lyla asked meekly. “Jessica already confirmed she’d be there.”
Miguel didn’t respond, his mind shifting back to the night before.
Jessica’s words had hung in the air like an unwanted painting, the somber expression on her face nearly too much as he yanked out of her reach and slammed the door.
He’d turned his phone on silent the minute he started the car, his mind too chaotic to speak clearly.
Jessica politely smiled at the receptionist as she glanced at the clock a third time.
“Ummm…he’ll just be a few more minutes. He’s running behind schedule.” Jessica fumbled, refusing to address the dread forming in the pit of her stomach as she pulled her phone from her purse and checked her messages.
Miguel hadn’t responded.
Hadn’t even opened her texts.
“Ma’am we can only wait for so long. We have back to back appointments today.” The receptionist said as she tossed another look at the clock across the room.
“Do you know how long he’ll be?”
Jessica opened her mouth to speak, Miguel’s smooth voice swiftly stopping her as he stepped into the room, clad in black dress pants and a cream colored shirt.
He looked immaculate for a man who’d slept overnight in his office.
“Sorry I’m so late-got busy running the District.” Miguel said with a polite laugh as he met and held the woman’s gaze, his feet quickly taking him to the seat beside Jessica.
“Mr.Mayor I’m so glad you could make it!” The woman said happily, not bothering to hide her excitement as she took a seat across from them. “My name is Jillian and I’ll be assisting you today.”
“So the three flavors you will be tasting today are new hybrid flavors and geared more toward your dietary preferences.” The woman said as she reached for the phone and dialed an extension.
“Thank you for showing up…I know you’re upset with me.” Jessica said softly as she turned in her seat and reached for Miguel’s hand, glad he hadn’t stood her up.
“Upset isn’t the word I’d use.” Miguel said evenly as he slowly snatched his hand away and pulled his phone from his pocket and proceeded to ignore her, canceling the conversation and earning a look from Jillian as she disconnected the call.
Jessica shifted in her seat a familiar sadness pulsating across their link as she distracted herself with a nearby painting on the wall, the air of the room suddenly growing overly warm and stuffy as Miguel slid his phone back into his pocket.
The rest of appointment Miguel maintains his distance, professional as always as he played nice with Jillian, complimenting her on the cake selection and her eye for decorations.
“These are all so amazing Jillian. I’m glad you’re helping us today.” Miguel said politely as he dropped his fork onto his empty plate, making Jessica’s eye twitch.
“Call me Jill, the pleasure is all mine.” Jill said with a laugh, happily basking in the compliments and praise.
With ease he dances through conversation, his good mood uninterrupted by her discomfort as he dominated the conversation with a smile, swiftly securing a discount with additional perks.
“Fuck you.” Jessica said as she pushed past him, anger mounting in her chest as she wildly searched her purse for her keys.
“You sound upset.” Miguel said dismissively as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
“You should probably find out why.”
“You KNOW why I’m upset!” She snapped, her voice echoing across the half full parking lot as Miguel pulled open his car door.
“I actually don’t.” Miguel said with a smile as he slid into the front seat and started the car.
“So you weren’t just flirting with Jill-to piss me off?!” Jessica asked as she slammed her purse onto the hood of her car, quickly pulling the contents out one by one.
“Nope, don’t recall.”
“Miguel I swear to fucking-“
“Good luck finding your keys though.” He interrupted with a laugh as he backed out of the parking lot before she could respond.
“Why did you take her keys?” Lyla asked as Miguel merged onto the highway, his smile unmoving as he pulled the set of keys from his pocket and tossed them onto the passenger seat.
“Miguel?” Lyla repeated, as she watched him wordlessly turn up the radio up.
“I got the snacks.” Gwen said as she stepped into the living room, her arms loaded with chips and cookies.
“What happened to the charcuterie board?” Margo asked as she lifted several bags of chips from Gwen’s arms.
“The what?” Gwen asked as she dropped the remaining snacks onto the table. “I left the dip in the kitchen.”
“The cheese board thing.” Peni filled in with a laugh, as she flipped through the channels aimlessly.
“You know with the little suspicious meat Margo likes.” Peni teased, earning a look from Margo.
“The meat on my cheese board is NOT suspicious.” Margo said dryly as Gwen turned around and headed toward the kitchen.
“Righttttttt.” Gwen said as she returned with the charcuterie board and dip.
“Nothing suspicious about this.” Margo said as she lifted a tiny sausage from the board and bit into it, making Peni snort.
“What are we watching tonight?” Gwen asked as she took a seat on the floor beside the table, quickly opening a bag of Doritos.
“Mmmmh whatever is fine.” Margo said as she reached in Wei-Wei’s bag and handed Peni a hairbrush.
“Yeah I don’t care…I think it’s your turn to pick the movie anyway.” Peni said as she pressed a quick kiss to Margo’s cheek.
“Thank you.” Peni said as she pulled away, her eyes lingering on Margo’s lips.
“Where is the remote for the speakers?” Gwen asked as she placed her open bag of Doritos on the coffee table and rose to her feet.
“No idea.” Margo hummed slightly distracted as Wei-Wei reached for her hands, his chubby fingers wrapping around the ring on Margo’s index finger.
“Check the kitchen?” Peni suggested with a laugh as she slowly ran the brush through Wei-Wei’s hair, mindful not to bush out his lose curls.
“Why would it be in the kitchen?” Gwen asked as she stepped out of the living and into the kitchen, her bare feet quickly taking her to the cluttered dinning room table.
“Everything ends up in the kitchen.” Margo called from the living room as Gwen’s eyes landed on the remote.
“Of…course everything ends up in the kitchen.” Gwen mumbled as she snatched the remote from the table and spun on her heels, sprinting back to the living room.
Gwen stumbled, nearly tripping over the floor rug as she ceased movement, her eyes on the couch as she stood rooted in place.
Entranced.
Wei-Wei cooed happily as Peni brushed his hair, a gentle smile floated to her lips as Margo started to hum beside her, the soft sound quickly filling the space around them as Wei-Wei yawned and closed his eyes, the fingers of his right hand wrapped tightly around Margo’s ring.
“Don’t move.” Gwen said as she lifted her phone from the table and took several steps backward, the remote forgotten as it slipped out of her hand and onto the floor.
“Another one?” Peni asked with a laugh as the flash went off, answering her question.
“Always.” Gwen said as she looked at the photo and smiled. “I want-I NEED to take as many as possible.”
“Why? We literally have hundreds of pictures.” Margo asked as she gestured to the large display of family photos that decorated the space above the fire place.
“What do you mean need?” Peni asked curiously as the movement of her wrist stopped and her eyes met Gwen’s.
Gwen hesitated before speaking, emotions halting into her words as she struggled to speak around the tightness lodged deep in her chest.
“What’s wrong?” Peni asked as she sat the baby brush on the coffee table and swiftly handed a snoring Wei-Wei to Margo.
“I uh…becoming parents…made me realize-how much I…miss my mom.” Gwen admitted softly, her eyes watering as she continued to stare at the photo until her vision blurred.
Peni rose from the couch and crossed the distance between them, concern motivating her movements as she reached for Gwen.
“I regret not taking more pictures…with her…before she-“ Gwen trailed off as she locked the screen and slid the phone into her pocket, unable to finish as several tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Gwen don’t cry.” Margo said as she rose from the couch, clutching Wei-Wei in her arms, her link burning with sadness as she struggled to blink back tears.
“I’m going to cry-if you cry.” Margo said as she burst into tears, startling Gwen to her senses as Wei-Wei stirred unhappily awake in Margo’s arms.
“Don’t cry, It’s ok. We can take as many pictures as you want.” Peni promised as she pulled Gwen into her arms. “Everybody stop crying NOW.”
Gwen wordlessly wrapped her arms around Peni and buried her face in the space between her neck and shoulder.
“No more tears…please.” Margo pleaded as she joined the hug,softly pressing her lips to the nape of Gwen’s neck.
“Welcome back home princess.” Noir said happily as he watched Kabir step through the rippling portal in the kitchen.
“Glad to be back.” Kabir said as she untied the watch from her wrist and handed it to her father.
“How are the twins?” Noir asked as he watched
Kabir grab a bowl from the cabinet.
“Spoiled as always.” Kabir said with a laugh as she opened the freezer door and pulled out a tub of ice cream.
“That’s good.” Noir said as he rose to his feet and grabbed the ice cream scooper from the counter as he watched Kabir open the container.
“Tay got suspended.” Kabir informed as she slid the bowl to her father and watched him quickly scoop and dump ice cream into her bowl, in one swift motion.
“What?!” Noir asked, not bothering to hide the surprise in his voice as he added three more scoops to her bowl. “He’s like a kindergartener-“
“FIRST graders.” Kabir corrected.
“Pop the twins are seven NOT five.”
Noir hummed considering her statement.
“What’d he get suspended for?”
“Guess.”
“I don’t want to.” Noir said bluntly as he handed his daughter the now full bowl.
“For fighting.”
Noir’s brows slid into her hairline. “Fighting?”
He’d never so much as heard the young boy raise his voice, let alone yell.
“Well…he is his father’s child.” Noir said, as he suddenly remembered the mall incident with Miguel years prior.
“I’m pretty sure…it was the kids from his class.” Kabir said as she watched her father place the ice cream tub back into the freezer.
“You think he’s being bullied?” Noir asked as he closed the door and turned toward Kabir.
“Mmmh…I don’t know.” She admitted honestly as she shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
“But they both told me…they have a hard time making friends.”
Noir nodded, making a mental note to reach out to Miles later that night.
“I think…they just have a hard time connecting with…” Kabir trailed off, her eyes downcast as she wordlessly stirred her spoon through her ice cream, mixing the colors, her mind clearly elsewhere.
“Regular people.” She added after a moment.
Noir studied her expression, his sharp eyes taking in the unhappy slump of her shoulders and the sadness present at the table.
“Do you feel like you have a hard time connecting with people…because you’re different?” Noir asked softly as he pulled his seat beside Kabir’s and patiently waited for her response.
“Yes….” Kabir admitted with a sigh as she dropped her spoon carelessly into her bowl.
“Did you have a hard time making friends when you were my age?”
“Princess…I have a hard time making friends now.”
Kabir rolled her eyes as she bumped her father’s arm with her elbow, suppressing a laugh.
“Pop be serious.”
“He is being serious.” Hobie said with a laugh as he stepped into the kitchen, acoustic guitar in hand, an amused expression blanketing his attractive features as he leaned against the kitchen sink and lazily ran his fingers across the strings.
“Glad your home lovely.” Hobie said with a nod of his head, his long fingers slowly moving faster as the soft familiar sound of music filled the kitchen.
“What happened to your friend from yesterday?” Hobie asked lightly his eyes closing as his fingers continued to move, a soft shade of pink dancing around him.
Noir dug his spoon into his ice cream and spoke, making Kabir blush. “Oh yeahhhhhh…your boyfr-“
“He is NOT my boyfriend!” Kabir quickly interrupted, prompting Hobie’s right eye to open.
“Ahhhhh you mean not yet?” He teased.
“…we’re JUST going to a school dance!” Kabir whined, growing more and more embarrassed under the attention as she nervously ran her fingers through her wild tresses .
“But you like him anddddd he likes you…right.”Noir pointed out, making the statement sound like a question.
“I guess….” Kabir said as she scooped a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, mortified the conversation was happening.
“Mmmh. What if kisses you at the Formal?” Noir asked curiously, making his daughter immediately choke.
“Oh my god-can we NOT talk about this?” Kabir asked between coughs, as she struggled to breathe.
“Maybe it’s time to chat bout birds and bees-yeah?” Hobie suggested, making Kabir’s
embarrassment skyrocket out of orbit as Noir turned in her direction.
“Good night!!” Kabir said in one breath as she rose from the table and tossed her bowl into the sink before Noir could add to the list of awkward questions.
“Love you.” Hobie said as he watched her sprint out of the kitchen visibly embarrassed.
“She’s so cute.” Noir said with a hum as he placed his bowl into the sink.
“So cute.” Hobie said in agreement as he watched Noir rinse the bowls and place them into the dishwasher, his fingers creating a new sound as a comfortable silence filled the space.
“I remember our first kiss.” Hobie said with a laugh that sounded like music, pulling Noir’s attention away from the dishwasher.
“Was it like this?” Noir asked as he stepped away from his task, his wet hands sliding to Hobie’s waist as he pulled him close and kissed him deeply, interrupting the soft stirrings of the guitar.
Miles yawned as he crawled into bed, the soft smell of rain and chocolate corrupting his senses as he pulled Gonzalo into his arms and buried his face into his hair.
Miles inhaled deeply, his eyes closing as Gonzalo pressed closer into him, radiating with warmth as the sheets tangled around them.
“Go to sleep.” Gonzalo said after a moment, his eyes closed and his face pressed to the pillow.
“How do you know…I’m not sleep?” Miles asked cheekily.
“Because I can hear you thinking.” Gonzalo said with a sigh.
Miles brows knitted together in confusion.
“You can’t-“
“Yes I can.” Gonzalo interrupted dryly.
“What am I thinking about now?”
“Go to sleep and we’ll deal with everything tomorrow.” Gonzalo said stiffly as Miles pressed his cool toes to the back of his ankles, making him groan unhappily.
“What if I can’t sleep?” Marianna asked as she pulled her teddy bear closer to her chest, her eyes on the nightlight across the room.
Matéo yawned as he reached for the ladder connected to the bed, his eyes closed as he quickly crawled down the steps.
“What’s wrong?” Matéo asked as he slid in bed beside her, his eyes slowly opening as he looked at the glowing numbers on the clock across the room.
“I’m not sure.” Marianna said as she pulled her bonnet down over her ears.
“Do you feel like something bad or…something horrible is going to happen?” Matéo asked, his eyes closing as he pulled the blanket up to his neck.
“I won’t let anything bad happen-now go to sleep-“
“What if something horrible happens?” She interrupted.
“It won’t.” Matéo promised as he drifted off to sleep, leaving his sister to ponder her thoughts.
“Dad didn’t come home…did he?” Ignacio asked as he watched his younger brother inch into the room, his hair wrapped in a towel.
“I…don’t think so.” Andrés said evenly as he pulled the towel from his head, his attention sliding to the window.
“I don’t think anyone should be driving in this weather.” Summer said as she stepped into the room, her fuzzy pink house shoes bumping into the door as she dragged her blanket and pillow into the room behind her.
“It’s been storming since mom got home… I hope dad is…ok.” Summer added as she dumped her belongings in the center of the room on the floor.
“Scared to sleep alone?” Ignacio teased as thunder struck harshly, making him flinch.
Andrés rolled his eyes unsurprised.
“You don’t even sleep alone.” Andrés reminded dryly as he pulled the towel from his hair and tossed it into the dirty clothes hamper.
“Cállate.” Summer snapped before her brothers could start their usual bickering.
Andrés simply nodded as he pulled open his closet door and yanked several neatly folded blankets from a shelf.
“Fine.” Ignacio mumbled reluctantly as he hopped out of bed and stepped into the hallway, quickly pulling pillows one by one from a nearby closet.
“It’s been…a long time since we all slept in the same room.” Andrés said as he watched his older sister layer the blankets, her face pinched together in concentration as she focused on the task, her thoughts visibly elsewhere.
“Yeah….” Summer said as Ignacio lazily tossed pillows at Andrés’s feet.
“Do you think…they’ll make up…?” Ignacio as he watched Summer neatly arrange the pillows, Andrés’s movements stuttered as he turned and looked at his brother.
“I don’t know.” Andrés admitted with a deep slow sigh, pulling a frown to his sister’s lips as she suddenly remembered the look on their father’s face as he stormed out of the house.
“I can’t believe he took my fucking car keys.” Jessica snapped, her anger gradually growing as she remembered the way Miguel had gleefully watched her search fruitlessly through her purse.
His smile ever present as drops of rain started to fall aimlessly from the sky, quickly drenching her arms and hair.
She’d slid behind the steering wheel absolutely livid, her disdain only growing as the seconds ticked into minutes and the minutes to hours as she waited for a tow truck to arrive.
Lyla had sent her a text minutes after Miguel had driven away, informing her of the tow provider’s extended eta.
Angrily she’d waited two hours, watching as cars came and went and the rain grew heavy and unkind, nearly drenching her completely as she watched the elderly man struggle to hitch and attach her vehicle.
Jessica tossed her purse onto the dresser, indifferent and ignorant to the items she knocked to the floor.
“You know she’s going to be mad.” Lyla said as she watched Miguel toss Jessica’s car keys onto his desk, his amusement apparent as he slowly turned in Lyla’s direction, not bothering to hide his smile.
“Good.”
Lyla’s eyes widened with shock as she looked him up and down, seeking further clarification.
“Miguel!! Why are you-“
“How many times?” Miguel interrupted.
“What?” Lyla asked caught off guard by the question.
“How many times did she push back the date?”
Lyla hesitated, her thoughts sliding back to Jessica as she anxiously paced the kitchen, the dishes in the sink forgotten as Miguel eased into the kitchen, his mood shifting as he heard Jessica apathetically speak about marriage.
Unmotivated and unmoved by the prospect of spending eternity with him.
“You think-he WANTS to TALK about why I don’t want to get married?!” Jessica had snapped, her irritation with the topic loudly bouncing off the walls of the kitchen as Miguel stepped into their home.
His world had crumbled under the revelation.
Had she settled?
Did she love him the way he loved her?
Was marriage with HIM…something she even wanted?
Miguel’s palms grew sweaty with discomfort as he spoke his thoughts, his voice nearly cracking .
“You don’t….want…to get married?”
The look on her face had screamed volumes, quickly cycling through the stages of shock before falling with dread.
Upset he’d heard her.
Upset she’d stumbled and he’d become privy to the secret she’d been hiding.
“Miguel-“
He would have preferred a lie.
“Miguel can you hear me?”
Would have preferred to carry the night out in ignorance, blissfully unaware as he slid in his usual seat at the table beside her, his body relaxed as he listened to their children chat endlessly about the school day and impending driving lessons.
It should have been a normal Monday night.
“MIGUEL-I understand you’re upset…but I THINK you TWO…should talk.” Lyla yelled, yanking him from his thoughts and pushing him back into his cluttered office.
“Why should I talk to her-when she wouldn’t EVEN consider talking to me?” Miguel asked thickly, his wayward emotions getting the better of him as he snatched his gym bag from the floor and stomped out of the office, the glass door clicking closed behind him before Lyla could offer a response.
Jessica reread the text a third time and hesitated, her finger hovering over send.
She sighed as she immediately deleted the message and toss her phone onto the
bed.
How the fuck was she supposed to fix this?
Chapter 2: It’s like HEB…
Chapter Text
“Pavitr it’s so good to see you.”
Aunt Maya said with a sincere smile as she pulled open her front door and welcomed her nephew with open arms.
“Aunty I visited you two days ago.” Pav gently reminded with a laugh as he returned her hug.
“Mmmh if you say so.” She said dismissively as she pulled away and headed toward the kitchen, Pav rolling his eyes as he followed behind her.
“Where is my great niece?” Maya asked as she grabbed a pot of water and placed it on the stove.
“She’s in class.” Pav said with a laugh as he looked at the clock on the wall.
“I’ll bring her next time.” He promised.
“How is she doing in school? How are her grades?” Maya asked as she lifted a ceramic container from the counter and rummaged through it, taking her time to find today’s chai.
“She’s doing well, her lowest grade is an A-.”
Pav filled in proudly. “She starts SAT prep classes next week.”
Maya hummed approvingly as she lifted three tea bags from the container and pulled the strings off as she dropped them into the boiling water.
Pav stepped beside her, his eyes on the different spices she had neatly placed in small separate glass bowls.
“Hand me the cinnamon sticks and star anise.” Maya said as dropped several strings of Saffron into the pot.
Pav obediently handed her the small glass bowls,
deeply inhaling the rich aroma as he added pieces of lemon grass into the pot.
“Have you spoken with her about which college she’ll be attending?” Maya asked curiously as she dumped the spices into the pot.
Pav sigh, already aware of where the conversation was headed. “No…Not yet-“
Maya tsked, shaking her head with disapproval, the bands on her wrist bumping together as she spoke. “She’ll be graduating soon. You should be having these conversations NOW.”
“Aunty we will. I’ve already reminded Kabir.” Pav whined as he plucked several cardamom from a glass bowl and cracked them open as his Aunt stirred the contents of the pot with a spoon.
“Have you spoken to her about the dress?” Maya asked as she gestured for Pav to toss the cardamom into the pot, changing the subject.
“Mmmh…not yet.” Pav admitted, his eyes closing as Maya’s head snapped in his direction.
“I had it tailored to better suit her taste.” Maya said as she slowly poured milk into the pot as Pav stepped away and grabbed their usual glass mugs.
“Tailored to better suit her tastes?” Pav questioned as his Aunt lifted the pot from the stove.
“Yes…she’ll be wearing this.” Maya said as she turned the stove off and stepped out of the kitchen, leaving Pav to fill the cups.
Pav plucked several sugar cubes and tossed them into his tea, both cups steaming as he stepped toward the kitchen table.
“My Aunty gave me this and now it’s time I give it to Kabir.” Maya said as she stepped back into the kitchen her arms full of beautiful blood red fabric.
Pav placed the cups on the table, his eyes sliding to his Aunt as she gently lay the fabric across her chair, sadness washing over her as she ran her fingertips across the black diamonds the ran along the Sari.
“It’s beautiful.” Pav said, reminding Maya of his presence.
“I haven’t seen this in ages.” Maya said with a smile as she handed the long silk fabric to Pav.
“This red is so dark.” Pav said in awe as he watched his Aunt lift a heavily adorned choli from the chair, pride dancing across her wrinkled face as she held the short sleeved blouse.
“I know Kabir is a bit more dramatic than I was at her age.” Maya said with a laugh as she handed Pav the blouse.
“But I know she’ll love this.” Maya said as she turned toward the table and lifted a small wooden box, sending Pav’s eye brows into his hairline.
“I haven’t seen this since-“
“I gave you your set.” Maya interrupted as she opened the box, revealing fifteen shiny bangles.
“Pavitr…she’s ready.”
Kabir sneezed as she stepped into the cafeteria, her eyes bouncing from table to table of the crowded lunch room as she took her time finding an empty table, her SAT prep book in hand as she slid into an empty seat, indifferent to the world around her as she placed her headphones into her ears.
Khalid’s eyes roamed the cafeteria, his mood instantly lifting as he caught sight of Kabir, her face buried deep in a book, her lunch untouched, and her long hair a mess of untamed waves.
He watched her for a moment.
Watched the way her long fingers idly tapped the table, the rhythm unfamiliar, his eyes slid to the colorful sticky notes that danced throughout her study guide.
Color warmed his cheeks as his eyes spotted the bookmark, golden tassels dangling as she slowly turned the page of her book.
Khalid hurriedly payed for his food and stepped out of line, quickly stepping through the crowded room as he headed in her direction.
“Where are you going?” James asked as he fell in step beside his younger brother, his right brow lifted high with suspicion.
“To sit with Kabir-I wanted to talk about what we’ll wear to the formal.” Khalid answered honestly, his excitement transparent as he started to walk faster.
James rolled his eyes.
“Are you sure you want to go with her?”
“I wouldn’t have asked-if I didn’t want to GO with HER.” Khalid clarified as his feet abruptly stopped moving and he turned in his older brother’s direction, his usual smile replaced with an unhappy scowl.
“Why are you asking me this?” Khalid asked point blank, his dark brown eyes burning into the taller boy.
James sighed. “You literally can ask ANY girl you WANT to formal-and they’ll say YES.”
“Why would you ask her?” James asked as his eyes shifted to Kabir. “Dude she eats ALONE-“
Khalid rolled his eyes, his irritation growing as his sibling continued.
“You know only losers eat alo-“
“Because I didn’t want to ASK just ANYONE-I WANTED to ask HER.” Khalid snapped, startling his brother and interrupting his judgemental rant.
“Fuck off James.” Khalid hissed, making Shawn snort, as the smaller teen abruptly turned away and slipped back into the crowd.
“I’ve never heard him curse before.” Clair said with surprised laughter as she watched Khalid sit across from Kabir, his happiness seeming to blossom and flow across the table as she sat her book down and smiled at him.
“That’s because he doesn’t.” James said with a frown, making Shawn snort with amusement as he took a seat in his usual chair.
“When they start dating…do we have to share our table with her orrrr…?” Cheeia trailed off as she sat ontop of the table and crossed her right leg over her left, indifferent to thigh exposure as she bit into her chicken sandwich.
“Please don’t go there.” James said unhappily as Clair boredly poked at her salad.
“I think it’d be nice if she did.” Chandler said with an airy sigh, a soft expression painting his features as he bit into his cheeseburger, he chewed awkwardly suddenly feeling overly warm as every eye at the table turned his way.
“ WHAT?! She’s in the top 15. “ Chandler explained, growing upset no one was comprehending where the conversation was growing.
“Okkkkkkk?” Shawn question. “Your point?”
“Wait. Aren’t YOU also in the top 15?” Clair asked as she plucked a strawberry from her lunch tray.
“Yes.” Chandler said as he lifted his can of sprite from the table. “I’ll finally have someone to talk to.”
“You talk to us.” Shawn pointed out with laugh as
he shoved several fries into his mouth, earning an unimpressed look from Cheeia as several fries fell from him mouth and dropped onto the table.
“Reluctantly…more and more each day.” Chandler admitted with a tired sigh as he pulled his arms from his leathermen jacket and frowned.
“Don’t RUN her off.” Chandler said evenly as he neatly folded his jacket and sat it on the empty seat beside him. “I’d like SMART friends.”
“I like your hair.” Khalid admitted with a dopey smile. “You could model if you wanted.”
Kabir almost dropped her spoon, the shy compliment catching her off guard as Khalid bit into a celery stick and looked away, his smile unmoving.
James narrowed his eyes as he stabbed his fork into his apple, his good mood no longer in the room as he watched the lovebirds clumsily interact.
Miguel yawned as streams of sunlight slipped through his office blinds, he sat up and frowned, suddenly remembering he hadn’t been home in days.
Hadn’t slept in his own bed for days and now his lower back ached with complaints.
He missed his family.
Missed the subtle warmth of chaos that started his mornings.
Hadn’t heard the constant and familiar bickering of his children before 8 am.
He missed the soft sleepy smile Jessica would give him each morning as she handed him his lunch and reminded him to eat more than coffee for breakfast.
Miguel sighed as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“What the FUCK am I even doing?” He questioned out loud to his cluttered office as he reached for his phone, nearly jumping out of his skin as Lyla startled him from his thoughts.
“Throwing a man fit.” Lyla said evenly as the blinds of the room started to lift one by one, quickly filling the room with sunlight.
Miguel pulled his blanket over his head and groaned, still drowsy with sleep as he tried to ignore the start of his busy day.
“It’s not a man…fit.” Miguel protested through the blanket, making his assistant roll her eyes as she stepped across his messy work desk.
“Ah…so a tantrum.” Lyla said as she stepped on the remote and turned on the tv, quickly flipping through the channels until she came across the local news, she frowned as the weather forecast started.
“It’s not a tantrum!” Miguel snapped with irritation as he snatched the blanket from his head and turned toward Lyla, the frown on his face deepening as she met his gaze and rolled her eyes.
She didn’t believe him or his emotional display.
“Why are you watching the news anyway-you literally know everything.” Miguel asked as he rolled out of his cot, biting his bottom lip anxiously as he held down the button on the side of the phone.
“I like watching the news.” Lyla said as she watched the shy weatherwoman move around the screen, pointing at incorrect numbers with a nervous smile. “Makes me feel human.”
Miguel frowned as no new messages or calls greeted him.
Even the boys were giving him space.
“Should we…unpack that…now or later?” Miguel asked curiously as he pulled his eyes away from the screen and followed Lyla’s gaze.
“Absolutely NOT and never.” Lyla said with a smile as she turned Miguel’s way. “Life has been so peaceful the last fifteen years-here.”
“Tell that to the angry horde of unemployed police officers.” Miguel reminded, remembering the stark unhappy faces that had protested loudly throughout the dimension, quickly stomping through the District, demanding Miguel correct Miles’s actions.
Apparently it was the Mayor’s job to correct the behavior of a superhero…
The Alpha had eradicated crime and swiftly rendered the force obsolete and unemployed all in one news broadcast.
“Ehhh…they’ll be fine.” Lyla said dismissively with the flick of her wrist, over the brutality and strange culture of the boys in blue.
“You know with the money rerouted into the city and District…this is the wealthiest and healthiest the community has been.” Miguel said evenly, his voice dripping with indifference that the police department had been defunded globally as an effect of Miles.
The Alpha had set a precedent the day he looked into the camera, his eyes black holes devoid of warmth, his tone laced with an energy Miguel had never encountered.
It had racked his brain and made his insides stiffen, twisting him inwardly until he obeyed, even with the tv muted he’d still felt it.
The command had been sobering.
“Your morning meeting was canceled but you do have a meeting with the Florist at noon with Jessica…today.” Lyla filled in, clearing his mind of the Alpha and reminding him of the woman who’d upset him.
Miguel wordlessly pushed away the blanket and rose to his feet, he yawned as he closed the blinds and tossed Lyla a disgruntled look.
“What? It’s literally going to be pouring in five min-“ The sharp crack of thunder halted Lyla’s words, making her frown as the sky split in half and heavy drops of rain pelted the window.
Miguel sighed deeply as he turned away, his feet carrying him quickly to the closet across the room, he fingered past several suits, a soft smile ghosting to his lips as he plucked the sweater Jessica had gifted him several birthdays ago.
“What time was the appointment with the Florist?” Miguel asked as he pulled the sweater over his head, the soft scent of detergent and caramel filling his nose as he brought the sleeve to his face and inhaled deeply.
The fabric still smelled like her.
He closed his eyes as a sensation akin to longing blossomed in the pit of his stomach.
He wanted to go home.
“How was your appointment?” Margo asked lightly as she greeted Gwen in the living room, a snoring Wei Wei wrapped tightly to her chest.
Gwen looked around the semi clean living room and smiled. “It went well.”
“You like this therapist better…right?” Margo asked as she fluffed a decorative pillow that didn’t belong on the couch.
“Yeah…he’s easier to talk to.” Gwen said as she lifted the remote from the floor and placed it on the living room table.
“That’s good. I’m glad he’s a better fit than the last one. “ Margo said as her busy hands hesitated mid air and she processed her thoughts.
“Yeah the last one was a bitch.” Peni said dryly as she stepped into the room, large bowl of fruit in hand.
Gwen snorted as Margo shook her head.
“I’m glad…I decided to go with a therapist from HQ.” Gwen admitted with a breathless sigh, her shoulders dropping as her blue eyes locked onto something across the room.
“When’s your next appointment?” Peni asked as she popped several grapes into her mouth.
“In a week.” Gwen said as she pulled her hoodie over her head, sending her pink beanie to the floor as a shy smile graced her lips.
“But he told me I could call in case of emergency.”
“Gwen…regardless of the time of day-I am only a phone call away.” Eric had said evenly, as he placed his personal business card into her hand, his green eyes laced with kindness as he slowly pulled away.
Gwen looked at the card in her head, ready to protest.
“You are anxious and prone to panic attacks.” Eric reminded as he leaned back in his seat, his blue finger nails digging into the leather of his seat as he waited for Gwen to meet his gaze.
“I’d feel more comfortable knowing…you can reach me if you need to talk or need assistance processing…uncomfortable emotions.”
“Oh…” Gwen said pleasantly surprised as her eyes bounced from the card and onto him.
“In…case of an emergency.” He added as he lifted his cup of tea from the table and brought it to his lips.
“I’m not going to call you outside of our appointments.” Gwen said as she rose to her feet, her eyes on the clock above his head as she watched the last few seconds of her appointment tick by.
“Wonderful, take it just in case you never need it.” He said sweetly, his accent bubbling to the surface as he slowly pressed the rim of the cup to his lips.
Gwen cleared her throat, sliding back to the present as Margo placed a now awake Wei Wei into her arms.
“Yeah…he’s.. ok.” Gwen said dismissively as she pressed a quick kiss to the babbling baby’s cheek, she smiled as he reached for her face, his tiny hands touching her nose and bumping her hoop.
“He better be.” Peni said as she grabbed a pocket sized hand sanitizer bottle from under the couch and frowned.
“HQ recommend him as the best of the best.” Peni added as she tossed the small bottle into the trash.
“But he seems…so young.” Margo said as she peered through the blinds, her eyes on the quiet street. “Like.. younger than us.”
Gwen shrugged, and Peni rolled her eyes.
“How does he seem young if you haven’t seen him without his mask?” Peni questioned as she rose to her feet and dusted the knees of her jeans, her eyes sliding to Gwen.
“Mmmh maybe because he’s only been doing this a few years.” Margo pointed out skeptically.
Gwen bit her bottom lip, her words loading hesitantly behind her teeth as she remembered the tightness expanding in her chest as she watched Eric pull his mask over his head, revealing an eerily familiar face.
“Gwen I want you to be comfortable. No secrets.” He’d said with a pleasant smile, making Gwen uncomfortably shift in her seat as she locked eyes with a ghost.
He’d been the splitting image…of her Peter.
“Fuck…fuck…fuck.” Noir groaned as Hobie gripped his hips tighter, slamming the Alpha higher and higher up the couch, his eye lids fluttering as a familiar sensation started to buffer to life in the pit of his stomach, making him moan breathlessly as he knocked pillows from the couch.
Hobie bit the ring in his bottom lip, his eyes closing as his hips wildly buckled into Noir, pulling colorfully erotic cries from the Alpha as he man handled him, his right hand firmly around the base of Noir’s neck as he shoved him face first into the pillows.
“Stay just like that.” Hobie groaned, his mind nearly going blank as Noir tightened around him, sucking him deeper, making his thighs shake.
“Just…like-that.” Hobie repeated as the fingers of his right hand dug painfully deep into the Alpha’s hip, breaking skin.
“You two are really going at it.” Pav said with a smile from the doorway, his arms folded across his chest, an amused smile gracing his lips as he leaned against the doorway.
“You just gonna watch the entire time-orrrr..?” Noir asked as he shifted on the couch, turning his head until his eyes met Pav’s.
“I think I’ll watch…for now.” Pav said casually as he stepped away from the door, his dick rock hard and at attention as he sat across from the pair.
Miles inhaled a poptart as he breezed through his bedroom, his phone in head as he sprinted down the hall and into their spare art room.
The camera of his phone going off as he took several quick pictures of a nearly complete mural.
He grabbed a coat from the hallway closet as he attached the images to an email, his feet quickly taking him to kitchen as he sent the message.
“Why the fuck is it so cold today?” Gonzalo asked with an unhappy huff as he shoved his hands into his pocket.
“The season is changing Papi.” Marianna sang happily as she stepped out of the doorway, clad in earmuffs and an oversized coat, she twirled toward the car, smiling as she pulled open the door.
“I love the cold.”
“Please don’t remind me.” Gonzalo said tiredly as he pulled car keys from his pocket and aggressively hit a button on the fob, starting the car as Marianna’s door closed.
“Where is your bro-“
“Right here.” Matéo interrupted as he stepped past his father, his gloved hands gripping the straps of his backpack as he strode toward the car, his tresses tucked into a fluffy beanie that matched his dark coat.
“Good. We’ll be on time whenever your father gets in the car.” Gonzalo said as he slid behind the driver’s seat, his shaky hand immediately turning on the heat full blast as he shivered unhappily.
Miles grabbed an apple as he rushed to the front door, quickly locked it and hurried to the car, his eyes sliding to the watch on his wrist as he slid into the passenger seat.
“Everyone ready ?” Miles asked as he buckled his seat beat.
“You were the only person who wasn’t in the car.” Gonzalo said as he slid a pair of Ray Bans over his eyes and stepped on the gas, slowly pulling out of the drive way.
“Yeah yeah.” Miles said as he bit into his apple.
“I had to email Watanabi my rough draft anddddd forgot.”
“Of course.” Gonzalo said as he flicked on the right turn signal and merged onto the highway.
Matéo pulled his beanie from his head and leaned back into the warm leather seats, thankful heated seats were a part of his childhood.
Marianna reached across the seat and bumped her brother’s arm, pulling his attention away from the window.
The pair exchanged a silent conversation, her heterochromia colored eyes sliding to the front seat.
“Dad.” Matéo said evenly, his soft voice sliding across the music and interrupting their art related banter.
Gonzalo’s eyes slid to the review mirror as Miles shifted completely in his seat, turning around until he met his son’s gaze.
“Yes?” Miles asked as he took another bite of his apple.
“We’re not going to school are we?” Matéo asked as he watched his father drive past their usual exit.
“Pretty sure we’re STILL suspended.” Marianna mumbled under her breath as she pulled her earmuffs from her ears.
“No…uh..we’re doing something else today.” Miles said as his eyes slid to Gonzalo.
“It’s just as important.” Gonzalo added as the speed limit changed, and he accelerated past several vehicles.
“…are we being evaluated?” Matéo asked, catching Miles off guard, causing him to choke on his apple.
“Yes.” Gonzalo said evenly as his eyes slid to the navigator system. “Both of you are getting evaluated at HQ this morning.”
Marianna’s right brow lifted. “What’s HQ?”
“It’s…a special facility created for the enrichment of people like us.” Miles explained, omitting the gruesome details of how it came about.
“Like HEB?” Marianna asked skeptically.
“Yeah.” Miles said with a smile as Gonzalo exited the highway and tried not to laugh, his eyes forward as he searched for the large building.
“So Kabir can we study at your place?” Clair asked abruptly with a smile, as she tapped a pink finger nail into the center of the table, poking a hole through Khalid’s sentence, swiftly getting to the point and politely sidestepping past the Omega’s flustered attempts at an invitation.
“Uhh…sure..let me check with my Dads.” Kabir said as she pulled her phone from her pocket and quickly shot a text to her parents, the eyes of her classmates swiftly burning a hole into her hairline as she looked down at her phone screen, strangely growing nervous as she watched several chat bubbles appear on the screen at once.
Khalid shot Clair a look.
The Beta lazily shrugged in response, making Shawn chuckle beside her as he dipped his tater tot into ketchup.
“Shawn…no eating in the library.” Chandler hissed with a frown as his eyes flickered onto the visibly annoyed librarian several feet away.
“Dads?” James asked as his eyes bounced across Kabir’s open notebook, quickly skimming through her neat trigonometry notes.
“Yeah. I have three.” Kabir said as she watched several replies appear at once, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she reread the last response.
They were dramatic as always.
Shawn and Chandler’s eyes slid to James knowingly, already aware of an impending confrontation.
“They said it’s fine.“ Kabir said with a smile as she slid her phone back into her pocket, oblivious to the air of the table.
“How does that work?” James asked abruptly, making his younger brother uncomfortably shift in his seat.
“James please….” Khalid mumbled, trying to stop his brother’s impending line of intrusive questions.
“Don’t scare her off.” Chandler hissed, growing irritated, as the air at the table grew heavy and uncomfortable.
“What do you mean, how?” Kabir asked, her sharp eyes digging into the Alpha as she closed her notebook and slid it into her binder.
“I meannnnn…exactly how I asked.” James said with the tilt of his head, the beads on the ends of his braids bumping together as he spoke.
“How?”
Kabir leaned back in her seat, her expression unreadable as she brought her hands in front of her chest, bracelets bumping together as she spoke as if explaining to a child.
“Well…when an Alpha and Omega love
each other very very much they-“
“Don’t chastise me.” James snapped, his cheeks warming with color as Clair and Cheeia snickered beside him.
“I’m not stupid.” James growled, sending sparks of animosity clear across the table, his challenging tone demanding as he refused to break their gaze.
“Guys…this is a library.” Chandler gently reminded, as he hid defensively behind an AP History book, Cheeia filed her nails with little interest as Clair’s eyes widened at James’s antics.
“Well…ask stupid questions-get stupid answers.” Kabir said dismissively as she rose from her seat, her long braid spilling past her shoulders as she lifted her book bag from the table.
“See you later.” Kabir said as her eyes slid to Khalid, he smiled shyly as she pivoted on her heels and quickly stepped away from the table, the buckles of her boots loudly bumping together as she left the group alone to bicker.
“What the FUCK?!” Khalid snapped as soon as he no longer saw Kabir’s silhouette, his irritation had been swiftly replaced with embarrassment the moment his brother had rudely inquired about her parents.
“What?” James asked with a shrug halfheartedly paying attention as he remembered the neat twists and turns of Kabir’s meticulous handwriting.
James faded in and out of the day, his mind and eyes seemly seeking out and finding Kabir.
She danced across the corners of his mind, interrupting his thoughts with an uninterested expression as a dated memory slid across the forefront of his mind.
James’s eyes slid from the slip in his hand, his attention quickly sliding to the two men rushing out of the attendance office a few feet away.
“We were LATE because of you!” Pav hissed as he stepped out of the front office, his hand full of paperwork, his vibrant red ensemble flowing around him gracefully as he ran a flustered hand through his neatly combed hair, the gold bracelets on his wrists clashing together unhappily.
“Only by a few minutes.” Noir said with a smile, indifferent to the smaller man’s irritation as his black shades slid down the bridge of his nose, revealing amused hazel eyes.
The shorter man frowned . “It took months to get an appointment-“
The man in all black stepped forward, his gloved hand catching the shorter man’s and halting his sentence as he intertwined their fingers, gently pushing him into the wall with his body, his free hand reaching for the smaller man’s waist as he spoke, pressing them uncomfortably close together.
“I’m sorry…I was late-but everything is taken care of.” The man in black said gently, the calming tone of his voice sending goosebumps up James’s arms.
James blinked, awkwardly rooted in the middle of the hallway as he watched the pair.
His cheeks grew warm as he watched the taller man press a gentle kiss to the ring finger of the shorter man, making him roll his eyes with timid annoyance as the stress from his shoulders seemed to float away and he folded into the embrace.
James struggled to swallow past the lump forming in his throat as he watched another man step into the group, his tall frame hunched forward as he stepped out of the doorway of the attendance office, his full lips sliding into a smile as he rose to his full height, his dark eyes landing on their joined hands.
The man was gorgeous.
Absolutely striking as he laughed, the deep sound pleasant and inviting as he pulled a hair tie from his hair, sending thick ropes of hair down the small of his back, soft colors bounced around his silhouette casting him an a angelic light.
“Mission complete.” The tallest man said as he grabbed their joined hands, pressing quick kisses to the identical bands on their fingers, his happiness contagious as the shortest of the three smiled.
Three?
He’d never seen Alphas interact so…intimately before.
Almost as if…they were mates…
The book in James’s hand slipped from his fingers, and dropped to the floor loudly, rudely interrupting their intimate celebration and surprising him.
James hurriedly snatched the book from the floor as he felt three sets of eyes turn his way.
“S-sorry…” James mumbled shyly as he brushed past the group, averting his gaze and hurriedly rushing down the hallway in the direction of the library.
James sighed as he spun the lock on his locker counter clockwise, his mind shifting to the present as he struggled to remember his combination, a realization dawning on him as he pulled it open.
Kabir resembled the men.
Her sharp eyes reminiscent of the playful man dressed head to toe in black.
Her bouncy hair and strange makeup choices comparable to the shortest man.
James grabbed his history book, his mind cartwheeling to the tallest of the group.
The beautiful man with dark skin-
She favored him the most.
Her smile and laugh nearly a carbon copy of his.
Khalid had been the first to approach her, his smile sincere and his cheeks flushed with color as he asked for her name.
His smile had been blinding the moment he’d heard the traditional Arabic name roll off her tongue, the blue bands of his braces present the entire interaction.
The envy had been instant.
The moment he’d caught sight of his younger half brother nervously fumbling through conversation in the middle of the crowded hallway.
He’d stood there transfixed, as curiosity guided him behind a stack of unused chairs, his eyes on the pair.
Observing and watching the soft expressions that danced across her usually stoic face.
She towered over him, her slender frame and delicate features making her the most distracting being in the hall.
She looked almost ethereal as if you’d find her in the forest by chance, a strange yet enchanting creature with soft features and harsh eyes.
Students of the congested hallway split around them, their eyes laced with surprise as the conversation continued to flow.
Warmth slid up James’s chest as he watched Kabir’s full lips twist into a soft smile, happy laughter spilling from her lips as the gold and silver bands on her wrists crashed together.
“James? Earth to James.” Clair snapped, as she seem to materialize beside him, the warning bell for third period sounding loud above their heads, bringing him back to reality.
“What’s wrong with you?” Clair asked, as she watched James shove several books into his locker, clearly distracted.
“You’ve been out of it all day.” Clair said with a frown as she watched him tinker with his lock.
“Just thinking about finals.” James lied, quickly supplying a feasible excuse.
“Rightttttt.” Clair said skeptically as she reached for his hand and gave a reassuring squeeze.
Margo hummed as she pulled her gym bag up her shoulder, sliding her earbuds into her ears as the sliding doors opened in front of her.
She waved to the receptionist and headed to the locker room, quickly putting away her bag and heading toward the treadmills.
She stretched as her workout playlist started, slowly lifting her arms high above her head, she closed her eyes and lunged forward, she frowned
as an unfamiliar sensation zigzagged across her lower back.
“Thats…weird..”She mumbled as she stepped backward and switched feet, she brought her arms down to her sides and flinched as a sharp pain jabbed her lower stomach, knocking her off balance and sending her phone flying hit the floor.
Margo gasped as the pain intensified, she pressed anxious hands to her stomach as she struggled to breath.
Margo felt tears prickle her eyes as the room started to spin, fruitlessly she felt around for her phone, fear replacing her desperation as her vision started to blur and everything went black.
“Ma’am are you ok?” A man asked as he stepped off a nearby treadmill, concern pinching his features together as he motioned for the receptionist.
“I think she needs help!” A woman in blue said as she nelt down beside Margo and placed her missing phone into her hand, her thick brows creased together as she pressed two fingers to her neck, checking her pulse.
“Her pulse…is weak but steady!” The woman said as she turned toward the man.
“Someone call an ambulance-NOW!!” The man yelled as he lifted Margo from the floor, his eyes going wide as he looked her over.
“…Margo?” He asked, confusion and recognition corrupting his senses as he pushed a stray curl behind her ear.
“What’s-what’s going on?” The woman at the front desk asked as she lifted the phone to her ear, her eyes wide and her fingers trembling.
“I collapsed?” Margo asked still in shock as she lifted her eyes from the sterile white floor and met the Doctor’s gaze.
“You did.” The Doctor confirmed with a nod as she flipped through the paperwork in her hand a second time.
“But why?” Gwen asked as she reached for Margo’s hand, her blue eyes burning as sadness and fear floated across their link.
“Mmmh…during pregnancy our bodies tend to grow and make adjustments in preparation of carrying a child.” The woman said as she sat the paperwork on the tray beside her and pulled the glasses from her face.
“Sometimes when the uterus is growing…it can potentially press on and block the large vein that carries blood to the heart, reducing blood flow to the brain-“
“Is that what happen?!” Margo interrupted sending shockwaves of despair and unease throughout their link as the words registered and she dug her toes deep into the blankets.
“Yes…we think it’s due to your mates unique genetic makeup…it’s clashing and causing stress to your…normal human body-“ The Doctor fumbled trying to find the proper explanation for their unique situation.
“And…the baby?” Peni asked softly, reminding them of her presence as she gave a reassuring squeeze to Margo’s shoulder.
Gwen inhaled sharply, her eyes sliding to Peni.
“Your baby is fine, perfectly healthy.”
Gwen let out a sigh of relief.
“But she will need to be on bed rest-for the next four months.” The older woman said, the eyes of her mask narrowing as she spoke.
“Four months?! “ Margo squawked, unable to hide her disappointment and earning a sympathetic look from the older women.
Miguel frowned as he parked, his attention sliding to the closed for lunch sign, hanging on the glass door.
He was early for his appointment.
Too early.
“Great…now I’ll have to talk to her.” Miguel concluded with a tired sigh as he undid his seatbelt, his eyes sliding to the rear view mirror as Jessica’s motorcycle pulled into the parking lot behind him.
Lyla strolled across the dashboard, her rain boots squeaking as she marched, her hot pink rain coat swaying around her as her shades slid down the bridge of her nose.
“Why are you like this?” Lyla asked as she brought up the weather forecast and smiled, an idea taking root.
“Because…I’m NOT ready to talk about anything.” Miguel hissed, as thunder danced across the sky foreshadowing aggressive rains.
“Especially her NOT wanting to marry me.”
“Wellllllll…..” Lyla said lightly as she spun on her heels, facing Miguel as she tapped a finger thoughtfully across her cheek.
“…If it rains and the shop still isn’t open…you could be…polite.” Lyla suggested lightly, letting him fill in the blanks as she watched the Beta park and pull the helmet from her head, her attention sliding toward the clouds as she watched the sky spiral unhappily.
Jessica rolled her eyes, over the weather that mirrored her mood.
“Sunny skies my ass.” She said dryly, annoyed she’d believed the awkward meteorologist and her shitty optimism.
“I want to go back to bed.” She groaned as she felt the itch of exhaustion nipping at her senses.
She hadn’t slept a wink since their fight, her mind a congested mess of uncertainty as she struggled through her daily tasks, questioning her poor choices as her children tiptoed uncomfortably throughout the house.
Prancing ungracefully across eggshells as they retreated and stayed in their rooms, giving her space she didn’t want.
Over night it seemed all senseless bickering had ceased, as minutes turned to hours, and hours sprinted to days as they cautiously kept a safe distance, unsure of her mood and silently questioning their father’s whereabouts.
Jessica sighed as she pulled the keys from the ignition, she could feel the eyes of her fiancé burning a hole into the side of her head as she rose from her bike with her helmet in hand.
Miguel unlocked the door, trying to push down the spark of muted glee he felt sprinkle through his chest as Jessica’s hand wrapped around the handle.
“Make peace so you can go home already-I’m tired of your children texting me.” Lyla said flatly as she disappeared, before he could respond, making him wonder if his children had been more upset than he’d originally imagined.
“Hello.” Jessica said clearing her throat as she slid into the passenger seat, the leather of her jacket rubbing loudly across the seat as she sat back, her eyes on the windshield as she shut the door, frowning as several fat drops of rain pelted the glass.
“Hey.” Miguel said twisting the key into the ignition and filling the car with cool air.
Jessica inhaled deeply, the car smelled completely of Miguel mixed attractively with his cologne, her eyes closed as she sank into the cushion of her seat, her body relaxing as lavender filled the space between them.
Awkward silence crawls into the backseat as both parties struggled to breach the topic of casual conversation.
Miguel adjusted the ac, his eyes sliding to the windshield as he took notice of the light fog creeping up the windows.
Lyla’s suggestion of reconciliation floated to the forefront of his mind and he cleared his throat.
“I like your hair.” Miguel said lightly as he shifted in his seat, pressing his back to the window and door as he committed his full attention, uninterested in the heavy rain that started to loudly pour from the sky.
“Thanks…I got them done yesterday.” Jessica said with a soft smile as Miguel reached for her hair, slowly thumbing through her ombré braids.
Miguel simply nodded as he slowly pulled his hand away, watching as the neatly braided hair slipped between his fingers and his eyes met hers.
Miguel inhaled sharply as sadness tugged at his link, nearly shoving tears from his eyes.
He blinked rapidly, caught off guard by the wayward emotions, his link burning with sadness.
“I…I’m-sorry…I don’t want to fight anymore. Will you come home…?” Jessica asked softly her voice nearly breaking, as she held his gaze, her amber eyes heavy with unease.
“We can talk about THIS later…We-I…just NEED you to come back home.”
Miguel reached for her, indifferent to the armrest between them as he wrapped his arms around her, the lavender scent around him intensifying as he rubbed comforting circles into her lower back.
“We can talk about it later.” Miguel murmured softly as he pressed a kiss to her ear, his arms tightening around her waist.
Marianna grabbed her brother’s hand as a masked woman ushered them into an empty room, she looked around as monotone voice boomed from the speakers above their heads.
“Marianna and Matéo you will be momentarily split up and given a series of individual tests-“
Marianna frowned at the announcement, disappointed they’d be separated, Matéo turned toward his sister and opened his mouth to speak, the movement of the floor beneath their feet quickly muting his words as it shifted and change shape, Marianna’s eyes went wide as she felt the floor open and swallow her whole.
“This looks…” Miles trailed off at a loss of words as he watched his children disappear, his eyes sliding to another screen on the wall as he watched Matéo appear alone in a separate training room.
“Miles…we separated them to gage their individual abilities.” Lance said evenly as he turned away from the monitor and met Miles’s gaze.
“They seem…” Lance hummed, thinking of softer way to convey his thoughts. “Very..codependent on one another-but I’m not sure if that’s due to their abilities or them being twins.”
“What?” Gonzalo asked as he watched Marianna appear in a separate room, visibly on high alert.
“For decades scientists have theorized twins to have unique shared abilities due to their birth and-“
Gonzalo shot the man a look, quickly piecing together a picture.
“My children aren’t toys or experiments.”
“Let me just show you.” Lance said quickly as he turned back around and pressed a series of buttons on the control panel.
Marianna staggered backwards as large slabs of concrete sprouted from the floor, twisting the room into a new shape, she frowned as she watched the walls connect with the ceiling blocking her vision and creating a single path of entry.
Matéo slid the band from his wrist and pulled his hair up into a ponytail, stepping back as he watched large wide walls of concrete sprout from the floor and slam together.
“Why a maze?” Gonzalo asked with a lifted brow as his eyes bounced between both screens.
“So-one of my theories is…they share experiences.” Lance said as he pressed several more buttons, bending the concrete walls until identical mazes rested before each child.
“What do you mean?” Miles asked as he stepped toward the screen that showed Marianna stretching.
“I mean…if one of them sees something-feels something…EXPERIENCE something-they can SHARE it happening.”
Lance said with excitement as he watched Marianna take off, quickly sprinting through the maze, as she reached the mid point Lance pressed a button and smiled as a large slab of concrete sprung from the ground, interrupting Marianna’s path and sending her backwards and nearly into a wall.
Marianna rose to her feet, anger dancing across her face as she looked the wall up and down in disbelief, an unhappy sound escaping her lips as harsh blue static danced from the bottom of her shoe, she slammed her foot hard into the wall sending a sharp crack across the center, her eyes burning as she looked up toward the camera.
“Hey-“ Gonzalo snapped as he took a step toward Lance, ready to send the Beta face first through the control panel.
“Just watch.” Lance said indifferent to the shorter man’s wrath, his eyes going wide as he watched Marianna successfully cross through the maze.
“Spider powers…check.” Lance said with a happy laugh as his eyes shifted screens.
Matéo closed his eyes, and rolled his shoulders his movements reminiscing of his sisters as he sprinted through the maze, twisting and turning with indifference.
He slid to a stop, his breathing eratic as he stood before an unblocked path.
“Intresting.” Lance said with a smile as he watched the young boy pivot on his heels and head in the opposite direction, his head held high as he crossed the exit, his eyes slowly opening.
“I fucking knew it!” Lance said with a laugh as he snatched his iPad from a nearby desk and aggressively took notes, his fingers flying across the keys as he started to mumble.
Gonzalo shot Miles a heated look.
“Even when Matéo had no clear obstacle in his path…he still followed Marianna’s route.” Lance noted out loud, his mind moving a thousand miles a minute.
“I wonder if they have the same abilities as you two or….completely new ones.” Lance hummed as he pulled up a file with a picture of Gonzalo scowling and skimmed through it.
“Well duh-but which ones?!” He said sarcastically with a laugh.
“Hybrid children are so delightful.”
Miles turned his head as he felt soft rage bubbling across his link, threatening to spill into confrontation as he tried to catch Gonzalo’s attention.
“I’m sure Marianna takes after you.” Lance said as he turned toward Gonzalo and smiled.
Gonzalo lifted an unfriendly brow.
“She seems to have your BAD temperament.”
Gonzalo’s eyes narrowed as the taller man continued.
“She’s very agile…that wall would have taken a regular person out.”
“Miles-“ Gonzalo said dryly as sparks of rage flickered across their link, his irritation visible on his face as his eyes bounced onto the Alpha.
“Get him before I do-“
“Lance-is THIS really necessary?” Miles asked as he stepped between both men, trying to reroute the conversation.
“Absolutely.” Lance said quickly as he turned his attention back toward the control panel, his fingers flying. “I’ll be giving them standardized tests toward the end to gage their intelligence.”
“What are you doing now?” Peni asked as she stepped into the living room, her eyes going wide as she spotted a new Christmas tree, and a happy Margo adding a string of popcorn around the base.
“Holiday decorating.” Margo sang happily as she took several steps backwards to look at her work, soft Christmas music fainting spilling from her phone.
“But it’s NOVEMBER.” Peni reminded as she looked at the calendar across the room, hanging in the kitchen.
“Time isn’t real.” Margo said seriously as she met Peni’s gaze and paused her music, earning a sigh from the shorter woman.
“What happened to you resting up-you’re supposed to be in bed Margo.” Peni said with a frown as she remembered the advice of the Doctor.
“Wei and I got bored.” Margo said with a huff as she plucked several dark blue glass ornaments from a box and hung them on the tree.
“Where is Wei?” Peni asked curiously as she looked around the room.
“Behind the tree.” Margo said with a smile as Peni walked around the tree and laughed softly.
“He’s sleeping.” Peni said with the shake of her head as she took notice of the stray Christmas decorations handing from his sock.
“Yeah he fell asleep when I popped the popcorn.” Margo said softly as she watched Peni untangle Christmas decorations from his clothes and brush away the fake snow that littered his hair.
“Margo you’re supposed to be on bedrest.” Peni repeated as she reached for Margo’s hand and entangled their fingers.
Margo frowned, uninterested in the idea of resting as Peni dragged her back to the bedroom, a snoring Wei Wei tucked tightly in the crook of her arm.
“That wasn’t here this morning…” Gwen said with confusion as she spotted the Christmas tree, her eyes immediately sliding to the calendar hanging in the kitchen. “Was…it?”
“No it wasn’t. Margo has been having a fun afternoon out of bed.” Peni said with a sigh as she stepped into the living room.
“How was therapy?” She asked with a smile as she pulled Gwen into her arms.
“It was ok.” Gwen said as her arms wrapped around the smaller woman, lifting her feet from the floor as she returned the hug.
“That’s good.” Peni said as she pressed a rushed kiss to Gwen’s cheek.
“Where’s Wei?” Gwen asked curiously as she placed Peni’s feet back to the floor, her eyes roaming the living room. “Is he sleeping?”
Peni nodded as she took several steps toward the Christmas tree and picked up an unopened box from the floor.
“Both are napping in our room.” Peni said as she felt the Beta’s eyes climb up and down her back as she opened the box and placed several colorful ornaments on the tree.
A realization downed on Gwen and her eyes went wide as they snapped in Peni’s direction.
“WHAT was Margo doing out of bed?!”
Peni sighed. “You know she’s a busy body.”
“Yeah but-she’s on bedrest until further notice!”
Gwen said growing anxious, as she slid back into the emergency room.
She’d been immediately transferred to HQ, her face pinched with grief as she squeezed Gwen’s hand.
“Unfortunately…your body is working overtime to support the baby-and I’m pretty sure it’s due to the genetic makeup of your partners.”
“Wha-“ The question dies on Gwen’s lips as she’s suddenly reminded Margo isn’t like her and Peni.
The only one of them not to be bitten by a radioactive spider.
An unhappy thought flickers across Gwen’s mind and nearly from her lips. “What if we lose-“
“She’ll be ok-we’ll be ok.” Peni quickly interrupted as she felt Gwen’s unease tiptoe into the room.
“We should have considered this happening-why didn’t we?” Gwen asked bypassing fear and diving face first into the worst case scenario.
Wordlessly Peni pulled the taller woman into her arms, trying to offer comfort as she struggled not to share her thoughts.
“I’m scared too.” Peni admitted, her voice just below a whisper, her eyes closing as she slid back into earlier that morning.
“Peni-come to hospital…it’s Margo…she’ll be transferred soon.”
Gwen struggled to say calmly, but Peni can feel it.
Can taste the fear and feel the panic attack brewing at her fingertips as she grabbed her bag and rushed out of the room, nearly forgetting to lock the building doors behind her as she slammed her palm into her watch and portaled to the hospital.
Not giving a fuck it was in the same dimension across town.
“I’m glad you’re here.” Gwen said breathlessly as she met Peni in the emergency room lobby, with red rimmed eyes and messy hair.
She looked the way Peni felt.
“Have you seen her-what’s going on?” Peni asked as Gwen guided her to a seat.
“No I haven’t seen her yet. “ Gwen said as she sat beside Peni and grabbed her hand, struggling to string together her words as she felt tears slid down her cheeks.
“Gwen-what’s going on?” Peni asked shifting in her seat, her free hand quickly brushing away the tears from Gwen’s cheeks.
Gwen exhaled shakily, her eyes closing as she spoke. “I spoke to someone from her gym-and he said she was stretching and-suddenly collapsed and stopped moving.”
Peni exhaled deeply as she stepped back into the present, her arms tightening around Gwen as they stood in sad silence.
Margo stood idly in the hallway, her back pressed to a wall.
She brushed away a stray tear as she spun on her heels and headed back to bed, the unease of her partners emotions tucking her between the sheets as she crawled beside Wei and closed her eyes.
“Shut up and tell me everything you know about Kabir.” James said stiffly as he stepped into Chandler’s personal space, not giving a fuck about the conversation he was currently having with several other people.
“James! You’re being rude as fuck!” Chandler snapped, his irritation growing as he watched the taller boy wave away the members of the Robotics club.
Shawn snickered from beside James, clearly amused. “Chillllll….bro your a little intense.”
“Yeah yeah. Tell me what you know.” James said with indifference as he leaned against Chandler’s locker and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I know your freaky ass has a file on her.”
“I’m not a freak.” Chandler hissed as he unlocked his locker and shoved his backpack harshly inside. “But I do have information.”
James’s face lit up knowingly. “Give it up-“
“Why?” Chandler interrupted, not taking too kindly to the sudden interest his friend had developed over two passing periods. “You know Khalid likes her-“
“SO What?! I don’t want that girl!” James snapped, making several classmates curiously turn their way.
“I meannnnnn…I just wanna know who she is.” James corrected.
“Right.” Chandler said with an eye roll as he slammed his locker closed.
“Well are you gonna tell me or not?” James asked as he followed Chandler down the hallway.
“I guess….what do you want to know?” Chandler asked with a tired sigh as they rounded the corner and headed toward the library
“Everything.” James said seriously, making Shawn fall into a fit of laughter.
Chandler shot him a look.
James shrugged, sliding his hands into his pockets as they stepped through the library doors.
“Well…I don’t know much-she seems to be a very private person.” Chandler admitted as he dropped his overdue books into the return slot.
“Mmmmh…well what DO you know?” James asked as he followed Chandler through the anime section of the library.
“Well…I knowwww-she’s an only child and she was home schooled up until now-“
“She’s a homeschooled…transfer?” James questioned not bothering to hide his shock.
Transfers were rare.
The school’s academic requirements and financial department made sure of that.
“That would mean…she had to take the entrance exam.” James concluded as Chandler lifted several books from the shelf.
Shawn whistled. “I’m glad my parents paid-fuck that hard ass test.”
“Yup.” Chandler said with a nod.
“And she scored so high-she was placed in the top 15.” Chandler said as he turned over one of the books in his hand.
James whistled again. “Wowwwww beauty and brains. Khalid’s got good taste.”
Chandler rolled his eyes. “Duhhhh-that’s what I’ve been telling you!”
“Why does Khalid like her so much?” James asked not bothering to hide his curiosity.
Chandler considered the question a moment before speaking.
“I think it’s a combination of their beliefs and interests.”
James’s right brow lifted. “Beliefs? She doesn’t strike me as religious.”
“Mmmh no-but I think one of her dad’s is very traditional…”Chandler trailed off unsure how to explain it.
“She has a strong traditional boy name though.”
Chandler added.
“A boy name?” James asked visibly surprised as he watched Chandler grab another book.
Chandler frowned as he turned completely in James’s direction. “This is why you’re failing Arabic.”
“I’m NOT failing Arabic-It’s just boring.” James hissed, growing embarrassed.
Chandler rolled his eyes as he slid the book back onto the shelf. “Anyway…her name means-“
“I don’t care.” James said rudely, ending the conversation and walking away, leaving his friends alone in the library with confused twin expressions.
Matéo bit his bottom lip as he took a defensive stance, his eyes following the several androids steam rolling his way.
“Is uh-this necessary?” Miles asked as he stepped beside Lance, uncomfortably flinching as he watched the young boy dodge the swing of a robotic arm twice his size.
“Yes-I have a theory about their defensive and offensive strengths and weaknesses.” Lance said as he pressed a series of buttons, his attention sliding to Marianna’s now empty screen.
“What theory?” Gonzalo asked as he stepped back into the room with a bag of unopened chips, his lips pressed together in an unimpressed line.
“Well I feel like both share majority of Miles’s abilities-so theoretically they should have no problems defending themselves…” Lance trailed off, narrowing his eyes as he zoomed in on the training room Marianna was no longer in, several floor panels been uprooted.
“But I noticed something when you first arrived…this morning.” Lance confessed as his attention returned to Matéo’s screen.
The young boy seem to flicker from one place to another, concealing his presence completely before he swung, his fist sliding effortlessly forward through the chest of an android.
Miles blinked with surprise, his eyes lingering on Matéo’s screen as he watched the boy disappear completely and reappear, his usual board expression present.
“You think they have ALL my abilities?” Miles asked as he struggled to swallow past the concern in his throat his eyes sliding to Marianna’s screen.
“There’s a high probability.” Lance said absently, his fingers flying across the screen of his iPad as Matéo disappeared again.
“What’d you notice?” Miles asked as he stepped toward the empty screen,his eyes searching, but catching no movement.
“That your children choose to move as a unit.” Lance concluded with a smile as he watched Marianna slam into frame feet first, knocking the head from between an android’s shoulders, her anger apparent as she started to stomp the robot to pieces, Matéo appeared as her side laughing as he dragged her away, punching and kicking.
“Marianna seems extroverted and impulsive…she is quick to asses a situation and carve out a solution.” Lance said as he looked up from his iPad. “She is the tactician of the pair.”
“Whereas Matéo is introverted and cautious…his reaction time and situational awareness makes him explosively unpredictable.”
Lance said as he took notice of the bold error message growing bright red across several screens. “He is the wild card.”
“They balance each other out…very well.” Lance added as he bypassed the warning and enlarged the screen.
“That’s NOT surprising.” Gonzalo said with an unimpressed eyeroll as he opened his bag of chips.
“People assume they’re codependent and they aren’t-they just…prefer to be together.” Gonzalo tacked on quickly as he bit into a chip.
“We have always told them to stick together.” Miles confessed.
“Have either of them exhibited any spider abilities at home?” Lance asked as he watched Matéo swing his right fist into the chest of an android, shattering it to pieces.
“Well…besides the ones I’ve seen today.”
Lance added.
“I don’t think so….” Miles said after a moment, his mind ticking backwards as he tried to recall an instance in which the twins had displayed spider talents.
“Nope.” Gonzalo said flatly, interrupting Miles’s train of thought and tossing his now empty bag into a nearby trashcan.
“At home they’re just regular kids.”
“Daddy lied!! This is nothing like HEB!!” Marianna snapped, as she watched another android materialize from air, the floor beneath their feet rapidly changing direction and tossing them backwards, as the robot’s large body propelled toward them guns blazing.
“Yeahhhhhh…to be honest I think you should be more upset about the maze.” Matéo said as he grabbed his sister’s hand and yanked her clear out of the robot’s shooting range.
“Ugh!!! They have layers now?!” Marianna screamed as she dodged several incoming shots.
“He could have killed you.” Matéo said flatly as he shoved past his sister fists first, his anger apparent as he harshly ripped one of the android’s arm from the socket, his stoic expression unreadable as he turned toward the control room and narrowed his eyes.
Lance frowned as Matéo’s eyes met his, an uncomfortable chill running up his arms as he watched the young boy cock his hand back and toss the robotic arm hard in his direction.
Lance screamed as he hit the floor, his ears ringing as the metal arm shattered glass and slammed harshly through the center of the control panel, short circuiting and ending the training session.
“Well…I guess they BOTH have MY bad temperament.” Gonzalo said evenly as he looked down at the taller man and smiled.
“I think it’s time for lunch.”
Miles sighed as he squeezed the bridge of his nose tiredly between his thumb and index finger.
Gonzalo stepped over broken bits of glass, his amusement steadily growing as he leaned through bits of broken building and waved to his children.
“Why does he look…happy?” Marianna asked as she kicked bits of broken debris from near her shoe.
“He’s probably just crazy.” Matéo said evenly, his eyes roaming the wreckage and taking in the obsolete androids laying at their feet.
“I’m hungry.” Marianna said with a huff, over the entire situation.
“Miles here are your results…if you have any future questions-please DON’T hesitate to reach out.” Lance said with a polite smile as he handed the Alpha a large manila folder.
“Thank you…we WILL.” Gonzalo said dryly as he plucked the folder from the Beta’s hand and dismissively marched away, quickly ushering the children to the car.
Miles offered an apologetic wave as Lance chuckled, a smile gracing his lips as he watched them head toward the exit.
**********
Miles held the folder in his hand, anxiously waiting for his other half as he dropped onto the couch, face first into the cushions and sighed deeply.
Gonzalo stepped into the living room, his brow lifting as he looked over the taller man, piecing together his thoughts as he trailed a considerate hand up Miles’s back.
“You’re worrying and haven’t even seen the results.” Gonzalo said softly as he sat on the couch, slowly sliding his fingers through Miles’s hair.
Matéo wordlessly pulled his scrunchy from his hair, his eyes on his sister as he watched her aggressively pace throughout their room, mindful not to step on plushies or forgotten books.
“What’s wrong?” Matéo asked as he took a seat on the steps of their bunkbed, his pokemon plush in his arms.
Marianna abruptly spun around, startling her brother. “What if-we scored…bad?”
Matéo’s right brow lifted with annoyance.
“What do you mean bad?”
“Tay-you destroyed the control panel and crashed the training simulator.” Marianna gently reminded, pulling a frown to her brother’s lips.
“What…if they’re-on the spectrum?” Miles asked softly, worry heavy in his tone as he crawled closer to Gonzalo and pressed his face into his lap.
“If they are…we’ll deal with it.” Gonzalo said as he pressed a slow kiss to Miles’s forehead, his right hand tugging the folder from his hands as he pulled away.
“I know.” Miles said as he exhaled deeply, his eyes slowly closing as Gonzalo slid the paperwork from the folder.
Hobie smiled as Noir pressed a kiss to his browline, his hands full of bags as he stepped deeper into the kitchen.
“What’s all this?” Hobie asked as he slid a pizza flyer from under a magnet attached to the refrigerator.
“I got snacks for tonight.” Noir said with a smile as he pulled a box a popcorn from one of the bags.
“Rightttttt.” Hobie said as he pulled his cellphone from his pocket. “What about the other bags?”
“Oh-this is ALL for me.” Noir said with a wink as he headed toward their shared bedroom, Hobie shook his head unsurprised as he dialed the number on the flyer.
“Is Pav back yet?” Noir asked as he stepped back into the kitchen, his eyes sliding to the portal rippling to life across the kitchen.
“I’m back and I have giftssssss.” Pav said as he stepped through the portal, several bags in hand.
“Yeah. He’s back.” Hobie said with a laugh as he brought the phone to his ear.
“What gifts?” Noir asked as he watched Pav dump several bags onto the table.
“For you-“ Pav said as he turned toward Noir and smiled.
“Yes?” Noir asked with a smile, his eyes bouncing from the bags and onto Pav.
“I have nothing.” Pav said with a dismissive wave as he stepped across the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Hobie.
Noir rolled his eyes as he reached for one of the bags. “Ohhh Aunt Maya made falafel.”
“Did you get the dress for Kabir’s formal?” Hobie asked, as he waited patiently on hold, his eyes sliding up the dry cleaning bag thrown across the Alpha’s shoulder.
“I did and it’s perfect.” Pav said stary eyed, his pride apparent as he pulled away and slid the plastic across his shoulder. “Would you like to see-“
“Nope.” Hobie interrupted as he stepped away and quickly placed an order for several large pizzas.
“So rude.” Pav said dryly as he plucked the food container from Noir’s hands.
“Him or you?” Noir asked as he bit into his stray falafel.
“You wanted to see me…Mr.Gates?” Kabir asked as she stepped into the music room, her eyes on the band instructor as he hung up a motivational poser on an empty wall.
“Yes I did!” Mr.Gates said with a smile, as he turned around, the ladder under his feet shaking.
“Just give me a moment.”
“Take your time.” Kabir said as she quickly strode through the room, her hands immediately steadying the ladder beneath his feet as he climbed down.
“Thank you-you move so fast.” Mr.Gates said with a laugh as his feet touched the floor.
“Then again I am just old.” He added with a laugh.
Kabir simply smiled as she waited for the older man to gather his thoughts as she followed him to his desk.
“Will you be attending the winter formal?”
“I will.” Kabir said with a nod as she watched him rummage through a drawer in his desk.
“Wonderful…I wanted to know if you’d do me the honors of playing this piece-“
“Wait-I thought only Seniors got that privilege.” Kabir interrupted.
“Ususlly yes…but I want YOU to preform this year.” Mr.Gates clarified with a smile as he slid the sheet of music across the desk.
Kabir’s eyes bounced from her teacher and onto the music sheets in his hands.
“He asked you to preform the solo?!” Khalid asked in awe, as he jogged beside Kabir, too excited to be winded during gym class.
“Did you say yes?” Khalid asked as the air around them suddenly grew chilly, scattering brown leaves and the scent of pumpkin spice lattes.
“It’ll look good on my college application.” Kabir said evenly as she pulled her hood over her head, her eyes forward on the track.
“It definitely will.” Khalid said as he bit into the string hanging from his hoodie.
“Which piece did he ask you to play?”
Kabir blinked, sliding back into the music room, Mr.Gates’s smile wide and full of pride as he spoke.
“I have the pieces usually played…but I’d prefer you to preform something original.” He said with a smile as he shoved the papers back into the desk before Kabir could touch them.
“Uh…are you sure?” Kabir asked, the palms of her hands growing sweaty as she tried to imagine playing alone for the entirety of the campus.
“You have such raw talent…but you hold back as if you’re scared…to be great.” Mr.Gates said evenly as he held her gaze.
“I’ve heard the way you play when you think no one is listening.” He added with a smile, making her chest grow warm.
Kabir blinked unsure how to respond.
“I’d like to hear an original piece Ms.Brown.” The older man repeated with a polite smile.
“He wants you to play an original piece?!” Khalid squawked, nearly tripping over his feet as he tried to keep up with her long strides.
Kabir nodded, her words escaping her as they started their last lap.
James leaned forward, his attention slipping out of the window as he caught sight of Kabir and Khalid, deep in conversation.
He watched as Khalid shuffled through a series of different emotions, his face and features honest and animated as he spoke.
James’s eyes bounced to Kabir, her oversized hoodie obscuring most of her body, revealing long lean legs.
Regardless of weather Kabir seemed indifferent, choosing to always workout out in school shorts.
“I wonder what they’re talking about.” Cheeia
said with a smile as she sat at the empty desk in front of James, her eyes on the track.
“Who cares.” James said dismissively, tossing the older girl a look of sheer disinterest.
“I bet you do.” Cheeia hissed, her tone laced with amusement as she grabbed the string of the blinds and tugged, dropping them completely and obscuring James’s view.
“How do you think your little brother will feel when he finds out-your OBSESSED with his girlfrienddddd?”
Anger danced across James’s face as he sat up in his seat. “What the FUCK are you talking about?”
“Ohhhhh you know.” Cheeia poked with a loud laugh as she slid her nail file from her purse.
“I just wonder how Clair will feel about this.” She added making James narrow his eyes.
“I think it’s insane he asked a sophomore to do this.” Kabir said evenly as her legs stopped moving and Khalid bumped into her, his breathing rushed and his cheeks flushed with color.
“Not really…but it is rare.” Khalid said as he watched Kabir look toward the sky, her pretty face twisted together in thought.
“I have a song already…in mind.”
Khalid’s face lit up with excitement. “You do?”
“I uh…do.” Kabir said awkwardly clearing her throat, refusing to meet his gaze.
“What’s it called?” Khalid asked as their feet started to take them back to the gymnasium.
“I won’t say…then you’ll know I wrote it about you.” Kabir confessed, an uncharacteristic blush warming her cheeks.
“What..?” Khalid asked, shock dancing across his features as Kabir briefly met his gaze and looked away.
“Nothing…” Kabir said dismissively, trying to change the subject.
“Will…you please tell me?” Khalid asked as he reached for her hand, stopping her stride, his eyes on her as he intertwined their fingers.
James peeped through the blinds and frowned, his eyes sliding to their linked hands.
“Make it less obvious…otherwise they’ll find out without me telling them.” Cheeia warned with a laugh as she turned around in her seat and pretended to take notes.
“Are you still coming over today?” Kabir asked as her eyes slid to their joined hands.
“Of course we are bestie!!!” Clair said happily as she stepped into the middle of their conversation, earning a nasty look from Khalid.
“Ok…pizza will be here 40 minutes.” Hobie said as he placed several dishes into the dishwasher.
“I’ll pick up the kids.” Pav volunteered as he plucked the car keys from the key holder before Noir could reach them.
Noir’s eyes narrowed. “You better not scare off the boy she likes on the drive here.”
Hobie closed the dishwasher and turned toward both Alphas. “Pav don’t be mean.”
“I’m not mean…without reason.” Pav mumbled as he headed toward the door.
“Then stop acting like Noir can’t go with you.” Hobie said crossing his arms as he watched Noir pull his mask from his face.
“Fineeeeeeee.” Pav huffed as Noir pranced happily in his direction, irritating him more.
“I’m not going to let you bully her first boyfriend.” Noir said evenly as he slid into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt.
“She does NOT have a boyfriend.” Pav hissed as he started the car.
“My Dads will be here soon.” Kabir said with a nervous smile as she slid her backpack up her arm, the breeze sending her uniform skirt fluttering above her knees as she pushed a stray curl behind her ear, the bangles on her wrist crashing together.
“Cool.” Shawn said with a yawn as he stepped into the group with his hockey stick and skates, a smile sliding to his lips as his eyes followed James’s.
James stood rooted in place staring at her.
Practically gawking as he took in her school regulated appearance she never wore.
Without the wild piercings and bold make up.
She looked…she looked-
“So obviousssssss.”
Cheeia teased as she shoved him violently with her elbow, a knowing smile crossing her glossed lips as Clair and Chandler joined the group waiting in front of the school.
“Hey Kabir.” Chandler said with a polite smile as he held up the graphic novel she’d suggested.
“Hey Chandler-you like the series?” Kabir asked as she turned in his direction, the gentle breeze scattering her perfume in James’s direction, making his eyelids flutter.
Clair stiffened, her eyes bouncing from Kabir and onto James as she watched the interaction, her insides itchy with an unhappy feeling akin to envy as she slid her hand into his, reminding him of her presence.
Margo stirred awake in bed as the doorbell chimed repeatedly, making her scowl as she rolled out of bed, wondering where everyone was as she stepped through their empty home.
Margo’s right brow lifted curiously as she looked into the camera and saw an unfamiliar face.
A tall slender man stood on the other side of the door, his hair pulled high into a bun, he shuffled from foot to foot, juggling a large bouquet of flowers in his hands.
Margo pressed her finger to the intercom and spoke. “Hello…can I help you?”
“Uh hi…I’m looking for Margo-I just wanted to make sure she was ok.” The man said shyly as he looked toward the camera.
“I-uh was the one who made sure…she made it to the hospital…yesterday.” The man said as he held the flowers closer to the camera, blocking her view of his face.
“I hope she’s still napping when we get home.” Gwen said as paid the hostess and grabbed their togo order from the counter.
“She should be.” Peni said as she held open the door, Wei Wei babbling in agreement as Gwen pressed a quick kiss to his forehead and stepped out of the restaurant.
“We’ve only been gone a few minutes.” Peni added as they headed toward the car.
“True. True but you know Margo will find something to do.” Gwen said with a laugh as she suddenly remembered the Christmas tree in the living room.
“You’re the same way.” Peni pointed out with a laugh as she buckled Wei Wei into his car seat.
“I am not.” Gwen whined as she started the car.
“You’re right…you’re worse.” Peni teased with a laugh as she pulled open the passenger door and she slid into her seat.
“I’m going to put these in water.” Margo said politely as she spun on her heels and headed toward the kitchen.
“You have a lovely home.” He said politely as he looked around.
“Oh thank you.” Margo said as she grabbed an empty jug and filled it half way.
“It was a group effort.” Margo said with a laugh as she sat the jug of flowers in the center of the coffee table. “My mates and I-“
“You have a mate?” The man interrupted , his face twisted with surprise as he leaned backward into the cushions of the couch, his hands sliding into his lap as he looked away.
“Yes. I have two actually.” Margo informed as she shifted in her seat, facing the man.
“Have we met….before today?”
The man nodded, a shy smile sliding to his full lips. “Yeah…we went to middle school and high school together-but after you moved away…I had a growth spurt, went to the gym and found a dermatologist.”
Margo’s eyes widened with shock as childhood memories flooded her senses, revealing a short awkward boy with acme ridden skin and a retainer, his smile sincere as he walked with her to art class.
“Oh my goodness-Jericho?!” Margo snapped, a wide smile dancing to her lips as Jericho’s face broke into a dopey one sided smile.
“Jeri I haven’t seen you in-“
“Almost sixteen years.” He interrupted with a laugh that sounded hollow.
“Well I’m glad you’re here now and you were the person who found me in the gym.” Margo said evenly, her eyes on his as she pulled him into her arms and squeezed tightly.
Gwen placed her key into the lock and turned it, her brows sliding into her hairline as she caught sight of Margo embracing a stranger on their living room couch.
“What the hell is going on?” Peni asked as she stepped past Gwen, her question catching Jericho’s ears as his hands slid down Margo’s sides and he turned to face the two women in the doorway.
Miguel and Jessica drove home in silence, her motorcycle attached neatly to the back of his SUV, the soft sound of rain filling their space as Jessica scrolled through unread emails on her phone, the sky rapidly shifting color and signifying a storm.
Her eyes slid to the window as Miguel adjusted the ac, his eyes on the road as Lyla strolled across the dashboard, her boots squeaking as she made idle conversation with Jessica.
Miguel’s eyes slid to the rear view mirror, the corners of his lips dropping downward as he caught sight of the black SUV nearly riding his bumper.
“Lyla we’re being followed.” Miguel said evenly as he hit his right blinker, quickly merged and watched the SUV copy his actions.
“There’s no plates and the car is unregistered.” Lyla said as she met Jessica’s appalled gaze.
Jessica turned in her seat, her hand sliding to her seatbelt buckle. “Why the FUCK would anyone be following us-“
The SUV slammed into the back of Miguel’s car, interrupting Jessica’s words and sending her face first into the dashboard and promptly pissing her off, wordlessly she climbed from the front seat and into the backseat.
“Jess?” Miguel asked evenly as he turned the windshield wipers higher, his eyes on the road as he took notice of the nearly empty highway.
“That driver bump my bike again and I’m beating his ass.” Jessica hissed with warning as she climbed beyond the backseats and into the trunk, her eyes burning into the almost black tent of the SUV window.
Lyla flickered out of the car and swiftly returned, looking slightly worse for wear.
“I can’t access their vehicle…or any of their tech.” Lyla blinked, the disappointment in her voice swiftly blossoming into panic as another realization hit.
“Miguel-they might be trying to kill you.”
The SUV sped forward and slammed into the car, shoving Miguel awkwardly forward as he abruptly hit the gas, the sky flashing with white as he looked up and suddenly noticed orange and white construction warning signs.
Jessica growled as she lifted the trunk glass open, welcoming cold moist air into the back of the car.
“Jess stay in the car-we’re about to go over a bridge!” Miguel warned, his head whipping in her direction, his stomach dropping as he watched her climb out of the window.
“I don’t know who the fuck you think you are…” Jessica trailed off as she dived forward, her boots slamming into and denting the hood of the car as she rose to her full height, the harsh rain digging into her clothes as the wind whipped her hair around her.
“But you’ll be paying for repairs.” Jessica snapped as she stomped her boot hard into the windshield, shattering it completely on impact.
“WHAT THE FUCK JESS?!” Miguel snapped as the SUV lurched forward again, crushing her bike and his bumper as his car lurched forward.
Jessica stepped forward, her eyes digging into the driver who pretended not to see her, his expression calm and his eyes forward, white gloved hands firmly gripping the steering wheel
Jessica’s sharp eyes roamed the inside of vehicle, her breath hitching and her mouth growing dry as she caught sight of a familiar face.
“Wh..y? Jessica asked in a daze as she struggled to piece together what she was missing, the clues growing more illusive as she watched the figure lift their hand and flip her a finger.
The driver shifted in his seat, a gun appearing in his hand as Jessica took a hesitant step backward, water pooling in her leather jacket as the figure held her gaze and politely waved.
“You were just at our home-WHY would YOU do this?!” Jessica snapped as rage suddenly replaced her shock, thunder lit up the sky as she moved, the heel of her boot slipping and sending her backwards as the gun went off.
Miguel’s eyes went wide as he turned backward, his hands shaking as he struggled to make out what was happening behind him, his left hand hastily unbuckling his seatbelt.
“Lyla take the wheel!!” Miguel snapped as hot pain screamed from his link and burned up his shoulder.
“TAKE THE WHEEL!!” He repeated, panic rising in his voice as he lifted from his seat, startling his assistant as he grabbed the passenger seat headrest.
“Well…this is dangerous.” Lyla noted calmly as the SUV rammed into them again, sending the car spiraling out of control, tires burning as it skited toward incomplete construction.
“THE BRIDGE!!” Lyla screamed as the car slammed through the framing and over the edge of an incomplete bridge.
“See…it’s nowhere near as bad as you thought it would be.” Gonzalo said softly as he pressed his lips to Miles’s hairline, the paperwork now in the Alphas hands as he read and reread the words.
“What does Autistic presenting mean?” Miles asked, his right brow lifting curiously as he flipped through the individual reports of each child.
Gonzalo hummed thoughtfully before he answered. “I think it means…they both appear Autistic to none spider people.”
“They are rather particular.” Miles said in agreement as he remembered the way Marianna had flew through the maze, her large unblinking eyes showing no hesitation as she confidently sprinted forward, quickly assessing her environment.
“I’m just glad they won’t hesitate to protect themselves.” Gonzalo said evenly, a whisper of a smile ghosting across his lips as he remembered the way Matéo had ripped apart an Android without hesitation, his eyes burning as he tossed the limb through the control panel and into Lance’s direction.
“They scored the same on all academic tests…”
Miles trailed off, as his eyes continued down the paper.
“Is that really a surprise?” Gonzalo asked with a laugh as he plucked a paper from Miles’s hand and turned it in his direction, his finger sliding to the list of estimated super abilities
“Yeah…I wasn’t expecting them…to have memory projection abilities.” Miles said as he looked at the long list, several of his and Gonzalo’s abilities were folded and tucked into.
“I’ve never heard of the memory thing until now-but it makes sense.” Miles said evenly his mind sliding back to Principal’s office, Marianna’s eyes burning as she took one look at her brother and KNEW.
“What if they’re telepathic…?” Gonzalo asked after a moment, his mind sliding back to strange coincidences he’d never been able to put a finger on.
“Remember when we tried to give them separate rooms…and they cried until we moved their cribs into the same room?” Gonzalo asked with a laugh as he leaned back into the cushions of the couch.
“Or that time we thought we lost Marianna at the mall?”
“Ohhhh-yeahhhhh. I remember when she climbed out of her stroller and we couldn’t find her ass for like twenty minutes!” Miles said sitting up and placing the stack of papers onto the table in front of him.
“We tore that mall up.” Miles said with a laugh as he remembered the way both of them had ran through mall security.
“Yeah back before Tay started talking.” Gonzalo reminded.
“Tay disappeared too…but he reappeared with Marianna…” Miles highlighted, remembering the matching looks of glee both children shared as Marianna dragged a plushie twice her size behind her, their hands linked.
“Why…didn’t we think that was weird?” Gonzalo asked, his eyes sliding to Miles, the concern apparent on his features as he turned toward the papers on the table.
“You worry too much.” Matéo said with a yawn as he pulled a candy bar from under his pillow and quickly unwrapped it.
“You don’t worry enough.” Marianna hissed as she unhappily tossed a large plushie at her brother.
“I’ll leave that to you and Dad.” Matéo said unphased as he bit into the chocolate bar and hummed happily, he didn’t bother dodging the wayward bear, making his sister roll her eyes.
“Well you ripped through the floor and broke into my training room.” Matéo reminded, making his sister frown as he broke the candy bar in half.
“Add that to the list.” He said with a laugh as he tossed the other half to her.
Miles sighed, his eyes sliding from the papers and onto his partner.
“Matéo can go invisible…”
“I saw.” Gonzalo said with a lazy nod as he lifted his cup from the table and brought it to his lips, inhaling the decadent smell of hazelnut and chocolate creamer.
“Marianna can use…static.” Miles added, watching his partner’s unbothered expression.
“Mmmhmmm.” Gonzalo said with a nod, making the Alpha frown.
“I think you should be more concerned about this.” Miles said dryly, his eyes narrowing.
“I think you’re concerned enough for the both of us.” Gonzalo said as he took a graciously large sip of coffee.
“We’re telling the school they’re Autistic.” Miles said as Gonzalo pulled the cup from his lips.
“I’m so glad we don’t have class this week.” Matéo said happily as Marianna turned the room light off.
“You should have let me drive.” Noir said stubbornly from the passenger’s seat, his sharp eyes roaming the campus for their child.
“You parked too far-she’s in the opposite direction.” Noir pointed out, his eyes on the flagpole across the lot.
“Shut up. “ Pav huffed as he turned the car around and headed toward the front of the school, his face lighting up as he caught sight of Kabir.
“Thanks…for having us over.” Khalid said with a shy smile as he reached for Kabir’s hand, sending a matching blush to both their cheeks as she turned his way, her eyes sliding to their joined hands as she intertwined their fingers.
James rolled his eyes over their sappy display.
“Who is that boy holding Kabir’s…hand?” Pav asked, his eyes narrowing as he pulled by the nearest curb.
Kabir turned in their direction and waved, they wordlessly watched as the boy shyly pull his hand from Kabir’s, his cheeks rosey with color and his smile unmoving.
“I think that’s her boyfriend.” Noir said knowingly as he watched the pair stroll to the car, keeping a respectable distance.
“No. Absolutely NOT.” Pav said with a shake of his head.
“He’s half her size!” He added with disapproval.
“Yeah…well-Hobie’s twice your size but that’s NEVER been a problem.” Noir pointed out, snickering as he watched Pav’s cheeks darken with embarrassment.
Noir unlocked the doors, the smile on face nearly blinding as he happily greeted their daughter.
“Princess how was class?” Noir asked as she pulled the door open, a soft expression blanketing her features as he spoke.
“It was ok.” Kabir said with a soft smile as several unfamiliar faces stepped behind her, lingering curiously. “Boring as usual.”
Noir’s eyes shifted from his daughter and onto her classmates, he smiled politely as Kabir slid into the back seat, offering a rushed introduction of the group. “Pop…DaDa…these are my friends.”
“Hello…I’m Khalid.” The shortest of the group said politely as he slid beside Kabir, he reached his hand between the seats and firmly shook Noir’s hand, bringing a pleased smile to his face.
“Nice to meet you Khalid-I saw the bookmark.”
Khalid’s cheeks slammed with color as the older man laughed. “I’m a fan of your work.”
“T-thank you sir.” Khalid stammered awkwardly, earning a curious look from his brother.
“You can call me Noir.” The Alpha informed to the group, earning a chorus of polite hellos as the last teenager slid into the backseat and shut the door
Pav shifted in his seat , his aura unwelcoming, as a stiff smile crossed his lips, making Kabir shrink in her seat as he offered the chilliest introduction.
“Hello, I’m Professor Prabhakar-I hope you’re ready to STUDY.” He said sharply, his brown eyes burning into Khalid, making the young teen sink uncomfortably into his seat.
Notes:
HEB is like a sexy grocery store.
When one was built in my city-people lost their shit. Lol
Chapter 3: Stormy woes
Chapter Text
“Welcome back-guys this is Jericho.”
Margo said happily as she pulled out of their embrace and sprang to her feet.
“Uhhhh….hello?” Gwen said as she sat the bag of takeout onto the living room table, her eyes bouncing from Peni and onto their unexpected house guest.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you both.” Jericho said with a polite smile as he rose to his feet and extended a hand toward Gwen.
“Soooo how long have you known Margo?” Peni asked evenly as she dropped several cubes of sugar into her cup and took a seat on the farthest end of the living room sectional.
“I’ve known her since middle school.” Jericho said with a laugh, unbothered by Peni’s unwelcoming demeanor.
Peni brought her cup to her lips, her eyes curiously sliding to her house guest. “That’s a long time.”
“Yes it is.” He said with a nod as Gwen stepped back into the living room and politely offered him a cup of coffee.
“Thank you.” Jericho said politely as Gwen sat on the recliner, a pleasant smile on her face as she nodded and sank into the cushions.
“We were best friends.” Jericho said softly as he took a slow sip of his drink, his wistful tone promptly ushering Peni’s eyebrows into her hairline.
The longing isn’t subtle .
Gwen cleared her throat before speaking, trying to push away the odd atmosphere as she quickly changed the topic.
“Soooo Jericho…what do you do for work?”
“I’m a lawyer.” Jericho said as he placed his mug ontop of the nearest coaster, his pleasant expression dropping as he pulled the band from his hair, the air around him no longer pleasant as his black hair fell past his shoulders in waves.
“Oh..What kind of lawyer are you?” Gwen asked curiously sitting up in her seat, as Peni fiddled with the watch on her wrist, the screen lighting up with color as a projection sprang from the screen.
“You don’t seem to be local.” Peni said as the projection shifted, showcasing prominent lawyers in the area.
“Peni-“ Gwen hissed with warning as her eyes watched the intrusive projection disappear.
“You look familiar.” Jericho said as he shifted in his seat, his eyes locking onto Peni’s.
“Mmmh, interesting because you don’t.” Peni said as she sat her cup on a coaster, her almond eyes slicing into Jericho as she spoke, sending a spark of hostility his way.
Gwen eyes bounced from Jericho and onto Peni.
“Uhhhh….” She fumbled unsure what to say, or think about the blossoming situation hastily unfolding in front of her.
“Well…it’s a good thing you don’t KNOW me.“
Jericho said as he casually leaned back into the cushions, his arms lifting and resting along the top of the couch as he chuckled.
“Oh? Why is that?” Peni questioned, her right brow lifting with annoyance as she crossed her right leg over her left.
“Otherwise-you’d have a PROBLEM.” Jericho said politely, his eyes closing completely as his lips tilted upward into an almost inhuman smile.
“We’re backkkkkkk.” Margo sang happily as she pranced back into the living room with a freshly changed Wei strapped to her chest.
“What’d I miss?” Margo asked as she sat in the space between Peni and Jericho.
“You didn’t tell me your dad was a professor.”
Khalid whispered to Kabir, his eyes forward as Noir continued to happily chat with Pav as he unlocked the front door.
“…I didn’t think that was important.” Kabir said as she leaned closer, her hair tickling his ear as they stepped through the front door and into the living room.
“Shoes off please.” Pav said as he stepped out of his shoes and sat them neatly on the rack beside the door.
“You guys can study in the library. Pizza will be here in twenty minutes.” Noir said as he stepped out of his boots and headed through the house, leaving the teens to their own devices.
Cheeia’s eyes roamed the large living room in awe, taking in the solid and timeless decor that hung from the walls, her eyes stopped on the black glass chandelier hanging above their heads and widened.
“Your house is amazing.” She said as she kicked off her shoes and stepped onto the plush white carpet.
“Thanks.” Pav said as he stepped through the living room. “Kabir- I’ll be in my study if you need anything.”
“Ok DaDa.” Kabir said as she sat her shoes onto the rack and slid her backpack from her arm.
“No funny business.” Pav said as his eyes slid to Khalid and narrowed, before he turned away and headed through the house.
“NO EATING IN THE LIBRARY.” Pav reminded, his voice clear as it rang through the call box.
Kabir snorted as she watched Khalid step out of his shoes.
“Your Dads are nice.” Chandler said politely as he sat his shoes beside the rack and quickly stepped into the living room, his eyes roaming the large and small paintings that littered the walls.
“I’ve never seen carpet this color before.” Clair said as she cautiously stepped forward, her sock covered toes digging into the plush carpet.
“Thanks. The library is this way.” Kabir said as she stepped past Clair and headed deeper into the living room, Khalid floated to her side, his eyes roaming the exotic art that lined the hallway.
“Kabir there’s a library in your house?” Shawn asked with a laugh as he carelessly kicked off his shoes, sending them flying in different directions.
“Yeah…but it’s more like a study.” Kabir mumbled as she stepped deeper into the hallway.
“Her family is loaded.” Shawn whispered to James, as he followed behind the group, suggestively bouncing his brows.
James rolled his eyes as he pulled the strap of his bag up his arm and wordlessly trailed behind Chandler.
“You ok?” Clair whispered as she reached for James, bringing a smile to his face as she intertwined their fingers and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
Hobie dropped the weights in his hands and stretched as he rose to his feet, he tugged the band from his wrist and pulled his hair from his face.
“Almost done?” Noir asked as he stepped into the room, two bottle waters in hand.
“Mmmh…I guess.” Hobie said as he lifted the bottom of his shirt and wiped the sweat from his eyes.
“Good. You can meet Bir’s friends.” Noir said with a laugh as he offered Hobie the additional bottle.
“They seem nice.”
“Thanks.” Hobie said as he accepted the offered water and quickly untwisted the cap.
“You see lover boy?” Hobie asked as he brought the bottle to his lips and inhaled half the bottle in one gulp.
Noir nodded, a pleasant smile crossing his lips.
“He was holding Bir’s hand when we picked them up.”
Hobie’s eyes slid in Noir’s direction knowingly.
“Pav almost fainted.” Noir added, making Hobie laugh as he pulled the bottle from his lips unsurprised.
Pav pushed open the door of his study, his eyes immediately traveling to the stack of ungraded eassys that sat neatly stacked on his desk.
“Another busy evening.” He said with a hum as he sat in his seat and plucked his favorite red pen from his desk collection.
“Welcome to the library.” Kabir announced as she pushed open a heavy wooden door, showcasing a large space fitted with an array of beautiful books, lined on solid black shelfs from floor to ceiling.
“Oh shit!” Chandler said in shock, a smile nearly splitting his face in half as he stepped past Kabir and into the space, he inhaled deeply, closing his eyes as the smell of new and old books collided together and filled his nose.
“This place…is huge.” James said as his eyes roamed the spines of books written in an unfamiliar language.
“No food or drinks guys…” Kabir said as she stepped through the space and sat at a large round wood table, she placed her bag on the table and quickly pulled out several textbooks.
“What are we studying first?” Khalid asked as he took a seat beside her, his English book in hand as he pulled a notebook from his bag.
“I’m open minded.” Kabir said with a smile as Khalid shooted his chair closer to hers, a blush gracing his cheeks as their thighs brushed together.
“We’ll be over here-studying.” Shawn announced with a sly smile as he reached for Cheeia’s hand and quickly disappeared between a shelf of books.
“I’m NOT helping you CHEAT on finals!!” Chandler yelled already growing annoyed.
Wordlessly James took a seat fartest away from group, his eyes sliding to the black and grey clock that hung halfway across the room, softly ticking as its hands moved.
“You wanna start with math first?” Clair asked as she eagerly pulled her math notes from her bag and smiled.
“I think I need help.” She said with a giggle as she lifted a graded test from between the pages of her notebook.
James snorted as he looked over the corrections that decorated majority of the page.
“You barely passed.” He said as he tugged the paper from between her fingers and looked it over a second time.
“You’re using the wrong formula.” James corrected softly as he pulled a purple pen from his bag and quickly made notes beside several incorrectly solved equations.
“Studying is my favorite past time.” Shawn groaned as Cheeia pressed him back first into a bookshelf, her feverish lips immediately locking onto his neck as his hands aimlessly roamed up her thighs and under her skirt.
“Shut up and kiss me.” Cheeia demanded, ending the conversation.
“Ugh…my head.” Miguel grumbled unhappily as he tried to sit up, gasping as pain danced across his lower stomach and upper shoulder.
“Thank God you’re awake!” Lyla cried as she scurried to his side, her face weighted with worry as he leaned backward, his eyes bouncing across the unfamiliar white room.
“Where am I?” Miguel grumbled blinking rapidly, his vision still blurry with exhaustion.
“You’re in the infirmary of HQ.”
“What? What are you talking about?” Miguel asked growing more and more confused as his eyes looked over the sterile white room a second time.
“…you were in a coma for twenty four hours.” Lyla filled in, her eyes looking him over as she started to go over his vitals.
“Twenty-four…what happened?” Miguel asked frowning as he struggled to piece together yesterday as wayward images flashed sporadically across his mind in a questionable order.
“Wh-where is Jess?”
Lyla’s face dropped and she quickly looked away, her demeanor swiftly shoving Miguel into hysterics.
“LYLA-WHERE IS JESSICA?” Miguel repeated, his sharp tone making her flinch as he tossed the white sheets from his legs and quickly rose to his feet, indifferent to the cool tiles beneath his feet as he grabbed his iv pack and pushed open the door.
“Miguel wait! You need to rest!” Lyla cried as she trailed behind him, her eyes growing wide as she watched him approach a nurse.
“Sir?! What are you doing out of bed?!” The woman asked before he could speak.
“I’m looking for-“
“Sir please-you need to get back to bed.” The woman interrupted as she spun Miguel on his feet and quickly ushered him back toward his room, ignoring his complaints as she tucked him tightly back into bed.
“Mr.O’Hara do you know what day it is?” The woman asked as she lifted his chart from the foot of the bed. “You were in an accident.”
“Um….Thursday?” Miguel fumbled, unsure why she was asking the question.
“Correct.” The woman said as she sat the paper work on the metal sliding tray beside the bed, she quickly looked him over.
“Where is the woman who was with me?” Miguel asked as the woman shined a tiny light into his left eye, making him flinch backward and shut his eyes.
“Mr.O’Hara you suffered a concussion and nearly drowned…you’ll need to stay over night for obser-“
“WHERE IS MY WIFE?!” Miguel snapped startling the woman, his anger swiftly stomping out his worry as he knocked the flash light from the woman’s hand and kicked the sliding metal tray across the room.
“Sir I NEED you to calm down.” The woman said evenly as she took a hesitant step backwards.
Lyla flickered out of the room, her sadness growing fat with guilt as she approached Jessica’s bed.
The Beta’s eyes were closed tightly as she slept, a steady stream of oxygen filling her chest as the machine above her head showcased her vitals.
“How…am I supposed to tell him…”Lyla trailed off, her voice breaking as she wiped a tear from her cheek, her eyes sliding to the wrapping around Jessica’s shoulder.
“What…am supposed to tell the kids?” Lyla mumbled as she crawled in bed beside Jessica and closed her eyes.
Summer inhaled sharply as she watched the text bubbles appear on her screen and then disappear, she exhaled deeply, her shoulders shaking as she locked the screen and tossed the phone across the room into the nearest wall.
“What’s wrong? What’d Lyla say?” Ignacio asked as his eyes trailed to the phone across the room.
“I don’t think anything good.” Andrés said evenly as he stepped toward the bedroom window and opened the curtain.
“At least they’re both in the same location.” Andrés added as he watched a neighbor scurry out of his car and rush to their door, the sky heavy with moisture.
“Yeah-but what the hell is HQ?” Ignacio questioned as he plucked his sister’s phone from the floor and checked the screen for cracks.
“No idea.” Andrés said dryly as he ran a worried hand through his hair.
“They NEED to come home.” Summer said suddenly, her voice shaking as Ignacio placed her phone into her hand.
“Neither of them will answer their phone and Lyla won’t respond to any of our messages.” Summer cried, the scent around her souring with sadness as she started to cry.
Andrés shot Ignacio a worried look.
He wasn’t the emotional one.
Nor the comforting type.
“Summer…it’ll be ok-don’t cry.” Ignacio pleaded gently as he wrapped his arms around his sister, trying to offer comfort.
“You don’t know that!” Summer snapped as she pushed his arms away, her tears streaming down her cheeks as she struggled to unlock her phone.
“No…but we shouldn’t assume the worst.” Andrés said with a tired sigh as he turned away from the window and took a seat beside Summer on the bed.
“Mom..and Dad-will be ok.” Andrés promised softly as he pulled the phone from Summer’s hand and hugged her.
Miles yawned as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.
“Buenos Dias Daddy.” Marianna sang as she watched their father stumble into the kitchen, clearly half asleep.
“Why are you two up so early? You don’t have school.” Miles asked as he took a seat at the table and lifted an orange from the fruit bowl.
“Early bird gets the worm Daddy.” Marianna reminded as she slid from her chair and placed her empty bowl into the sink.
“I’ll be outside.” She said with a wave as she slipped on a pair of crocs and quickly headed to the backyard.
Matéo continued to eat in silence, his curls obscuring half his face as he reluctantly drank the milk from his bowl.
“Everyone is up early today.” Gonzalo said with a smile as he stepped into the kitchen fully dressed and ready to start the day.
“Yup.” Miles said with a nod as he started to peel his orange.
“That’s nice…to bad y’all don’t do this during the week.” Gonzalo said with a sigh as he started a pot of coffee.
Matéo slid from his seat and quickly placed his bowl into the sink, he grabbed his crocs and he hesitated at the door, his hand hovering above the knob as he spoke.
“Dad?”
“Yes?” Miles and Gonzalo asked at the same time, unsure which parent he was speaking to.
“Did you mean…me or Miles?” Gonzalo asked as he grabbed a cup from the cabinet and quickly filled it with coffee.
“Both of you.” Matéo said evenly as he turned back around.
“When I say Dad…I mean both of you.” Matéo said softly as he absently tugged on a stray curl.
Miles’s brow furrowed curiously. “Yes Tay?”
“I just…wanted to say sorry for throwing that robot arm through the control room.”
Gonzalo bit back a laugh as Miles shifted in his seat.
“Tay you’re not in trouble and you don’t have to apologize.” Miles corrected softly, a smile sliding to his lips as he watched Matéo’s shoulders drop.
“Ok…” Matéo said as he pushed open the door and rushed to the backyard.
“You don’t think that’s weird?” Gonzalo asked as he placed the lid on his coffee and pulled his work bag up his arm.
“What? The fact he feels bad for throwing that arm at Lance?” Miles asked as he bit into a piece of orange.
“No.” Gonzalo said as he stepped beside Miles and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl.
“That he treats us like…we’re ONE person.”
Miles considered Gonzalo’s statement and bit into the orange again.
“Well technically-“
“Miles shut up-I’m being serious.” Gonzalo interrupted with a laugh as he pivoted on his heels.
“Mmmh…maybe because of how we are-he thinks…it’s normal.” Miles guessed, trying to supply an answer to Gonzalo’s question.
“Righttttt.” Gonzalo said skeptically as he placed a quick kiss to Miles forehead and turned toward the front door.
“You know it’s going to rain soon..?” Matéo asked as he watched his sister messily add seeds to the bird feeder, casually spilling seeds all over the backyard.
“Yeah yeah weather man.” Marianna said dismissively as she stepped off her stool and headed toward the swing set.
“When does it NOT rain?” She asked with a sigh as she grabbed the chain of the swing.
“Mmmh.” Matéo said with a shrug as he watched a squirrel run across the top of the fence, his eyes set on the bird feeder.
“I’m surprised Dad didn’t ask us about our powers.” Marianna said as she sat in the swing, her eyes on the graying sky as she spoke.
Matéo wordlessly sat in the swing beside her and considered her words.
“He’s…probably always known.” Matéo said evenly as he started to swing his legs back and forth.
Miles tossed his orange peel into the trash, quickly washed and dried his hands, his attention sliding to the backyard as he watched the twins.
The pair deep in conversation as Matéo swung higher and higher, his sister’s feet still on the ground as she looked toward the sky, as if waiting for something.
Gonzalo’s words from the day before rang across his mind as he quickly pulled the Manila folder from the cabinet and flipped through it.
“At home they’re just regular kids.” Gonzalo’s voice reminded as he flipped to the exit notes on the back of the report, Lance’s messy writing halfway legible.
“I believe the reason your children don’t exhibit these abilities at home…is because they feel safe and there’s NO need to use them.” Lance had said with a beaming smile as he’d waved them out, unsurprised by Gonzalo’s chilly demeanor.
“I’m glad they feel safe.” Miles said as he watched lightening dance across the sky twice, he rushed across the kitchen and pulled open the backyard door.
“It’s about to rain-come in the house.” Miles said as both children reluctantly rose from the swing set, indifferent to the light drizzle.
“Kabir pizza is here.” Noir said as his voice rang from a nearby intercom, startling Chandler from his studies.
“Do you have call boxes all over the house?” Chandler asked curiously as they collectively rose from their seats, his eyes roaming the room for a call box.
“Everywhere but the bathrooms.” Kabir said with a nod as she rose from her seat and looked around.
“It’s break time already?” Shawn asked as he stepped around a corner with a crooked smile, Cheeia hanging from his arm as they joined the group.
“Time sure flies when you’re studying.” He said cheekily, making Cheeia giggle and James roll his eyes.
Hobie hummed as he placed several plates in the center of the table, he moved around the kitchen with ease as he added cups and a two liter bottle of sprite beside the pizza boxes.
“Hi Daddy.” Kabir said happily as she caught sight of her father setting up the table, he smiled as he placed a roll of paper towels onto the table.
“Hello Lovely, how was class?” He asked with a smile as several curious faces stepped behind her, their eyes on him as he pulled his daughter into his arms.
“Lame as usual.” Kabir admitted, making her father snort as he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead.
“Sounds about right.” Hobie said with a nod as she pulled away and took a seat.
“Daddy these are my friends…from school.” Kabir informed lazily as she lifted two pepperoni pizzas from a box.
“Hello everyone.” Hobie said politely, his accent pulling attractively at his words as he looked over the group, watching as they selected chairs and sat down.
James’s breath hitched as Hobie’s eyes met his before settling on his brother.
Khalid blinked, before nervously starting an introduction. “Hello…my name is-“
“I’m aware who you are darling.” Hobie said sweetly, interrupting Khalid’s nervous ramblings and making the entire table blush with the casual use of endearment.
“You have a beautiful home.” Cheeia complimented quickly as she grabbed several slices of pizzas from the box.
“Thank you.” Hobie said politely as he lifted a box from the pile.
“Kabir…If you need me-call me.” He said with a wave as he stepped out of the kitchen, opening the pizza box.
Kabir nodded half paying attention as she continued to eat, several eyes sliding her way as she bit into her second slice.
“Kabir…what do your parents do?” Clair asked after a moment, as she bit into her cheese pizza.
Kabir greedily swallowed her food and spoke.
“DaDa is a professor at a university.” Kabir said as she brought her cup of sprite to her lips.
“Pop teaches self defense and weapons training and Daddy….” She trailed off trying to remember the long list of things the spontaneous Omega had indulged in professionally.
“Is he like-a model or something?” Cheeia asked curiously, her face lighting up as Kabir nodded.
“He’s done mostly runway.”
“Well-that explains so much.” Shawn said as he grabbed three slices of pizza from a box.
“You look like all of your Dads.” Chandler added as his eyes roamed the colorful walls and decor of the kitchen.
“So I’ve been told.” Kabir said as she tugged a pepperoni from her pizza.
“So what do you think?” Noir asked as Hobie stepped into the bedroom, biting into a slice of pizza.
“He obviously has a crush on you Margo.” Peni said flatly as she watched Margo fold a bath towel.
“Peni WHAT are you talking about?” Margo asked with a laugh, her amusement apparent as her movements stopped and she leaned backwards and shook her head.
“We’ve known each other since like…sixth grade.”
“Well he’s had a crush the entire time.” Peni said dryly, making Margo roll her eyes.
“Unrequited feelings aside…he’s weird.” Gwen said evenly as she stepped into the conversation, her arms full of fresh laundry.
“Gwen…you TOO?” Margo asked with a laugh as she watched Wei Wei crawl into the pile of warm laundry.
“You didn’t see the way he smiled.” Gwen said flatly as she remembered the way the corners of his lips had eerily lifted and the way his jet black hair had ominously framed his face.
Margo hummed as she rubbed her stomach, her eyes closing as Wei Wei knocked over several folded towels.
“Mr.Moon here are those documents you requested on Peni Parker.” A man in a tan suit said as he waited to hand off the folder, patient as he watched the taller man take his time, slowly sitting and adjusting his seat.
“What about the information regarding her business?” Jericho asked as the folder was placed in his hands. “Everything legitimate?”
“Unfortunately it is sir…”
“And is there any validity to Ms.Chen’s claims?” Jericho asked as he flipped through the papers, his eyes zeroing in on the submitted evidence Xiang had given them.
“She claims to have been present during the conception of the business…and is requesting half the profits Mrs.Parker has generated over the last four years.”
“How fun.” Jericho said with a laugh as he closed the folder and handed it back to his assistant, his grey eyes gleaming with mischief.
“I’ll be back.” Kabir said as she rose from her seat and quickly sat her plate into the sink, the group silently watched as she disappeared down the hallway.
Wordlessly James scooted back from the table, he lifted his plate and Clair’s from the table and quickly placed them into the sink, a funny expression dancing across his face as he turned around. “Where’s the bathroom?”
“Are you done sulking?” Noir asked as he burst into Pav’s study without knocking, annoying the smaller Alpha instantly.
“Why don’t you ever knock?” Pav asked rudely as he watched the taller man stroll across the room and take a seat on the edge of his desk, indifferent to his mountain of work.
“Because I pay bills here.” Noir said with a wink, as he lifted a pen from Pav’s collection.
“I’m NOT sulking.” Pav hissed as he snatched his pen and quickly sat it back in place.
“Well what do you think of Bir’s friends?” Noir asked as he plucked a candy from the glass jar on Pav’s desk.
“Be nice.” Hobie reminded as he stepped into the room, a plate of pizza in hand.
“I’m always nice.” Pav said rolling his eyes as Hobie sat the plate on the desk beside his work.
“Of course.” Hobie said as he pressed a slow kiss to Pav’s forehead, Noir hummed as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I think we have a problem.” Noir said as he turned his screen toward his partners, their eyes going wide as they looked over the weather forecast.
“Soooo in conclusion there’s a blizzard and you’ll all be spending the night.” Noir said politely, his eyes on the teens in the kitchen.
“Wait…what?!” Clair asked as she abruptly rose from her seat and pulled her phone from her bag.
“It’s NOT supposed to happen for another three days!” Clair said in shock as she opened her weather app and quickly started to panic.
“A blizzard?” Kabir questioned as she pushed her chair from the table and rose to her feet, her oversized Ramones shirt hanging off her shoulder as she pulled her hair into a low ponytail.
“Yes princess.” Noir said with a nod.
“Why don’t you go grab Dad’s box of extra clothes from the attic?” Pav suggested as he stepped into the kitchen.
“I suggest you all call your parents, but if you’d like us to speak to them…we can.” Noir added as Hobie strolled into the kitchen, his arms loaded with pillows and blankets.
“You’ll all be in the den.” Hobie said he placed the stack of blankets onto the cabinet and turned toward the group.
“No funny business…we have cameras all over the house.” Pav informed dryly, his eyes sliding to Shawn and Cheeia.
“I’ll be right back.” Kabir said as she rushed from the kitchen and down the hallway, her bare feet quickly taking her across the house and toward the attic.
“I…don’t have reception.” Khalid said his eyes sliding to his brother.
James sighed as he watched his phone screen turn black and die. “Phone’s dead.”
“Of course it is.” Chandler mumbled as he shot his parents a quick text message.
“My Dad isn’t answering.” Cheeia informed as she pulled her phone from her ear.
“I’m back.” Kabir said as she stepped back into the room with a large box overflowing with clothing of different sizes and colors.
“This is insane.” Clair said as she pulled her phone from her ear and frowned.
“I can’t get ahold of anyone either.”
“Well…fortunately for you we have the room to accommodate everyone.” Pav said as he placed a sheet of paper flat in the center of the table.
“Names and numbers of your parents please.”
Pav said as he placed a black pen on top of the paper.
“I can’t believe we’re trapped here.” Cheeia sighed as she stepped into the den, her university tshirt and gym shorts catching Shawn’s attention.
“Trapped is such a strong word.” Chandler sighed as he pulled the glasses from his face.
“Babeeee we match.” Shawn said with a laugh as he pointed at his matching university shirt, making the Beta roll her eyes.
“Your family is nice.” Khalid said as he pulled his shirt over his head, Kabir’s eyes in the box as she handed him a pair of shorts.
“They’re definitely…something.” Kabir said a laugh bubbled from her lips.
“I’m just glad our house is built for the cold.”
“What do you mean?” Chandler asked as Kabir tossed him several clothing items.
“Aren’t you glad I splurged on that generator?” Noir asked with a wink , making Pav roll his eyes as he grabbed several pieces of firewood from the backyard. “Told you fortifying the house would be a great investment.”
“Whatever…you just like spending money.” Pav said shivering as he stepped beside Noir, his eyes on the sky as he watched the aggressive spiral of snow fall around them in heavy layers.
“It’s cold as fuck…I’m disappointed I live here.”
Pav sighed.
“One of the joys of this dimension.” Noir said joyously as he rose to his feet and tugged several pieces of wood from Pav’s hands.
Hobie inhaled and exhaled deeply, sending smoke spiraling from his nose as he phoned the last semi concerned parent.
He leaned back in his seat and ashed his joint into the ashtray on the table.
“That…was… exhausting.” He said with a sigh as he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, mindlessly bouncing his leg as Kabir stepped into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry Daddy…I didn’t know this would happen.” Kabir said softly as she took a seat at the kitchen table across from her father.
“Lovely please don’t…” Hobie said as he sat his joint into the ashtray, the air around them growing chilly as cool air gently blowed through the open kitchen window.
“This is NOT your fault.”
“I know but-“
“But rubbish.” He interrupted with a wave of his hand.
Kabir looked toward the open window and sighed.
James quietly tiptoed down the hall, his eyes roaming for a bathroom as he stepped deeper through the unfamiliar space.
“Finally.” He said with a sigh of relief as he spotted a closed door, he twisted the knob and step forward, his eyes fluttering as the scent of Kabir filled his nose.
He stepped deeper into the room, his eyes taking in the band posters and half made queen sized bed, layered with anime plushies and pokemon blankets.
He dragged his fingers along the top of her cluttered dresser, his toes sinking into the carpet as he spotted a pink guitar in the corner.
He strolled across the room and picked up the guitar, his eyes sliding to the pink gameboy buried behind it.
“She’s such a girl.” James said as he placed the guitar back into the corner, his eyes sliding curiously to her closet.
He pushed open the sliding door and inhaled deeply, the soft scent of pomegranates and something sweet filling his nose as he ran his fingertips across the fabric.
“Anyone seen James?” Clair asked as she stepped into the den, clad in oversized clothing.
Cheeia smacked her gum and boredly shook her head, her eyes quickly returning to the fashion magazine in her hand.
“Nope.” Shawn said as he bit into a cold slice of pizza, he scooted closer to Cheeia pressing a quick greasy kiss to her forehead.
“Mmmmh…It’s been a few minutes… but I think he mentioned going to the bathroom.” Chandler said as he stacked several pillows onto the couch.
“He did.” Khalid said with a lazy yawn as he laid several blankets across the futon.
“Could you check on him or something?” Clair asked as she lifted several blankets from the pile and tossed them beside Cheeia on the sectional.
Chandler frowned.
“Fine…I guess.” Khalid said scratching his head as he rose to his feet and grabbed Chandler’s wrist, quickly tugging him down the hallway.
James fingered through a hanger full of scarfs his attention quickly sliding to the blue and red one she’d worn earlier that week.
He tugged the scarf from the hanger, his thumbs hungrily dragging across the soft fabric as he brought it to his nose and greedily inhaled.
He closed his eyes as the gentle smell filled his nose, his mind sliding him back to earlier that day when the wind had tossed her scent all over him.
James inhaled again, shoving the fabric into his face as he struggled to pinpoint what exactly she smelled like.
“What the hell are you doing?” Khalid asked, his sharp tone making his brother’s eyes go wide as he spun around on his heels, tightly gripping the fabric in his hand as he met angry and confused eyes.
Pav and Noir stepped into the den brushing snow from their shoulders and hair as Noir tossed several pieces of fire into the fire place and quickly started a fire.
Warmth immediately filled the room, making Clair sink into her blankets.
“We should be fine power wise…but just incase…” Noir trailed off as Pav dumped several pieces of wood at his feet.
“Kabir will be back with emergency chargers and extra candles…momentarily-but ALL of your parents have been notified about the situation.” Pav said as he turned toward the group.
“Feel free to get comfortable and relax.” Noir encouraged as he placed a hand on Pav’s shoulder, his glasses sliding down the bridge of nose as he smiled.
“But NOT too comfortable.” Pav warned, making Shawn snicker and Cheeia roll her eyes.
“We’ll be back in a bit to check on you.” Noir said politely as he ushered Pav from the room.
“Khalid I can explain.” James said as he placed the scarf onto the dresser.
“Is THIS why you were asking all those questions about her?” Chandler blurted out, making Khalid’s eyes widen as the situation abruptly dawned on him.
“HOW long?” Khalid asked stifly, his voice ripe with emotion as he recounted every instance his brother had bad mouth Kabir.
“What?” James asked visibly confused.
“HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIKED KABIR?”
“I’m leaving in five minutes-with or without you.” Summer said flatly as she greeted her brothers in the hallway, both of them still clad in their pajamas with crusty faces.
“Ok.” Andrés said calmly as he spun on his heels and headed straight to the closet, wasting no time as he grabbed a pair of jeans and converse.
“Where are you going?” Ignacio questioned as his attention bounced from Summer to Andrés pulling a shirt over his head and zipping up his jacket in one swift motion.
“To HQ.” Summer said as she turned around and headed toward her bedroom, quickly shoving essential items into her purse and grabbing her track and field hoodie.
“Why? Isn’t it better to stay home and wait until we hear something?” Ignacio asked stepping into his room, his eyes landing on a now fully dressed Andrés.
Andrés’s eyes slid to the watch on his wrist.
“You have three minutes.” Andrés said sharply as he brushed past his brother, his breath smelling of mint and his hair combed as he zoomed past his brother.
“Why the fuck should we wait?!” Summer snapped as she ran down the stairs, Andrés hot on her heels as he diverted toward their parent’s bedroom.
“Fuck! Wait for me!” Ignacio whined as he ran to the closet and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, nearly tripping as he slipped on a pair of Adidas slides, he didn’t bother changing shirts as he dug through his messy half of the closet, searching for a clean hoodie.
“Where is it…where…where?” Andrés mumbled as he fingered through his father’s dresser, mindful not to uproot important documents and papers as he pulled a silver wallet from the dresser, his mind wandering back to the conversation he’d had in passing with his father.
“Andrés in case of an emergency-take this wallet with you and your siblings. “ Miguel said thickly as he held the silver wallet in the air before he slowly slid it under several layers of papers.
“If anything ever happens to me and your mother…STAY TOGETHER.” Miguel said as his eyes trailed to the family photo that sat between them on the top of the dresser.
“Why are you only telling me about this?” Andrés asked as his eyes slid to the photo, lingering on his mother’s face before sliding to his own.
He looked nothing like his mother.
“Because…you’re the level headed one.” Miguel admitted as Andrés’s eyes bounced to father’s face in the photo.
“What’s in the wallet?” He asked evenly, his attention sliding back on his father as he shoved his hands into his pajama pants pockets and yawned.
“Clearance.” Miguel said calmly, not bothering to offer a further explanation as he ushered the preteen from his room and into the hallway.
Andrés shoved the wallet into his pocket and quickly closed the bedroom door behind him, his eyes on his watch as the car in the garage purred to life.
“Hurry up! She’s gonna fucking leave us!” Ignacio snapped at his younger brother as he stopped and grabbed several items in the kitchen, his eyes on the pantry as he filled a bag with snacks.
“I SAID FIVE MINUTES!!” Summer snapped as she slammed on the horn, the garage door lifting behind her as she checked all the mirrors and buckled her seatbelt.
“Don’t leave meeeeee!!” Ignacio yelled as he flung open the passenger door, tossed the bag of snacks into the car and slid into the seat.
“LET’S GO.” Andrés said calmly as he slammed his door shut and reached for his seatbelt.
“Fuckin right!” Ignacio sang as he ripped open a bag of chips.
“It’s an hour away.” Summer announced as her phone synced with the car, the gps in the dash lighting up with the address.
“Everyone in?” Summer asked hitting the locks and accelerating backwards before anyone could respond.
“I don’t want you to worry…but it’s going to storm soon.” Andrés informed as he pulled his hood over his head and looked out the window.
Marianna sighed as she looked out the window, disappointed the rain had blossomed into a full blown storm
“Told you.” Matéo said as he stepped beside his sister and bit into his Rice Krispie treat, his eyes on the street as he watched an elderly neighbor spark up a cigarette, indifferent to the weather as she stood in the center of her lawn, smoking in the rain.
“She has a problem.” Marianna said dryly as she closed the curtain and frowned.
Matéo snorted as he followed his sister into the living room, her eyes on the tv as she snatched the remote from the table.
“I miss Dad.” Matéo said as he sat on the couch, his eyes on his half eaten treat as Marianna turned on the tv.
“Dad is in the room.” Marianna reminded as Matéo broke his snack in half and offered it to her.
“Our other dad.” Matéo explained dryly, rolling
his eyes as Marianna plucked the snack from his hand and bit into it.
“What if the weather gets worse…” Matéo added, worry sinking into his voice as he met his sister’s gaze.
Marianna’s left brow lifted with an idea. “Where’s your tablet?”
Gonzalo shuffled through the building, trying to avoid the sudden down pour and nearly dropping the painting in his arms as his phone started to vibrate viciously to life in his pocket.
Gonzalo quickly propped the painting against the wall and fished his phone from his pocket, his eyes going wide as he read the contact name and hit accept.
“Is everything ok?” He asked as he watched the twins faces suddenly appear on screen.
“Everything is fine Papi.” Marianna said with a smile as she bit into her snack, earning an unhappy look from her father.
Gonzalo opened his mouth to complain, his son’s calm voice quickly interrupting him.
“Come home.” Matéo said evenly, not bothering to drag the conversation as he caught sight of several figures moving behind his father.
“What?” Gonzalo asked caught off guard by the request. “ I’m at work..I can’t just-“
“The weather is going to get worse.” Matéo interrupted his Heterochromia eyes narrowing as he watched an unfamiliar man place an arm around his father’s shoulder.
“Aww this must be the twins! So cute!” The man said with a smile as he waved, ignoring the unfriendly look the children tossed his way.
“They look just like you…aside from the freaky eyes.” Dean said as he leaned closer, blocking their the view of Gonzalo as he looked them over a second time.
“Is that like…a medical condition or something?”
Dean asked rudely, his attention returning to Gonzalo.
Gonzalo’s right brow twitched with irritation as he turned his head, his hostile obsidian eyes meeting the man’s as he shoved his arm off of him.
“What do you WANT Dean?” Gonzalo asked dryly, his brows heavy with irritation as the man suddenly smiled.
“I wanted to know if you’d be able to stay late and help set up with-“
“NO.” Matéo interrupted quickly, his unhappy face the mirror of his father’s.
“Friendly kid ya got there.” Dean said with a hollow laugh, his eyes sliding to Gonzalo’s phone.
“Stay and set up….In the middle of a storm?” Gonzalo questioned as he moved his phone away, blocking Dean’s view of the twins and getting to the root of the conversation.
“Yeah…since we had so many call offs-we’re kinda short staffed and could use the h-“
“Absolutely NOT.” Gonzalo snapped, putting a pin in Dean’s request.
“What?” Dean asked, his face dropping.
“It’ll just be for a few hours and we’re almost done-“
“I’ll be heading home soon.” Gonzalo said flatly, his eyes sliding to his phone screen as he spoke.
“What are you two up to?” Miles asked with a yawn as he stepped into the living room, wiping away the remnants of an afternoon nap as he plopped down on the couch.
“Just telling Papi to come home.” Marianna admitted as she quickly disconnected the call, her eyes sliding up to their father.
“What did we say about calling Papi at work if it’s NOT an emergency?” Miles asked as he watched the young girl guiltily slide the tablet across the coffee table.
“It can wait…until he’s home.” Marianna mumbled looking away.
“But it IS an emergency.” Matéo said evenly as he lifted the remote from the couch and quickly flipped through the channels, stopping on the live weather forecast.
Gonzalo brought in the last painting, and quickly locked the vault door, he shoved his arms into the sleeves of his jacket as loud thunder slammed across the sky.
The storm was getting worse.
“Hopefully the storm doesn’t damage anything.” Gonzalo mumbled to himself as he grabbed his lunch box from the break room, his right brow lifting into his hairline as he spun around and bumped into someone.
The apology on his lips evaporating as he met Dean’s gaze, the Alpha smiled unapologetically as he stepped backward.
“Sorry…didn’t see you.” He said quickly as he stepped around Gonzalo and reached inside the fridge, touching and poking items that weren’t his before pulling out a redbull.
Gonzalo rolled his eyes as he grabbed his mug from the cabinet, his eyes narrowing as Dean spun around and popped the top off his drink and smiled.
“You should really get in on this over time.”
Gonzalo didn’t respond, his eyes drifting to the still full parking lot as the rain started to fall harder, he watched as coworkers awkwardly hopped over puddles, their umbrellas blowing inward as they struggled to their cars.
“No thanks.” Gonzalo said as he shoved his mug into his bag and pulled his keys from his pocket.
“You’d get to spend more time with me.” Dean teased suggestively, making Gonzalo’s skin crawl as he turned toward the door, openly ignoring him.
“What’s the worst that could happen?” Dean asked as he pressed his palm to the door, pushing it closed before Gonzalo could step out and leave.
“You’ll like it?”
It isn’t a question.
Disgust twisted in the pit of Gonzalo’s stomach as Dean tossed the half full can into the trash across the room.
Miles blinked as rage marched across his link, nearly making him drop the bowl of popcorn in his hands as he stopped walking.
“Daddy what’s wrong?” Marianna asked as she pressed a hand to her father’s thigh, several blankets trailing behind her as she stopped beside him in the hallway.
“I’m not sure.” Miles said as his right hand ghosted to his neck, his link now pulsating with warmth.
“What’s wrong?” Matéo asked as he sat several plushies on the couch, his eyes sliding to Miles.
“What’s a little fun between coworkers?” Dean asked, his hot breath tickling the back of Gonzalo’s neck as he spoke, sending discomfort up his spine.
“What?” Gonzalo asked his anger bubbling up his chest as he felt Dean shift behind him, the Alpha’s intrusive hands floated around his waist, pulling him closer.
Gonzalo moved, his elbow sharply slamming into Dean’s ribcage twice as he spun around, the back of his hand swiftly meeting the Alpha’s face as he knocked him harshly to the break room floor.
“Don’t ever fucking touch me again.” Gonzalo spat before the man could respond, the door immediately opening and closing behind him as he stepped into the parking lot, sighing as he pulled his work bag up his arm.
“How are you Gwen? It’s been a while since we last spoke. “ Eric asked with a polite smile, his green eyes shining like emeralds as he spoke.
“It hasn’t been that long.” Gwen said as she took a seat across from him, her eyes roaming his face as she felt the knot in her chest loosen.
“True true.” Eric said with a chuckle as he flipped through the notebook in his lap, he bit the cap of his pen as Gwen poured sugar into her tea.
“Last time you were here…we spoke about your mother.”
Gwen almost dropped her spoon, her eyes sliding up to his as she sat up uncomfortably in her seat.
“Let’s not and say we did.” Gwen said akwardly as she looked away.
Eric hummed, considering her request.
“That is exactly what you said last week.”
Gwen sighed, wishing she could melt into the floor and disappear.
“Fine…we can start with something easier.” Eric said softly as he closed his notebook and leaned backward in his seat, his hand slowly sliding down the leather arm of his chair.
“How is Wei?”
Gwen’s face lit up, her body visibly relaxing with the change of topic as she spoke, happily pulling her phone from her pocket.
“He’s great! Look at this video of him tasting a lemon for the first time.”
“Which one?” Peni asked as she held up two color swatches in front of the screen.
“Mmmh…Peni those are literally the same color.” Margo sighed shaking her head as she adjusted Wei Wei in her arms.
“N…o they aren’t.” Peni said as she looked toward the swatches and frowned.
“Righttttt-this is why you should have just let me go with you.” Margo said shaking her head as Wei reached for the phone in her hand.
“You’re on bedrest Margo…you aren’t supposed to leave the house.” Peni reminded, making the Beta roll her eyes as Wei looked into the screen and smiled.
“Yeah yeah.” Margo said dryly as the door bell suddenly chimed throughout the living room.
“Ohhh you order something?” Peni asked as she waved at the happy baby.
“Uh…I don’t think so.” Margo said as he stepped through the house, her feet quickly taking her down the hallway and into the living room, she placed Wei into his bouncer and headed toward the door.
“Well…there’s definitely a delivery at the door.” Peni said as she pulled up the feed from the door camera, her eyes slid from the worker and onto the van behind him.
“Hello.” Margo said with a smile as she pulled open the door her eyes going wide as a large bouquet of flowers was shoved into her face.
“Ms.Kess…these are for you.”
The delivery man said as he gently placed the heavy container of flowers into Margo’s hands.
“Mrs.Kess.” Peni corrected.
“Uh-thank you.” Margo mumbled caught off guard as she stepped back into the house and quickly shut the door.
“Flowers?” Peni asked, her right brow lifting with suspicion. “You order flowers?”
“I did not.” Margo said truthfully as she sat the large container onto the kitchen counter and fingered through the flowers looking for a note.
“Well I have an idea who did.” Peni said with a frown as Margo lifted a cream colored card from the bouquet.
“What does it say?” Peni asked curiously as she watched Margo turn the small card over in her hand and smile.
“Your face lights up when you talk about your family.” Eric said as he scribbled across several pages of his notebook.
“How is this new pregnancy affecting you?” Eric asked with a smile.
“I assume everything is all rainbows and butterflies.”
Gwen snorted and lifted her cup from the table, taking a hardy sip before responding.
“I worry…a lot and to be very honest…I’m unsure if it’s healthy.” Gwen admitted as she looked into her cup, her eyes downcast as she spoke.
“Gwen it’s NORMAL to worry.” Eric reminded softly as he leaned forward in his seat and offered her a sympathetic look.
“Plus pregnancy is no easy task-so your concerns are justified.”
“I’m scared the baby will…take a toll on Margo…I don’t want to prepare for the worse.” Gwen said as she sat her cup back onto the table, she thoughtlessly tugged on the hole in her jeans trying to distract herself.
“She recently collapsed and we’ve been on high alert since.”
“Why am I detecting guilt in your tone?” Eric asked curiously as he dropped several sugar cubes into his cup.
“Is it because…she’s carrying your child?”
Gwen closed her eyes and inhaled shakily as she opted out of answering. “Next question.”
“Gwen that’s NOT how this works.”
“What do you want me to say?” Gwen asked refusing to open her eyes.
“I want you to share your feelings with me…not get lost in your thoughts.”
“What? You want me to admit I feel guilty MY spider baby is wrecking her body?” Gwen asked sharply, her eyes snapping open as she sat straight up in her seat, her blue eyes rimmed with sadness.
“Wrecking her body?” Eric questioned, confusion coloring his tone.
“I think your exaggerating-“
“No…Margo isn’t like me…or Peni…” Gwen trailed off looking away.
“Her body is force fully changing to carry this baby…” Gwen’s said her voice wavering, tears running from her eyes as she rose to her feet, startling Eric.
“Sooo what’s the card from your boyfriend say?” Peni asked as she propped up her phone and sat at her computer, her hands flying across the keys as she worked.
“That man is NOT my boyfriend.” Margo said with a laugh as she turned the paper toward Peni.
Peni squinted and frowned. “Is it blank?”
“Nope.” Margo said pointing at the small cursive writing. “It says ‘see you soon’…”
“That’s NOT creepy.” Peni said with an eyeroll as she turned back toward her computer.
“You just don’t like him.”
“You’re right.” Peni admitted dryly, as she scrolled through her emails, despair slamming into her chest as she clicked on an email with a familiar name.
Peni inhaled sharply as she read the contents of the message, anger blurring her vision as she breezed through the threat Xiang had tossed her way.
“Peni? What’s wrong?” Margo asked as she turned toward the phone.
“Do you see anything? Summer asked, her eyes on the road as she struggled to see through the heavy rain, she turned the windshield wipers higher, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to make out signs
“Uhhhh gps says we’re around the corner from the parking lot.” Ignacio said his eyes bouncing from the dashboard and onto the windshield.
“What corner?” Summer asked frantically, as Andrés slid forward in his seat, his seatbelt digging into his chest as he moved, his eyes rapidly sliding from the windshield and onto passenger side window.
“Summer slow down…” Andrés said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and slid behind the passenger seat, he rolled the window down and stuck his head into the rain.
“You’re getting my seat wet!” Ignacio complained as he unbuckled his seatbelt and pulled his hood over his ears.
“Make a right and then a sharp left.” Andrés said as he leaned backward and rolled the window up.
“How sharp of a left?” Ignacio asked as Summer abruptly turned, making him grip the dashboard as the car shifted.
Lance hummed as he checked the time, his mood improving as he stepped away from the control room and headed toward the break room, his lunch in hand as he rushed down the hall.
Summer parked and turned off the car, not bothering to double check her parking as she rushed out of the car, pulling her hood over her head as Andrés stepped out of the car.
“Thanks for not killing us.” Ignacio hiccuped as he stumbled out of the car, his eyes traveling to the large ominous black building several feet away.
“What kind of building is this?” Ignacio asked as he shut the door, his eyes widening as Summer stormed forward.
Andrés looked up at the sky and frowned as thunder danced across the sky.
The storm was getting worse.
“Ven aquí Andrés.” Summer called as she looked toward the building, her eyes locking on a set of concrete stairs that traveled up toward the building.
“Right.” Andrés said as he stepped forward, mindful not to step in puddles as he stepped beside Ignacio, his green eyes cautiously burning as he started up the stairs behind Summer.
“Mmmh…I guess I could run a system check and clean out any bugs…while I take a quick lunch.”
Lance said as he flipped a series of buttons on the control panel.
“Two birds one stone.” He said happily as he twisted open the cap of his soda and headed back toward the break room, his attention on a candy bar in the vending machine.
“Fuck this is a lot of stairs!” Ignacio huffed as he took the last few steps two at a time, his breathing rushed as he made it to the top of the stairs.
“How are you even in track?” Andrés asked rolling his eyes as Summer searched for a point of entry.
“Track AND FIELD.” Ignacio highlighted as he pointed to his school hoodie.
“I don’t run. I throw.” He continued dryly as he pulled his hood from his head and tossed his brother a dirty look.
“At least I made the team.”
Andrés’s eyes narrowed with annoyance.
“Guys STOP it! Now isn’t the time.” Summer snapped as she turned around, stepping between them and breaking up the impending argument.
“I can’t find a door…only a thing that looks like a card reader.” Summer confessed with a sigh, her words reminding Andrés of the wallet in his pocket.
Andrés stepped forward, wordlessly pulling the wallet from his pocket, his eyes on the card reader as he pulled a solid black card from a fold in the wallet.
“What are you…” Ignacio trailed off as he watched his younger brother press the card to the reader.
Summer’s eyes widened as she watched the reader turn green and the door quickly slid open, revealing a hallway.
“This must be the back entrance.” Andrés said as he stepped forward, his brother and sister on his heels as they curiously searched the hall for a familiar face.
“Lance? Aren’t you working a double today?”
Lance bit into his garlic bread and quickly swallowed, his attention sliding to a coworker.
“I am.” Lance nodded as he took another bite.
“Good…let me catch you up on ALL the work gossip.” The man said with a giggle as he sat across from Lance, crossing his right leg over his left.
Summer looked down at her phone screen, roaming the app for their parents location, she zoomed in and frowned.
Their parents were in different parts of the building.
“Sooooo you’re NOT going to tell us about the keycard?” Ignacio questioned as he trailed behind his sister, his eyes on his brother as he impatiently waited to hear an explanation.
“No.” Andrés said stiffly, not bothering to return his brother’s gaze.
“No?” Ignacio snapped, his anger apparent as he shifted on his feet, blocking his brother’s path. “You don’t just GET to have access to a government building and expect NOT to tell us HOW.”
“We don’t have time for this.” Summer said dryly as she turned left, her eyes landing on a door.
“Ask Dad.” Andrés said dryly as he pushed past his brother, his green eyes heavy with indifference as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Guys…we’re closer to mom…”Summer said as she turned around and showed them her phone screen, the two dots on the screen blinking as they grew closer.
“Thats good.” Andrés said with a sigh of relief.
“We can find mom first and then dad.”
“Yeahhhh but theres two ways to mom.. either we keep going down this long ass hallway or we cut through these three giant rooms.” Ignacio pointed out.
“Are we sure those are rooms?” Summer questioned turning the screen back in her direction, her brow lifting skeptically as she looked over the map.
“Mr’O’Hara please CALM down or we’ll have to sedate you.” The nurse warned as she pushed open his room door.
Miguel’s eyes narrowed as he stood his ground across the room, his Iv pack steadily dripping as he stood rooted in place.
“Sir you aren’t supposed to be out of bed.”
A woman in a spider mask said, the eye part of her mask going wide as she took in Miguel’s appearance.
“I want to see my wife.” Miguel said calmly, his chilly tone putting the nurse on edge as the woman in the spider mask stepped forward.
“Your wife?” The woman in the mask questioned, irritating Miguel more.
“I arrived here with a woman. “ Miguel said thickly as he pivoted in the woman’s direction.
“WHERE IS SHE?”
Ignacio huffed as he struggled to push open the door, his palms and back growing sweaty as he dug in his heels and shoved the door open.
“What is this?” Summer asked looking around, the darkness around them thick and silent as she stepped forward setting off a series of lights.
“Summer what the hell?” Ignacio complained covering his eyes with his arm, the bright lights above their heads blinding as the floor beneath their feet started to shake.
“This isn’t a normal room.” Summer said distrustfully as the floor abruptly split and swallowed them whole.
“What’s wrong?” Miles asked as he met Gonzalo at the door, he reached for him before he could answer, quickly pulling him into his arms, not caring he was soaking wet and shivering in the doorway.
“Talk to me.” Miles pleaded as he pulled Gonzalo’s hood behind his ears, searching his face for answers.
“Can we talk about it after…I change?” Gonzalo mumbled as Miles reached behind him and locked the door, his arm tightening around the shorter man’s waist as he pulled him from the doorway.
“Where are the twins?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled out of Miles’s arms and stepped into the hallway, the smell of popcorn quickly greeting him as he walked through the house.
“They fell asleep during the movie.” Miles said with a smile as he followed Gonzalo into their bedroom.
He headed toward the bathroom and started the shower, quickly filling the room with warm steam.
“Thank you.” Gonzalo said as Miles stepped back into the room and sat at the foot of the bed.
Miles simply nodded as he patiently watched Gonzalo pull his arms out of his jacket, his braid coming undone as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it across the room.
Gonzalo kicked his shoes off and stepped out of his pants, he hurried into the bathroom and groaned as the warm water hit his body.
Miles rose from bed and walked across the room, he stopped at the window and popped it open, his eyes on the sky as he watched it spiral with animosity, large strips of thunder highlighted the sky in unfriendly patches.
Miles’s eyes trailed from the sky onto the street, he frowned as he watched the water overtake the street, his left brow lifting as he caught sight of his elderly neighbor smoking in the rain.
“That woman has a problem.” Miles said as he closed the window.
“Is Mrs.Bates smoking in the rain again?” Gonzalo asked as he stepped back into the room, his hair dripping as he toweled himself dry.
“Yup.” Miles said as he turned away from the window and headed toward the dresser, he pulled open a drawer and tossed Gonzalo a pair of boxers.
“You know she’s been doing that since the divorce.” Gonzalo filled in as he pulled the boxers up his legs.
“I thought she hated…Mr.Bates.” Miles said as he pulled a Tshirt and pair of basketball shorts from the drawer.
“Oh she does.” Gonzalo said as he stepped into Miles’s personal space and pulled the shirt and shorts from his hands.
Miles snorted as he reached into the drawer and pulled out a pair of socks.
“It was a coworker…” Gonzalo said flatly as he pulled the shirt over his head, he avoided Miles’s gaze as he stepped into his shorts one leg at a time.
“Same one?” Miles asked, his tone taking an edge as he reached for Gonzalo’s hand.
“…yes.” Gonzalo admitted with a sigh as he looked up at Miles, the details of earlier spilling from his lips like rain from the sky without restraint.
“Scoot over…” Matéo mumbled as he pushed a plush from the couch, his eyes slowly openly as he reached for the remote.
“Who are you talking to?” Marianna asked with a yawn as she turned on her side, snuggling deeper into the pillows of the couch.
Matéo rapidly flipped through the channels, his eyes going wide as he stopped on the weather forecast. “It’s going to flood.”
“Our room is upstairs.” Marianna mumbled partially listening.
“That’s not the point.” Matéo said with a frown as he scooped the plush from the floor.
Rage danced across Miles’s face, his anger vibrant as it blossomed across their link and rolled out of his fingertips in blue sparks.
“Miles…I NEED you to breath.” Gonzalo said as he squeezed Miles’s hand, trying to pull his attention back into the room.
“I’ll breathe…after I TALK to him.” Miles said between clenched teeth as he struggled to stomp down the anger screaming through his limbs.
“Is he at the studo right now?” Miles asked as he pulled away and spun on his heels, his attention on the closet, as he yanked a raincoat from the rack, tossing the hanger across the floor.
“Miles NO!” Gonzalo said as he rushed across the room, pulling the coat from his hands before the taller man could slide his arms into the sleeves.
“Why NOT?!” Miles snapped his usually honey eyes the color of darkness as he held Gonzalo’s gaze.
“He’s been FLIRTING with you for MONTHS and now he’s TOUCHING you!!”
“I handled it.” Gonzalo snapped, his discomfort with the situation turning to annoyance as Miles shot him a skeptical look.
“You worry too much.” Marianna said as she pressed her toes into her bother’s leg.
Matéo frowned as he turned up the tv, his eyes taking notice of the flood warning at the bottom of the screen. “You don’t worry enough.”
“Miles!! Stop!!” Gonzalo snapped wanting the conversation to end, as he ran a shaky hand through his hair and sighed as he looked away.
“Monday…I’ll write a statement-“
“ANOTHER one?” Miles interrupted, his anger unmoving as he spoke.
“What was done after the first two-three statements?!”
Miles asked stepping backwards and crossing his arms, waiting for a response.
Gonzalo bit his bottom lip and didn’t respond.
“Exactly…NOTHING.” Miles pointed out as he forcefully tossed his coat back into the closet .
“MONDAY I’M TALKING TO HIM.” Miles snapped making Gonzalo flinch, his sharp tone devoid of room for an argument.
James hesitated, not wanting to verbalize the truth as Chandler’s eyes roamed the room and went wide.
“HOW LONG?!” Khalid repeated.
“You were…going through her things.” Chandler said dryly, his eyes narrowing as his anger danced beside Khalid’s.
“He was touching AND smelling her things.” Khalid spat, disgusted his brother wouldn’t answer the question.
“I’m going to tell her.” Chandler said quickly as he pivoted on his heels and sprinted down the hallway, Khalid right behind him as he rounded the corner.
“Chandler wait!” James yelled nearly slipping on the rug in Kabir’s room as he ran behind them.
“James was in Kabir’s room-smelling her things.” Chandler blurted out as soon as his feet hit the den floor.
“What?” Clair asked, her eyes going wide as she sat up.
Guilt screeched across James’s chest as Clair met and held his gaze.
“Dude…not cool.” Shawn burped, a look of disappointment dancing across his face as Cheeia shifted beside him.
“Real smooth James…now everyone knows you like Kabir.” Cheeia said with a sigh as she flipped through her magazine boredly.
“YOU KNEW?!” Clair snapped as she jumped from her seat, anger and embarrassment corrupting her usually mild scent.
“Uh ohhhh…cat’s outta the bag.” Cheeia said as she awkwardly shoved her face into her magazine.
“What’d you say? Kabir asked as she stepped into the room, her eyes bouncing from Cheeia and onto James.
“Apparently my BOYFRIEND likes you.” Clair snapped as she stormed out of the room before anyone could respond.
“HOW LONG JAMES?!” Khalid demanded, needing to hear the answer.
James sighed deeply, sadness twisting in the pit of his stomach as he looked at Khalid, the truth spilling from his lips.
“The moment…she smiled at you.”
Khalid crossed the room in three steps, his fist slamming into his brother’s nose as he swung without restraint, shoving the room into chaos.
“Guys stop fighting!” Cheeia screamed dropping her magazine.
“Oh shit!” Shawn said as he hopped up from the sectional and dove into the altercation, trying to separate the brothers as Khalid swung a right hook, sending James to the floor with a bloody nose.
“WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE?!” Pav snapped as he stepped into the room, his eyes quickly landing on James.
“Lucky for you it’s not broken.” Hobie hummed as he cleaned James’s nose and handed him an ice pack. “It’ll sting though.”
James responded by putting the ice pack onto his right eye.
“Do you…have any pain medicine?” James asked after a moment, his question interrupting Hobie’s movements in the bathroom.
“Oh you didn’t see any in Kabir’s room?” He asked tossing James a look before he stepped out of the bathroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
“I can’t believe Khalid hit him.” Cheeia said still in a daze as Shawn wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
“Babe…you heard what James said.” Shawn reminded dryly as James’s confession floated into the air and polluted the atmosphere.
“I would have hit him too.” Shawn confessed with a sigh.
“Same.” Chandler said with a nod as his eyes drifted to the fire.
“Clair….looked so hurt.” Cheeia said with a sigh as she snuggled into Shawn.
“At least she left before she heard what he said.”Chandler said as he rose from the sectional and tossed a piece of fire wood into the fire.
“I know you’re upset…but I need you to calm down.” Noir said as he ushered Khalid to the kitchen sink, quickly turning on the water and washing the blood from his hand.
Khalid exhaled deeply as the cool water ran over his knuckles and fingers, Noir stepped away and quickly returned with a first aid kit.
“Doesn’t look broken.” Noir said as he turned off the water and examined the damage done to Khalid’s hand.
“Wonderful.” Khalid said dryly as Noir cleaned his knuckles with alcohol. “I’ll get to hit him again.”
“You think that’ll solve the problem?” Noir asked as he gently applied ointment to boy’s now bruising knuckles.
“Yes.” Khalid said sincerely, making the Alpha shake his head.
“THIS ISNT OVER UNTIL I SAY IT’S OVER.”
The small teen growled, his fiery disposition reminiscent of someone very close to Noir.
“God…your like Pav.”
Noir snorted as he quickly dressed the wound.
“You do know I won’t be leaving your side all night, right? “ Pav asked as James took a step inside the library, the blankets in his arms dropping to the floor as the older man turned around and locked the door.
“What if I need to pee?” James asked suddenly feeling claustrophobic.
“There’s a bathroom right there.” Pav said evenly as he pointed to a door across the room, almost hidden by bookshelves.
“Right.” James said as he watched Pav drop the blankets from his arms beside his pillow.
“Was …locking the door really necessary…?” James mumbled, as he dropped to his knees and started to unfold his blankets, his right eye stinging.
“Well you are a pervert…so yes.” Pav supplied quickly, not bothering to mince words as he dropped several pillows onto the blankets.
“Lovely…are you ok?” Hobie asked as he dragged his knuckles across her bedroom door before slowly turning the knob and pushing it open.
Kabir’s eyes flickered from her father and onto the scarf hanging halfway off her desk.
“I…just-that was a lot.” Kabir admitted as Hobie took a seat at the foot of her bed.
“I’ve never seen Khalid SO angry…before.”
“To be fair…his anger was justified.” Hobie said evenly as his eyes drifted to the scarf.
“Chandler told us what happened.” Hobie said with a sigh as he leaned backwards, his eyes drifting onto the giant Janelle Monae poster on the ceiling as the palms of the his hand rested on her bed.
“Oh course he did.” Kabir said with an eye roll as she sank into the blankets of her bed, wishing she could hide from situation, embarrassment shoving her beneath the pillows as she suddenly remembered James’s confession.
“I can’t believe he said that shit.” Kabir snapped, as she abruptly sat up, tossing the blanket from her head.
Hobie’s eyes drifted from the poster and onto his daughter.
“He really LOOKED his brother in the face and said ‘I like her cuz you like her’.” Kabir said mocking James as she stumbled from bed and snatched the scarf from the dresser.
“He’s a horrible shitty person!” Kabir yelled as she tossed the scarf into the trash.
“Get it ALL out Lovely.” Hobie encouraged as he pulled a joint from his pocket, and pushed open her bedroom window.
“Clair are you ok?” Cheeia asked as she watched the blonde step back into the den, her eyes rimmed with red as are refused to meet her best friend’s gaze.
Clair quietly collected her blankets and pillows, aggressively tossing them into the nearest corner as she walked across the room, putting space between her and everyone else.
“You shouldn’t be surprised.” Chandler said evenly, his eyes burning into Cheeia briefly before he turned on his side and pulled his blanket over his head.
Margo hummed as she breezed through the kitchen, ignoring the dull ache in her lower back as she sat Wei Wei in his high chair.
“I think…a fruit salad would be delicious.” Margo hummed as she grabbed several fruits from the fridge and sat them on the kitchen table.
She snatched a bowl from the cabinet and handed Wei a strawberry, he smiled as he bit into the fruit, happily smacking as Margo stepped toward the sink.
She reached for the cutting board and gasped as a sharp pain sprinted up her spine, making her drop the cutting board into the sink, she inhaled deeply as she held onto the sink for support, her eyes closing as she waited for the pain to pass.
Wei stirred behind her, his worry apparent as he babbled loudly, dropping the strawberry onto his tray as he waited for Margo to turn around.
“I..I’m fine Wei…” Margo lied as she exhaled shakily turning around, her eyes going wide as they met Gwen’s.
“Out of bed…I see.” Gwen said as she stepped through the kitchen, her arms wrapping around Margo’s waist as she lifted her from the sink, supporting her weight with ease.
“I’m taking you back to bed.” Gwen said, her eyes searching Margo’s face, ready for an argument.
“I’m fine…I don’t need help.” Margo protested, trying to pull away as Gwen’s arms locked around her, stopping her movements.
“You’re hurting.” Gwen said softly, her tone no longer confrontational as her sadness washed across Margo’s link, making her insides grow sticky with guilt.
“I just wanted fruit.” Margo mumbled as she pressed her face into Gwen’s hair, closing her eyes as Gwen rubbed a comforting hand across Margo’s lower back.
“Everything ok?” Peni asked as she lifted Wei from his high chair, her feet quickly taking her to her partners.
Jericho slid several documents into his briefcase and closed it, he checked his watch and hummed, his good mood only improving as he lifted his briefcase from the table and stepped out of his office, his feet quickly taking him to the elevators.
He pressed the button for the parking garage as his phone vibrated loudly in his pocket.
“Ross, did she like the flowers?” Jericho asked as he stepped into the elevator, not bothering to hold it as he caught sight of several people briskly walking his way.
“Yes sir.” His assistant confirmed immediately as he pressed the button to close the doors, a pleasant smile crossing his lips as he watched the doors close in several faces.
“Excellent . Did you remembered to write the message?” Jericho asked as he watched the floor numbers fly by.
“I did sir.”
“Wonderful, now place an order for that new restaurant down town.” Jericho said as he stepped out of the elevator, his eyes roaming the lot for his driver.
“Would you like it delivered before or after your arrival sir?” Ross asked curiously as he clicked onto the company website.
“Before is fine. Be sure to order one of everything-desert included.” Jericho instructed as the car pulled to a stop in front of him, the driver quickly rushed to open the door, profusely apologizing.
“Anything else sir?”
“No. I’ll be heading home to change, have the food arrive a few minutes before I do.” Jericho demanded as he disconnected the line and pulled his seat belt over his chest.
“Nothing is wrong.” Margo said, pushing away the truth as she pulled out of Gwen’s reach and took a seat at the kitchen table.
“She’s lying.” Gwen said sharply, her eyes roaming across the forgotten fruit on the table.
“She looked like she was about to pass out again.” Gwen added as she pulled a cold water bottle from the fridge and handed it to Margo.
Peni’s eyes widened with concern.
“Margo this is why you need to stay in bed.”
“I can’t just stay in bed all day!” Margo snapped, rejecting the offered water, her anger loud and apparent as she rose to her feet, the ringing door bell quickly shelving their argument.
“I’ll get it.” Margo said dryly as she rushed out of the kitchen before anyone could stop her.
“Great…she’s mad.” Gwen sighed turning toward Peni.
“I’d rather she be mad in bed than unconscious in the kitchen.” Peni said as she handed Wei to Gwen and marched into the living room behind Margo.
“Margo we’re NOT done talking.” Peni said as Margo pulled open the front door, the aroma of fresh food slamming into them both.
“Wha…what’s all this?” Margo asked as several Togo containers of food were placed into her hands. “I didn’t order any food.”
“The meal was paid for already ma’am-I’m just here to deliver it.” The driver said unhappily as Peni pulled the door open wider, confusion weighing her features as he loaded her arms with food.
“That…is ALOT of food.” Gwen noted as Margo and Peni returned with their arms loaded with bags. “Smells good though.”
“We didn’t order this.” Peni said flatly as she dumped her bags onto the table, her eyes zeroing in on the fancy labels scribbled across the bags.
“This…restaurant is across town.” Peni mumbled , bells of suspicion ringing across her mind as she picked through the bags searching for a recipe.
“This is enough food to feed the block…”Margo said as she placed her bags onto the table and looked up at Gwen.
“Then WHO ordered this?” Gwen asked as the doorbell chimed again, startling Wei and making Margo frown as Peni pulled a long receipt from a bag.
The bill had been paid in cash.
Peni spun on her heels before Gwen or Margo could move, her annoyance spiking to irritation
as she janked open the door and met Jericho’s cold callous eyes.
“Hello Ms.Parker.” He said evenly, his rich baritone voice swiftly escorting her to anger.
“Who’s at the door at this hour?” Gwen questioned as she checked the time on her watch, her brows sliding into her hairline.
“I’m going to put Wei in his bouncer.” Margo said as she disappeared into the hall, a funny feeling crawling up her arms as she stepped into the living room .
“You are just the person I wanted to see.” Jericho said as his eyes slid from Peni and bounced onto Margo behind her.
“Margo how are you feeling?”
“Now isn’t a good time-“ Peni said waving her hand in front of his eyes, bringing his attention back to her. “You NEED to leave.”
“I take it…you get the food I sent?” Jericho inquired, changing the topic completely as Margo’s head curiously turned in his direction.
“Wait-YOU sent all that food?!” Peni asked as she pressed her palm to his chest, pushing him backward and out of the doorway. “WHY?”
“I did…because Margo said she was hungry…so I took the time to cater to her needs.” Jericho said casually, his eyes still on Margo as he pulled a Manila folder from his briefcase.
“What’s going on?” Gwen asked as she bit into a large breadstick, she chewed as she stepped beside Margo, her eyes curiously sliding to the door.
“Why is HE here?” Gwen asked mid chew.
“Margo…told you she…was hungry?” Peni questioned, confusion lacing her tone as Jericho pressed the folder to her chest.
“Yes…but regardless.” Jericho said dismissively as Peni reluctantly accepted the folder.
“Peni Parker…you’ve been served.” Jericho said evenly, the amusement in his voice returning as Peni opened the folder, her eyes going wide as she skimmed through the paperwork.
“Wh…at? WHAT IS THIS?!” Peni snapped, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Xiang’s name at the bottom of the paperwork.
“Darling…you’re being sued.” Jericho filled in with a smile.
“What…the fuck is going on?!” Ignacio yelled as he landed hard on his right arm, the lights less blinding as he rose to his feet searching for his siblings.
“This always happens at the worst times…” Summer said with a sigh as she struggled to pull her hand free from the wall, her spider defenses awkwardly kicking in.
“This is annoying!” Summer snapped as she pressed her shoes to the wall and fruitlessly pulled backward, she went rigid as something in the darkness shuffled behind her.
“When did we get separated?”Andrés questioned as he pulled his hood from his head and pushed his hair from his eyes as the room lit up in white, the sound of moving machines whirling to life behind him.
Andrés spun around, his eyes narrowing as three large androids stomped his way, their lazers drawn and at attention.
Ignacio took a cautious step backward, his eyes rapidly jumping across the group of androids circling him.
“I don’t want any problems.” Ignacio said as he placed his hands defensively in front of his face, his stance akin to a boxer as he watched a robot break formation and swing in his direction.
Ignacio dodged, his right fist colliding hard into the chest of the android and sending him spiraling into a wall as several shots peppered his torso.
Ignacio looked down at his hoodie and frowned, burn marks scorched up the sides and holes littered the sleeves. “Awww..I just got this!”
“Why am I stuck?!” Summer snapped as sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes, she winched as a sharp beam burned through the arm of her hoodie.
She placed her free against the wall and pulled backwards, fear splitting through her senses as her right and left hand both refused to leave the wall.
Several androids shifted behind her, sending a barrage of lazers straight into the back of her hoodie, Summer screamed as fire shot up her forearm and lower back.
“Summer!” Ignacio yelled, his attention turning toward the furthest wall as he sprinted across the room, indifferent to the robots behind him.
“I don’t have time for this.” Andrés said flatly as he took several steps forward, quickly brushing past the androids, his swift moments breaking formation as he dodged several shots aimed in his direction.
Andrés thought back to the map, trying to pinpoint where in the building his siblings had fallen.
His eyes narrowed as he tuned out the androids, his ears ringing as Summer’s voice erupted from the opposite end of the room.
Andrés bolted in the direction of her voice, his hands touching the ground as he shifted his body forward, the bottoms of his shoes slamming into several androids before hitting the ground.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Summer snapped as she yanked backwards hard, her hands abruptly lifting and sending her backwards and off her feet.
Summer quickly stumbled to her feet as two large androids sprinted in her direction, lazers pointed at her chest as they closed the distance.
Summer bit her bottom lip, anger filtering through her being as she cocked her fist back and swung with all her might, the force of her punch sending the android straight through the wall.
“Sum…mer…” Ignacio trailed off as he stepped through the hall in the wall, his eyes going wide as he watched his older sister maneuver through the androids, her eyes burning with rage as she shoved her knee through the chest of a robot, shattering it completely.
“Guess she didn’t need help.” Andrés said as he stepped beside his brother, his eyes bouncing from the fight and onto the large concrete wall across the room.
“You don’t look like you needed help either.” Ignacio mumbled as he pulled his destroyed hoodie over his head and tossed it onto the floor.
“You don’t even have a scratch.” Ignacio added with a frown as he looked down at his half burnt Adidas slides.
“Mom should be past the wall.” Andrés replied, ignoring his brother as he took several steps forward, his attention sliding back to his sister.
“Summer…Mom is behind THAT wall!!” Andrés shouted pointing at the wall to the right of her.
Summer responded by grabbing the arm of the nearest android and swinging him harshly through the wall, her feet still moving as she sprinted toward the crumbling hole in the wall.
“What the hell?” Summer asked as she stepped into a sterile white hallway, several concerned eyes turning her way as her brothers stepped behind her.
“What kind of facility is this?” Ignacio questioned, his eyes taking note of the people in scrubs scurrying out of their way.
“Doesn’t matter.” Andrés said as Summer pulled her phone from her pocket, her eyes going wide as she turned toward her brothers.
“Mom is down the hall!” She said happily as she pivoted on her heels and bolted down the hallway.
“SIR PLEASE CALM DOWN.” The nurse repeated as she struggled to push Miguel back into his room, his large body an unmoving wall as he refused to budge from the doorway.
“I’ll calm down when you answer my questions!” Miguel snapped, making several staffers flinch uncomfortably.
“Sir her condition isn’t stable.” A male nurse said as he cautiously took a step toward Miguel, his hands in the air, palms up as if approaching a dangerous animal.
“Her con…dition?” Miguel asked, his chest falling as he absorbed and processed the words.
“What do you mean she isn’t…stable?” Miguel asked his palms suddenly growing sweaty as fear slid up his spine and out the soles of his bare feet.
“She…was hit with something during the accident…that has damaged her healing factor...she’s in a coma.”
Miguel eyes went wide as he stumbled backwards, the weight of the news inspiring panic as he reached for the mark on his neck.
Ignacio slammed his shoulder into the door, nearly tripping as it gave way and his siblings tumbled in behind them.
“Wha…” Summer trailed off looking around the white room, the sound of steady beeping catching her attention as she stepped deeper into the room, her eyes landing on a clipboard neatly placed on the counter beside the sink.
“This looks like a…hospital.” Ignacio pointed out, confusion coloring his tone as he turned toward his sister, his confusion swiftly morphing into panic as Andrés stepped past him.
“M..om…?” Andrés mumbled, his voice wavering as he stepped toward the bed.
“Andrés wait…” Ignacio warned as he reached for his brother’s arm, trying to stop his progression into the room.
Summer lifted the clipboard from the counter, her eyes going wide as she read over the information, the scent around her souring as the clipboard slipped between fingers.
“Get OFF me.” Andrés warned as he yanked his arm free, his eyes forward as he approached the bed.
The sharp sound of an alarm screamed throughout the building, startling staff as Miguel pushed past several nurses, his feet propelling him forward as he sprinted down the hallway, his gown flying open behind him as he ripped the iv from his arm and tossed it carelessly behind him.
“Lyla where is she?” Miguel demanded as he stopped mid stride, his eyes sliding to his assistant as she flickered in front of him.
“Last door on your right.” Lyla informed, her eyes downcast as Miguel brushed past her, his feet slamming down the hallway.
“Wha…what happened?” Andrés questioned his voice cracking as he took several steps backward, his eyes going white as wild static started to pop from his finger tips.
“Andrés you NEED to CALM down now!” Ignacio yelled as he rushed past Summer, his eyes going wide as he watched his brother transform in front of them, his canines extending as he stumbled into the wall, his body shaking as he struggled to process what was happening.
“She…she’s-h…urt.” Andrés mumbled, tears streaming down his cheeks as he knocked over a metal sliding tray, his mind slipping into panic as he struggled to remember his mother’s face without the breathing tub in her mouth and bandages concealing half her face.
“YOU. NEED. TO. BREATH.” Summer gently reminded as she stepped past Ignacio, her eyes on her baby brother as she took a cautious step toward him.
“Mom was hurt…but she’ll be ok.” Summer said softly, trying to offer reassurance as she took another step toward him. “Everything will be ok.”
“You don’t know that.” Andrés said, his head snapping in Summer’s direction ceasing her movements as Ignacio grabbed her wrist and yanked her protectively behind him.
“He needs to calm down before you try that.” Ignacio warned, his eyes on their brother as he watched him cycle through a series of complicated emotions, the static around him wildly poping.
“Remember you got hurt…last time.” Ignacio reminded, his eyes narrowing as he watched long talons extended from Andrés’s hands, his body shaking as his head turned back in the direction of their mother.
“Your children are here.” Lyla informed as Miguel slid down the hallway, his body going stiff as he stepped into the room.
His eyes slid to Andrés and went wide.
“What is going on?!” Miguel asked, his voice cracking as he stepped beside Ignacio and Summer, confusion and concern etched across his face as he helplessly watched his youngest child spiral out of control.
“His powers started going haywire when he saw mom!” Ignacio yelled as he shoved Summer backwards, a wave of static wildly slamming into and scorching the place they’d been standing.
Miguel’s head turned toward the bed in the room, his feet quickly taking him across the room before he could stop himself, his sudden movements catching Andrés’s attention.
Miguel cried out as several volts slammed into him, his body unmoving as he stood rooted in place.
“D…ad?” Andrés asked shakily, his eyes flickering between green and white as he watched his father crumble beside the bed.
Gonzalo stepped into the living room, a soft smile sliding to his lips as he caught sight of Marianna snoring and her brother intently watching the weather channel.
“Hi Dad.” Matéo said as he scooted over on the couch, bumping into his sister as he made room for Gonzalo.
Marianna grumbled a complaint and pulled the cover over her head, mumbling about her room being on the second floor as she drifted back off to sleep.
Matéo handed his father a plushie, and placed the blanket across his shoulders.
“It’s flooding all over town.” Matéo informed as he sank into the pillows of the couch, his warm toes digging into Gonzalo’s thigh as he spoke.
“Thats nice.” Gonzalo said absently, his mind still on the conversation he’d had with Miles.
Matéo shot his father a look of concern.
Miles sighed as he took a seat at his desk, the argument with Gonzalo still raw in his mind as he attempted to busy himself with art.
It wasn’t working.
If anything…it was making him feel worse.
“I didn’t…mean to yell.” Miles said with a sigh as he dropped the pencil in his hand and leaned backwards in his seat, his eyes closing as the conversation rapidly replayed in his mind.
“I’m going to fuck Dean up.” Miles concluded as his eyes opened and he rose from his seat, his feet quickly taking him down the stairs and into the hallway.
“Tay…”Gonzalo said softly as he lifted the remote from his hand. “Shouldn’t you be watching a children’s show?”
Matéo frowned, put off by his father’s tone.
“No thanks.” He said softly, as he copied his father’s actions and lifted the remote from his hand.
“I want to know if our house will float away.” Matéo said intently, making his father shake his head.
“Tay…nothing will happen to the house.”
Matéo’s eyes narrowed skeptically as the weatherman rushed across the screen, visibly shaken as his umbrella flew inward, the wind dragging him off screen and quickly interrupting his segment.
Gonzalo shook his head as Miles stepped into the living room, his brow lifting as he watched the weatherman struggle to get back into frame.
“Tay your right…this is bad.” Miles said as he squeezed onto the couch, earning another complaint from Marianna as she scooted over, bumping several plushies to the floor.
“A lot of the schools in the area are closed for the rest of the week.” Matéo quickly informed, earning a happy noise from Marianna as she slowly drifted back to sleep.
“You two don’t have school anyway this week.” Gonzalo reminded.
Miles reached for Gonzalo’s hand, their eyes meeting as he spoke. “I’m…sorry…about earlier.”
Gonzalo squeezed Miles’s hand, their eyes meeting as he continued.
“I…just-when you told me what happened…it made me upset…” Miles sighed trailing off, as familiar anger skipped across his chest.
“I know.” Gonzalo said softly as he pressed a kiss to their joined hands, patiently waiting for Miles to complete his thoughts.
“…I didn’t mean to yell at you.”
Matéo wrinkled his nose as he turned the volume of the tv up, drowning out his parents sappy conversation as the weatherman screamed from frustration and tossed his umbrella into the wind, screaming a warning about the storm as the power suddenly went out, and darkness consumed the living room.
It would only get worse.
Notes:
I’ll check later for spelling errors🥴
Chapter 4: I’m on varsity and you ain’t
Chapter Text
Andrés groaned as he struggled to open his eyes, his head spinning as the blindly bright light of the room reminded him where he was.
“How ya feelin?” Summer asked as she approached the bed and gave a tired smile.
“Wha…what’s going on?” Andrés asked as he tried to sit up, his body unmoving as he stared at his sister.
“Ummmm…you kind of lost control of your powers….and had to be sedated….” She said meekly.
Andrés blinked, memories of before flashing across his mind as he looked down and noticed the restraints about his wrists, arms and legs.
“I…I…didn’t hurt anyone…did I?” Andrés asked his voice trembling as he refused to meet his sister’s gaze.
“No…you didn’t hurt anyone.” Summer said softly as she placed her hand atop his and gave a reassuring squeeze.
“But you DID shock dad.” Ignacio said dryly as he stepped forward, his dark eyes burning into Andrés as he popped the bubble of comfort, his hostile energy spilling ungraciously across the room.
Andrés’s face dropped, the monitor beside his head rapidly blinking as Ignacio approached the bed and held his brother’s gaze.
“Shut up!” Summer hissed, trying to keep the mood light as she shot Ignacio a dirty look, her attention quickly sliding back to Andrés.
“You and mom baby him too much.” Ignacio snapped as he turned away from the bed and headed back toward the chair across the room.
“What….triggered me this…time?” Andrés asked softly his eyes meeting Summer’s.
“Seeing your mother in a coma.” Miguel filled in softly as he limped beside Summer, his face wrinkled with stress as he refused to meet Andrés’s eyes.
“W…what happened to mom?” Andrés asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as his mind slipped into the past, pushing him through an early memory he’d long buried.
Andrés stopped in the middle of the toy isle, his eyes glued to a red transformer on the highest shelf, his eyes slid to his mother’s back as she continued forward, cellphone pressed to her ear as she rapidly discussed canceled dinner plans.
“Miguel-WHAT do you mean something came up? We’ve had this planned for weeks.” Jessica said unhappily into the phone as she continued toward the pharmacy, her disappointment swiftly sliding into irritation.
Andrés leaned forward on his toes and jumped without hesitation, not bothering to check his surroundings as he floated past several shelfs and snatched the toy, his feet quickly meeting the floor as he landed.
Wordlessly he stepped out of the isle, his eyes on the box in his hands, his excitement growing as he started to pull apart the packaging.
“Did you pay for that?” A dark haired man in a security uniform asked , his sharp tone interrupting the young boy’s stride, as he disapprovingly crossed his arms over his large stomach.
“Where are your parents?” The man asked dryly as he glanced behind Andrés.
Jessica exhaled deeply as the line disconnected, her nerves completely shot as she shoved her phone into her purse and slid her credit card across the reader and quickly paid for Summer’s inhaler.
“Well Andrés-no sitter tonight.” Jessica said as she stepped out of line, her eyes drifting from the bag in her hand.
“What should we get for din…”Jessica trailed off looking around, a feeling of dread sinking from her chest and straight into to her stomach. “Andrés?”
“Why aren’t you talking?” The security guard asked rudely as he snatched the toy from Andrés’s hands, his eyes narrowing as the young boy shot him a heated look.
“Ohhhhh-you don’t speak English.” The man assumed quickly, his eyes looking the young boy up and down as he reached for his walkie-talkie.
“God damn fucking immigrants-“ The man mumbled under his breath as the walkie beeped in his hand.
“We got a thief in aisle forty five -doesn’t speak English.” The man spat, making Andrés’s eyes widen in shock.
“Andrés?! Andrés?!” Jessica yelled as she retraced her steps, running through the isles and brushing past slow moving shoppers, nearly knocking over a display as she struggled to pick through the various conversations happening throughout the store.
“I’m NOT a thief…” Andrés said evenly, his crisp voice startling the older man, and halting the rude comment on his lips.
Jessica slid to a stop in front of the toy isle, her ears catching the tail end of a questionable conversation.
“Listen little boy-I don’t know how they do things where you’re from…but HERE stealing is illegal.” The man hissed making Andrés roll his eyes.
“I’m from HERE you dummy.” Andrés informed his accent pulling at his words as he snatched the toy from the man’s hands, his green eyes burning as he held the man’s gaze.
“You little-“
“Andrés?!” Jessica said as she brushed past the security guard, nearly knocking him into the shelfs, her arms wrapping around the young boy as she lifted him off his feet.
“Are you ok?! I thought you were behind me.” Jessica said frantically as she looked him over, her right hand brushing his hair from his face as she peppered his face with kisses, her lips lingering on his forehead as he spoke.
“I’m ok.” Andrés said softly, his arms wrapping around his mother’s neck as he pressed his face into her hair, the soft comforting smell of shea butter and coco butter filling his nose.
“Ma’am what are you doing?” The security guard asked as Jessica turned his way, her arms tightening protectively around Andrés.
“No, WHAT were YOU doing?” Jessica snapped as she met his gaze.
“My job.” The man said dryly as his eyes bounced from Jessica back to Andrés.
“I caught him stealing and wandering around the store UNSUPERVISED.” The man said thickly as he took a step toward them.
“His parents will have to pick him up from mall cust-“
“I’m his parent.” Jessica interrupted, annoyance skating across her tone as the man shot her a look of disbelief, a laugh falling from his lips as if she’d just told him a silly joke.
“I’m his mother.” She clarified with irritation.
“His mother-huh?”
The man asked skeptically as he shook his head, his flippant demeanor swiftly shoving her to anger, his tone condescending as he looked her up and down, his eyes lingering uncomfortably long on her hair before sliding back to her face.
“Look ma’am-only his PARENTS can pick him up from mall custody. What are you…the nanny?”
Jessica’s eyes widened in shock as Andrés inhaled sharply, his discomfort apparent as he clung tighter to her, his small fingers digging into her shoulders.
“What? You expect me to just believe you-this child was unaccompanied for God knows how long.” The security guard said loudly, making several shoppers look their way as he fabricated concern, greedily seeking an audience.
Jessica opened her mouth to counter, her protest swiftly shoved to the wayside as the man grabbed the mace from his belt.
“Ma’am step away from the child.” The guard said evenly as he grabbed his walkie with his free hand and brought it to his lips.
“I’m going to need back up-possible child abduction in process.” The man said, making Jessica see red as he lunged in her direction, his hands grabbing at her wrists and knocking the prescription bag to the floor.
“What are you thinking about?” Miguel asked faintly, his voice gently tugging Andrés from his thoughts and back into the room.
“I’m…sorry I…hurt you.” Andrés said instead of answering the question, his unorganized thoughts unearthing discomfort as he turned toward his father, his green eyes clear and laced with sadness.
“I know it wasn’t on purpose.” Miguel sighed as he reached across the bed, his fingers quickly fiddling with the restraints around Andrés’s wrists.
“Tay…turn on the ceiling fan .” Marianna mumbled as she stretched out on the couch, her legs bumping into her brother as she placed her feet into Gonzalo’s lap and continued to snore.
Matéo frowned as Miles maneuvered from the couch, his feet quickly taking him into the spare bedroom, he pulled his phone from his pocket and shined the screen across the breaker box.
“Great…I gonna go check the generator.” Gonzalo announced as he gently lifted Marianna’s feet from his lap and pulled himself from the couch.
“Tay-“ Gonzalo said as he turned toward the kitchen.
“Stay with my sister.” Matéo filled in as he watched his father disappear into the kitchen, his feet stepping into his slides before he pulled open the backyard door.
Rain spilled heavy and uncapped as thunder colored the sky in violent strips, lighting up the yard completely in white as the wind harshly blew, threatening to uproot yard decorations and plants.
Gonzalo stepped into the rain, running across the yard and nearly slipping as heavy rain quickly filled his shoes, drenched his forehead, shoulders and ankles.
“He should of did this first.” Gonzalo complained as he pulled open the door to the backyard shed and rushed inside.
“Great….” Miles mumbled dryly as he closed the breaker box door, and quickly jogged into the kitchen his eyes landing on Gonzalo as he watched him drag the generator from the backyard shed and onto the deck, his soaked clothes and wet hair plastered to his body.
Matéo slid from the couch, his feet taking him to the kitchen as he picked through the cabinets searching for candles.
Matéo located a candle and old lighter from a drawer and closed it, his attention sliding across the kitchen as he pulled open the backyard door.
“Did you remember to fill up the generator?” Gonzalo asked calmly as he pushed the hair from his face, his eyes on Miles as he attempted to start the generator.
“Babe please…” Miles sighed as he placed his foot on the bar of the generator and pulled the cord hard, revving it several times.
Matéo pulled open the backyard door, his father quickly stopping him before he could step onto the deck.
“I found a candle.” Matéo said as Gonzalo ushered him back into the kitchen, a strange look crossing his face as he quickly collected the lighter from the boy’s hand.
“Thank you.” Gonzalo said as he reached into the nearest cabinet and grabbed a glass container.
“Tay put this one on the living room table.” Gonzalo said as he lit the candle and placed it into the container and handed it to Matéo.
Matéo scurried out of the kitchen and placed the candle on the table, quickly receiving several complaints as the room lit up with light, Marianna’s disgruntled shadow appearing as she sat up and squinted.
“When did the power go out?” She asked as the lights briefly flickered off and on.
“Mmmh a few minutes ago.” Matéo informed as he watched the flames of the candle flicker, casting large shadows across the living room wall as he sat back beside Marianna on the couch.
“Thought you put gas in it.” Gonzalo said evenly as he stepped back onto the deck and closed the backyard door, he pushed his hair behind his ear and frowned, watching as Miles continually pulled the cord.
“I did! I filled it up not even two weeks ago.” Miles trailed off as he dropped the cord, his eyes searching the exterior of the generator suspiciously as he dropped to one knee.
“I’ll be back.” Marianna said boredly as she pushed away the blankets and crawled from the couch.
Matéo turned in her direction. “Whe-“
“Bathroom.” Marianna answered quickly with a
lazy yawn as she disappeared into the dark hallway blinking away sleep.
The sound of something falling on the opposite side of the house caught Matéo’s attention.
He slowly slid from the couch and nervously grabbed a plush, his feet taking him from the living room and into the foyer.
Marianna quickly washed and dried her hands, she pulled open the bathroom door,her steps faltering as strange movement in the hallway caught her attention.
Matéo took a cautious step backwards as he wordlessly watched a pair of eyes appear in the darkness, the room briefly filling with light as thunder struck, illuminating the silhouette of a man dressed in black from head to toe.
Marianna’s eyes narrowed as something from the wall suddenly fell and crashed to the floor, sending shards of glass all throughout the hallway.
“There’s a leak.” Miles said evenly as he rose to his full height, the trail of oil nearly concealed by the heavy rain as he brushed water from his face.
“A leak?” Gonzalo questioned. “But we don’t even use this-how did it get a leak?”
Miles frowned a feeling of unease making the hairs on the back of his neck stand as his eyes trailed to the shed. “Someone did this.”
“What?” Gonzalo asked as his eyes followed Miles’s. “Why would anyone fuck with our generator?”
“Was the shed unlocked?” Miles asked quickly, his eyes sliding to the shed as he watched the unstable winds push the door open and close.
“Uhhh…” Gonzalo trailed off, trying to remember as his brows creased together.
“It was…unlocked-why?”
“I don’t know, but the powers been cut completely…and we have no generator.” Miles said, his eyes sliding to Gonzalo.
Gonzalo blinked, his mind stepping onto the same page as Miles’s.
He opened his mouth to speak, his eyes going wide as Marianna screamed, startling them both, they moved without warrant, quickly sprinting to the backyard door.
“It’s LOCKED!” Gonzalo yelled as he shook the knob of the door fruitlessly trying to get it open.
“Move!” Miles yelled as he slammed his foot into the door, nearly tearing it from the hinges as the door gave way.
Matéo tossed his plush hard into the face of the man and ran, his bare feet quickly taking him in the direction of his sister as he slipped on the hallway rug, his body bumping into the wall on the way down as he spotted Marianna.
“Get away from me!” Marianna yelled as she snatched the nearest items from the wall and threw them at the man, hitting him in the face and stomach.
Matéo dived toward the bathroom, shards of glass digging into his ankle as he pushed Marianna backward, slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it.
He bit his bottom lip trying to hold back panic as he stepped backward, his eyes going wide as the door started to aggressively shake.
“WHATS GOING ON?!” Marianna asked growing more distraught as her eyes bounced from the door and onto her brother.
“I….I…don’t know.” Matéo admitted as he pulled the door to the towel cabinet open, propping it behind the bathroom door for extra support.
Miles sprinted through the kitchen, past the living room and into the hallway, his spider senses going off as several blades sliced through the air and zipped past his ear, nailing the wall behind him, interrupting his stride and turning his attention toward the black hallway.
“Mari….Tay….where are you?” Gonzalo whispered as he gripped the aluminum bat in his hands, his eyes adjusting to the darkness as he moved through the house, the loud sound of rain pelting the windows as he stepped into the foyer.
He swallowed past the lump forming in his throat as his toe bumped into a discarded Pokemon plush on the floor, he lifted the Snorlax from the floor, his eyes meeting that of another as white flashed through the windows, illuminating a figure twice his size.
“What the HELL?!” Margo snapped looking through the paperwork Gwen was skimming over her shoulder.
“She’s…really suing you…” Gwen said still in shock as Margo aggressively flipped through the packet, gradually growing madder and madder.
“At least…it’s a civil case and not…” Gwen trailed off as Peni tossed her a warning look, the one positive dying on her lips as the Beta angrily stormed out of the living room.
“We need to prepare for this-she doesn’t have time to be upset.” Margo said dryly as she rose from the couch and tossed the paperwork carelessly to the coffee table, her feet quickly taking her to the hallway as she searched for Peni.
Gwen picked up the stack of papers, her fingers sliding across the screen of her watch as information about Xiang Chen flickered in front of her.
“Peni…” Margo said softly as she tapped manicured nails across the closed bedroom door.
“We NEED to talk about this-so we can DEAL with it.”
Peni closed her eyes and sank deeper into the blankets, her mind too exhausted to process what was happening as the smug look on Jericho’s face flickered across her mind.
He’d known from the moment he’d met her.
Known the moment he’d stepped into her home…he’d be doing this.
Going out of his way to destroy everything she’d accomplished.
Margo pushed open the bedroom door, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she stepped past Gwen’s running shoes and bypassed random pillows knocked to the floor.
“Peni…are you ok?” Margo asked as she crawled into bed, her hands searching as she slipped under the blankets, her arms immediately wrapping around Peni.
Gwen carried Wei into the kitchen, a deep sigh leaving her lips as she spotted the plethora of forgotten food on the kitchen table.
“Talk to me…please?” Margo pleaded softly as she pressed her lips to the back of Peni’s shoulder, her eyes closing as she patiently waited for the woman in her arms to speak.
Wei frowned as Gwen struggled to close the fridge door, his amusement long gone as he yawned loudly and sank into the seat of his high chair, his eyes closing as Gwen managed to slam the door shut.
“Let’s go check on Mommy.” Gwen said as she lifted Wei from the seat, turned the kitchen light off and headed toward the bedroom.
“I…don’t…want to talk.” Peni mumbled into the blanket, her voice barely above a whisper as she closed her eyes.
Gwen stepped into the dark room, she kicked her shoes out of the way and stepped in the direction of the bed, her eyes adjusting to the dark as she lay Wei in his crib and quickly crawled into bed,her hands searching as sadness danced throughout her link.
“It’ll be ok…we’ll be ok.” Gwen promised as she found Peni under the blankets, her hands brushing across Marco’s arms as she wrapped herself around Peni.
Peni’s bottom lip trembled as she inhaled deeply trying to steady her nerves as Gwen’s hands slid down the arch of her back pulling her closer, words of reassurance repeatedly falling from Gwen’s lips like a promise as Margo pressed comfortingly slow kisses across Peni’s neck and shoulders.
“Peni…you know this is amazing, right?” Xiang asked with a smile as she turned around in her chair, her eyes locked on the shorter woman as she spoke.
“This could be really lucrative in the medical field.” Xiang pointed out, her eyes seeing dollar signs.
Peni’s eyes jumped from the screen of her laptop and onto Xiang. “Yes…but I want regular people to be able to afford this.”
“What?” Xiang asked with a frown, Peni’s lackluster answer immediately ending her grandiose fantasies.
“I created this to HELP people…NOT make money.” Peni swiftly reminded, popping her friend’s bubble as she continued.
“I created this… for people who struggle with depression and anxiety.” Peni said evenly, her eyes returning to her screen as she added more detailing to the design.
“Do you even have a prototype? How do you plan on producing and selling these?” Xiang asked skeptically,the questions flying back to back as her ears itched for information.
“Why?” Peni asked keenly aware she’d set the woman off as her fingers hovered across the keys.
“Because you need a way to fund this-charity work.” Xiang spat, unamused.
“What?” Peni asked as her eyes flickered back onto Xiang. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Because you need to be smarter about this.” Xiang hissed as she rose from her spot, laptop in hand, scowl on her face as she ranted.
“You’re sitting on a million dollar idea BUT you refuse to stop eating ramen!” Xiang snapped, her jet black hair attractively framing her face as her eyes burned into Peni with a mix of anger and disbelief.
“Everything isn’t about MONEY!!” Peni countered, sprinting past irritation and arriving straight to anger.
“You’re so money hungry and selfish it’s NO surprise we’re having THIS argument.”
Peni countered as she closed her laptop and tossed it onto the bed behind her.
“You’re so ass backwards you can’t even comprehend HOW or WHY I even CREATED this!”
Rage flickered across Xiang’s pretty face, her words laced with ice as she aggressively shoved Peni left field.
“You think you’re better than me, don’t you?”
“WHAT?!” Peni asked completely caught off guard and slightly confused.
“You DO. You’ve always felt like you were better than me!!!” Xiang snapped, knocking the lamp from Peni’s desk onto the floor.
“I think you should leave…” Peni huffed, ending the conversation as she plucked her laptop from the bed and immediately put space between them.
“Are you asleep?” Gwen whispered softly, her voice pulling Peni from her thoughts as she pressed her lips to her forehead.
“I think she’s sleep.” Margo whispered, as she pressed her face to Peni’s back.
Hobie yawned as the smell of bacon and eggs trickled through the house, rousing him from his slumber as he stepped into the bathroom and splashed his face with water.
“Let’s have a good morning…yeah?” Hobie said to his reflection as he pulled a joint from his pocket, his long legs quickly taking him through the hallway and into the den.
Hobie’s eyes bounced across the room of sleeping faces, movement near the futon catching his attention.
“Morning.” Khalid said as he sat neatly folded blankets onto the futon, his hair a mess of chaotic waves as he turned in Hobie’s direction.
“Morning.” Hobie said with a nod as he searched his pockets for a lighter. “You hungry?”
Kabir washed her face and brushed her teeth, not bothering to hide her mood as she ignored her hair and shoved her piercings back into her face.
“Morning sleepy head.” Noir said happily as Hobie stepped into the kitchen, a smile sliding to his lips.
“Noir you never sleep.” Hobie said with a laugh as he cracked the kitchen window and lit the end of his joint.
“Yeah. Yeah.” Noir said with a dismissive wave of his spatula as Khalid took a seat at the table.
“You and Pav just like sleeping.”
“That is true.” Hobie said with a nod, smoke spiraling from his nostrils as a disgruntled looking Pav stepped into the kitchen.
“Ugh…I’m never sleeping anywhere that isn’t my bed again.” Pav groaned as he pulled a chair from the table and collapsed into it.
“That bad?” Hobie asked gently, as he sat his joint in a nearby ashtray and stepped behind Pav, rubbing considerate circles into his lower and upper back.
“You’re the one that said NO furniture in the library.” Noir reminded with an eyeroll, earning a scowl from the small Alpha.
“You did say chairs only.” Hobie reminded, earning a tired groan from the shorter man as he rested his head on the table.
James tiptoed into the den, his eyes sliding to the free futon as Chandler rose from the couch.
“Morning…” James said awkwardly, earning a sigh from his classmate as he wordlessly stepped out of the space.
“Morning creep.” Shawn said with a yawn as he pulled away from Cheeia, his eyes on James as he started his morning stretches.
“I’m NOT a creep.”
“Could have fooled me.” Shawn said with a shrug as he turned toward James and opened his mouth to speak as if wanting to say more.
“Spit it out.” James said flatly as he stepped deeper into the room and snatched the neat blankets from the futon, sending pillows to the floor as he plopped down.
“YOU don’t want me to SAY anything.” Shawn said dryly making James roll his eyes.
“You forget I have sisters.” Shawn reminded as he turned around and fixed the blankets ontop of Cheeia, mindful not to wake her.
“Ok…and-“
The words halted on James’s lips as Shawn abruptly turned and met his gaze, ripples of anger floating around him as he discarded his usually playful demeanor.
An uncomfortable chill ran down the young Alpha’s spine.
“Khalid didn’t hit you hard enough.” Shawn said as he turned away and stepped out of the room, his fists tightly clenched.
“What’s for breakfast?” Kabir asked with a smile as she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes sliding to the stove as she greedily stepped beside Noir.
“All your favs princess.” Noir said as he pressed a quick kiss to her brow, she hummed as she snatched two strips of turkey bacon and turned away before he could stop her.
“Morning.” Khalid said with a shy smile as Kabir met his gaze and smiled, quickly returning his greeting as she sat beside him.
“How’d you sleep?” Kabir asked as she offered him a strip of bacon.
Pav sighed loudly as he rose from the table, no longer wanting to adult as exhaustion burned through his limbs.
“If anyone needs me-I’ll be in bed.” He said with a tired sigh as he shuffled out of the kitchen hunched over with his hand on his lower back , earning a snicker from Noir as he flipped a pancake.
“Clair…I know your awake.” James said evenly as he sat up, his eyes closing as a pillow hit him in the face.
Cheeia yawned as she stretched, mumbling to herself as she rose from the couch and headed toward the bathroom , quickly leaving the pair to quarrel.
“I’m NOT talking to you.” Clair hissed as she rose from the couch and rushed out of the den before James could stop her.
“Can I talk to you about last night?” Khalid asked softly, his eyes on Kabir as he reached for her hand at the table.
Khalid’s cheeks warmed with color as Kabir intertwined their fingers, her eyes locked on his as he ran his thumb across her knuckles.
Kabir shifted closer in her seat, their thighs bumping as he slowly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his warm finger tips tickling the top of her ear as he held her gaze.
“We can talk.” Kabir said breathlessly as his hand slid from her hair and trailed down her cheek and along her jawline, his eyes closing as she leaned into his touch.
Hobie cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence.
Khalid’s eyes opened as they pulled apart, their embarrassment obvious as Noir held back laughter.
“Why don’t you two grab some fire wood?” Hobie suggested casually, trying not to smile as the color around Kabir shifted from pink to purple.
“Dont forget your jackets.” Noir said cheerily
as he flipped another pancake.
“What smells so good?” Shawn asked happily as he stepped into the kitchen, his nose in the air as he turned toward the stove.
“Breakfast will be done in a few minutes.” Noir announced as he slid a fresh pancake onto the full plate beside the stove.
“I love it here.” Shawn said with a wistful sigh as he took a seat at the table, a smile sliding to his lips as his eyes landed on Khalid.
“Morning slugger.”
“Anddddd that’s our que to go.” Khalid said with a frown as he rose from his seat and stepped out of the kitchen with a blushing Kabir.
“Morning.” Chandler said as he took a seat at the table, Cheeia yawned as she mumbled a greeting, her eyes still closed as she sat beside Shawn.
“Foods done.” Noir said happily as he grabbed the frying pan and dropped a healthy portion of food onto a plate.
“Everything smells good.” Clair said with a genuine smile as she took a seat at the table, her eyes sliding to Hobie.
“Who wants pancakes?” Hobie asked as he approached the table with two plates stacked high.
“Me!” All four said in unison, making Hobie laugh.
“Thanks Mr.Noir….Mr.Hobie.”Clair said happily as she dug into her eggs and toast without hesitation.
“I’d like as much bacon as possible.” Shawn said with a smile, as Noir dropped several more strips onto his plate.
“Save some for everyone else.” Cheeia said dryly as she encouraged Hobie to load her plate with pancakes.
“More pancakes coming right up.” Noir said with a smile as he spun back to the stove and grabbed his spatula.
James stepped into the kitchen, the happy go lucky atmosphere quickly evaporating as he sat in the nearest empty seat.
Silence and dread filled the kitchen, making James bite his lip in frustration, his friends refusal to acknowledge his presence quickly shoving him to hysterics.
“Come on! You CAN’T ALL be mad at me.” James said abruptly rising from the table, his chair falling behind him as his eyes bounced across the table.
“Yes we can.” Chandler said quickly, not bothering to mask the truth as he dumped his empty plate into the sink and exited the kitchen.
“You don’t get to tell us how to feel James.” Clair hissed, saying his name like a curse as she picked unhappily at her eggs.
James turned toward Clair, sadness in his eyes as she refused to meet his gaze.
He opened his mouth to speak and said nothing, his best friend’s voice sprinting across the table and snatching his attention.
“She’s right James.” Shawn said evenly as he lifted his and Cheeia’s empty plates from the table and placed them into the sink.
“You owe your brother and Kabir an apology.” Shawn continued as Cheeia rose from the table and took his hand, tossing James a look of disgust as they stepped out of the kitchen.
“I hope you feel like shit.” Clair said as she rose from the table and scraped her uneaten food into the trashcan, the harshness of her voice surprising James.
“Just like you made me feel.” Clair continued dryly as she dumped her plate into the sink and turned toward the hallway.
“Clair wait-“ James said as he rushed from the table, running to close the distance between them as he reached for her hand.
“God that was awkward.” Noir said as he flipped another pancake.
Miles lunged forward, his fist connecting into the jaw of a man, sending him to the floor and knocking him unconscious.
Miles looked around, his body moving on auto pilot as he dodged the wild swing of a metal object.
“What are you doing in my house?” Miles asked dryly, his anger sliding dangerously high up the ladder to rage as he clinched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white.
The man didn’t respond.
He held Miles’s gaze a moment longer before swinging the spiked metal object in his hands again, his eyes narrowing as he watched his weapon slam into and get stuck into the wall.
“I’m going to ask again.” Miles said as his hand locked around the man’s wrist before he could release the handle of his weapon, his eyes growing wide as the Alpha’s grip tightened, popping several bones in his wrist and making him cry out.
“We’re just here for the children.” The figure said as he took a step toward Gonzalo, his eyes flickering from the bat in his hands and back to his distrustful cold eyes.
“WHAT?!” Gonzalo snapped, his grip around the bat tightening as the man abruptly stopped in the middle of the hallway, his attention wavering as something on the other end of the hall crashed to the floor.
“I’m over here.” Gonzalo reminded as he snatched a paperweight from a nearby shelf, tossed it into the air and swung the bat in his hands.
The weight slammed into the intruder’s stomach, making him cry out as he collapsed, clutching his stomach in pain.
“Tay you’re bleeding.” Marianna pointed out, her eyes on her brother’s steadily dripping ankle.
“Oh…” Matéo said as he looked down at his right ankle and frowned, crimson dripped down his sock and onto the bathroom floor.
“I didn’t notice.”
Marianna grabbed the first aid kit, trying to remain calm as several loud crashes transpired behind the door, rattling the walls so hard picture frames on the bathroom walls shook.
Matéo limped to the toilet, reaching for the tissue as he sat down, his sister quickly stopping his hand.
“There’s glass.” Marianna said evenly as she grabbed a pair of tweezers from the first aid kit, earning a grimace from her brother.
“Of course it is.” Matéo sighed as Marianna poured alcohol over the tweezers and smiled.
“I’ll be careful.” She said as her eyes slid to his ankle.
Gonzalo swung the bat in his hands, knocking out two people at once, his irritation rising as he started to count the intruders in his home, the bat steadily rising as he prepared to swing again.
“Careful.” Miles said gently as he caught the bat in his hand, his eyes on the wreckage as Gonzalo struggled to steady his breathing.
“I think you got ALL of them.” Miles said as he slowly tugged the bat from Gonzalo’s hands.
“Fuckin right I did.” Gonzalo said as he ran a hand through his damp hair, his shoulders dropping.
“Where are the twins?” Miles asked as he stepped forward, Gonzalo’s arm immediately stopping him.
“Watch your step.There’s glass everywhere.”
“Are you done…yet?” Matéo asked uncomfortably gritting his teeth, his hands firmly wringing a discarded towel as Marianna poked at his ankle.
“Alllllllmost-and done.” Marianna said happily as she dropped the last shard of glass onto a piece of bloody tissue and reached for the peroxide.
“AHH!!! THAT HURTS!!!” Matéo yelled, startling their parents down the hallway as Marianna quickly cleaned and bandaged his ankle.
The knob of the bathroom door turned, Miles’s comforting voice quickly summoning Marianna to the door.
“Are you two ok?” Miles asked as the door swung open revealing a frowning Marianna and upset Matéo.
“My babies!” Gonzalo said as he brushed past Miles and stepped into the bathroom, pulling Marianna into his arms and searching her face for signs of injury.
“I’m fine Papi.” Marianna whined, trying to pull away as Gonzalo peppered her faces with kisses.
“I slipped on glass.” Matéo informed flatly as Miles scoped him from the toilet seat , his honey eyes heavy with worry as they trailed to the messy wrappings around his son’s ankle.
“I’m fine.”Matéo said before Miles could ask, his concern only mounting as the weight of the situation sank in, a combination of unhappy emotions rippling inside his chest as Gonzalo pulled his cellphone from his pocket and dialed nine one one.
Marianna unfolded the blanket in the backseat and draped it across her brother’s shoulders, pulling him from his thoughts as he reluctantly dragged his eyes away from the several police cars parked in front of their home.
“Did you really have to shock that lady?” Marianna asked gently, earning an eyeroll from her brother.
“I told her not to touch me.” Matéo said flatly.
“True…but she’s an EMT…it’s her job to help you.” Marianna said as she watched the ambulance sprint out of the drive way and down the street.
“Yeah yeah…we BOTH know I’m fine.” Matéo said dryly as he quickly unwrapped the bandages revealing a freshly healed ankle.
“Are you sure there were only five intruders?” Officer Stevens asked, his pen flying across the small notepad in his hand as he took notes, indifferent to the light drizzle decorating the edges of his paper.
“I double checked.” Gonzalo said dryly as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
“We’re not sure how they got in…but they managed to cut the power after turning off our security system.” Miles informed as he pulled his beanie down over his ears, his crisp voice pulling the officers eyes from his notes.
“This was planned…” Stevens said with a sigh as he flipped his notepad closed.
“We’re aware.” Gonzalo said as his eyes slid to the car and landed on the twins, deep in conversation.
Officer Stevens sighed as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket. “I’m NOT going to ask…who you think would do this.”
“I’m sure Spider-Man‘s list of enemies is long.”
Stevens chuckled as he brought the cigarette to his lips.
“We’re short on man power due to layoffs…but we can probably assign an officer to watch your home soon.” Stevens said as his attention slid to the two squad cars driving away with full backseats.
“How long will that take?” Gonzalo asked as the rain started to fall harder.
“Mmmh…a couple of days…give or take.” Stevens said as he blew smoke into the air.
“A few days?!” Gonzalo squawked, in shock of the lack luster answer.
“Look…due to HIS Alpha command-there’s been NO need for officers.” Stevens replied back sharply, his eyes burning into Miles as he spoke, pulling the cigarette from his lips.
Miles’s eyes narrowed sending unwelcoming sparks of animosity flying between them.
Gonzalo blinked.
“There hasn’t been crime in this dimension in fifteen years-thanks to MY command.” Miles shot back, ready to argue.
“Yeah and as a result-the police were DEFUNDED!” Stevens shot back, ready to incite violence.
“We lost so many great officers because of YOU-so as I SAID it’ll be a FEW days.” Stevens snapped as he brought the cigarette to his lips and blew smoke into Miles’s direction.
“Might even be a few weeks.” The older man chuckled, making the Alpha snap.
Miles snatched the cigarette from the man’s lips and tossed it into the nearest puddle.
“Wanna repeat what you just said?” Miles challenged as he took an aggressive step forward, refusing to back down and causing several officers to turn their way.
“That won’t be necessary.” Gonzalo said quickly, his hand wrapping around Miles’s wrist, pulling him backward as he stepped back into the conversation before Stevens could respond.
“Can we order room service?” Marianna asked happily as Gonzalo slid the keycard into their hotel room door.
“Of course.” Miles said with a smile as both children bolted into the room with their backpacks, ready to order half the menu for things they didn’t need.
Gonzalo locked the deadbolt, his eyes sliding to Miles as he unzipped his jacket and walked to the nearest closet.
“We can’t go home until the security system is updated, ALL the locks are changed and the back door is replaced.” Gonzalo said with a tired sigh as he sat on the edge of the bed, tossing the keycard onto the nightstand as he fell backwards onto the bed.
“I’m aware.” Miles said as he sat beside the shorter man, pulling the hood from his face as he pressed a slow kiss to Gonzalo’s temple.
“But we can’t do anything until morning.”
“This… could have been bad.” Gonzalo said as Miles pulled away, their eyes meeting as he confessed their shared thoughts.
“You know I’d NEVER let anything happen to you and the twins.” Miles said sternly as he took Gonzalo’s hand and pressed a slow kiss to his fingers.
“I…I know…” Gonzalo said breathlessly, his body suddenly feeling exhausted as Miles pressed a slow kiss to his inner wrist before unlocking their fingers and reaching for the zipper of his jacket.
“I want french fries.” Matéo ordered happily into the phone, earning a snort from Marianna as she pointed at several items on the menu.
“I’m just glad no one was hurt.” Gonzalo said closing his eyes as Miles pulled the jacket from his arms and hung it in the closet, his thoughts pulling him away from the room as the twin’s amused laughter floated into their space.
Summer tried to chew quieter, her actions feeling louder than usual as the uncomfortable silence of the dinner table lingered on and her eyes bounced across each unhappy face.
Andrés poked at his food,his sad eyes glued to their mother’s empty seat across the table.
He looks guilt written,as if he’s blaming himself for what happened.
Ignacio stared at the untouched food on his plate, his irritation with their father simmering as he remembered the way the older man had refused to answer their questions in the hospital.
Opting to check himself out and take them home, his eyes glued to the passenger side window as he refused to speak, openly ignoring and shutting them out as Summer drove them home.
The sixty minute ride had felt suffocating.
Miguel cut into his steak, his attention fully committed to his fork and knife placement as he slowly started to cut more pieces.
He exhaled shakily as he struggled to push away his chaotic thoughts as his mind refused to leave HQ.
Refused to leave Jessica…
The knife in his hand scraped across his plate, startling him and briefly grabbing Andrés’s attention.
He needed to be strong for their children.
Needed to show he could keep it together even when he felt like would crumble.
Their…HIS children needed him.
Anger slid up Ignacio’s chest, inspiring him to break the silence and start an uncomfortable conversation.
“Are you going to tell us what’s wrong with mom or not?” Ignacio asked abruptly as he tossed his fork onto his plate, his stormy brown eyes sliding onto his father, the silverware in his hands no longer moving.
“Ignacio-I know you’re worried about your mother…but watch your tone.” Miguel warned flatly as he sat his knife and fork down his attention turning toward his oldest son.
“You want me to sit here and act like everything is fine when it’s NOT.” Ignacio snapped, making Miguel slam his fist into the table.
Summer’s eyes bounced from Ignacio and onto her father curiously, Andrés’s soft voice filling the space before she could speak.
“How long has she been…asleep?” Andrés asked gently, the image of their unconscious mother skipping uncomfortably across his mind.
“Almost forty eight hours.” Miguel said truthfully as he lifted his glass of wine from the dining room table.
“Should you be drinking with your meds?” Ignacio asked with frown.
“No.” Miguel said flatly as he pulled the glass from his lips.
“WHAT?!” Summer snapped bringing Miguel back to the conversation, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“What happened?! Was there an accident?!”
Miguel closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, sitting the glass back on the table as he responded, his voice wavering as the room grew uncomfortably silent.
“We were attacked…”
“What?” Andrés asked, not bothering to hide his shock.
“Who the hell attacks the mayor?” Ignacio mumbled into his glass of water.
“But-there was an accident…wasn’t there?” Summer asked, trying to piece together the information their father had reluctantly provided.
“I…lost control of the wheel…” Miguel filled in, the sound of the gun shot ringing in his ears as the sensation of being submerged in icy water washed over him, making him grip the edge of the table.
“Attacked?” Andrés questioned, confusion coloring his tone as he turned toward Miguel. “Why?”
“I’m…not sure.” Miguel confessed, his eyes slowly opening as he lifted his glass of wine to his lips and chugged it.
“He’s full of shit.” Ignacio said dryly as he angrily tossed his shoes into the closet, making Andrés roll his eyes.
“Why would you say that?” Summer asked with a frown as she stepped into her brothers room without knocking, her arms loaded with blankets.
“Because it’s true.” Ignacio said rudely as he pulled his shirt over his head and fell into bed face first.
“He wants us to believe he was attacked.” Ignacio said dryly, the skepticism in his voice heavy and apparent as he adjusted the pillows on his bed.
“Who the FUCK attacks the mayor?”
“I agree.” Andrés said as he pushed back the blankets of his bed and crawled between them.
“He’s not telling us something.” Andrés concluded as he turned off the lamp beside his bed.
“Scoot over.” Summer said as she pushed Ignacio’s leg and climbed into his bed, shoving her sock covered feet into his face as she fixed her blankets
“I don’t know what to believe.” Summer admitted as she pulled several papers from her pocket, making Andrés turn her way.
“You took those from the hospital?” Andrés asked as he sat up, a curious look twisting his features as he watched Summer pick through the paperwork.
“What do they say?” Ignacio asked impatiently.
“It’s…just a summary of the accident…” Summer trailed off, the scent around her suddenly souring, making Ignacio shift in her direction.
“Mom…was shot…” Summer shakily informed after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper as Ignacio inhaled sharply.
“Why…hasn’t she healed…yet?” Andrés asked quickly, pushing past the feelings of apprehension unfolding in the pit of his stomach as Summer stared wordlessly at the paper.
Ignacio slowly tugged the papers from Summer’s shaking hands, his eyes going wide as he read over the words and struggled to speak, his eyes floating to Andrés.
“Her…healing ability isn’t…working.”
Peni shuffled back to bed, her body on autopilot as she pulled back the sheets and ignored the steady stream of calls her cellphone was receiving.
“Leave me alone.” Peni whined into her pillow as she silenced her phone and tossed it across the room without a second thought, her mind a swamp of doubt as she turned toward the tv.
The lawsuit had been leaked to the press.
The news viral and dominating the screens of the devices of their dimension, further shoving Peni to despair as her phone continued to light up with notifications.
Xiang smiled at her from the muted screen, Jericho stood beside her, his gray suit immaculate and his hair neatly pulled from his face, showcasing cold calculating eyes.
“Peni don’t watch this-“ Margo said as she grabbed the remote from the sheets and quickly turned the channel.
“You’re making yourself more upset.” Margo added gently as she slid into bed beside Peni, the plate in her hands loaded with food.
“It’s crazy how quick this made it to the news.” Gwen said as she stepped into the room with a matching plate of food.
Peni’s right brow lifted with annoyance.
“It’s NOT like I’m constantly being reminded.”
She said dryly as Margo stuck her fork into a slice of cake.
“I feel like there’s something we’re missing.” Gwen said thoughtfully as she sat her plate onto the dresser behind her.
“I feel like…ever since that Forbes article everything has…been crazy.” Peni admitted with a tired sigh as she sank deeper into the blankets, cocooning herself more into the sheets.
“But…the article was written…three almost four months ago.” Margo pointed out. “Why now?”
“Didn’t you announce on the company page you were in talks with Apple…a few months ago?” Gwen asked curiously, her mind trying to piece together the dates.
“It’s the same thing it’s always about…” Peni trailed off as she pulled the blanket from her head.
“Money.”
Jericho hummed happily as he lifted the Forbes magazine from the table, immediately flipping through the pages until Peni Parker’s shy smile flashed before his eyes.
The tech genius wore a flattering maroon pantsuit, her jet black hair neatly pulled into an elegant clip at the back of her head.
“You clean up rather nicely.” Jericho complimented as he turned the page, his eyes taking in the delicate detailing of the watch design that stretched across two pages.
The smart watch had been equipped with ai tech modified to fit each personality differently, it’s main focus to monitor the mental health and mindset of each wearer.
Aiding in the prevention of panic and anxiety attacks as well as keeping record of incoming signs and symptoms of depression.
“You have such a beautiful mind.” Jericho said as he flipped through more pages, his eyes zeroing
in on the spread of Peni in her office surrounded by employees and loved ones.
“I look forward to stripping away that brilliance.” He said breathlessly as he dragged his fingers across Peni’s face, his attention quickly sliding to Margo’s smiling face.
“Fuck this.” Peni said flatly as she pushed away the blankets and rose from bed, she grabbed the nearest rob, her fingers dancing across the dials of her watch.
“Where are you going?” Gwen asked as a portal rippled to life several feet in front of the tv.
“To my lab.” Peni said as she stepped into the portal and didn’t look back, her mind creating a solution as she contemplated which lawyer to call.
“Soooo how’d I do?” Xiang asked suggestively with a smile as she sat on the corner of Jericho’s desk, her eyes bouncing across the expensive trinkets that decorated his walls.
“What?” Jericho asked, reluctantly pulling his attention away from the magazine, a frown twisting his lips as Xiang leaned toward him, the top of her dress dipping dangerously low revealing her full chest.
“You did-wonderful.” Jericho said as he leaned backward, putting space between them as he reached for the phone and quickly dialed a number.
Xiang bit her bottom lip nervously, seeking further approval.
“I said-everything you told me to say AND-“
Jericho held a finger up in the air, stopping her words as he spoke into the phone, his voice heavy with irritation.
“Ross…please see to it that Ms.Chen is escorted home safely.”
“Of course sir.” Ross said as the door to Jericho’s office swung open revealing security.
“Make sure you cover your ears.” Kabir reminded as she placed a Spider-Man beanie on Khalid’s head and pulled it down until it covered his eyes and nose completely.
“Thanks-I will.” Khalid laughed as he pulled the beanie from his eyes, his attention sliding to Kabir as she zipped her jacket up and pulled open the backyard door, letting in a cold and unkind chill.
They stepped outside, Kabir leading the way to already chopped wood, neatly stacked across the backyard.
“I’m glad we don’t have to cut anything.” Khalid said with a sigh of relief as he reached for a piece of firewood, Kabir’s voice stopping his movements.
“Are we going to talk?”
Khalid hesitated before nervously tugging the beanie over his ears.
“I’m…uh sorry you saw me get THAT upset.”
Kabir’s eyes slid to the birdhouse hanging from a nearby tree as she waited for him to finish his thoughts.
“I know you don’t like fighting.” Kabir said softly, well aware of his negative thoughts on physical violence.
Khalid sighed deeply. “Before my mom and I moved here…I fought every day.”
Kabir’s head snapped in Khalid’s direction.
“I wasn’t a trouble maker…but-because of my size-I was an easy target.”
Kabir’s face dropped, an unhappy look painting her pretty features as she met his gaze.”Khalid-“
“I’m no bitch.” He quickly stated, ignoring Kabir’s unnecessary sympathy.
Kabir’s brows furrowed in surprise. “I see.”
“It’s just…ever since mom married James’s dad-and we moved into this big house…in this uptight neighborhood-and suddenly we’re pretending to be a happy family…” He trailed off, his eyes sliding to the slowly rocking birdhouse.
Kabir reached for Khalid’s hand and gave an encouraging squeeze.
“I…just…it’s like…I have to constantly fight to remind people…I’m here.”
Kabir frowned, her eyes burning with disapproval. “You don’t-“
“I do.” Khalid said quickly, his eyes brimmed with sadness as he held her gaze.
“I’m an Omega and tiny-not exactly the poster child for the ideal son.”
Kabir’s right brow lifted with confusion.
“What does your second gender have to do with anything?”
“Uh…everything.” Khalid said with a laugh that sounded hollow to Kabir’s ears.
“James is an Alpha, nearly six feet tall, charismatic and captain of the fucking football team.” Khalid pointed out.
“Ok and he’s also pervert” Kabir replied, still not seeing the point.
“I’m the complete OPPOSITE.” Khalid said flatly.
“I’m in BAND-I don’t give a fuck about sports. I have a hard time making friends…I’m awkward with braces and I’m ALWAYS the smallest person in the room.”
Khalid pulled the beanie down over his eyes and sighed, embarrassed he’d said so much.
“I don’t like when you talk about yourself like this.” Kabir said softly as she pulled the beanie from his eyes with her free hand and held his gaze.
“Yeah well…I snapped when I caught him in your room.” Khalid said sharply.
“It’s like everything I’d been holding in suddenly…just-“ Khalid trailed off, as he broke their gaze and looked toward the birdhouse.
Pav cracked the window, his ears at attention as he strained to hear the teens conversation, his eyes locked on their joined hands.
“What are you doing?” Noir asked as he stepped into their bedroom, his eyes on Pav as he watched the Alpha nearly climb out of the window.
“He’s obviously ease dropping.” Hobie said shaking his head as he stepped into the room with a bowl of fresh fruit.
“I am not-ouch!” Pav lied as he bumped his head on the frame of the window.
“Let’s give them some privacy.” Noir encouraged as he closed the window, earning a look from the smaller man.
“Why would we do that?”
Hobie shook his head as he strolled up to the window and locked it, his eyes turning to Pav as he shut the blinds and gave a stern warning.
“Stop it.” Hobie said dryly as the tv suddenly turned on, revealing a harrowing forecast.
“Breath.” Kabir encouraged softly as she brushed tears of frustration from Khalid’s cheek.
“I…I…” Khalid trailed off inhaling sharply.
“Take as much time as you need…I’m not going anywhere.” Kabir said as she pulled him into her arms.
Khalid melted into their embrace, his eyelids fluttering as the soft scent of pomegranates and wild berries corrupted his senses.
“Thank…you for listening.” Khalid mumbled after a moment, his face pressed into her scarf.
Kabir simply nodded.
“Is there…anything else on your mind?” Kabir asked as they slowly pulled apart.
“Yes…” Khalid said shyly as he reached for her again, hiding his face as he spoke, his cheeks growing warm with color as he buried his face deeper into the fabric of her scarf.
“I…wanted to ask…if you wanted to…maybe be my girlfriend.” Khalid said faintly, his voice just above a whisper.
“Mmmh…” Kabir considered as she pulled away, her eyes meeting his.
She opened her mouth to speak, the sound of something dropping close by startling them apart.
“I think we should send the twins to stay with family until we handle this.” Miles suggested as he stepped out of the shower, thick steam spilling from the bathroom as he wrapped a towel around his waist and looked over his reflection in the mirror.
“I agree…but with who?” Gonzalo asked as he closed his eyes and stepped under the shower head, quickly washing the conditioner from his hair.
“Not with Margo…Gwen or Peni.” Gonzalo added quickly, already aware of the Betas chaotic situation.
“This pregnancy has been …rough.”
Miles nodded, struggling to stomp away the desire to ask for further details.
“I’ll call Pav tomorrow.” Miles said as he lifted his phone from the cabinet and sent the Alpha a quick message.
“Sounds good.” Gonzalo said as he turned off the water and reached for a towel, his hand bumping into Miles’s as he pulled him from the shower.
Wordlessly Gonzalo let Miles ragdoll him, taking his time as he toweled him dry, starting at his ankles and working his way up.
“Are…you ok?” Miles asked after a moment, the towel sliding above the shorter man’s ribcage.
“I didn’t get hurt-“
“That’s not what I meant.” Miles interrupted softly, his honey eyes curiously sliding to Gonzalo’s.
“I can’t believe someone broke into our house.”
Matéo said casually as he dipped his french fries into honey mustard.
“In the middle of a flood watch.” Marianna tacked on as she bit into her burger, spilling bits of ketchup and honey mustard across her fingers and plate.
“They cut the power.” Matéo said sharply as he grabbed a napkin and hastily cleaned his fingers.
“Disabled the security system.” Marianna hummed as she snatched the pickle from her plate and bit into it.
“I think they were after us.” Matéo admitted with a sigh,his mind sliding back to the harsh set of eyes that’d followed him through the darkness.
“Unfortunately.” Marianna said in agreement shaking her head with disappointment.
“Miles…they disabled our security system, shut off our power in the middle of a storm and went after the twins.” Gonzalo hissed, over making light talk of the situation.
“No I’m NOT ok.”Gonzalo added as he pulled his shirt over his head and grabbed a pair of boxers, quickly jamming his legs into them as he turned toward Miles, frustration rolling from his shoulders as their eyes met again.
“This doesn’t make any sense.” Marianna said evenly as she grabbed a napkin and slowly cleaned her hands.
“I agree…Dad’s THE superhero.” Matéo said flatly his eyes sliding to the door that separated their combined rooms.
“I’m NOT like you Miles…I can’t stay calm in situations like these.” Gonzalo said breathlessly, his voice wavering as Miles closed the distance between them and pulled him into his arms.
“I’m just as upset as you are…I just…do a better job hiding it.” Miles admitted, his voice heavy with emotion as Gonzalo’s arms tightened around his waist.
Matéo rolled out of bed, his feet quickly taking him across the room to the window, he pulled back the curtain and watched as thunder danced across the sky, illuminating the sparsely packed parking lot.
“Who are you looking for?” Marianna questioned as she turned the ac on full blast.
“Don’t freeze us.” Matéo warned, his eyes narrowing distrustfully as he caught movement in the far end of the lot.
“Hush…you worry too much.” Marianna countered as she turned the dial below sixty three degrees and smiled.
“Why are you two still up?” Gonzalo asked as he stepped into the room, his eyes falling onto the neatly stacked plates on the table.
“I think someone is outside.” Matéo said as he turned around, his delicate features twisted unhappily.
“You let the grown-ups worry about that.” Gonzalo urged as he ushered both children into bed and climbed in beside them, earning a pleased look from Marianna.
Miles pulled his mask over his eyes and stretched, the material inviting and familiar as he remembered as he moved about, gradually growing amused as he climbed onto the roof, his sharp eyes cutting through the darkness and catching movement.
He crouched rooted in place, his hand connecting to the wet ground as he landed, concealing his presence as he watched a silhouette walk unnecessarily close to his car.
The silhouette pulled out a flashlight and shined light into the passenger window, making Miles narrow his eyes as he went invisible.
“How long has Dad been a superhero?” Matéo asked as Gonzalo pulled the stray curls from his face and slowly started to braid them together.
Marianna fluffed the pillow under her head as she rested her feet in her brother’s lap, her eyes sliding to their father’s neatly braided hair.
“What are you looking for?” Miles asked politely as he appeared beside the man, startling him into dropping the bag as he spun around.
“You almost gave me a stroke!” The man said clutching his chest through his jacket, his foot slipping into a puddle as his eyes registered who he was speaking to. “Spider…man..?”
“It’s been a while, huh.” Miles said as he plucked the bag from the ground.
“Wait! Don’t-it’s NOT what it looks like!!” The man frantically protested as he tried to grab the bag from Miles’s hands before he could open it.
Miles pulled the tassels of the cloth bag apart, the eye part of his going wide as his eyes fell onto a pure white substance.
“What the fuck is this?” Miles asked as he dug a hand into the bag, the powdery substance slipping between his gloved fingers, his eyes bounced back to the man.
“I…uh-I was paid to plant this…NOT ask questions.” The man confessed as he pulled his hood down over his eyes, embarrassed and ashamed.
“Is…this-DRUGS?!” Miles snapped dropping the bag into a puddle, his voice escalating.
“Yes-but-I….” The man trailed off, his words sinking into his chest as Miles grabbed the collar of his jacket and slammed him into the side of the car, his feet hovering in air.
“Who PAID you to do this? Do you KNOW whose car this is?!” Miles snapped, his anger rippling off of him in malicious waves as he impatiently waited for an answer.
“Soooo…why wasn’t Dad being Spider-Man for the past few years?” Matéo asked curiously as he turned around in Gonzalo’s lap, interrupting the flow of his fingers.
Marianna yawned boredly, nodding off as the conversation unfolded, she frowned as Matéo shook her foot, waking her.
“Because…there was no crime.” Gonzalo said softly, his mind trailing off to the past as Matéo’s brows scrunched together with concern.
“Why is there crime now?”
Gonzalo closed his eyes and sighed, searching for an answer he didn’t have. “We don’t know.”
“WHAT do you mean you don’t KNOW?” Miles hissed angrily, his fingers digging uncomfortably deep into the man’s throat.
“LIKE I SAID…I DONT REMEMBER-“
Miles yanked the man harder, making his vision blur as he spoke, his voice dripping with rage as he spat his demand.
“REMEMBER NOW.”
“I-I-ONLY GOT A NAME!” The man cried frantically, his fingers desperately grabbing at Miles’s hands, trying to detangle them from his collar.
“I’LL LET GO WHEN YOU GIVE ME A NAME.” Miles barked, his words icing the man’s veins with fear as he held his gaze, rain aggressively washing over them as lightning danced above their heads illuminating the man’s face as Miles yanked his hood from his head.
Revealing the timid face of a scared balding middle aged man he didn’t know.
“His..he-ONLY gave me a last name…he said it was Stevens.” The man cried desperately sucking mouthfuls of air as Miles released him, letting the man’s weight hit the wet ground as he struggled to gather his bearings, coughing and gagging.
“You…were hired by Stevens to plant drugs in this car-why?”
The assailant looked away, his eyes down cast as he slowly rose to his feet, shamefully dragging the palms of his sweaty hands down his wet pants.
“He didn’t say-he just gave me the money and a picture of the car along with this address.” The man informed nearly on the verge of tears.
“Is that why the police hate us?” Marianna asked with a yawn, making her father’s head turn in her direction, his expression laced with an emotion neither child could place.
“They…don’t hate us…your father just has a complicated…relationship with them.” Gonzalo said with a sigh, the brush in his hand no longer moving through Marianna’s hair as he struggled to piece together a child appropriate answer.
“Rightttttttttt.” Marianna said skeptically as she lifted the brush from her father’s hand, her eyes sliding to her brother’s.
Ignacio tip toed to his closet and pulled open the door, his eyes forward as he snatched a hoodie and pair of sweats from the nearest hanger, his eyes meeting Andrés’s as he turned around.
“Where are you going?” Andrés asked as he watched Ignacio pull his hoodie over his head and clumsily slip his legs into his sweat pants, nearly tripping as he stepped into a pair of crocs.
“You know where I’m going.” Ignacio said evenly as Summer sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Andrés held Ignacio’s gaze before heading toward his half of the closet, quickly piecing together a presentable outfit as Summer stumbled from bed and Ignacio stepped out of the room and disappeared into the hallway.
“W-why are you getting dressed?” Summer yawned as she watched Andrés knot the laces of his shoes tightly.
“You’re getting dressed too.” Ignacio declared as he stepped back into the room and handed Summer a pair of jeans, her track hoodie and her purse.
“Where are WE going?” Summer asked as she pulled the hoodie over her head.
“You know where.” Ignacio said as his eyes turned to Andrés. “You still got that keycard?”
Andrés nodded as he zipped his jacket all the way up to his neck and pulled his hood over his head.
They snuck down the stairs, Summer’s eyes sliding to the closed door of their parents bedroom, she stared at the door for a moment as her brothers ran past her and through the kitchen.
Summer snatched the keys from the rack and ran through the kitchen as Andrés pulled open the garage door.
Ignacio slid into the passenger seat and hit the button on the garage opener, biting his bottom lip anxiously as Andrés slid into the back seat and quickly buckled his seat belt.
“He’s on pretty strong pain meds…I doubt he’ll wake up. “ Andrés said as Summer slid into the drivers seat and locked the doors. “Plus he’s been drinking.”
“Ain’t nobody worried about Dad waking up.” Ignacio lied with a huff as Summer buckled her seatbelt and started the car.
“Everyone ready?” Summer asked as she backed out of the garage, the dashboard lighting up with the directions as Summer’s playlist blared from the speakers.
“Andrés-weather check.” Summer said as she pulled to a stop sign, nearly jumping out of her skin as Lyla appeared on the dash.
“There is an eighty five percent chance of rain, but you should be fine until you reach your destination.” Lyla said before Andrés could check his phone.
“What are you doing here?” Summer asked as she eased her foot onto the gas and inched onto the road.
“I’m here to ask you what you’re doing.” Lyla said as her eyes slid from Summer to Ignacio
“Does your father know about this?”
“No.” Andrés said dryly, shoving his phone back into his pocket.
“Oh…NOW you want to talk.” Ignacio said rudely as he turned his attention to the passenger window, not wanting to look at his father’s assistant.
“I guess… I deserve that.” Lyla said as she looked away, guilt rolling across her shoulders as she remembered the threads of unread messages from each passenger.
“You deserve worse…to be honest.” Andrés said coldly, not bothering to hide his feelings as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I did….n’t know how to tell you.” Lyla said softly as Summer merged onto the highway, her speed gradually increasing.
“You didn’t know or didn’t want to?” Summer asked dryly, her eyes on the speedometer.
Lyla sighed deeply, her heart shades sliding down the bridge of her nose as she hesitated, her eyes sliding to the windshield.
“I…should leave…”Lyla mumbled softly, earning a pointed look from Ignacio.
“Please do.” Ignacio said with a dismissive flick of his wrist, as Summer turned the radio back up, drowning out Lyla’s response.
Lyla tossed a somber look over her shoulder as she flickered out of the car, leaving the teens with their thoughts.
Summer muted the radio after a moment, her eyes watching the gps as a frown slid across her glossed lips.
“No.” Ignacio said flatly before Summer could open her mouth.
“I didn’t even say anything .” Summer complained as she merged into the right lane.
Andrés’s eyes boredly slid to the window as he tuned out his siblings, he yawned as he watched the cars move around them, a black SUV with tinted windows catching his attention as it hurriedly merge into their lane.
“I know what you’re going to say.” Ignacio sighed. “No we weren’t TOO mean to Lyla.”
Summer turned on her signal and merged again, avoiding a slow driver, the SUV mimicked her actions, making Andrés narrow his eyes.
“I think we’re being followed.” Andrés said stiffly as he turned around in his seat, his expression unreadable.
“WHAT?!” Summer and Ignacio asked in unison, her eyes sliding to the rear view mirror as Ignacio turned completely around in his seat.
“Black SUV-“ Andrés trailed off as the vehicle rammed into their bummer, making Summer yell as she held onto the wheel her eyes glued to the road.
“What the fuck man?!” Ignacio snapped as he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed into the backseat beside Andrés.
“Lyla!” Summer yelled, summoning the ai back to the car, her eyes wide as she appeared in the passenger’s seat.
“We’re being followed! What do I do?”
“WHAT?!” Lyla squawked, her eyes going wide as she flickered out of the car and quickly reappeared, her lips pressed together in a grim line.
“Summer…I NEED you to stay calm and keep your eyes on the road. Ok?”
“What aren’t you telling me?” Summer asked as she checked her mirrors and made an aggressive beeline toward the nearest exit, tossing Ignacio across the backseat.
“Summer!! You’re a shit driver!” Ignacio complained as he climbed back onto the seat, the car abruptly taking a detour as the SUV picked up speed behind them.
“Don’t antagonize your sister!” Lyla snapped as she changed the gps directions, sending Summer through a less populated area.
“What are you going to do?” Andrés asked as he watched his brother crawl into the trunk, his hands searching through the cluttered mess in the back.
“Gonna show you why I’m on varsity and you and Summer aren’t.” Ignacio said proudly as he pulled his gym bag from the bottom of the pile and unzipped it.
“Will you let that go?!” Andrés snapped as he unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed beside Ignacio.
“Never.” Ignacio said pridefully as he pushed open the window and tossed a metal ball clear into the windshield of the SUV.
“ This looks…a little murdery.” Andrés said as he watched Ignacio toss another ball into the windshield, shattering the glass.
“Nah.” Ignacio said unconvincingly as the SUV swerved off the road and into a metal pole.
Andrés frowned as Ignacio happily zipped his gym bag closed.
“See? Not dead.” Ignacio said as several men in suits stepped out of the vehicle frantically assessing the damage.
“Why did you have those?” Lyla asked as she suddenly appeared beside Andrés, her eyes on the damage as Summer quickly put distance between them and the SUV.
“Because he’s on varsity.” Andrés answered with an eye roll, before his brother could respond.
Noir hummed as he shoveled snow from the garden beds, he whistled as he pulled a protective tarp over the flowers, his good mood only improving as Hobie stepped outside in his winter coat and mittens, a steaming mug in his hands.
“Break time.” Hobie called interrupting the Alpha’s chore and quickly stepping through the hills of snow.
“I haven’t been working that long.” Noir said with a smile as he took the offered mug from Hobie’s hands, the strong smell of chocolate filling his nose.
“It’s been long enough.” Hobie said as Noir blew into the mug.
“Ahh…time sure flies.” Noir said as he plopped a marshmallow into his mouth and hummed approvingly.
“It really does.” Hobie said as he shoved his hands into his pockets, his eyes bouncing across the partially covered flowers.
“You sure you don’t want any help?” Hobie asked politely as he reached for the shovel in Noir’s hand.”
“No I got it.” Noir said as he brought the cup to his lips and slowly took a nip.
“I appreciate you.” Hobie said with a smile, as he stepped closer to Noir and pressed a slow kiss to his cheek, the hairs of the Alpha’s beard tickling his nose as he pulled away.
“I appreciate you.” Noir said as the knob on the front door turned and the door opened.
“You’ve been out here for hours-aren’t you done yet?” Pav asked as he peeked his head through the front door.
“You know…you could always help, right?” Noir asked as he pulled the mug from his lips, his hazel eyes sliding to Pav.
Pav scrunched his nose and frowned with disapproval, making Hobie laugh as he pulled a joint from his pocket.
“No thanks.” Pav said quickly as he shut the door.
“GET AWAY FROM ME.” Clair snapped turning around and yanking her hand out of James’s grasp, her eyes rimmed with tears.
“I…just…want to fix this.” James said weakly, not bothering to hide the hurt in his voice. “Fix us.”
Clair’s eye brows slid into her hairline. “Fix this?”
She sounds appalled.
As if the thought was absolutely ludicrous.
“YOU EMBARRASSED ME.” Clair shot back, indifferent to his sadness as she turned completely in his direction, her arms crossing over her chest as she spoke.
“YOU CAN’T FIX THIS.”
“I-PLEASE…just give me another chance.” James begged as he took a tentative step forward.
“Look Kabir…I think it’s fixed.” Khalid said as he lifted the birdhouse in the air, the hook firmly reattached.
“Oh wow.” Kabir said as she dropped the bag of tools into the snow behind her, a smile crossing her lips as she watched Khalid step through pockets of snow, sinking lower and lower with each step.
“You are so resourceful.” Kabir complimented with a laugh that sounded like sunshine, the happy sound pulling a blush to Khalid’s cheeks as Kabir leaned toward him, pressing her forehead to his as she spoke.
“Everyday you surprise me.”
Khalid nervously cleared his throat.
“I have to be resourceful…otherwise I’m of no use.”
Kabir’s eyes widened in surprise, her hands immediately cupping his cheeks as she spoke.
“Don’t you ever say anything like that again.”
Khalid blinked, taken aback by the slight tremor in her voice.
“You are.. amazing…and it’s bullshit you’re the only person who doesn’t see it.”
“Can I kiss you?” Khalid asked quickly, his eyes searching her’s and quickly becoming lost as she pressed their lips together.
“Get AWAY from me!!” Clair hissed as she stormed down the hallway, trying to escape the conversation as she abruptly turned down a dark hallway and pulled open the first door, her eyes meeting Chandler’s.
“….uh.” Chandler said as he closed the smutty graphic novel in his hands, embarrassment highlighting his cheeks as he rose to his full height.
“Scoot the fuck over.” Clair demanded as she shoved herself into the broom closet and quickly shut the door, her eyes closing as Chandler pulled his cellphone from his pocket.
“Clair? Let’s talk about this …ok?” James pleaded desperately, his voice echoing across the walls as he stepped into the hallway and frowned, his thoughts congested with regret as he stared at the empty hall way.
He sighed as he pivoted on his heels and headed in the opposite direction.
“I don’t want to be here.” Pav whined into his stack of ungraded papers.
“I should be enjoying the snow day.” He complained, getting an unsympathetic look from Noir as he stepped into the room.
“Stop being a baby and grade those already.” Noir said dryly as he took his usual spot on the edge of the desk, his leg lazily swinging as his eyes drifted to the window.
“Take a snow day.” Hobie suggested as he stepped into the room yawning, his arms outstretched toward the ceiling.
Pav considered the suggestion, a smile on his lips as his eyes slid to the window, taking in the fresh flakes of snow falling.
“My dad will be here soon.” Cheeia announced as she stepped into the doorway, her eyes glued to her cellphone as her thumbs aggressively glided across the screen.
“How soon?” Noir asked as Pav happily sat his grading pen back into place.
“It’s starting to snow again.” Noir said as he pulled his phone from his pocket, and opened a weather app designed by HQ.
“It’s going to get worse in an hour.” Noir added, wondering if he’d covered the flowers in the garden well enough.
“Fucking great.” Clair dryly whispered to Chandler, her hands covering her ears as James’s voice echoed off the walls of the hallway a third time.
“Now he’s stalking me.”
“Is it…really stalking?” Chandler asked offhandedly as he slowly flipped a page of his book, the screen of his phone illuminating the new page.
“Chandler…don’t piss me off.”
Chandler held back a snicker his eyes sliding to Clair as she sighed loudly with frustration.
“I’m single and about to fail math…how fun.”
Chandler cleared his throat before speaking.
“I can…help you with that.”
“Thanks…now I won’t have to repeat a class.”
“I…also meant the other thing too…”Chandler trailed off, his eyes sliding to the screen of his phone as it started to vibrate viciously in his hand.
“ …wha..?” Clair’s asked, her right brow lifting as
his words registered, boldly hanging between them in the cramped space.
“I…mean it Clair.” Chandler said softly as he pulled his eyes from his phone and shoved it into his pocket, his full attention on her as he spoke.
“I’ve liked you…longer than I can remember-and I was wondering if you’d be open…to giving me a chance?” Chandler confessed, color painting his cheeks as he spoke.
“Oh…wow.” Khalid said in a daze as Kabir slowly pulled away, her eyes slowly opening.
Kabir giggled as he leaned forward on the tips of his toes, pressing their lips together again.
“I think I’m in love with you.” Khalid admitted as he slowly pulled away, his hands covering hers as he watched her hazel eyes lock him in place.
“I’ve felt…this way since the moment I saw you.” He continued breathlessly, making her blush as snow gently floated around them.
“Where is Kabir?” Pav asked sharply as he peeked into the den and caught sight of Shawn picking at his toenails.
“Haven’t seen her.” Shawn said as he scrapped the lent from between his toes.
“I think she’s gathering wood or making out with Khalid or something.” Cheeia said as she stepped into the den clad in her school uniform.
“She’s been gone…a while.” Margo said glumly as she stepped into the bathroom, her sad tone pulling Gwen’s attention away from her task.
“She needs time to process.” Gwen gently reminded as she remembered the look on Peni’s face when Jericho appeared on the news, his smile sinister as news of Peni’s questionable business practices flashed across the news.
It had gone viral the moment Jericho stepped off of their property.
He’d been playing chess from the beginning.
“I know…but I miss her.” Margo whined.
“She should be home with us!”
“I completely agree.” Gwen said as she ran warm water through Wei’s shampooy hair, her fingers softly massaging his scalp.
“But we should be supportive and wait.” Gwen said as Margo handed her a dry bath towel.
“She’ll come to us when she’s ready.” Gwen reminded as she pulled the towel from Margo’s hand and wrapped it a tightly around Wei.
“Wait for how long?!” Margo asked as she followed Gwen out of the bathroom and into the nursery.
“What’s taking song long with that background check?” Peni asked flatly, her tone devoid of patience as she watched her computer screen rapidly light up, showcasing a tired face before quickly jumping to the requested information.
Peni sighed as she leaned backward in her seat, wishing it would slip and send her flying out of orbit as she looked over Xiang’s life.
The only thing she’d done since college was accumulate debt, divorce her husband and NOT win last year’s marathon.
“You hate running.” Peni said in disbelief as she combed through all of Xiang’s social media pages, gradually growing more upset as she pieced together several more lies.
She struggled to find info on Jericho, his digital foot print nearly non existence, his air of mystery still in tack as he gallivanted where he pleased.
“What am I missing?” Peni mumbled to her self as she frantically ran through her list of information a third time.
Gwen hummed as Margo lifted Wei from her arms, quickly lathering him with lotion and blowing raspberries against his tummy as Gwen searched for a clean onesie.
“I have an appointment with Eric later.” Gwen said casually as she watched Margo slip a pair of mismatched socks up Wei’s ankles, making him frown as he tried to snatch the fabric from his feet.
“Wei…we’ve been over this. This is a sock household.” Margo reminded as the baby attempted to crawl away, holding no interest in clean clothes.
“That’s good…have you gotten comfortable enough to stop avoiding uncomfortable conversations?” Margo asked lightly as Wei pulled off his right sock and tossed it to the floor, he giggled happily as both women frowned.
“I don’t avoid uncomfortable conversations.” Gwen lied, feeling a little offended.
“Gwen…I know you. “ Margo said with a laugh as she plucked the sock from the floor and quickly slid it up Wei’s ankle.
“If you can avoid an uncomfortable conversation or topic…you definitely will.”
Gwen sighed as Margo tugged the onesie from her hand and smiled softly.
“It’s ok Gwen…therapy isn’t a race.” Margo reminded as she pulled the onesie over Wei’s head, ignoring his complaints as she snapped the clamps at the bottom.
“Slow and steady wins the race…I suppose.” Jericho said dryly as he skimmed through a stack of paperwork, his highlighter gliding across several paragraphs as he listened to his assistant spit out his daily list of activities for the day.
“Don’t forget your meeting with-“
Jericho tuned out his assistant, his mind wandering as his phone vibrated to life in his pocket.
A smile crept across his lips, nearly splitting his face in half as Margo’s name floated across the screen.
“I wonder what she wants to talk about?” Jericho hummed as he looked at her message, happily agreeing to meet for dinner.
Gonzalo pressed a quick kiss to Marianna’s forehead as he tucked the blankets around her, his eyes sliding to Matéo as he lazily stretched and turned on his side, pushing away the blankets.
“You’re going to catch a cold.” Gonzalo softly warned as he pressed a kiss to Matéo’s forehead and fixed the blankets, the sound of the room door opening and closing catching his attention.
Gonzalo turned around his link growing uncomfortably warm as Miles silently stood suited up in the middle of the hotel room with his shoulders slumped.
“What’s wrong?” Gonzalo asked as Miles inhaled and exhaled loudly, anger and sadness merging confusingly across their link as Gonzalo reached for him, ready to offer comfort.
Gonzalo wordlessly took Miles’s hand and guided him back to their room, shutting the conjoined door behind them.
Gonzalo turned around, his moments slow as he pulled the mask from Miles’s face, the energy radiating from his pores in disarray as their eyes met.
“Talk to me.” Gonzalo pleaded softly, as he touched Miles’s face, his thumb brushing across the taller man’s cheek as he patiently waited for a response.
Miles opened his mouth, the encounter of earlier spilling from his lips uninterrupted as thunder slapped the sky, ripping open the clouds and drenching the world around them.
Miles sat on the edge of the bed as he concluded the story, his head in his hands as he struggled to process everything all at once.
“Miles…we’ll be ok…” Gonzalo said as he pulled Miles’s hands from his face and stepped between his thighs, pulling him into his arms, trying to push away the chill of unease that clung to his frame and saturated the room.
Miles closed his eyes, his arms tightening around Gonzalo’s waist as he pressed his face into his chest, and desperately inhaled, trying to submerge himself completely in the calming scent of his partner.
“We don’t have to talk.” Gonzalo said evenly as he reached for the zipper on the back of Miles’s suit, his fingers heavy with compassion as he stripped Miles bare.
Softly touching and caressing until Miles fell backwards into the sheets, his eyes closing as Gonzalo tossed his suit onto the chair across the room and crawled naked beside him, his long hair freely flowing as he pressed warm fingers into Miles, making the Alpha’s eyes close and his back arch from the bed as Gonzalo spread him apart and filled him completely.
“I love you.” Miles moaned breathlessly as his fingers dug into Gonzalo’s shoulders, pulling a groan out of the smaller man.
“Tell me what you need.” Gonzalo said as he crashed their lips together, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as Miles’s legs wrapped around his waist pulling him deeper.
Miles’s body melted into the mattress as Gonzalo’s hair spilled over him like rain, his scent and shampoo corrupting Miles’s senses
as his pace changed, making him cry out.
“Tell me what you need.” Gonzalo repeated as he dragged his lips hungrily down Miles’s jawline, the Alpha’s cries growing more desperate as Gonzalo gripped his waist, his fingers digging painfully deep.
“Fuck…” Miles cried out, his thighs shaking as Gonzalo’s touches grew more primal, making him gasp as the Omega gripped the base of his neck forcing him to hold his gaze.
“We’ll get through this together.” Gonzalo promised, his hips wildly buckling as he dove deeper into Miles’s core, a familiar sensation sparking in the pit of his stomach as he worked Miles deeper into the mattress.
“I-I…kn…ow.” Miles groaned, his legs locking around Gonzalo’s waist as his orgasm steamrolled through him, making him see white as Gonzalo buried himself balls deep, biting his bottom lip as he came.
The sound of their rushed breathing filled the room, neither of them speaking as Miles closed his eyes, his legs unwrapping from Gonzalo’s waist as he tenderly pressed as kiss to Miles’s lips.
Miles chased after Gonzalo’s lips as he pulled away, his desire to be touched growing overwhelming as he desperately clung to the smaller man.
Gonzalo exhaled slowly, his arms protectively tightening around Miles, caging them together as he spoke.
“We’ll handle this together.” Gonzalo said softly, refusing to pull out as he shifted their positions, his chest now pressed to Miles’s back as he planted a series of slow kisses across the Alpha’s shoulders.
“I know.” Miles mumbled as he seeped into their embrace, his eyes closing as his head hit the pillow, exhaustion quickly tugging him to sleep.
“Dad….Dad….Dad.” Matéo repeated as he poked Miles several times between the eye brows, rousing him from his slumber.
“Mmmh…what?” Miles asked groggily sitting up, the blankets pooling in his lap as his eyes slowly opened. “What…is it Tay?”
“Why is there a man stuck to the roof of our car?” Marianna asked from the doorway, her eyes on the room window.
“Miles…what are they talking about?” Gonzalo asked as he stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed, his feet quickly taking him to the other room, his eyes going wide as he caught sight of the man webbed to the car.
“Are you sure?” Khalid asked softly as Kabir nodded, unable to find words as happiness filtered through her chest.
Khalid inhaled sharply as Kabir intertwined their freezing fingers, her eyes on his as she pressed a slow kiss to their joined hands, making him grow warm all over.
James’s eyes narrowed as he watched from the den window, his jealousy immediately catching the attention of Cheeia as she zipped her coat up to her neck.
“You’re such a stalker.” Cheeia said flatly, making James turn her way and frown.
“I’m NOT-“
“Evidence says otherwise.” She quickly interrupted as she snatched her bag from the floor, her eyes burning into the Alpha as she spoke.
“You can’t stand seeing your brother happy-and WE have noticed.”
James’s eyes widened, the complaint fizzling out on his lips as he watched Chandler and Clair appear in the doorway, their shoulders pressed together as she giggled, shyly twirling her hair around her finger as Chandler whispered something only she could hear.
“Bye yall-it’s been everything BUT fun.” Cheeia said flatly with a wave.
“Let me walk you out babe.” Shawn said with a smile as he zipped up his coat and slid his bag up his arms, making the older girl roll her eyes.
“I already asked dad to take us home.” She said boredly as his arm slinked around her waist.
“I know babe.” Shawn said happily as he waved to everyone but James, as the pair exited the room.
“Clair…I can give you a ride home…if you like.”Chandler offered as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing sculpted abs and a well defined physique.
Clair turned away, her cheeks warming with color as he continued, as if James wasn’t there.
“I’m sure my parents won’t mind.” He added with a smile as he slid into his school shirt.
“Uh…ok.” Clair said with a nod as she reached for her school clothes.
“Thanks so much.” She said happily as she stepped out of the room to change.
“What’s going on with you and Clair?” James asked straight to the point, her happy face splashing across his mind and shoving away common sense.
“Whatever SHE wants.” Chandler said as he pulled his wide rimmed glasses from his face and slid them into their case.
James’s eyes narrowed as he stormed across the room, his anger floating off of him in waves as he pointed a finger at the Beta.
“We haven’t even been broken up a full twenty four hours.”
“Ok…and?” Chandler asked with indifference as he met James’s animosity halfway.
“Pretty sure you were too busy being pressed about your brother’s girlfriend to remember yours.”
James’s eyes widened as anger quickly replaced his shock. “What the FUCK did you just say?”
“Oh I’m pretty sure you HEARD me.” Chandler challenged, refusing to back down.
“I didn’t.” James said as he pushed up the sleeves of his sweater, his feet quickly taking him closer to confrontation.
“Well how about this…” Chandler started evenly, tossing his thoughts clear across the room without a second thought.
“I’ve been in love with Clair since before freshman year.”
James took a step backward, caught off guard by the confession.
“What?” James questioned in disbelief as Clair stepped back into the room, immediately sensing the tension.
“Everything…ok?” Clair asked as she pulled her hood over her head, her eyes locked on both boys as she spoke.
“Of course gorgeous.” Chandler said as he pulled his phone from his pocket and smiled, the smooth use of the compliment catching her and James off guard. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
James’s fists clenched tightly at his sides, his shock swiftly morphing into anger as Clair stepped closer to Chandler, her eyes on him as he spoke.
“Our ride is here.” Chandler said with a smile as he turned away from James and headed toward Clair, her response going in one ear and out the other as James pivoted on his heels, his fist swinging through air as he swung in Chandler’s direction.
“Are you sure…this is what you want?” Khalid asked nervously from the doorway of Kabir’s bedroom, her blinding smile inspiring his limbs to move forward without restraint.
“I’m SURE.” Kabir hummed as she took a seat on the bed and pat the space beside her.
Khalid nodded and stepped forward, his toes quickly sinking into the fuzzy carpet.
Khalid swallowed past the nervous lump forming in his throat as he stepped deeper into her space, the overwhelming scent of her teasing his senses as he took a seat beside her on the bed and fought the urge to gulp the air.
“I…uh… like your posters.” He complimented nervously, trying to derail his train of thoughts as she leaned backward in bed and grabbed something he couldn’t see from the floor, the bottom of her shirt lifting and revealing smooth brown skin.
“Thanks… I stole most of them from my parents.” She said with a snort as she handed him a purple gameboy.
“You play?” She asked with a smile as familiar music started to play from the pink gameboy in her hands.
“….is this pokemon?” Khalid asked with excitement as the screen lit up in his hands.
“Fire red.” Kabir confirmed as battle music filled the room.
“A fucking classic.” Khalid said with glee as he hit the start button.
“Loser has to wear the onesie.” Kabir challenged pointing to her closet, a sinister smile sliding to her lips as Khalid’s eyes followed the direction of her finger and widened.
Chandler inhaled slowly, his eyes on James as he caught his arm and yanked him over his shoulder, quickly slamming him onto his back with ease.
“Fuck!” James yelled, embarrassment tugging uncomfortably at the hairs on his neck as he quickly stumbled to his feet, his fists raised and his back aching.
“You really wanna do this?” Chandler challenged, dropping the bag from his shoulder to the floor.
“Because we can.”
“NO FIGHTING!!” Clair snapped as she wedged herself between them, forcing space between them.
“Just-just take me home-please?” Clair pleaded softly her eyes on Chandler.
“Where is everyone?” Pav asked as he walked through his nearly empty home and frowned.
“Mmmmh most of Bir’s friends starting leaving a few minutes ago.” Noir informed as he stepped into the living room, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone.
“You said most.” Pav said quickly, his eyes narrowing as he practically sprinted down the hallway.
“Why are you running?” Noir asked with a frown as Hobie stepped into the living room, joint in hand.
“Where’s the fire?” Hobie asked with a laugh as Noir pulled a lighter from his pocket.
“Clair please..just let me explain!!” James cried as he followed her out the front door, his bare feet sinking into snow as he reached for her wrist, trying to stop her before she climbed into the backseat of Chandler’s car.
“STOP IT!!” Clair screamed, yanking her wrist free, tears of rage streaming down her cheeks as she reeled back and slapped him, knocking him off his feet and into the snow.
James blinked taken aback, his hand tenderly touching his stinging cheek as he fought back tears, his eyes meeting Chandler’s as he smiled and slammed the car door shut.
“He ran away before I could tell him who left.” Noir sighed as he politely lit the end of Hobie’s joint.
“Pretty sure he’s worried about Khalid.” Hobie said boredly as he exhaled smoke from his nose.
“He worries too much.” Noir said dryly as they
stepped through the den, their eyes immediately falling onto James sitting alone in a corner.
“Mate are you crying?” Hobie asked in shock, as the teen turned around, large snot bubble popping as tears rolled down his cheeks.
Pav’s eyes narrowed as salacious laughter tickled his ears, his feet stopping in front of Kabir’s closed bedroom door.
“Not under my roof.” Pav hissed as he placed his hand on the knob and turned it.
“Kabir the door STAYS open!!” Pav said as he shoved the door open, his brows scrunching together with confusion as he caught sight of Khalid dressed in a Pokémon onesie, break dancing in the center of the room.
“I wanna go homeeeee.” James cried as Hobie handed him several Kleenex.
“What’s wrong? Do you want us to call your mom- or dad?” Hobie asked gently, unsure what had transpired in the den.
“I think my nose is broken…my brother hates me…Chandler stole my girlfriend-“ James hiccuped, earning a sharp unsympathetic look from Noir.
“…all my friends hate me.”
“Well-that all sounds like it’s your fault.” Noir chimed quickly, making Hobie sigh unsurprised as James’s head turned in his direction.
“I hate people.” Gonzalo mumbled dryly as he dropped the dustpan in the hallway, his arms moving as he quickly swept bits of broken glass into a pile.
“Dad….Dad…Dad….” Matéo repeated as he appeared in the hallway, his arms full of fallen decorations.
Gonzalo’s eyes slid to his son, his brow lifting as
Matéo wordlessly dumped the discarded decorations onto a nearby shelf.
“Don’t forget this.” Marianna said as she appeared from the foyer, a large paper weight in her hands as she stepped over the pile of glass.
“Thank you.” Gonzalo said as he swept the glass into the dustpan and headed toward the kitchen.
“Papi?” Marianna started as she followed her father through the kitchen, watching as he dumped the contents of the dustpan into the trash.
“Yes…Mari?” Gonzalo asked as he sat the dustpan in the pantry.
“Where did Dad take his imaginary friend?”
Confusion danced across Gonzalo’s face, his brain rapidly working as he struggled to process his daughter’s strange question .
“Marianna he was REAL.” Matéo butted in, over his sister’s antics.
Marianna’s brows knitted together, her look of confusion identical to her father’s as she turned toward her brother.
“Then…why’d Dad leave him outside in the rain?”
Miles placed his car in park and snatched the key form the ignition, the desire to return home to his family nipping harshly at the corners of his mind as he yanked his assailant by the arm from the passenger seat.
“Ayeeee-not so rough.” The man protested as Miles harshly shoved him down a concrete path leading toward a set of sliding doors.
“I’m already gonna be sick cuz you left me out in the rain ALL night.” The man hissed bitterly as Miles rolled his eyes, the large doors sliding open as they stepped into the police station.
“Ssspider…man-hhhow can I help you?” The officer at the front desk asked nervously as his eyes slid from Miles and onto the man beside him.
The officer visibly paled, his eyes practically bulging as he registered who the man was.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Miles said dryly as he pulled his mask from his face, his obsidian eyes burning.
“I’m here to speak to Stevens.” Miles informed, his tone making the officer flinch as animosity and malice unraveled together in the middle of the precinct.
“Unfortunately….hes uh-NOT here.” The officer stammered as several more faces curiously turned their way.
“Ah well-I’d like to file a police report.” Miles said as he shoved the man into the front desk carelessly, his eyes sharply roaming the faces of the room.
“I caught this man attempting to break into and plant drugs in my vehicle.” Miles said sharply as he placed a damp cloth bag onto the desk.
The officer’s eyes slid to the bag for a moment, his discomfort manifesting across his face as he met Miles’s knowing gaze.
“I’d be happy to help you with that.” The man said stifly as he slid in front of the computer, his fingers nervously sliding across the keys.
“I’d also like to press charges.” Miles added with a polite smile.
Gonzalo typed in the new security code, apprehension slipping from his shoulders as the technician headed toward the front door.
Marianna peeked from the corner, curiously watching as the buttons lit up green.
“You see all the cameras Dad had installed?”
Matéo asked as he stepped beside his sister and handed her a popsicle.
“I did.” Marianna said as she pulled away the plastic and bit into it. “There’s like three in the back yard.”
“Hopefully…there’s not another break in.” Matéo said casually as they watched their father head to the front door, letting in a man with a set of tools.
“So which locks did you want changed?” The large man asked as he pulled his cap from his head, revealing a large bald spot.
Matéo shot his sister a look. “Don’t you dare.”
Marianna looked at her brother, fighting to hold back laughter as she tried not to say the first silly thing that popped into her mind.
“This isn’t…a laughing matter Mr.Morales.” The officer said with a sigh as he handed the freshly printed papers to the Alpha.
“I’m entitled to feel how I want.” Miles said pointedly, making the man shift uncomfortably in his seat as Miles’s eyes slid to his assailant now in police custody.
“One more thing.” Miles said as he reached in his suit and produced a business card.
His eyes meeting the officer’s as he slid the card across the desk, his obsidian eyes uncomfortably lighting a fire throughout the precinct.
“Tell Stevens….we’ll be TALKING soon.” Miles said as he pulled away leaving Stevens’s contact information in the center of the desk. “Real soon.”
“Soooo you threatened everyone at the police station?” Gonzalo asked with a tired sigh as he offered Miles their new house keys.
“I didn’t threaten anyone.” Miles said dismissively as he pulled Gonzalo into his arms, pressing his face into his messy hair.
“Rightttttt.” Gonzalo said skeptically as his arms wrapped around Miles.
“I missed you.” Miles admitted truthfully, his eyes closing as he felt himself relax.
“I missed you too.” Gonzalo said softly as he pressed a kiss to Miles’s ear, making him smile.
“We got a new security system installed, cameras in the front and back yard and all the locks have been changed.” Gonzalo informed, spitting out the tasks he’d quickly completed that morning.
“God…you’re dependable.” Miles hummed as he lifted Gonzalo in his arms, his feet no longer on the floor as Miles held his gaze, a dopey smile sliding across his lips.
“Of course.” Gonzalo said with a soft chuckle as Miles spun him.
“Are you seeing anyone…causeeee I think we should…date or like run away together.” Miles flirted suggestively, making Gonzalo roll his eyes amused.
“I’m seeing someone actually.” Gonzalo said lightly.
“Ah…well he’s a lucky…lucky a guy.”
“Miles shut up.” Gonzalo laughed his cheeks growing rosey with color as his feet touched the carpeted floor of their room.
“I’m glad Dad’s back-I can finally tell him there’s a weird car outside.” Matéo said as he pulled back the curtain of his room window, his eyes narrowing as he stared down the black SUV parked across the street.
“Why are you always looking out the window?” Marianna asked as she stepped into the room, her right brow lifting as she placed her hands on her hips.
“You might have a problem.”
“Shut up.”Matéo said as he released the curtain, watching as the thick fabric slowly fell back into place. “Did you forget ninjas broke into the house?”
“Were they really ninja? Or were they just creepy old men dressed in black?” Marianna questioned as her brother turned and met her skeptical gaze.
“I don’t understand why they attacked us.”
Summer said sadly as she pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car, the soft drizzle escalating to aggressive rain as she pulled the keys from the ignition.
“I don’t either.” Lyla said stifly, her mind rewinding back to the moment the SUV slammed into the bumper.
The attack had been aggressively identical to the one that had struck Jessica and Miguel.
“I don’t…think they were trying to kill us.” Andrés said calmly as he unbuckled seatbelt.
“Well-WHAT the FUCK DO you think the wanted-DIRECTIONS?” Ignacio snapped rudely, turning toward his brother, his irritation apparent.
“Probably…kidnap us.” Andrés said with a shrug, his unbothered vibe swiftly shoving Ignacio to anger and Summer to panic.
“WHAT?!” Summer snapped turning around in her seat, the seatbelt quickly slamming her backward in place.
“No…why would anyone want to-”She trailed off, growing uncertain as both brothers met her gaze in the rear view mirror.
“Well…our mom is a superhero and our dad runs the Omega District .” Andrés reminded, making Summer look away.
“You’ve thought about this already.” Lyla probed softly from the dashboard, her eyes falling onto
Andrés as she pulled away her shades.
“I have.” Andrés said boredly as he broke their gaze, his eyes sliding to the window as he watched the rain pelt the parking lot.
“But…we’ve lived here since forever and this has NEVER happened.” Summer said as she pulled at her seat belt, her mind weaving together an upsetting thought.
They’d been specifically targeted.
“I also think the fact that Dad’s been adding unwanted changes to the District-should be considered.” Ignacio said evenly as he leaned toward the armrest as if preparing to share a secret.
“I snuck into his office the other day and-“
“You WHAT?” Lyla asked in shock, her eyes growing wide.
Ignacio ignored Lyla, his attention on his siblings as he continued.
“I snuck into his office and learned…a LOT of people are pissed about him adding an Alpha sanctuary so close to the District.”
“What?!” Summer asked, her eyes going wide as she turned around in her seat.
“Yeah…it’s a place called the outskirts but it’s practically the undeveloped side of the District.” Ignacio filled in, pulling a frown to Lyla’s lips.
“Why is he adding a sanctuary that’s NOT Omega centered to the District?” Andrés asked point blank with a frown, unable to understand their father’s thought process.
“Sounds kinda…counterproductive.” Andrés added as he pulled his hood from his head.
“Because he wasn’t always an Omega.” Lyla filled in, making several heads turn her way.
“Explain.” Andrés said as he leaned backward in his seat, his eyes closing as he waited patiently to hear the details.
“Your father was originally an Alpha…until he encountered a scientist fifteen years ago…that changed that.” Lyla confessed, her mind sliding to the past, Zaya’s wicked laughter uncomfortably filling her ears.
Summer’s brows slammed into her hairline.
“Wait a damn minute.” Ignacio said as he shifted in his seat, his mind suddenly running rampant with ideas.
“How does a former Alpha end up being Mayor of the Omega District for years?”
Miguel tossed and turned in bed, his head and shoulder throbbing as he sat up, his hand immediately ghosting over the spot Jessica had taken a bullet.
He reached for his pain meds, his eyes closing as he grabbed a bottle of water and swallowed his pills.
Miguel inhaled shakily as he brought his knees to his chest, ignoring the constant notifications lighting up his phone as he let the sound of rain fill his ears.
“I would have never know.” Andrés said as he rewatched the clip of Miles Morales punching his father over several tables.
“How old is this video?” Ignacio asked wrinkling his nose as he took in the background of the video and decorations hanging from the tables and walls.
“Does it even matter?” Summer asked with a sigh as she fingered through an article from over a decade ago about her father’s controversial promotion to Mayor.
“He’s…kept so much from us.”
Jessica groaned as she struggled to open her eyes, the blinding light of the room making her head spin as she tried to sit up, pain immediately shooting throughout her body.
“What the fuck…?” She mumbled as she clutched her shoulder, wincing as the pain radiated down her arm.
“My goodness-you’re awake!” A woman with a pink spider mask and purple scrubs said happily, nearly dropping the items in her hand as she rushed to Jessica’s side.
“I…I…don’t understand…” Jessica said rapidly blinking, sadness washing across her chest as she struggled to remember where she was, immense pain sparking and morphing into a migraine.
“Where am I-?” Jessica asked growing more and more uncomfortable as she took in the sterile white room.
“Your in the infirmary.” The women said gently, trying to gage Jessica’s temperament.
“What-why am I…” Her words faded as her eyes landed on the iv in her arm, the machine beside her head rapidly started beeping.
“Ma’am everything is fine. I just need you to relax.” The woman with the mask said as she stepped to the machine, pressing a series of buttons as Jessica briefly hesitated before ripping the iv from her arm.
Jessica bit her bottom lip as blood trickled down her wrist and dropped onto the sheets.
“I have to go.” She said as pushed the blankets off of her legs and placed her feet to the floor.
“Wait! “ The woman in the mask warned as Jessica rose to her feet and quickly collapsed.
“You wanted to chat?” Jericho asked with a pleasant smile as he took a seat across from Margo, his hand immediately snatching the menu from the table.
“I did.” Margo said evenly as she watched him wave down a waiter.
“Of course.” Jericho said as he slowly pulled his eyes from Margo, his attention on the waiter as he quickly ordered an appetizer and two strawberry lemonades.
“I don’t plan on talking long enough to order.” Margo said as Jericho waved away the waiter, commiting his full attention.
“You should definitely make time to…”
“What?” Margo asked her brow lifting as two drinks suddenly appeared between them on the
table.
“To eat silly.” Jericho teased with an eye roll.
“You look under weight and that isn’t good for the baby.”
Margo leaned back in her seat and frowned, discomfort slipping from her pores as she closed her eyes, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop them.
“I’ve been… having trouble gaining weight.”
Jericho reached for Margo’s hand, his thumb sliding across her knuckles as he encouraged her to continue.
“Are you done…yet?” Eric asked curiously, his right brow lifted high as he watched Gwen pace throughout his small office.
“No I’m NOT!” Gwen said angrily as she spun around, continuing her rant, making him defensively place his hands in the air.
“Geez-it was just a question.”
“I CAN’T believe this! Do you wanna know what he did NEXT?!” Gwen asked turning in Eric’s direction.
Eric blinked, Gwen quickly continuing before he could answer.
“He orders an assload of food-FOR Margo and then he-“
“Where did he order the food from?” Erica asked curiously as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Some new fancy place downtown-wait WHY?”
“I’ll be taking lunch after your appointment and was looking for suggestions.”
Gwen’s eyes narrowed, making Eric laugh and slide his phone back into his pocket.
“This is serious.”Gwen hissed with irritation as she sat back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I know…you’ve been saying that since your appointment started.” Eric said lightly as he leaned back in his seat, an impassive expression crossing his face.
“This is the MOST talking you’ve done in weeks. Excuse my surprise.”
Gwen’s eyes widened. “I talk.”
“Gwen…getting you to open up is like pulling teeth.” Eric said gently, making Gwen look away.
It was true.
And they both knew that.
“I’m happy about our progress…that being said-how are your partners reacting to this?”
Eric asked as he flipped through his notebook.
“This is a fucking shit show.” Peni sighed as she aggressively flipped through profiles of prominent lawyers.
She’d seen Jericho’s record, he hadn’t lost a case his entire career, his pitbull demeanor and cut throat work ethic had sky rocketed him to the top by his twenty third birthday.
“I can’t believe he slipped past my radar.” Peni groaned as she looked over his winning streak a third time.
He hadn’t been listed as local because he was new to the area.
Having just bought a house not even seven months ago.
“I need better options.” Peni hummed as she pushed away from her computer and pulled her phone from her pocket, her eyes roaming the notifications from both her partners.
Guilt burned her fingertips as she scrolled past their messages and pulled up her contacts, her thumb immediately hitting a name.
Noir answered on the third ring, his voice chipper and his time endless as he portaled to her, his energy spilling onto her as he stepped into her lab ready to assist.
“I didn’t call you here to talk about my health.” Margo said stiffly as she pulled her hand out of Jericho’s and held his gaze.
“Ahhh…so you didn’t just want to have a romantic dinner with me?” Jericho teased unbothered by her mood, his eyes lighting up as the appetizer was placed on their table.
“Jeri this is serious.” Margo said growing irritated as she watched him happily pick apart his blooming onion.
“I know darling.” Jericho said as he dipped his selected pieces into sauce.
“Taking on THIS case was…planned.” Jericho admitted as he bit into his food, chewed and swallowed.
“But seeing you again…was not.”
“Isn’t this a conflict of interest…or something?” Margo asked quickly as she watched Jericho lick his fingers individually.
“Why? Are YOU interested?” ” Jericho asked curiously, the air around them becoming thick with something Margo didn’t want to address.
Silence joined them at the table.
“Ah then…No.” Jericho said after a moment, meeting her gaze, his usually kind eyes devoid of warmth for a moment before he smiled.
“As far as I’m concerned…this has NOTHING to do with you.” He admitted as he leaned backward in his seat.
Margo’s eyebrows shot into her hairline, her shock pulling a chuckle from his lips as he reached for the onion again.
“Would you like a piece? It’s truly delicious.” Jericho offered politely as if this were a regular date, as if this wasn’t a discussion about suing her spouse for half her business profits.
“Are you fucking serious?” Eric asked, his eyes widening as they bounced from his notepad and onto Gwen in shock.
“He’s clearly using this lawsuit as an excuse to get closer to Margo.” Eric added as he jolted several quick notes across the half filled page.
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!!” Gwen snapped with excitement, glad someone had finally heard her list of complaints.
“Peni still hasn’t come home?” Eric probed gently, a flicker of sadness jumping across Gwen’s pretty face as she broke their gaze, suddenly finding the poster across the room interesting.
Gwen cleared her throat, trying to press out the wayward emotions that threatened to spill from her lips and flood the room.
“…no.”
“You can’t be fucking serious.” Margo said dryly, her harsh tone pulling Jericho’s eyes away from the menu his hand.
“Excuse me?” Jericho asked sharply as he sat the menu onto the table and met her gaze, offended by her profanity.
“This IS definitely a conflict of interest.” Noir said as he spun around in his seat, giving his honest opinion on the situation.
“It’s also…very unprofessional.” Noir added with a frown.
“He might not have known Margo was your mate until after he agreed to represent Xiang.” Noir concluded making Peni frown.
“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK.” Peni snapped.
“He should have refused to represent Xiang the second he found out.” Peni hissed, already over the conversation, her mind quickly weaving together a questionable timeline.
“I need a lawyer NOW.” Peni huffed, her irritation gradually climbing higher as her eyes slid to the paper Jericho had left in her hands.
“I think…I know a guy.” Noir said as he placed a comforting hand on Peni’s shoulder.
“He’s a little weirdo.” Pav whispered into the phone to his Aunt Maya, pulling an amused chuckle from the older woman as he took a seat on the foot of his bed, ready to gossip.
“I think you just don’t like him. “ Maya countered, her laughter slipping between her words as she spoke.
“You’re right.” Pav agreed, not bothering to elaborate his grievances as his Aunt rapidly shot off a series of questions.
“Ughhh….your Dad’s gonna think I’m a weirdo.” Khalid groaned as he slipped out of the onesie, his embarrassment making Kabir snort with amusement.
“I guarantee Dada thought you were a weirdo before this.”
“I believe you.” Khalid said with a laugh, the soft sound fading as knuckles danced across the open bedroom door.
“Sorry to interrupt-“ Hobie said with a smile as he appeared in the doorway, his hair piled high on his head as stepped into the room, the scent of strawberries floating around him.
“You weren’t interrupting Dad.” Kabir hummed as her eyes slid to the records in his hands.
“Ah well…I just had some music recommendations for the storm.” Hobie said as he placed the small stack of records on Kabir’s dresser.
“You can pick the first one.” Kabir suggested as she hopped out of bed and headed toward her record player, quickly plugging it into the wall and flicking the on switch.
Khalid wordlessly watched the exchange, the two of them happily raving about bands he’d never heard of, the pleasant look on Hobie’s face unmoving as the needle touched the record and soft music filled the room.
“Care to dance?” Kabir asked with an outstretched hand, the smile on her face reminiscent of her father’s as he stepped out of the room, giving them privacy.
“They like the interruption-I mean your music suggestions?” Noir asked with a smile as he poured himself a glass of wine.
Hobie watched the glass fill, amusement lifting his brow as he watched the Alpha chug his drink and pour another.
“They gladly accepted my musical interruption.”
Hobie said pridefully as he lifted the full glass from Noir’s fingers and brought it to his lips.
“Ah well…everyone likes your music suggestions.” Noir said as he took a step forward, his hands slipping into Hobie’s back pockets as he pulled him closer, their crotches touching as he pressed a kiss to Hobie’s exposed collar bone.
Hobie snorted. “Flattery gets you nowhere.”
He said playfully as he pulled the glass from his lips, his gaze burning into Noir’s.
“I don’t need flattery.” Noir hummed, his hips rocking into Hobie’s as he spoke, his arousal joining the conversation as Hobie pressed the rim of the glass to Noir’s lips.
James’s feet stopped in front of Kabir’s door, the sound of laughter and dated music filling his ears as he hesitated with his fist raised.
“What are you doing?” Pav asked dryly as he pulled the phone from his ear and disconnected the call, his hostile tone snatching the teen’s attention.
“Why hasn’t my dad showed up yet?” James questioned, shoving the apology down his throat as he turned away from the door.
Pav looked the boy over, taking in his red rimmed eyes, the defeated slump of his shoulders and crooked nose.
“Your mom said the truck wouldn’t make it on the ice.” Pav answered as he placed his phone into his pocket, carefully watching the boy’s response to his words.
“She’s NOT my mom.” James hissed, an apprehensive expression gracing his features as he looked away.
“Of course he CAN’T come get me.” James mumbled, fighting back tears.
“He’s too busy with his new wife and house.”
Pav opened his mouth and quickly closed it, annoyed his empathy had joined them in the hallway.
“James…I-“
“You know…” James interrupted, his eyes returning to Pav as he spoke.
“His truck is new-he just doesn’t want to get me.”
Khalid laughed as Kabir dipped him so low he stumbled and lost his footing, he reached for her, the two of them giggling as they met the floor rug in a tangled mess of limbs.
“This has…been fun.” Khalid sighed whistfully, his fingers digging into the fluffy rug and his eyes closing as Kabir shifted beside him.
“I’m glad I could take your mind off things.“
Kabir said softly, her eyes on the glow and the dark stickers on her ceiling.
Khalid turned on his side, his eyes slowly opening as Kabir spoke.
“Wanna hear the song….I wrote about you?”
Excitement danced across Khalid’s face as Kabir turned and met his gaze, her cheeks growing warm as she waited for a response.
“I’d love to hear it.”
“Cool.” Kabir said casually, fighting back her nerves as she broke their gaze and rose to her feet, her hand extended toward him.
“You can help me do something else.” Pav suggested as he beckoned the teen to come his way, quickly thinking of several incomplete tasks to do around the house.
James reluctantly followed Pav, the frown on his lips deepening as he unlocked his phone and spotted no new notifications.
“This…is amazing.” Khalid said as he stepped into the room, his eyes taking in the rich display of musical instruments that filled the room and decorated the walls.
“Welcome to the music room.” Kabir said evenly as she strode confidently through the room, her eyes on the ivory grand piano several feet away.
“This is exciting.” Khalid said as he watched Kabir take a seat at the piano, the expression on her face serious as her fingers flew passionately across the keys without warning or introduction.
Khalid blinked, taken aback by the vibrant sound as it filled the room and washed over him, her intentions blatant as bold color danced from her fingertips and splashed around her.
“Mmmmh…it’s been a while since we’ve heard this.” Noir hummed approvingly as he took a seat on the couch and pulled Hobie into his lap.
“She wrote this after coming home from school.” Hobie reminded as he finished Noir’s glass of wine and sat the empty glass onto the table.
“Her first day…I remember.” Noir nodded as he closed his eyes and sank comfortably into the couch, letting the music wash over him.
“This…is a love song.” Hobie said as Noir’s arms wrapped around him, surprise gracing his attractive features.
“How can you tell?”
“How can you not?” Hobie asked sarcastically, closing his eyes.
“What is this…twilight?” James asked dryly, his feet suddenly stopping in the middle of the hallway, searching for the origin of the enchanting sound.
Ignacio pulled the umbrella from the trunk, his eyes on the rain as he pushed the backseat door open and waited for his siblings.
“It’s coming down hard.” Andrés commented as he stepped under the umbrella, his eyes roaming the partially full lot as he pushed the keycard down into his pocket.
“It’ll be like this all day.” Summer sighed as she joined her brothers under the umbrella, her arms wrapping around herself as a chilly breeze slammed through them nearly shoving her back into the car.
“No one gives a fuck about the weather.” Ignacio said with an eye roll as he stepped forward, a frown immediately crossing his lips as the heel of his croc slid into a murky puddle.
Andrés’s eyes slid to Summer, the two of them exchanging a silent conversation as Lyla reappeared.
“Please go through the front of the building…like normal people. Please?” Lyla asked with a sigh as she guided the teens toward the front of the building.
Miguel abruptly sat up in bed, his link pulsating with fear and confusion.
His hand ghosted to his link, the sensation nearly overwhelming as he snatched his phone from the nightstand, quickly selecting the number for HQ.
He rose from bed as the line rang, his head ringing as he stepped into the bathroom.
“Mr.O’Hara! Could you please come to HQ-“
“Is Jessica alright?” Miguel asked as he flushed the toilet and snatched his jeans from the floor.
“We NEED you to come now. She’s woken up.”
“I’ll be there soon.” Miguel said as he disconnected the line, and rushed through getting dressed, his feet quickly carrying him through the quiet house.
His stepped through the kitchen, frantically searching for his car keys.
“Where did Summer put my ke-“ Miguel trailed off, his hands stopping as his head turned toward the garage.
He rushed toward the garage, his eyes going wide as he flicked on the lights.
“What if dad wakes up?” Andrés asked curiously as Summer signed her name across the sign-in sheet, smiling as she handed the clipboard back to the receptionist.
“He’ll definitely call.” Ignacio said as he bit into his snicker, his eyes on the sleeping security guard in the lobby.
Andrés considered that, a question quickly blooming from his lips . “What if he gets mad we left?”
Ignacio frowned midchew, his eyes sliding to Andrés.
“Even if he does wake up-we took the only car.”
Summer said evenly, her eyes skipping down the hallway.
Miguel pushed open the closed bedroom door, his eyes sliding onto the empty beds, he frowned as he took notice of Summer’s displaced blanket and forgotten house shoes.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, quickly pulling up their location and sighed with relief.
“Is that…mom?” Ignacio questioned, his eyes growing wide as he watched a half naked woman run down the hallway, several nurses chasing behind her.
“Thats…definitely mom.” Andrés answered as they watched her kick a male nurse in the chest, sending him spiraling into the brigade of nurses behind him.
“What’s going?!” Summer snapped at the receptionist, the woman’s mouth opened but she offered no answers, her eyes on the commotion as she watched the group of nurses hit the floor.
Andrés watched as Jessica protectively held her wrist, drops of blood staining her white gown as she frantically searched for an exit.
“I think she’s confused.” Andrés ascertained, taking in the distress that rippled from her pores, and the frantic searching of her eyes as Ignacio and Summer bolted in Jessica’s direction, nearly startling her into a defensive position.
“Mom! Are you ok? What’s wrong?” Summer asked as she reached into her purse and grabbed a handful of napkins, Jessica’s eyes meeting hers as she offered the napkins.
“Why are you out of bed and beating up staff?” Ignacio asked, pointing his half eaten candy bar at her.
Jessica frowned, a strange look crossing her face as she dragged her eyes from Summer and onto the candy bar.
“What? Are you hungry?” Ignacio asked, offering the candy to his mother.
Andrés slowly approached, his sharp eyes taking in his mother’s response.
“Do you need help?” He asked lightly, his soft voice nearly unrecognizable as he joined the conversation.
“Are you lost?” Andrés asked, making both his siblings shoot him a look.
“Why are you talking to her like that?” Ignacio mumbled under his breath as Summer’s eyes slid back to her mother curiously.
“I….I…don’t know.” Jessica said unhappily, her unease apparent as she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“I don’t know where I am.”
“We can help you.” Andrés offered, as Summer took a step forward and slowly reached for her wrist.
“Mom it’ll be ok.” Summer said trying to offer reassurance as she pressed the napkins to Jessica’s wrist.
“We just have to stop the bleeding.”
Jessica didn’t respond, her eyes jumping past the teens and onto the several nurses slowly approaching.
“Mom….are you ok?” Ignacio asked as he reached for her hand.
“Why do you keep calling me that?” Jessica asked flatly as she pulled her wrist from Summer’s grasp and took several steps backward.
Miguel pulled Jessica’s helmet over his head, his head a congested mess of worry as he started her bike and pressed the button for the garage.
“Miguel we have a situation!” Lyla said quickly, startling Miguel before he could peel out of the open garage.
“What’s wrong?” Miguel asked as he placed his feet back onto the floor of the garage.
“Jessica doesn’t remember anything.” Lyla said frantically, nearly in hysterics as she pulled the shades from her eyes.
“What did you say?” Marianna asked with a raised brow, her eyes on her brother as she watched him pull a waffle from the toaster.
“I said your crazy.” Matéo said flatly as he drizzled a gracious amount of syrup across his waffles.
“What? For assuming something isn’t right?” Marianna asked with narrowed eyes.
“Miles what are you saying?” Gonzalo asked as he ran a comb through his hair, his eyes sliding to Miles’s face in the mirror.
“You don’t think it’s weird…the O’Haras and our family were attacked the same week?”
“Attacked?” Gonzalo asked as he turned back around, his fingers twisting his hair as he stared at his reflection. “What happened?”
“You haven’t heard or seen the news?” Miles asked surprised as he lifted the remote from the dresser and turned on the tv.
“Tonight on Channel five-Mayor of the Omega District is back home today after a horrific hit and run accident that has left his longtime fiancé in critical condition.” The woman on the news said, her face laced with practiced concern.
“What the fuck?!” Gonzalo snapped as he turned toward the tv, his eyes growing wide as Miles turned up the volume.
“This is truly horrific.” The man beside the woman said, his eyes forward as he added to the story.
“They were attacked by an unmarked SUV, and aggressively pursued until their vehicle lost control and spiraled over an incomplete bridge earlier this week.”
“Who the fuck would do that?” Gonzalo asked as he turned toward Miles, gradually growing more uneasy as photos of the crime scene flashed across the screen.
“I meannnnn-we DON’T have enemies.” Matéo
said as he pulled his chair from the table and sat down.
“You heard Papi.” Marianna said evenly, her eyes burning into her brother as he took a big bite of his food. “Dad is literally a superhero.”
“That is true…but the city has BEEN crime free for years.” Matéo reminded as he bit into his waffle.
“Used to be.” Marianna corrected.
“Attacking the Mayor is pretty bold.” Gonzalo said as he stepped in front of the tv with his arms crossed, frowning as he watched the ongoing news coverage.
“The attack happened shortly after O’Hara revealed plans to build a controversial Alpha sanctuary on the outskirts of the Omega District.” The reporter said as the screen showcased Miguel speaking passionately in front of a crowd as construction crews gutted the area behind him.
His smile close to blinding as several faces in the crowd frowned and booed.
Gonzalo’s eye brows shot into his hairline, his head quickly whipping in Miles direction as he spoke.
“Why would he do that?”
Miles sighed deeply as he muted the tv and struggled to provide a truthful answer.
“I don’t know.”
“He probably misses being a shitty Alpha.” Gonzalo said dryly, shoving down the bitterness and unsettling memories that flickered across his mind.
“Well that’s dumb.” Matéo said as he reached for the roll of paper towels in the center of the table, his words bringing a quick scowl to his sister’s lips.
“Well what do YOU think?” Marianna asked as she snatched the roll of paper towels before he could reach them.
“Mmmh-I think you’re rude.” Matéo said with an eyeroll.
“No-WHO do you THINK those people who broke into our house were?” Marianna asked with a lifted brow as she leaned back in her seat, unamused by her brother’s refusal to listen.
“Definitely ninja.” Matéo said quickly as he took another bite of his waffle, growing slightly annoyed his fingers were sticky.
“You’re just saying that because they had on black.” Marianna said skeptically as she tossed the paper towel roll at him.
“No-I’m saying that because they LOOKED like ninjas.” Matéo said as he caught the roll and quickly tore off two pieces.
“That doesn’t make any since.” Gonzalo said as Miles turned off the tv and headed toward the bathroom, Gonzalo following hot on his heels with questions.
“You know…I saw a similar car earlier this week-creeping in our neighborhood. It looked just like the SUV on the news .”
Miles said as he flicked on the light in the bathroom and stared boredly at his reflection, his mind in another place as worrisome thoughts filled his head.
“WHAT AND YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING?!” Gonzalo snapped, making Miles’s eyes bounce in his direction.
“Mmmh…guess it could be worse.” Marianna sighed as she reached across the table and tore a piece of Matéo’s waffle, making him frown.
Matéo opened his mouth to complain, their father’s words swiftly interrupting their quarrel.
“Kids we’re leaving.” Gonzalo said as he stormed into the kitchen with several bags on his arms.
“But we just got home.” Marianna said surprised, her eyes briefly meeting her brother’s before sliding onto their father.
Matéo sat down his half eaten waffle, his eyes sliding to Miles as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Should we pack-“
“I already packed both your bags.” Gonzalo interrupted quickly as Miles fiddled with the watch on his wrist.
“You’ll be staying at Tio Noir’s until further notice.” Gonzalo informed as a portal rippled to life several feet behind him.
“Dad…is everything ok?” Matéo asked as he rose from his seat, his eyes on Miles as Gonzalo ushered both children toward the portal.
“Everything is fine.” Miles lied as he followed behind them, grasping at strings of optimism.
Kabir’s fingers slowly stopped moving as she leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed, her breathing rushed as silence filled the room.
Khalid stood rooted in place, his eyes on the keys of the piano, completely in awe as his heart slammed nervously into his ribcage.
“I wrote this about you…the day we met.” Kabir admitted, her eyes slowly opening, a shy expression blanketing her delicate features as she slowly turned in his direction.
“What do you thin-“
He pressed his lips to hers before she could complete the question, his nerves in his throat as he slowly pulled away and held her gaze, the two of them wearing matching dopey smiles as he reached for her hand and dragged his thumb across her knuckles before speaking.
“You…wrote THIS…the day…we met?” Khalid asked, seeking confirmation as Kabir intertwined their fingers.
“I did.” She said with a nod, making his cheeks ripen with color.
“I…uh…never heard you play that way before.” Khalid said clearing his throat.
“I usually don’t-UNLESS I’m home.” She said softly, as she broke their gaze.
“You are amazing. Yes you are.” Pav hummed as he danced around his office, happily watering the plants that lined the walls.
James rolled his eyes as he scrubbed the window harder, his mind wandering as he thought of Clair.
He inhaled shakily as Clair’s smiling face filled his thoughts, his mind quickly jumping to outlandish assumptions.
She’d dumped him.
All his friends had…dumped him.
Matéo looked around as he stepped into the hallway, Marianna bit into the waffle as she stepped behind him, her eyes roaming as the portal closed behind Miles.
“Sooo what’s on your mind?” Hobie asked coyly as Noir’s hands started to roam, lustful intentions clear as he pressed a series of kisses across Hobie’s jawline and throat.
“I’m sure you know.” Noir drunkenly hummed, ready to strip the taller man in the living room.
Miles cleared his throat, ending the lust felt discourse.
“Well hello.” Noir hiccupped as his eyes flickered onto to the group, a dopey smile sliding to his lips.
“Hello indeed.” Hobie said as he rose from the couch and approached Miles.
“Everything ok-you usually call before showing up.”
“Miles-I thought you talked to Pav.” Gonzalo sighed, making Miles frown.
“I did.” Miles said, his attention returning to Hobie. “Pav hasn’t told you anything?”
“Tio Noir!” Marianna sang happily as she plopped beside him on the couch.
“Got any snacks?” She whispered, making him chuckle.
“Always.” Noir hummed.
“Hola Tio Hobie.” Matéo said politely before taking his spot on the couch beside Noir.
“Can we watch Hell Raiser part two?” Matéo
whispered to Noir, making the Alpha laugh as he leaned back into the cushions of the couch lazily and handed Matéo the remote.
“No…Pav hasn’t said anything to us.” Hobie said rolling his eyes.
“But we’ve had a lot going on these last two days.” Noir informed as he rose from the couch and grabbed a nearby blanket, ignoring Marianna and Matéo’s complaints as he dropped the blanket over their heads as the opening credits started.
Pav frowned, his eyes on James as he watched the young teen stand rooted in place, his eyes on Kabir and Khalid.
The envy is obvious.
The pain is too.
Pav’s eyes flickered from James and onto the pair, his eyes widened as Kabir longingly held Khalid’s gaze, a shy smile gracing her full lips as she leaned forward and pressed their lips together, her eyes closing as she fell into the kiss, oblivious to prying eyes.
Pav tore his eyes from the lip locking and approached James, trying to offer foreign comfort.
“I miss Clair….so much.” James sighed, his attention sliding to his hands, as the cleaning products slipped between his fingers and onto the floor.
Pav took a tenative step forward, a hand touched his shoulder, stopping his progression and making him turn around.
“Can we just…talk about this?” Jericho asked as he grabbed Margo’s wrist, halting her movements and catching the attention of several curious eyes around them in the restaurant.
“There’s NOTHING to talk about.” Margo said dryly as she twisted her wrist, breaking his hold before rushing out of the building.
Jericho reached into his wallet and tosses several bills onto the table, his eyes on the door as he rushed out of the restaurant in search of Margo.
Margo sighed as she looked at her Uber options, each one worse than the one before.
“Great…it’ll take forever to get home.” Margo grumbled as she looked the time.
“Fuck! I won’t get home until midnight.”
“I can take you home…” Jericho suggested as he stepped outside, his eyes sliding toward the sky as lighting struck above their heads.
“No thanks.” Margo said flatly, watching as the eta of her Uber appeared endless.
She’d be here…stranded on the opposite time of town for a few hours.
“Can you take me to the nearest station?” Margo asked as she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stay warm as an aggressive breeze rolled through.
“There isn’t public transport in this part of the city.” Jericho explained as his car pulled up, his driver eagerly hopped out and pulled open the door, a nervous smile on his face.
“Is that why you suggested I meet you here?” Margo asked dryly.
“Let me give you a ride home.” Jericho offered as he slid into the backseat of the car and pat the space beside him.
“I’d rather walk.” Margo declined sharply, spinning on her heels, quickly putting distance between them, the driver tensed up uncomfortably as the rejection washed over Jericho, his usual slow burn of emotions morphing into something unrecognizable as he stepped out of the car and headed in Margo’s direction.
“Don’t you hear me talking to you?” Jericho snapped as he reached for Margo’s purse strap, yanking her backward and nearly off of her feet as drops of rain sprinted from the clouds.
“Get off me!!” Margo yelled as she reached deep into her purse and pulled out her mace, ignoring the sharp pain itching up her lower back as she pointed it defensively at Jericho.
“You wouldn’t dare.” Jericho said with narrowed cold eyes.
“Try me.” Margo challenged as her vision started to blur, unbearable discomfort tiptoeing up her spine, making her wince.
“I already have.” Jericho confessed with a chuckle as he watched the mace slip from Margo’s hand, the pain in her lower back increasing and she struggled to keep her eyes open.
“Did….did-you drug…me?” Margo asked as the world around her started to spiral, her discomfort increasing as Jericho took a step toward her.
“I did-what needed to be done…” Jericho said with a bored shrug of his shoulders, his happiness only growing as Margo’s eyes closed and her legs gave out beneath her.
“Soooo you think he’s after Margo?” Eric asked, slightly confused, his eyes bouncing up from his notes and onto Gwen
“We’ve been over this already.” Gwen huffed as Eric stared at her, skepticism coating his features.
“Gwen if that’s the case-why would he choose to represent someone who clearly has a vendetta?” Eric asked curiously, he’d caught wind of the press tour and didn’t like Jericho much either.
“That wouldn’t put him in a favorable position…going after her mate.”
Gwen considered the question.
“To try and break us up.” Gwen said softly, her mind jumping back to the look of hurt that clung to Peni’s features the night Jericho had nearly shoved paperwork into her face.
“Mmmmh…ok. Say that’s his goal-how exactly would he-“
The sharp sound of Gwen’s ringtone filled the air, interrupting Eric’s question and making him frown as Gwen pulled the phone from her pocket and answered.
“Have you heard from Margo?” Peni asked, not bothering to say hello or address the fact she’d been ignoring Gwen’s calls.
“No…why? “ Gwen asked as she turned away from Eric, the soft sound of Peni picking up and moving things filled the background.
“Her phone and location are turned off.” Peni said sharply, as she pulled up a map her eyes narrowing as she looked over Margo’s last location.
“What?!” Gwen squawked, screaming past worry and straight into full blown panic.
“She was down town for an hour and suddenly disappeared.” Peni sighed as she pulled her arms from her lab coat and placed it onto her neatly organized desk.
“I’ll meet you back home.” Peni said before disconnecting the line.
Gwen pulled the phone from her ear, the scent around her tainted with worry as she turned toward Eric and spoke.
“I have to go.”
Peni stepped out of the portal and into the living room, a frown crossing her lips as she caught sight of the sitter sleeping, their limbs stretched out across the couch as Wei dug through her backpack, a smile quickly consuming his face as he caught sight of Peni.
“Wei Wei what are you getting into?” Peni asked with a smile as she plucked him from the floor, not bothering to wake the exhausted teen.
Wei blew a raspberry, his fingers touching Peni’s face as she walked through the house, she sat Wei in his crib and started to pack his bag.
“We have to go find Mommy Margo.” Peni explained, as she placed several diapers into his bag. “Until we find her…you’ll be with Uncle Noir and Hobie.”
Wei tilted his head curiously, a smile appearing on his lips as Gwen stepped into the room.
“Any updates?” Gwen asked as she turned toward the dresser and grabbed several onesies, she handed them to Peni as she lifted Wei from the bed.
“No.” Peni said shakily, struggling to stomp out the concern that sprinkled through her tone as she closed Wei’s bag and handed Gwen a pair of socks.
“Wei isn’t going with us-is he?” Gwen asked curiously as Wei ignored the offered socks in her hand.
“I’ve already called Noir.” Peni said as a portal rippled to life behind them.
“Is this everything?” Noir asked as he took the bag from Peni and slipped the strap over his shoulder, his eyes bouncing across the colorful nursery.
“That’s everything he should need.” Peni confirmed as Gwen handed Wei to Noir.
Wei giggled as he reached for Noir’s shades, his excitement only growing as the Alpha pulled them from his face and placed them over Wei’s eyes.
“This shouldn’t take long…maybe her cell just died downtown.” Gwen said hopefully as Noir turned and met her gaze, a serious expression gracing his face.
“You take as much time as you need.” Noir said as he slid the strap of the baby bag higher up his arm.
“Call me if you need help.” Noir said with a wave as he pivoted on his heels and exited the room, leaving them along with their thoughts as the portal rippled closed.
“Look another baby.” Hobie said happily as he plucked Wei from his arms.
“Don’t let Pav see you holding Wei-he’ll get weird.” Noir sighed as he sat Wei’s bag beside Marianna on the couch.
“When is he NOT weird.” Gonzalo said as he reached for Wei’s hand, smiling as he greeted the baby.
“He’s…having issues dealing with Kabir growing up.” Noir admitted, earning a look of concern from Miles.
“Baby fever. He means.” Hobie clarified, earning an eyeroll from Gonzalo.
“He wants another baby?” Miles asked, a little surprised. “Pav fainted your first ultrasound appointment.”
Pav cleared his throat, impolitely popping the cocoon of privacy that blanketed the music room.
Kabir sighed as she tore her eyes from Khalid, her attention reluctantly turning to her father, her brow lifted as she caught sight of a visibly uncomfortable James standing beside him.
“Unfortunately your parents don’t feel comfortable driving on the ice, so you’ll be here another night.” Pav informed, his eyes on Khalid.
“Don’t or won’t?” Khalid asked knowingly, not bothering to get confirmation from James as he rose from his seat.
“I DON’T KNOW ANY OF YOU.” Jessica said calmly, her eyes rolling across the concerned faces of the teens that stood in front of her.
“Please STOP calling me mom.”
“But you are their mother.” Miguel said he pushed past several nurses and stepped into the conversation, Lyla on his shoulder as his eyes searched Jessica’s face.
“Do…you really not remember us?”
Jessica frowned, her brows creasing together as her eyes bounced from the teens and onto Miguel. “No.”
“Mr.O’Hara I have bad news.” The Doctor said as he ushered Miguel out of Jessica’s room.
“How bad?” Miguel asked, his eyes on the window of the door as he watched a nurse check Jessica’s vitals.
“She was shot with something other than a bullet-we’re working around the clock to figure out exactly what it was.”
“What do you mean-it wasn’t a bullet?” Miguel asked his eyes sliding to the Doctor.
“Mr.O’Hara your wife was shot with something that’s currently blocking her spider abilities and memories.”
“How do you feel?” Summer asked as she watched the nurse shine a light into Jessica’s eyes.
“Like I don’t have children or a husband.” Jessica said flatly, earning an irritated look from Ignacio.
“Well…you do.” Ignacio reminded sharply as Andrés approached the bed, pulling his cellphone from his pocket.
“Here’s proof.” Andrés said as he turned his phone over, revealing several photos of Jessica interacting with each person in the room.
“Mmmmh.” Jessica said skeptically.
“I don’t think this is the way…I envisioned my life.” Jessica admitted as she lifted the phone from Andrés’s hand, her eyes roaming the screen as she flipped through the pictures, her finger suddenly stopping.
“What do you mean?” Summer asked, her eyes going wide as Ignacio tossed his candy wrapper into the nearest trash.
“Who are these people?” Jessica asked sharply, as she turned the phone toward the teens.
Andrés looked at the screen and frowned.
“The District board.” He filled in, watching unhappiness flicker across her face.
“Mom…do you recognize any of those people?” Summer asked softly, picking up the discomfort on her mother’s face.
Jessica didn’t respond.
“Do you remember any of these people?” Summer asked, her tone making both bothers look her way.
“I…I….”Jessica hesitated, uncertainty clouding her judgement.
“Summer…she doesn’t remember.” Ignacio warned as he watched Jessica drop the phone onto the bed,a dejected expression crossing her face as she dug her hands into her hair.
Andrés wordlessly watched the exchange, his sharp eyes quickly piecing together Summer’s concern.
“Mom you were attacked…did any of these people hurt you?” Andrés asked, pointing at the screen.
“I….I…can’t remember.” Jessica stuttered, tears rolling down her cheeks as sadness and fear wrapped around her.
“I can’t remember who hurt me.”
“Mr.O’Hara…she’s in a very delicate state.” The Doctor stated softly, a look of apprehension pulling at the wrinkles of his face as he continued.
“Encourage her to remember-but DON’T pressure her…if you push too hard she may shut down.”
“Will…she be able to come home today?” Miguel asked hopeful, his optimism undeterred by the bleak news.
She needed to be home with family, resting and recovering not alone in a cold sterile room.
“She’ll be free to go…after a few more tests.” The older man said with a nod as he glanced at the paperwork in his hands.
“I think a familiar environment will aid in making her feel more comfortable and her memory returning.” The Doctor added, his attention sliding to the hesitant nurses several feet away.
“You made mom cry dummy.” Ignacio snapped as Andrés started to panic, unsure how to offer comfort as their mother suddenly met his gaze and started to cry harder, her shoulders shaking.
“I didn’t mean to.” Andrés cried as he reached for his mother’s hand, desperately trying to console her. “Mom…please..don’t cry.”
“If she keeps crying-I’m going to start crying.” Ignacio warned flatly, startling Summer forward.
“It’ll be ok…it’s ok.” Summer said softly as she climbed into bed beside Jessica and pulled her into her arms, quickly repeating the gentle treatment she’d seen her give them.
“What’s wrong?” Miguel asked as he stepped back into the room, his eyes immediately sliding to Summer as she cradled Jessica’s head in her lap, her fingers pushing a braid behind her mother’s ear as she softly spoke.
Margo groaned as she opened her eyes, the world around her spinning as the sound of footsteps grew closer.
“She’s awake sir.”
“How are her vitals?” Jericho asked as he stepped into the light, his eyes on Margo as she blinked rapidly, trying to piece together where she was.
“Her vitals are good.”
“Wonderful and how is my baby?” Jericho asked as he stepped away from the Doctor, his feet taking him to the bed, he smiled as he dragged his fingers along the bedding, his eyes meeting Margo’s.
Margo screamed as she awoke, startling an elderly couple several seats away on the bus, the man frowned as the woman beside him rose from her seat and quickly approached the empty one beside Margo.
“Darling are you ok?” The older woman gently asked, looking Margo over with motherly concern as she offered her a napkin.
“Yeah…I’m-fine.” Margo lied, declining the napkin as she reached into her purse, frantically searching for her phone, frustration and unease tugging at her insides.
“I…just…need to get home.”
Notes:
Told you lol
Chapter 5: Mom would shit bricks
Notes:
The drama continues….
Chapter Text
“Oh…no…oh …no.” Margo said as she combed through her purse a second time, still unable to locate her phone.
“What’s wrong?” The woman beside her asked as unhappiness corrupted Margo’s features.
“I…can’t find my phone.” Margo admitted after a moment as she sat back in her seat, trying to recall the last time she’d seen or had it.
“Oh my…would you like to use mine?” The woman offered as she pulled a brick from her purse and offered it to Margo.
Jericho hummed as he attempted to bypass the password lock on Margo’s phone, genuine laughter spiling from lips as he locked himself out of her phone a third time.
“Would you like me to arrange jailbreaking it, Sir?” Ross asked eagerly as he watched his boss gently place the phone face down on his desk.
“That won’t be necessary.” Jericho said with a dismissive wave, his attention returning to the stack of paperwork on his desk.
“She’ll call eventually.” Jericho hummed amused as he lifted the phone from his desk and tossed it hard into the wall, more laughter spilling from his lips as the phone broke into pieces and the screen went black.
Margo blankly stared at the large buttons on the phone, her fingers hesitating above the digits.
“What’s wrong? Go ahead and call your family.” The woman encouraged, earning a disgruntled sigh from her husband as he shifted disapprovingly in his seat.
“I don’t know anyone’s number.” Margo confessed, bursting into tears and startling the older woman.
“She was definitely here.” Gwen confirmed as she lifted a sonic phone charm from the wet sidewalk, her eyes sliding to the closed sign several feet away on the restaurant door.
“I don’t understand .” Peni said as she looked around, her sharp eyes searching for street cameras.
“It’s getting late.” Gwen said as she pulled her eyes away from her watch, taking in the night life that started to flood the sidewalks around them.
“Nearest bus station is fifteen minutes away.”
Peni said as a projection bounced from the screen of her watch, Gwen turned toward Peni relief splashing across her face as Margo stepped into frame.
“There’s no audio…these cameras are shit.”
Peni complained watching the clip.
“She looks upset.” Gwen noted quickly as she watched the corners of Margo’s lip drop, a tense expression on her face as she turned to speak to someone.
“Who is she talking to?” Gwen asked as she stepped closer, unable to make out the other person.
“He made sure to stay out of camera range.”
Peni said dryly as she watched Margo pull mace from her purse and take a defensive stance, her brows knitted together in anger.
“You think it’s Jericho?” Gwen asked as Margo turned around and stepped out of frame, the projection ending.
“Of course.” Kabir said with a laugh, making her father’s eye brows lift in shock.
“Wait-he asked you out and you said; of course?” Noir asked in disbelief, making Hobie burst into laughter.
“Well, what was I supposed to say?” Kabir asked as she pulled her plate from the refrigerator and slid it into the microwave.
“She gets that from you.” Hobie teased as he playfully bumped Noir with his elbow.
“What?” Noir asked, unsure if he should be offended. “I’d like to think I’m smoother than that.”
Hobie snorted.
Kabir pulled her plate from the microwave and rolled her eyes as she sat her plate onto the kitchen table.
“Look at my baby…she’s got a boyfriend.”
Hobie hummed, amused the day had finally arrived.
“Daddy please.” Kabir grumbled squeezing the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb, already aware where the conversation was headed.
Hobie simply smiled as he leaned backwards in his seat, his eyes on the ceiling as Noir shifted beside him.
“Bir…I think it’s time we have a serious conversation.” Noir said evenly as he placed a hand on the table, his bleak tone stopping the movement of his daughter’s fork.
“Please….just let me eat in peace.” Kabir mumbled with a sigh, as Noir pulled the black shades from his face, his sharp hazel eyes on her.
“It’s time to talk about the birds and bees.”
“Oh God.” Kabir sighed as she lifted her plate from the table and quickly brushed past Pav on her way out of the kitchen.
Hobie burst into laughter, his volume only increasing as Pav stepped into the kitchen, confusion etched across his face.
“What are you two doing?” Kabir asked as she pushed open her bedroom door, her eyes falling on the three children seemly holding her boyfriend hostage.
“We’re playing.” Marianna said with a giggle as she continued to paint Khalid’s fingernails green.
“Let’s give youuuuuuu…a ponytail.” Matéo suggested as he ran a brush through Khalid’s hair, his head bobbing to the music floating from the record player.
Wei Wei farted, a peaceful expression crossing his chubby face as he continued to snore, his sockless feet pressed to Khalid’s face as he lazily stretched across the edge of the bed.
Khalid smiled weakly as his eyes met Kabir’s, her brow lifting as Matéo twisted his hair into an unattractive ponytail.
“Khalid blink if you need help.” Kabir demanded as she stepped forward and pulled the bedroom door closed behind her.
Jessica blinked, choosing to say nothing as Miguel pulled the car in the driveway, he sighed as he turned off the car and pulled the keys from the ignition.
“We’re finally home.” Miguel said wistfuly as he leaned back in the driver’s seat.
Summer pushed open her door and sprinted out of the car, a smile plastered on her face as she ran up the steps two at time and stood in front of the door with her arms spread wide.
“Andddddd this is where we live.” Summer announced happily as Ignacio pulled open the passenger side door, his eyes on the sky as he waited for his mother to step out of the car.
Summer continued to ramble, pointing out the flowers by the front door, desperately filling the air with words, as she searched for normalcy.
Jessica stepped out of the car, wordlessly taking in the large two story home as thunder struck the sky.
“Why didn’t you pull into the garage?” Lyla inquired as she appeared on Miguel’s shoulder, pink umbrella open wide above her head.
“Because…I wanted her to see the house…and neighborhood.” Miguel said as he watched Jessica stop and pluck a flower.
“Maybe…she’ll remember something.”
“Doesn’t look like it worked.” Ignacio said as Jessica stared boredly at their home for a moment, her brows knitting together as she searched the neighborhood, her eyes roaming across the different houses.
“We planted these together.” Andrés said softly as he stepped beside his mother, his eyes on the array of yellow roses that lined the front entrance.
“These are beautiful.” Jessica said softly as she handed the rose to Andrés, a pleasant smile sliding to her lips.
Miguel shut the driver’s door behind him, quickly picking through his keys as he approached the front door.
Ignacio watched as Miguel pressed a quick kiss to the space between Jessica’s eye brows, the habbit routine and engrained in his memories as he briefly remembered the first day they’d moved in.
The look of joy on his father’s face seemingly limitless as he stood in front of the door, keys in hand.
“This is the living room.” Andrés said evenly as his grip on Jessica’s hand tightened, his voice steady as he guided her throughout their home, giving her a brisk tour.
“You have a beautiful home.” Jessica said out loud to no one in particular, her eyes dancing across the tasteful decor and solid dark furniture.
“WE have a beautiful home mom.” Andrés gently corrected, his eyes on the family photo that hung above the fireplace.
Jessica followed his gaze, her eyes going wide as she took a tentative step toward the fireplace, her eyes on the life like painting that hung above the mantle.
“How long have we lived here?” Jessica asked softly, her eyes roaming the large painting and picking apart the detailing.
“We moved here almost ten years ago.” Miguel said as he took a step beside her, his eyes on the painting.
“This was taken a few months after we moved in.” Miguel continued, a whisper of a smile sliding to his lips as Jessica plucked a picture from the mantle of the fireplace.
The photo look dated with yellow edges, the passage of time encapsulated in black and white,
Jessica ran curious fingertips across the gold frame.
Large matching smiles on their faces as they sat unnecessarily close, admiration in his eyes as his gaze rested on her.
Jessica swallowed past the lump forming in her throat, her eyes lingering on the photo as she spoke.
“How long have we been married?” Jessica asked curiously.
“A long time.” Miguel said softly, making Ignacio turn in his direction.
“I figured.” Jessica said as she placed the frame back on the mantle and grabbed another.
“Which one of you…is the oldest?” Jessica asked as she looked over another dated photo, the four of them happily posing beside a large animatronic mouse.
“You can’t tell?” Ignacio mumbled rudely, earning a sharp elbow nudge from his sister.
Jessica’s eyes flickered toward Ignacio, taking in his caramel complexion, brown eyes and thick unruly hair.
He looked like a considerate blend of her and Miguel mashed together.
“I’m guessing you aren’t.” Jessica hummed as she sat the photo down and grabbed another, a smile crossing her lips as she took in the Halloween costumes and horribly hand painted faces.
“I’m the oldest.” Summer said proudly, watching as her mother dragged a thoughtful finger across the top of the frame.
“I’m the youngest.” Andrés said calmly, earning an eye roll from Ignacio as Jessica sat the frame down and turned toward Ignacio.
“You must be my rude middle child.” Jessica noted, making Andrés snort as his eyes slid to the living room window.
“I’m not…that rude.” Ignacio complained, earning a sigh from Miguel as he stepped toward the nearest window and pulled back the blinds.
Andrés wordlessly stepped beside his father and followed his gaze into the wet and densely packed neighborhood, cars of varies colors and sizes lined the street and curb close by.
“Are you looking for an SUV with blacked out windows?” Andrés asked curiously, making Miguel shift uncomfortably in his direction.
“One followed us this morning.” Andrés filled in before his father could ask.
“How old are you anyway?” Jessica asked abruptly as she turned away from the fireplace and stepped deeper into the living room.
“I can’t believe you just asked me that.” Ignacio scoffed, visibly offended.
“Don’t be too upset…I was going to ask you my age next.” Jessica said with a laugh as she ran curious fingers along the arm of the couch.
“I haven’t seen another since we arrived…but we did crash the last one.” Andrés continued as Miguel pulled the curtain closed.
“Wait what?” Gwen asked still not comprehending as she struggled to hear Margo, her link going haywire with emotions as she heard the tremor of sadness in the Beta’s voice.
“Margo WHERE are you?” Gwen asked as she hit the speaker button on her phone and watched the projection floating above Peni’s wrist change.
“Keep her talking…I’m trying to find her exact location.” Peni said as the projection shifted again, changing direction.
“Margo are you in a car?” Gwen asked, pulling the phone closer to her ear as she struggled to hear a response, the line going in and out every other word.
“A bus? Which bus?” Gwen asked, trying to remain calm as Margo spoke in between tears.
“ Got it.” Peni said as she turned toward Gwen, showing her a bus headed in the opposite direction.
“Margo get off at the next stop.” Peni said as she took the phone from Gwen’s hand, their feet both moving. “We’re coming to get you.”
“Ok…please hurry.” Margo said as she disconnected the call and handed the phone back to the woman.
“Thank you so much.” Margo said as she accepted a Kleenex from the woman and quickly wiped her face, growing embarrassed.
“No problem at all. Would you like us to stay with you?” The woman offered, making her husband turn in her direction and complain.
“Margret I want to go home.”
“Shut up Phil. It wouldn’t kill you to have manners.” Margret snapped, wrinkling her nose disapprovingly at her husband.
“No…I’m fine. I’m going to get off at the next stop.” Margo sniffled, her left hand resting on her stomach as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves.
“I’m so sorry…it’s t-the hormones.” Margo hiccuped as she wiped her eyes and inhaled shakily.
“You are expecting.” Margret said gently, her eyes on Margo’s small stomach.
“We can stay with you until your family arrives.” Margret offered making her husband sigh unhappily.
“Great she’s pregnant AND lost. We’ll never get home.” Phil sighed as he sank into his seat, his eyes toward the window as he begrudgingly watched cars zip by.
“She should be here in two minutes.” Peni said as her feet touched the ground, her eyes toward the empty street as Gwen landed quietly beside her.
“What was she doing on this side of town anyway?” Gwen questioned as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
“I don’t want to assume anything.” Peni said evenly as she zipped her jacket closed and pulled her hood over her head.
“Why haven’t you been returning our phone calls? “ Gwen asked as she pulled her beanie down over her forehead.
“I…haven’t had anything to say.” Peni admitted, her eyes on the screen of her watch.
“So you’re just going to ice us out and NOT deal with this?”
“Gwen…can we talk about this later?” Peni sighed closing her eyes tiredly.
“When is later?” Gwen asked as a set of headlights appeared at the end of the street.
“Later.” Peni repeated, not bothering to elaborate as the bus grew closer.
“I know you’re upset about everything going on-but Margo needs US right now.” Gwen said evenly as she turned toward Peni demanding her gaze. “We BOTH need you.”
Gonzalo frowned as he watched several police cruisers pull into their driveway, blocking the entrance and majority of the street.
“Miles the people you threatened are here.” Gonzalo said dryly as he looked away from the door camera, his feet taking him back to their bedroom.
“Good. Took them long enough.” Miles said with indifference, not bothering to put on his suit as he pulled open his closet door, fingering through the racks until he found his adidas jacket.
Gonzalo shook his head as he plopped down on the bed, his eyes on his other half as he took his time getting dressed.
“Sooooo what’s the plan?” Gonzalo asked curiously, his brow lifting with worry as he watched Miles slip his foot into a black air force.
“Miles…..what are you about to do?”
“Mmmh…you know…just have a chat with law enforcement.” Miles said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Should I be worried?” Gonzalo asked sitting up.
“Sir…I don’t think we should do this?” A deputy nervously mumbled as Stevens tossed his lit cigarette into the grass, his eyes sliding to the young man.
“You don’t get paid to think.”
“Sir-we shouldn’t be doing this.”
“You think I give a fuck about some retired self-fucking hero?” Stevens snapped at the man behind him, making him flench backward.
“Wait-wait-waittttttt.” Andrews said holding his hand up in the air, requesting further information.
“Did you just say retired HERO?”
“Yes the hell he did.” Jones confirmed unhappily
as he swiftly pivoted on his hells and turned back toward his cruiser. “Andrews I’m leaving.”
“You want us to unlawfully detain…Spider-Man?” Andrews asked bluntly.
“The Miles Morales.” Jones said as he pulled open his cruiser door and shoved the key into the ignition, ready to leave.
“Fuck you and fuck this idea. I’m NOT doing this.” Andrews said uncomfortably, his eyes shifting to the Morales home nervously as he turned back toward Stevens before rushing after Jones.
“Where the hell are you going Andrews?!” Stevens snapped, growing irritated as he watched the young officer flip him a finger before accelerating out of the drive way.
“Sir…he knows WE planted the drugs.” The deputy beside him hissed, his eyes sliding to the front door.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Stevens said with an eye roll, over the pushback from young officers.
“Rick is going to talk!” The deputy snapped, startling several other officers around them.
“Rick is crack head-who got caught with drugs.” Stevens said dismissively, making the young man’s eyes widen in shock. “That has nothing to do with me.”
“YOU took them from evidence lockup-“
“NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.” Stevens snapped with disgust, ending the conversation as he pivoted on his heels and headed toward the front door.
“They’re idiots.” Gonzalo sighed, as he rolled back the cameras, a frown sliding to his face as he rewatched Stevens toss a lit cigarette
into the center of their yard.
“See why I threatened them?” Miles asked as he glanced over Gonzalo’s shoulder, his hands sliding into his pockets.
“Knock on the door.” Stevens repeated, his cheeks going red with anger as no officer moved.
“You’re all weak.” Steven spat, annoyed as he rushed toward the door and raised his fist.
Miles pulled the front door open before Stevens could touch it, a fake smile gracing his lips as he greeted the Chief of police.
“Officer Stevens are you finally here with surveillance?”
“I uh-yes.” Stevens mumbled, caught off guard by the friendly façade and smoothness of Miles’s tone.
“That was faster than expected.” Miles said with a cheery laugh as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“You said it’d be days…possibly even weeks.”
Thunder cracked across the sky, signaling a warning as Miles’s smile dropped.
“What changed?”
Stevens opened his mouth to speak, his words faltering as Gonzalo stepped beside Miles in the doorway, his obsidian eyes burning.
“Why’d you throw a lit cigarette in my yard?” Gonzalo asked dryly, a pillar of animosity as he stepped past Miles, and leaned against the opposite side of the door frame, their unwelcoming auras meshing together in the doorway.
“Also why’d you admit on camera you set Rick up?” Miles asked curiously, gesturing toward the newly installed camera pointed directly at Stevens.
Pav knocked as he pushed open Kabir’s bedroom door, his eyes roaming the room full of sleeping teens and children.
He tiptoed through the room, mindful not to step on the twins or their toys as he turned off the music.
Pav’s eyes slid to Kabir, stretched out in bed beside a snoring Wei, her fingers intertwined with Khalid’s as he lay on the floor beside her bed wrapped in blankets.
Pav watched them for a moment, his eyes taking in the rise and fall of Kabir’s chest as she kicked off the blankets.
Khalid snored lightly, his thick brown hair swept in a lumpy ponytail. He seemed to bury himself deeper into the blankets as he clung to Kabir, refusing to let go.
Pav lifted the empty plate and half eaten bowl of popcorn from the dresser, mindful not to make noise on the way out as he softly shut the door behind him.
“Awww look at you.” Hobie teased as he pulled his joint from his lips, his eyes on Pav as he stepped into the hallway.
“I’m surprised your mean ass didn’t kick him out.”
“Don’t make me change my mind.” Pav said with a frown as he headed toward the kitchen with Hobie on his heels.
“Where’s James?” Pav asked as he dumped the dishes into the sink.
“In the den crying.” Hobie said lazily as he cracked the kitchen window.
“Wonderful. He tell you about his parents?” Pav asked curiously as he turned from the sink.
“He complained about his dad…and stormed off earlier.” Hobie informed with a nod.
“Yeah-he was throwing a pitty party earlier.” Noir chimed in dismissively as he stepped into the kitchen with an empty glass and full bottle of wine.
“Anyway you hear about what happened to Miguel?” Noir asked as he sat the bottle on the counter and plucked the joint from Hobie’s fingers, ready to gossip.
“What? He got fired from the District?” Pav joked as he pulled open the refrigerator door.
“Close.” Noir said as he hit the joint, coughed and handed it back to Hobie. “He was attacked in some bizarre hit and run accident earlier this week.”
“What the hell?” Hobie asked in shock.
“Who the fuck attacks the Mayor?”
“How the hell is that close to him being fired?!”Pav snapped, snatching his eyes away from the fridge.
Hobie pulled his phone from his pocket, his eyes growing wide as he quickly pulled up pictures from the accident.
“Word on the street is…people are UPSET he’s making adjustments to the District.” Noir said leaning forward as if telling a secret.
“That’s literally his job.” Pav reminded dryly.
“Adjustments? What kind would warrant this response?” Hobie asked growing uneasy as he fingered through the pictures, his hand stopping as he enlarged a picture of an SUV with blacked windows.
“Well…I did some digging and found out he’s funneling district money into an Alpha sanctuary built on the outskirts.”
“What do you mean you CAN’T get me?!” James screamed into the phone growing more hysterical as his father tried to bypass the question.
“Stop ACTING like raising me is an inconvenience!!” James yelled into the phone.
Khalid snuggled deeper into the blankets, the sensation of tiny feet digging into his thigh rousing him from his slumber, he groaned as he opened his eyes, sad he couldn’t grab and maintain the string of sleep.
He exhaled as he slowly untangled his hand from Kabir’s and kissed her wrist, mindful not to wake anyone as he tiptoed to the bathroom.
“If you don’t come and get me NOW-I’m CALLIG GRANDMA.” James informed before he disconnected the line on his father mid response.
James hopped to his feet, grumbling unhappily to himself as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and shoved his arms into his uniform shirt, quickly dressing in school attire.
“What if he doesn’t pick you up?” Khalid asked curiously as he stopped mid stride in front of the den, his eyes on James.
“Then I’ll walk.” James said as he angrily zipped his coat up to his neck and tucked the ends of his braids into his coat.
“Think you’ll make it home before you freeze to death?” Khalid asked as he watched James messily shove the rest of his belongings into his school bag.
“What do you care?” James asked rudely as his bag slipped from the couch and onto the floor, he sighed loudly as he looked at his step bother hatefully.
“Go make out with your girlfriend and leave me the fuck alone.” He hissed as he snatched his bag from the floor.
Khalid didn’t respond, only watched as the taller boy struggled to zip his bag closed, sweat beading his brow by the time he forced the bag closed.
“You’re an idiot.” Khalid said with an eyeroll as he stepped out of the den.
“Guess what else?” Noir asked as he chugged the contents of his drink and hiccuped.
“Someone broke into Miles’s house and attacked him earlier this week.”
Pav’s eyes widened in shock. “Miles didn’t tell me about that.”
“Well it happened. That’s why the twins are here.”
Pav turned toward Hobie, an unhappy expression gracing his features.
“What do you mean attacked?” Pav asked as he reached for the half empty bottle of wine on the counter.
Miles cleared his throat before speaking into the mic, his eyes on the camera as he dove into a richly embellished story, startling the reporter and camera man alike.
“Guys…”Hobie said with worry, his finger tapping the volume button on the screen as he turned his phone toward both Alphas.
“Why is Miles on the news?!” Pav asked as he pulled the phone from Hobie’s fingers.
“Peni isn’t the only person in need lawyer.” Noir noted as he snatched the wine bottle from beside Pav.
“What the hell is going on?” Jessica asked as she turned up the volume on the tv, her eyes glued to the live broadcast as Miguel stepped back into their bedroom.
“There’s speculation the same people who attacked us-attacked them.” Miguel filled in as he stepped toward the closet, the towel around his waist sliding dangerously low.
Jessica’s eyes greedily roamed Miguel’s toned back, taking in the ghost of a scar that ran along his shoulder, her eyes slid to his large arms as
She leaned backward in bed patiently watching as he took his time picking out clothes, his marvelously crafted body a sight to behold as she watched the towel hit the floor.
“How do you think they’ll get along?” Summer asked as Ignacio stepped into her room with a bowl of goldfish without knocking.
“Hopefully well.” Andrés said as he pulled his headphones from his ears and paused the music on his phone, his attention sliding to his older siblings.
“Who knows.” Ignacio said as he dug a hand into the bowl. “Dad did lie as soon as she got home.”
“Lie?” Summer asked as she lifted her remote from the floor and turned up the volume, trying to drown our their conversation as Ignacio shut the room door him and took a seat at her desk.
“What’d he lie about?” Summer asked as she tossed the remote onto the bed.
“Come on Summer-you didn’t hear him tell mom they were MARRIED for years?” Ignacio tsked as he spun around in the computer chair.
“I know you heard it. We ALL heard it.”
Summer blinked, trying to wind back the first few hours of their mother’s arrival home.
“He did lie.” Andrés said evenly, his eyes on the screen of his phone as he boredly clicked through apps.
“Well…maybe he meant common law married?” Summer weakly suggested, earning a sharp look from Ignacio.
“You know that’s NOT what he meant.”
“I mean…what’s the worse that could happen with lying about that?” Summer asked making Ignacio roll his eyes with annoyance.
“Did you forget the argument they had about marriage like three minutes ago? Cuz I didn’t.” Ignacio snapped.
“He immediately lied about the last thing they fought about.” Andrés pointed out, pulling his eyes away from his phone. “Why WOULD he do that?”
Ignacio dug another hand into the bowl quickly providing an answer. “Because he’s selfish.”
“Well…how is the lie gonna work out considering they’re in the middle of wedding planning?” Andrés asked curiously.
“I’m sure dad will find a way to lie about that too.” Ignacio snorted, growing indifferent to the dealings of their parents.
“Vowel renewal?” Jessica asked, turning away from the tv, her eyes sliding onto a fully dressed Miguel as he stepped out of the closet.
“Yes, before everything happened-we were in the middle of planning our renewal.” Miguel said gently as he took a seat beside Jessica, carefully watching her expressions as Lyla popped into the room.
“…oh?” Jessica said trying to recall any of the planing.
“We don’t have to rush this. We can take our time recovering.” Miguel said lightly as he took her hand, his finger sliding over her bare ring finger.
“I really wish you’d stop losing your ring.” Miguel hummed before she could respond.
Lyla cut her eyes at Miguel, her disapproval mounting as she watched him rise from the bed and head toward the dresser, his fingers quickly searching through drawers.
“I lose my ring?” Jessica asked confused, her eyes on her hands. “Do…I do that a lot?”
Miguel chuckled as he turned around, a small velvet box in hands as he approached the bed.
“Yeah…you do.” Miguel said with a pleasant smile as he pulled a shinny ring from the box.
Jessica looked at the ring, surprised it wasn’t ugly as she offered him her hand.
“It’s all of our birth stones, with yours in the middle.” Miguel said as he slowly slid the ring up her finger, beaming with pride as she held her hand in the air, looking over the ring.
“We picked it out together.” Miguel said breathlessly as he watched her admire the ring.
“Together?” Jessica echoed as her eyes slid across the different colored stones that wrapped around the large diamond in the center.
“I knew he’d pick me up.” James said as he shoved his arms into his coat and ran to the front door, not bothering to get his brother as he twisted the locks on the door and ran outside into the snow.
“Soooo you’re just going to leave your brother here?” Noir asked with disgust as he pulled the hood of his coat over his head and stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind him.
“Khalid…your ride is here darling.” Hobie said as he gently rocked the teen awake, mindful not to disturb the twins.
“Mmmh…oh ok.” Khalid grumbled reluctantly waking back up, blinking tiredly as he sat up.
“Take you time getting dressed.” Hobie said with a smile as he handed Khalid a coat that wasn’t his and turned toward the door.
Khalid looked down at the coat, taking in the added colorful patches, spikes and chains that dangled from the shoulders.
“Uh…this isn’t mine.” Khalid said as he watched the fabric of the coat change color in his hands.
“Considerate it a gift.” Hobie said with a wave as he stepped out of the doorway and closed the door behind him.
“My dad likes you.” Kabir said with a yawn as she sat up in bed, her hair an endless curtain of black as she pushed it from her eyes and smiled sleepily.
Khalid stood up and shoved his arms into the sleeves, not bothering to change his pajamas as the weight of the leather coat dropped comfortably around him.
“You can keep the clothes, they don’t fit anymore.” Kabir said as she crawled out of bed, and stepped on to the carpet, her eyes meeting his before she turned toward the door and pulled it open.
“Going home?” Pav asked curiously as he stepped into the hallway, a pleasant smile sliding to his face as he looked away from the paper in his hand.
“Yes sir. My step dad is here.” Khalid said with a nod as Kabir continued toward the den, stretching her arms above her head as she yawned lazily.
“Well it was nice to meet you. I look forward to getting to know you better.” Pav said politely as he extended his hand toward Khalid.
Khalid’s brows slid into his hair line, his nerves rushing to his throat as he took Pav’s hand, awkwardly saying his thanks.
“Thank you so much for letting me date your daughter. I-“
“I didn’t mean anything I said.” Pav said thickly, his hand firmly closing around Khalid’s as his smile dropped and the hallway grew icy.
“I’m WATCHING you and I’ll be here WAITING for you to TRY anything with my daughter.” Pav growled, making the teen grow pale.
“Hobie and Noir may like you-but I DON’T trust you.” Pav said pulling his hand away and gesturing toward Khalid’s gifted coat.
“I can’t believe he did that. “ Clint said with a frown as he turned toward James in the passenger’s seat, his disappointment radiating hotter than the heat of the car as James avoided his gaze.
“Khalid corrected his behavior before I could say anything.” Noir said with a smile, amused by the flicker of shock that scooted across the older man’s face.
“Khalid did-this?!” Clint asked in shock as he reached for James’s chin and turned his face toward him, his eyes taking in the dark bruise blossoming at the base of his son’s nose.
“Damn-any higher and he would have took out your eye.” Clint teased.
“Dad-please.” James mumbled as he pushed his father’s intrusive hand away and shifted completely in his seat, his face and chest toward the passenger window.
“Yeah I’ll leave you to address that.” Noir said casually as a frazzled looking Khalid stepped out of the house, Kabir at his side, their fingers locked as she boredly carried his backpack in her free hand, a pleasant smile on her face as she chatted happily.
Clint turned toward Khalid, curiously watching as he stepped lightly through the snow, his body draped in black studded leather, his head held high as an exotic looking girl twice his height walked him to the car, reluctantly releasing his hand before kissing his cheek.
“Khalid I didn’t think you had it in you.” Clint said evenly as soon as the young teen closed the door, his eyes on the review mirror watching Kabir and Noir walk away.
“Excuse me?” Khalid asked reaching for his seatbelt.
“ I thought for sure you’d bring home a boy .”
“What?!” Khalid snapped, irritation and shock merging together in his tone as he fumbled to connect his seatbelt.
Clint sighed, attempting to fix words.
“Look-don’t get upset. I just-
“Assumed because I’m an Omega I’d be gay?” Khalid asked pointedly, earning a look from Clint and an eyeroll from James.
“Anyway…what is she?” Clint asked dismissively, ready for a new topic as he slowly pulled to a stop at a stop sign, his eyes meeting Khalid’s in the review mirror.
“What?” Khalid asked uncomfortably as he pulled his backpack tighter in his arms, the studs of his coat digging into the fabric of the seats.
“Her second gender-duh.” Clint said as he eased on the gas and turned onto the next street.
“I don’t know.” Khalid mumbled looking away, contemplating if he should unbuckle his seatbelt and toss himself out of a moving vehicle.
“She’s pretty tall for a girl.” Clint continued, paying no attention to Khalid’s discomfort.
Out the truck and into the snow.
“She’s straight up and down-no curves at all.” He said dismissively. “Pretty eyes though, nice face.”
Khalid turned toward the window, his hand digging in his backpack fruitlessly for his headphones.
“I see why you BOTH like her.” Clint mused as he adjusted the heat.
“She hasn’t presented yet.” James said boredly as he scrolled through his contacts, his finger hovering over Clair’s picture as he sank into his seat, wondering if she was still with Chandler.
“Hasn’t presented yet?” Clint asked surprised as he stopped at another stop sign.
“Better hope she doesn’t leave you for an Alpha when she presents Khalid.” Clint snorted, clearly amused.
He turned around in his seat, meeting Khalid’s gaze. “You know girls prefer Alphas, right?”
“Just ask your mother.” He added with a wink before he turned back around, the truck easing forward as snow started to fall harder.
Anger screamed through Khalid’s veins as he
unbuckled his seatbelt and pushed open his door, not bothering to say anything as he jumped out of the car.
Khalid pulled his beanie over his ears, adjusting the bag on his arm as he ignored Clint calling after him, his eyes forward as he sprinted in the opposite direction of the truck, mindful of the ice.
“What the hell?! Where are you going?” Clint snapped as he slammed the horn repeatedly, anger and embarrassment erupting in his chest as he watched the short teen quickly disappear into the worsening snow.
Clint rolled down the driver’s window and stuck his head out. “You got sixty seconds to GET back in this TRUCK!!!”
“He’s NOT coming back. Can WE go home now?” James asked boredly, his sadness sliding higher as the bubbles beside Clair’s name disappeared.
Hobie hummed as he stepped outside, his eyes closing as he deeply inhaled the crisp snowy air, greedily filling his lungs as flakes of snow blanketed his hair and shoulders.
“I love winter.” Hobie confessed as Kabir stepped beside him with a steaming mug of coco.
“This is a blizzard.” Kabir said as she kicked a patch of snow into the street.
“Something the matter?” Hobie asked as he pulled a joint from his pocket and brought it to his lips.
“I’m just…a little bummed he left.” Kabir admitted as she looked down into her coco, watching as the marshmallows bumped together.
“Ah young love.” Hobie said with a dreamy sigh as he pulled a lighter from his pocket.
“I remember my first love.” Pav said wistfully as he stepped beside Kabir, his hands wedged into his coat pockets, the end of his red scarf gently fluttering in the wind behind him.
“Yeah…like a thousand years ago, right?” Kabir asked as she plucked a marshmallow from her cup and popped it into her mouth.
“I would ground you if your father wasn’t standing right there.” Pav hummed as he spun on his heels and headed back into the house, Kabir snickered as snowflakes started to flutter wildly around them.
“Make a wish.” Hobie said as several snowflakes clung to his hair, and kissed his cheeks.
“Why?” Kabir asked as snowflake landed on her nose.
“Snow tradition.” Hobie hummed without further explanation as Kabir sighed and closed her eyes.
“What’d you wish for?” Hobie asked after a moment, his eyes sliding to Kabir.
“To spend another snow day with…my boyfriend.” Kabir admitted shyly as her eyes opened, her cheeks warming at the use of boyfriend.
“I see.” Hobie said with a smile as he brought his joint to his lips, his eyes on the abyss of growing snow.
Kabir responded by chugging her coco, her eyes going wide as her father spoke.
“Looks like it worked.” Hobie said as he blew smoke from of his nose, his eyes sliding to the silhouette of a small person several feet away in the snow. “Your boyfriend is back.”
“I can’t believe you called a press conference just to air out the police department.” Gonzalo sighed as he pulled the clip from his hair,his eyes sliding onto his other half as he untied his shoes.
“Why can’t you?” Miles asked curiously as he tossed both shoes into the closet, his movements fluid as he pulled his shirt over his head.
“Because they fucking deserved it.” Miles filled in dryly before Gonzalo could open his mouth.
“They tried to plant drugs on us and littered in our yard.” Miles hissed.
“Oh I didn’t say they DIDN’T deserve it-I said I CAN’T believe you did that. “ Gonzalo clarified as he flipped through the news channels, each one covering the footage of Miles brutally laying into the police department.
His list of grievances rapidly planting seeds of distrust among the people and the few remaining members of law enforcement.
The paper work paired with the video surveillance of the chief of police admitting to a series of serious crimes, had spread like wild fire.
Tearing through the dimension without remorse as people screamed for Stevens to be investigated, his accolades stripped, prior cases he’s handled investigated and his freedom revoked until further notice
Miles watched as Stevens’s face appeared on screen, live footage of him avoiding questions and aggressively shoving nosey reporters out of his way as he rushed into his home.
“How do you feel about ALL the officers he dragged here, quiting?” Gonzalo asked as a job add for police recruitment filled the screen.
“I don’t.” Miles said sharply, walking out of the room, he pulled his phone from his pocket and clicked through his messages, a soft smile sliding to his lips as he looked at pictures Hobie had sent him seconds before the press conference.
He took his time looking at each picture, an amused laugh slipping from his lips as Marianna and Matéo’s face mid argument filled the screen.
“I miss my babies.” Miles said with a tired sigh as he locked the screen.
Gonzalo hummed as he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Hobie, the quietness of his home making him uneasy as he stepped into the twins bedroom.
Picking up and putting away miscellaneous items until Hobie’s smooth voice tickled his ear.
“Your tyrants-I mean babies are sleeping.” Hobie said with a muffled laugh as he stepped out of Kabir’s room. “Just checked on them.”
“Have they been good?” Gonzalo asked with a sigh, his shoulders dropping.
“They’ve been…good enough.” Hobie hummed as he stepped into the hallway.
Miles clicked onto YouTube, his eyes roaming the comments from his latest impromptu news appearance.
Comments were divided.
Some commentators finding it strange a super hero of his stature would even bother calling law enforcement.
Others indifferent to his status, were livid, screaming in all caps about wasted government funds and crooked conniving pigs.
“I saw Miles’s press conference.” Hobie said as he took a seat on the living room couch, committing his full attention to the conversation.
“What’d you think?” Gonzalo asked as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and bumped the door closed with his hip.
“There’s NEVER a dull moment with you two.” Hobie whistled, slightly amused as he remembered the look of disgust that’d clung to the Miles’s face the entire time he stood in front of the camera.
“Miles looked ready to beat everyone’s ass.” Hobie cackled, unsurprised by the fit and energy the young Alpha had brought to the conference, his head held high as he viciously dug into the chief of police.
“He definitely was.” Gonzalo confirmed with a tired sigh as he stepped back into the bedroom, he tossed his bottle onto the bed and headed toward the closet, kicking off his shoes as he contemplated what to sleep in.
“I’m NOT surprised they tried to plant drugs on you.” Hobie said dryly as he pushed away decorative pillows and sat on the couch, his distrust of law enforcement rearing its head.
“Feels racially motivated.”
Gonzalo considered Hobie’s words, his eyes sliding up to Miles as he stepped back into the room with a bag of chips, mid chew as he tipped the open bag toward him.
“Scoot over Mari.” Matéo whined as his sister’s toes danced along his lower back as she stretched, indifferent to his personal space .
“No.” Marianna grumbled as she grabbed a fist full of the blanket and pulled, further annoying her brother as the blankets slid completely off of him.
Matéo sat up and lifted his pillow from the floor, his eyes narrowing as he climbed into Kabir’s bed.
“Scoot over Wei.” Matéo whispered to the snoozing baby, mindful not to bump him as he slid under the blankets.
Kabir pulled the beanie from Khalid’s head, her eyes frantically searching his face as she brushed the fallen snow from his cheeks and neck, his expression unreadable as he refused to meet her gaze.
Noir tossed several pieces of wood into the fire, his eyes loaded with concern as he stepped out of the room, giving them space.
“Are you ok?” Gwen asked as she pulled Margo into her arms before her feet could touch the ground.
Peni placed her hand on Margo’s lower back, looking her over as Gwen brushed a stray tear from her cheek.
“I’m..I’m..fine.” Margo said shakily, her arms tightening around Gwen’s waist.
“Please just take me home.”
“Of course.” Peni said as she touched the dials of her watch, a portal quickly forming behind them.
“We can do whatever you want.” Peni said softly as she took Margo’s hand.
“Are you tired?” Gwen asked as she pulled away, quickly intertwining her and Margo’s fingers as Peni guided them to the portal.
“Yes.” Margo said softly, her eyes closing as warm considerate fingers undressed and changed her.
“I…just want to sleep.” She murmured, her voice dry and raspy.
“You can sleep as much as you need to.” Peni said as she pressed her lips to Margo’s temple and pulled away, the Beta’s fingers firmly locking around her wrist.
“Please…stay?”
Peni opened her mouth to protest, the sound of Gwen clearing her throat quickly filling her ears and ending her rebuttal.
“Of COURSE she’ll STAY.” Gwen said as she tossed her jacket across the room, refusing to break their gaze, daring the smaller woman to say otherwise.
“Thank you.” Margo said tiredly as she buried herself face first into the pillows.
“I’ll go feed Abel.” Gwen said as the orange tabby bumped repeatedly into her legs, reminding her she’d skipped his lunch in the search of Margo.
Gwen lifted the cat into her arms and stepped out of the room before Peni could respond.
Gwen inhaled shakily as she stepped into the hallway, struggling to suppress the rage she felt bubbling higher and higher up chest with each step she took.
“Will she be ok?” Gwen anxiously asked the nurse, making the woman stammer awkwardly as Peni took a seat in the waiting room, nervously bouncing her leg as she waited for an update on Margo’s condition.
Peni inhaled and exhaled deeply as she leaned back in her seat, trying to steady her nerves as feelings of guilt nibbled at her insides.
“I should have been home.” Peni said breathlessly, her fingers digging into the arms of her chair as Gwen took a seat beside her.
“There’s no update yet.” Gwen sighed as she snatched her beanie from her head, her eyes jumping through the chaos of movement that riddled the infirmary of HQ.
“Fuck…I hope she’s ok.” Peni sighed tiredly as she rested her head in her hands, her elbows digging into her thighs as she blinked back tears.
Gwen looked at her watch, the minutes slipping into hours as Peni sprang from her seat and marched toward the front desk, her cheeks flushed with frustration as she demanded an update, startling the woman.
“Parker? Stacey?” A man in a white coat asked, his eyes searching the waiting room and summoning both Betas in his direction.
“That’s us.” Gwen said as she reached for Peni’s hand, her fingers shaking as they intertwined.
“Please, follow me.” The Doctor said as he spun on his heels and guided them down a bright sterile hallway.
Peni gave Gwen’s hand a reassuring squeeze as the Doctor stopped in front of a door and lifted a clipboard from a nurse’s hands, his eyes searching the notes before he pushed the door open.
Jericho stirred awake in bed, his naked body tangling in the sheets a few moments longer before he dragged himself from bed.
Taking his time as he went through his morning routine, listening to an audiobook aimed at first time parents as he looked through his dresser and grabbed his gym clothes.
He yawned as he stepped down the staircase, rubbing his eyes lazily as he took a seat at the kitchen table.
“Morning Jericho.” His ai sang as it prepared his breakfast, rattling off news about the weather, sports and stock market.
“Thank you George.” Jericho said as a fruit and chia seed smoothie slid in front of him.
“Might I suggest a different flavor tomorrow, Sir?” The ai asked as he flickered onto the table, taking on a humanoid form.
“No thank you George.” Jericho said as he dipped his finger into his smoothie, checking the consistency and texture before tasting it.
“You have several appointments scheduled for today.” George informed as a calendar projection flickered across the table.
“I see Xiang today…how exciting.” Jericho said sarcastically as he looked over the rest of his client list.
“Would you like me to notify the driver?” George asked politely as he watched Jericho down his smoothie.
“Not yet.” Jericho said as he licked away that strawberry and chia seeds from his upper lip.
“I’m rather enjoying my morning.” Jericho said as he placed the chip from Margo’s phone onto the table.
“After several tests we’ve determined Mrs.Kess was given a cocktail of drugs-“
Gwen inhaled sharply, her stomach twisting into knots as her ears started to ring.
“Gwen…calm down.” Peni said as she squeezed her hand, reminding her of her presence.
“Fortunately nothing fatal…mostly just medications to put someone to sleep.” The Doctor sighed pulling his eyes away from the paperwork.
“What about…the baby?” Gwen asked nervously her voice just above a whisper.
“We’ll be running additional tests to confirm the baby is unharmed.”
Abel head butted Gwen’s wrist, pulling her from
her thoughts and back into the kitchen.
“I don’t care! I love it!” Peni’s Bluetooth speaker erupted, nearly startling her out of the shower as she adjusted the temperature of the water.
“Abel’s out of food. Be right back.” Gwen said quickly as she rushed past the bedroom door, not bothering to confirm if either partner had heard her as she and stepped out into the brisk early morning air.
“Enjoy your workout Sir.” George said with a smile as Jericho tossed his empty cup onto the sink and boredly waved to his ai as he exited the kitchen.
Jericho placed his earbuds into his ears and tuned out his driver’s usual greeting, his attention on his emails as he scrolled boredly through them, the ride to the gym quicker than usual as the car pulled to a stop and parked.
Jericho grabbed his gym bag and slid it over his arm, leisurely replying to an email is he exited the vehicle, not bothering to close the door behind him.
Gwen tapped her foot as she waited in line for check out, the eight cans of wet food and singular bag of dry food weighing down her basket as she dumped the contents onto the belt.
Gwen ignored the huff of annoyance the woman in line behind her made, her mind too busy drifting back to the infirmary of HQ.
Gwen wordlessly paid for her purchase and exited the store, she slid the straps of the plastic bag up her wrist as she pulled her hood down over her eyes.
She took to the rooftops, mindlessly running through the city as she struggled to clear her mind, debating if she should schedule an emergency appointment with Eric.
She contemplated maturely picking through the tangled mess of her feelings.
Considered addressing the unstable anger she felt warming her chest and the rage she felt burning at her fingertips.
Her panic had shifted to rage the moment Margo had stepped off the bus, a nervous wreck with endless tears, her voice wavering as she struggled to convey what happen.
Her pretty face wrapped in guilt as she clutched her stomach, her ears refusing to accept this wasn’t her fault.
Gwen inhaled shakily as her feet touched the roof of a new building, she closed her eyes as a gust of wind blew into her, shoving her hood from her eyes, the faint scent of a familiar cologne catching her attention.
Gwen’s head snapped in the direction of the smell, her eyes immediately landing on Jericho as he disappeared into a nearby building.
Andrés rolled out of bed, scratching his arm as he stepped into the bathroom, his eyes still closed as he peed, flushed and washed his hands.
He yawned lazily as he pulled the bathroom door behind him closed, the sound of movement down stairs perking his ears.
He took the steps two at a time, his eyes landing on the silhouette of his mother as she stepped out of the front door.
Andrés blinked, his body moving on autopilot as he rushed after her, nearly tripping on the rug as he pushed open the door and stepped into the rain.
“What are you doing up?” Jessica asked lightly, her eyes on the empty street.
“Wondering what you’re doing up.” Andrés said truthfully, making Jessica shake her head as she took a seat in one of the outside chairs.
“Mom…are you ok?” Andrés asked gently as he sat across from her, following her gaze as she pulled her knees into her chest and closed her eyes.
“Honestly?” Jessica asked, her eyes still closed.
“Preferably.” Andrés said lightly, as he pulled the sleeves of his shirt past his fingertips, patiently waiting as the morning chill started to creep in.
“I feel like I’m missing something…and I don’t-just mean my memories.”
Andrés turned toward his mother, mindful of his words as he spoke.
“I don’t think lying to Jessica…was necessary.” Lyla said pointedly, making Miguel frown as his eyes opened.
“Well I did.” Miguel said sharply as he turned on his side. “Let me sleep.”
“You also LIED about a bunch of other shit too.” Lyla hissed, making Miguel pull the ends of his pillow over his ears.
“Miguel I’m serious.” Lyla snapped as she turned on his bedside lamp, making him groan unhappily.
“You REALLY don’t think she’ll figure it out?”
Miguel growled as he sat up in bed, his irritation climbing as he snatched his pain killers from the side table and shot Lyla a dirty look.
“LET. IT.GO.” Miguel hissed as he swallowed several pills without water.
“You know Dad is lying right?” Andrés asked casually as he watched his mother rise from her seat and stick her hand into the falling rain.
Jessica snorted unsurprised. “Duh.”
“How did you know?” Andrés asked curiously as his mother turned around and flicked her fingers, splashing him with drops of rain.
“He made up some story about me always losing my ring.” Jessica said showcasing the large collection of rocks that framed her ring finger.
“I don’t believe him. This ring is too snug to lose.” Jessica pointed out as she struggled to pull the ring from her finger, making Andrés lean back in his seat and laugh.
“You don’t usually wear your ring but you do lose it regularly.” Andrés informed as he checked the time on his phone.
Jessica tsked in disbelief as she sat back in her seat.
“It would take a crowbar and a gallon of baby oil to get this thing off.” She added flippantly making Andrés shake his head.
“Are we…close?” Jessica asked after a moment, her eyes falling onto the full moon.
“Mmmh…you and dad?” Andrés asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time.
“No….am I close to you…and your siblings?” Jessica corrected, making Andrés pull his eyes from his phone and look up at her.
“It’s just…after looking at all those photos of us together-“
“Close enough.” Andrés said as Jessica turned to meet his gaze, a sad expression gracing her pretty features.
“I’m…sad I can’t remember.” Jessica said with a tired sigh as Andrés rose to his feet and offered her his hand.
“Want to do what we always do…when someone is sad?” Andrés asked as Jessica looked at his offered hand before taking it.
Andrés guided Jessica back into the house, quickly locking all the locks behind them before heading upstairs.
“What are you doing up?” Summer asked with a yawn as Andrés pushed open her bedroom door with his foot, briefly reminding her of the past.
“Mom can’t sleep.” Andrés said evenly, as Jessica curiously peeked into Summer’s room from the doorway.
Summer blinked before she sat up and pulled back the blankets and softly smiled.
“Come on.” Summer said as she scooted over and pat the space beside her.
Jessica hesitated in the doorway, her eyes sliding from Summer to Andrés.
“Make way-champion coming through.” Ignacio announced as he walked past Jessica and tossed his blanket and pillow onto the floor beside the bed.
“We…usually do this?” Jessica asked curiously as she watched Ignacio make himself comfortable on the fluffy cow print rug and yawn boredly.
“We do.” Andrés said as he grabbed several pillows from Summer’s closet, he turned around and handed his mother a pillow before finding a comfortable spot at the foot of Summer’s bed.
“It’s been a few years.”Ignacio said as he fluffed his pillow under his head.
“You don’t get in the bed with us?” Jessica asked Ignacio curiously as she stepped over him and climbed into bed beside Summer.
“No-because he sleeps bad.” Summer hissed unwelcomingly before he could respond, making Ignacio roll his eyes.
Jessica laughed as Summer pulled the blanket over her and tucked her into bed, making her feel like a child as she pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
“Where did she go?” Miguel asked as he sat up, his fingers running along the cool sheets on Jessica’s side of the bed.
“Probably away from your lies.” Lyla hummed rudely, making Miguel groan with irritation as he shoved the blankets from his legs and rose from bed.
“When did you have her ring resized?” Lyla asked pointedly, as he slipped on a pair of sweatpants and ignored her question.
“This…is…nice.” Jessica said with a yawn as her eyes closed and she sank into the sheets, her senses relaxing as Andrés’s soft snores filled the room.
“Just like old times.” Summer whispered as she closed her eyes and laid her head onto Jessica’s shoulder.
“Like old times?” Jessica murmured sleepily.
“We used to do this a lot when Andrés and Ignacio were little…they’d get scared whenever you and Dad weren’t home.” Summer said faintly as she drifted off before her mother could ask another question.
Jessica listened to the comforting sound of her children sleeping as rain pelted the window, the steady hum of the ceiling fan above her head quickly lulling her to sleep.
“Night mom.” Ignacio said softly as the sound of his mother’s breathing slowed and he closed his eyes, the steady sound of rain tucking him to sleep.
Miguel frowned as he searched through each room of the house, gradually growing more worried as each room he looked into appeared undisturbed.
“All vehicles are accounted for.” Lyla said bordely as she appeared on Miguel’s shoulder, upset he’d disturbed her free time for hide and seek.
“I’ve searched every room in the house-“
“You didn’t check the second floor.” Lyla interrupted.
Miguel took the stairs two at a time, brushing sleep from his eyes as he peeked into the boys room and frowned.
Miguel walked deeper down the hall, his eyes landing on Summer’s slightly cracked bedroom door.
Miguel stepped forward and pushed the door open, his eyes going wide and his chest growing fuzzy as his eyes fell onto Jessica’s peacefully sleeping form.
Sadness dipped in loneliness filtered throughout his chest as his eyes slid from Jessica and onto the peaceful faces of their children.
“What’s going on here?” Pav asked as he stepped into the den, his eyes falling onto Khalid and Kabi’s intertwined hands.
The two were sitting uncomfortably close, with Khalid practically in Kabir’s lap as she brushed his hair from his face with his free hand.
“He’ll be staying until the snow clears.” Noir informed as he strolled into the room with a large mug of steaming coco.
“Who decided this?” Pav asked as he watched Noir slowly place the cup into the teen’s hands.
“This should warm you up. But stay by the fire a little longer.” Noir said gently, his eyes on Khalid as he openly ignored Pav.
“We did.” Hobie said as he stepped into the room with his arms full of neatly folded clothes.
“Who’s we?” Pav asked his eyes sliding to Hobie.
“Everyone with a pulse.” Hobie said sharply, giving Pav a heated look before he turned his attention to Khalid.
“Don’t forget my pulse.” Marianna said with a yawn as she stepped into the room with Wei wide awake in her arms. “I want Khalid to stay too!”
Pav sighed as he turned around on his heels and exited the room, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Miles.
Wanting a second opinion.
Miles’s eyes narrowed as he peeked through the blinds, his eyes quickly taking notice of the two unmarked police vehicles parked along the curb.
Thunder lit up the sky as a dark SUV with blacked out windows slowly drove through the neighborhood.
“Don’t even think about it.” Gonzalo said sharply as he brought his cup to his lips, his obsidian eyes locked on Miles.
“Don’t think about what?” Miles asked turning his attention toward the shorter man.
Gonzalo tossed him a skeptical look, fully aware of his partner’s reckless antics.
“I saw another SUV.” Miles said flatly, his eyes sliding back to the window as he stuck his finger back into the blinds and leaned closer.
“Same one?” Gonzalo asked as he sat his cup of coffee onto the living room table and approached Miles’s side.
“I’m not sure…they’ve all been unmarked.” Miles said as Gonzalo followed his gaze onto the street and frowned.
“I’m not sure who the fuck we should be more worried about.” Gonzalo said with a sigh, his eyes immediately sliding to the two cars parked suspiciously close to the house.
One of the men in the vehicle parked closest waved, as Miles closed the blind.
“Fuck the Police.” Miles said dryly as his cellphone started to vibrate in his pocket.
“What’s up?” Miles asked after the third ring, Pav’s unhappy voice instantly spilling his list of current grievances.
“Pav-slow down.” Miles said trying to calm the Alpha as his rant unfolded. “What’s wrong?”
“Thank you for letting me stay another night.” Khalid said as he stepped back into the den with a fresh change of clothes and his hair still damp from the shower.
“We don’t mind the company.” Hobie said as he handed Khalid several blankets.
“I already spoke to your Mom about the situation.” Noir said as he stepped back into the den with a fresh plate of cookies.
“She didn’t seem very surprised.” He added gently, unsure if he’d unearthed a can of worms as he sat the plate onto the table.
“Of course she’s NOT…Clint is always LIKE that.” Khalid said offhandedly as he reached for a cookie, blanketing the room in tense silence.
“Always?” Kabir asked gently, her eyes sliding to Hobie.
Khalid bit into his cookie. “Yeah.”
“Pav…his home life sounds…” Miles trailed off not wanting to cast judgement.
“I don’t care how it sounds-he needs to GO home.” Pav snapped, surprising Miles.
“Is there any particular reason WHY you don’t like him?” Noir asked as he stepped beside Pav, intruding on his private conversation.
“What do you mean ALWAYS?” Hobie asked stiffly, trying to suppress the anger from his voice as his eyes knowingly slid to Khalid.
Khalid nervously swallowed as his eyes met Hobie’s.
“Excuse me for NOT wanting a hormonal teenage boy running through my home during a blizzard!” Pav snapped, pulling the phone from his ear, the conversation between him Noir now becoming heated.
Miles sighed as he disconnected the line and tossed his phone face down onto the couch.
“Everything ok?” Gonzalo asked as he placed a hand on Miles’s thigh, pulling him from his thoughts.
“Absolutely fucking NOT.” Pav snapped as he stomped down the hallway, the two of them continuing their argument throughout the house as Pav headed toward their shared bedroom.
“How am I supposed to feel when you two just decide things without me?!” Pav asked as he pushed open the door, his feet taking him across the room and toward the nearest dresser.
“You don’t have to put up with that.” Hobie said evenly, the conversation of verbal abuse skating just below the surface as memories of his jaded youth flooded through him.
Reminding him of the sticky sensation cloaked in discomfort he’d felt routinely the moment someone learned of his second gender.
The tasteless jokes that left invisible gashes across his self esteem.
The sexual and overly intrusive questions paired with hushed whispers of negative stereotypes that followed male Omegas.
“My…mom usually says something-and he stops.” Khalid said softly, tugging Hobie from his poisonous thoughts.
“She shouldn’t have married someone who treats you like shit.” Kabir said before Hobie could open his mouth, his thought process the same as he struggled to understand what kind of person Khalid’s mother was.
“…I know.” Khalid said after a moment, his voice just above a whisper as he looked away, his attention sliding to the half empty mug in his hands.
Jericho hummed as he tossed his gym bag across his shoulder and exited the gym, his good move seemingly evaporating as Gwen stepped into frame, her arms crossed and the expression on her face unpleasant.
“Hello Gwen.” Jericho said boredly as he strolled to his car, his attention sliding from the Beta and onto the plastic bag that dangled from her wrist.
“I’m surprised it’s you and NOT Parker.”
“We need to talk.” Gwen said thickly, her tone laced with animosity as her hand slammed the driver’s door closed, shoving the driver back into his seat before he could step out of the car.
“About what?” Jericho asked with a raised brow as he boredly looked the pink haired woman up and down, struggling to mask his amusement.
“Margo…do you need anything?” Peni asked as she stepped out of the shower, her hair still wrapped in a towel as she nakedly moved around their bedroom, looking for pajamas.
“No.” Margo said softly as she sank back into the blankets, her eyes roaming the discharge papers from HQ as she struggled to understand the slew of drugs she’d unknowingly ingested.
“Well…the Dr said none of what he gave you will affect the baby, but you do need to rest until it filters completely out of your system.” Peni reminded gently as she approached the bed and slowly tugged the papers from Margo’s anxious hands.
“You need rest.” Peni said firmly as she pressed a slow kiss to Margo’s forehead.
“STAY in bed.” Peni encouraged firmly as she pulled away.
“That’s ALL I’ve been doing since the start of this pregnancy.” Margo huffed growing frustrated.
“What are you on about now?” Jericho asked with an eye roll as he let his gym bag slip from his shoulder and onto the ground.
“You drugged Margo.” Gwen said as she pushed up the sleeves of her jacket up her arms, her blue eyes scorching. “Why?”
“I’m unsure what you’re talking about-but I’m sure now Margo can relax and stay in bed as needed.” Jericho said as he yanked the band from his wrist and pulled his hair into a tight ponytail.
“She told me she’s been having trouble sleeping and maintaining a healthy weight.” Jericho informed, making Gwen’s brows knit together in surprise.
“So you drugged her as a solution?” Gwen asked squaring her shoulders, rage rippling from her pores, as the look of despair on Margo’s face flickered across her mind.
Her cheeks streaked with tears as the toxicology report supplied unwanted answers.
“What were you trying to do to the baby?” Gwen asked pointedly, shoving away the look of fear that coated Margo’s face as she touched her stomach.
“Nothing.” Jericho said flatly, the flicker in his sharp eyes relaying a different message as the corner of his lips tilted upward.
“I don’t believe you.” Gwen hissed with narrowed eyes, quickly escorting Jericho to an answer he’d been seeking.
“Ohhhhh….so the baby IS yours?” Jericho ascertained with a laugh, shaking his head.
“Where did Gwen go?” Margo asked wiggling her toes, making Peni frown as she struggled to apply a smooth layer of top coat to Margo’s pinky toe.
“She went to the store…to grab something. I forgot what.” Peni said as she dipped a cotton ball into nail polish remover.
“I think we ran out of cat food.” Margo hummed as she watched their orange tabby glare ominously from the door way.
“I miss Wei.” Peni sighed as she rubbed away the nail polish on the edge of Margo’s big toe.
“The house is too quiet.”
“What’d you say?” Jericho snapped, his face growing hot with irritation as he held Gwen’s gaze.
“You heard me.” Gwen spat, ready for an altercation as she firmly gripped the plastic straps of the bag, the combined
weight of the food tugging down her wrist.
“No. I didn’t.” Jericho snapped.
“Your a fucking stalker who doesn’t understand CONSENT. Are you even a REAL lawyer?” Gwen challenged.
Jericho’s brows slid into his hairline.
“You’re a freak who can’t accept Margo doesn’t WANT you-she’s NEVER WANTED you.”
Jericho growled as he lunged in Gwen’s direction, the two of them coming to ferocious blows in the middle of the gym parking lot as she harshly swung the bag of food into his face.
“PLEASE STOP!!!” Jericho’s driver screamed frantically as he pushed open the car door and attempted to break up the fight.
Several heads curiously turned their way, excitement filling the air as several gym goers swiftly intervened, roughly ripping the pair apart.
“STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!!!” Gwen screamed as a large man tossed her over his shoulder, her arms and legs still swinging as he walked away, putting distance between them.
“COUNT YOUR FUCKING DAYS GWEN!!!” Jericho screamed as several men and women held him at bay, restraining his arms and chest.
Peni blinked as a strange sensation sprinted across her link, she curiously turned in Margo’s direction, her soft snores filling the room as she slept undisturbed.
Peni pulled her phone from the blankets and unlocked it, her fingers immediately pulling up Gwen’s location.
“Why the fuck is she-“ Peni stopped the train of curiosity and dialed Gwen’s number, a sigh leaving her lips as Gwen’s phone went straight to voicemail.
“What is SHE doing?” Peni asked as she ran a hand through her damp hair.
“SIR!! SIR!! PLEASE CALM DOWN!!” Ross yelled as he materialized from thin air, his suit pressed and pristine as usual, his round glasses concealing his eyes and his hands outstretched as he moved with contemplated ease, quickly grabbing Jericho as he stepped into the chaos.
“I’m going to RUIN that bitch’s life!!” Jericho snapped, as Ross ushered him into the backseat and away from prying eyes.
“Sir…breath.” Ross repeated as the doors locked and the car swiftly pulled out of the lot.
“This has potential to become a scandal. I’ll make some calls to have the parking lot cameras wiped.” Ross said with a sigh as he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
“I want an extensive back ground check on that bitch.” Jericho snapped, making his driver flinch as his ai flickered onto the seat beside him.
“I wanna know what she eats. When she shits. When she sleeps! Monitor her movements if you have to.”
Jericho ordered, making his ai frown in disapproval.
“That is illegal Jericho.” The ai blinked, as he flickered out of view. “But I will process a background check.”
“Sir…don’t get distracted when your case is looming so near.” Ross reminded calmly as he disconnected the line and turned toward his boss.
“I hit him with a bag of cat food .” Gwen said flatly as Peni pulled open the door before she could twist the knob.
“Wet or dry?” Peni asked looking her over, taking notice of the bruise forming on the right side of her face. “You were gone an hour.”
“So.” Gwen said dismissively, making Peni frown.
“You should have told me sooner.” Peni said with a sigh as she touched a series of buttons, her eyes narrowing as she logged into the security system of the gym.
“I’m trying to build a case against him.”
“What?” Gwen asked as she ran a hand through her messy hair, her brow lifting curiously.
“If I can prove he’s going after us for personal reasons-I can get the lawsuit with Xiang tossed out.” Peni said as the scene from earlier unfolded before her eyes, she watched wordlessly as Gwen spoke, her pointed words snatching the smile from Jericho’s lips.
“Are you going to watch all of it?” Gwen asked dryly as Peni watched the slender man’s fist connect with Gwen’s cheek, a smile sliding to her lips as she swung the plastic bags into Jericho’s eye and nose without remorse, knocking him back and nearly off his feet.
“Just making sure I save all of it.” Peni hummed as the recording ended and she turned toward Gwen.
“His assistant has a way of making things disappear.” Peni admitted flatly, her mind still uneasy with the fact both men had managed to avoid creating a digital footprint.
Jessica yawned as she sat up, her eyes landing on Summer.
The teen sat awake in bed, her eyes on the open window as she watched an aggressive storm brew outside her window.
Andrés’s stirred beside her, his eyes still closed as he sat up and turned toward the window and frowned.
“You’re letting out the heat.” He complained with a yawn.
Ignacio snored loudly from the floor, the blanket over his head vibrating as he slept wildly, his limbs outstretched and the pillow now under his left foot.
“Does…it always rain here?” Jessica asked as she sat up and turned toward both teens.
“Always.” Summer said with a lethargic sigh as she closed the window.
“Why?” Jessica asked, her face twisting into a frown. “It’s been raining since I got here.”
Summer shrugged not bothering to provide an answer.
“That’s just how this dimension is set up.” Miguel said gently from the doorway.
“Morning.” Jessica said as she fell backwards into the pillows.
“What’s up?” Andrés asked as Ignacio stirred in his sleep, grumbling unhappily as he pulled blanket from his face.
“It’s too early.” He whined as he pulled the cover back over his head.
“I just came to see if you wanted breakfast.” Miguel offered as he took a step into the room, earning a skeptical look from Summer.
“Special occasion?” Andrés asked pushing the hair from his eyes as Ignacio sat up, ready to ask questions.
“Why does it have to be a special occasion?” Miguel asked with a laugh, his cheeks growing warm as Jessica turned his way.
“You don’t usually cook. You usually just work.”
Summer pointed out, not bothering to pull her eyes away from her phone.
“Mom would have noticed after he burnt her breakfast.” Ignacio said with an eyeroll, annoyed his father had disturbed his sleep.
“Woah guys-I can cook just fine. And I’m NOT always at work.” Miguel protested weakly, earning a look from all three of his children.
“Right.” Jessica said clearing her throat as she pushed away the blankets and maneuvered out of bed, mindful not to step on Ignacio.
“I’m gonna go wash my face.” Jessica said as she stepped out of the room, stretching as she turned down the hallway.
“Can you guys…not do this? At least NOT right now?” Miguel asked with a tired sigh, making Summer frown.
“You want us to pretend your NOT a workaholic
who’s never at home?” Ignacio asked dryly, irritating his father.
“Oh.You want us to lie.” Andrés noted, his eyes slowly opening as his met his father’s gaze.
“Like you lied about being married to Mom.” Summer said sharply, not bothering to conceal her disapproval as she reopened her window, desperately wishing her father would float out of it.
Miguel’s eyes widened as he turned toward the hallway, his shoulders dropping as he turned back toward Summer.
“It’s not a lie-we’re in the process of getting married.” Miguel corrected, making Ignacio see red.
“Didn’t you have a fight about NOT being married that resulted in you LIVING in your office? For days?”
Miguel’s eye brows slid into his hair, shocked at his son’s harsh retailing of past events.
Miguel opened his mouth and said nothing, an uncomfortable thought becoming unnervingly apparent.
His children loathed him.
Jessica gargled and spit into the sink, she didn’t bother changing clothes as she pulled her hair into a bun and turned toward the stairs, the sharp sound of a ringing phone catching her attention.
She picked up the phone, her eyes roaming the screen and taking in the unsaved number.
“I got it.” Miguel said quickly as he lifted the phone from her hands and hit ignore.
“It’s…work.” Miguel mumbled as he turned the phone off and tossed it across the room, sadness pulling at the lines of his face.
“Um…okkkkkk.” Jessica said as she turned away from the discarded phone and met Miguel’s gaze, her neck itching with sadness.
“What’s wrong?” Jessica asked as she took a step toward him, their link swirling with foreign emotion.
“I think…Dad thinks we hate him.” Andrés said as he pulled a bag of chips from under Summer’s bed.
“Oh well. The only time he remembers he has children-is when there’s a photo op.” Ignacio said as he aggressively snatched a pillow from Summer’s bed.
“He’s missed ALL of my meets so far and this is my SECOND year.” Ignacio added bitterly, fluffing his pillow.
“He’s missed your honors ceremony AND your Robotics award you received like last week .” Ignacio reminded as he turned toward Andrés, making him frown mid chew.
“Summer, can you remember the LAST recital of yours he’s attended?” Ignacio asked, turning toward his sister, earning a slow head shake.
“Once…when I was like eight.” Summer said with a sigh, still able to picture him in the crowded gymnasium, his smile wide as he stood up and clapped, several cameras flashing as he handed out red, white and blue buttons, labeled vote for O’Hara.
“Maybe…that was a photo op.” Summer said as thunder harshly struck, lighting the sky outside completely white.
“Mom’s the superhero…yet we SEE her MORE than we do dad.” Summer tacked on, adding to the list of complaints.
“I’m probably just overthinking.” Miguel said as he stepped into the room and fell face first onto the bed.
“Want…to talk about it?” Jessica asked as she sat on the foot of the bed, looking over the paintings that decorated the walls.
“Do…you feel like listening?” Miguel asked softly.
“Of course.” Jessica said with a soft smile as she placed a comforting hand along his lower back.
“He wants us to fabric a happy life.” Andrés said as he crumbled up the chip bag and tossed it into the trash across the room.
“I’m not pretending to do shit.” Ignacio spat as he rose from the floor and plopped into Jessica’s still warm spot.
“Mom would shit bricks if she found out we lied to her.” Ignacio added, as he closed his eyes and fell into the sheets.
“I think you’re being a bit dramatic.” Gonzalo said as he watched Miles pace throughout the living room, his brows knitted together as he tried to piece together why law enforcement tried to frame him.
“You don’t think this is payback? “ Miles asked as his feet stopped moving.
“Payback for what?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled his feet onto the couch underneath him.
“All the times I did Super hero shit and stepped on their toes.” Miles said quickly, keenly remembering the initial response he’d received from the boys in blue the minute a teenage Spider-Man had arrived on scene.
“Possibly…but you’ve done so much for the city.” Gonzalo pointed out. “Regardless or not if they like you.”
Miles plopped onto the couch beside Gonzalo, his eyes on the ceiling as he sank into the cushions.
“There’s two unmarked cop cars outside waiting for something-ANYTHING to happen.” Miles sighed.
“Good. They can catch that creepy SUV that keeps driving through the area.” Gonzalo said curtly.
“I doubt they’ll even notice. They’re too busy watching me to catch anything illegal.”
Gonzalo snorted amused.
“I know we wanted help after the break in…but this is-“Miles trailed off, growing disappointed that even transpired.
“Spider-Man do something illegal?” Gonzalo asked sarcastically with a snicker, pulling Miles from his puddle of sadness.
“Babe I’m serious.” Miles whined as he leaned over, laying his head into Gonzalo’s lap.
“It’ll be me before you…but whatever.” Gonzalo teased reassuringly as he ran his fingers through Miles’s growing coils.
Miles shook his head, a smile sliding to his lips.
“Stop cutting your hair.” Gonzalo demanded as he dragged his fingers through Miles’s hair.
Marianna hummed as Hobie brushed her hair, her eyes on her reflection as she watched him gently drag the brush through her short curls.
“Stay away from scissors.” Hobie said as he poured a bit of oil into his hands and massaged it through her hair.
“No promises.” Marianna said with a wink, giggling at her reflection as Hobie shook his head.
Matéo yawned as he stretched out in bed, kicking his legs free of the blanket as his nap ended.
He rubbed sleep from his eyes and looked around the room. “Where is everyone?”
“I can’t wait until this situation is over-I miss the twins.” Miles said softly, his eyes closing as Gonzalo continued to play in his hair.
“I miss them too.” Gonzalo sighed in agreement, the movement of his hands stuttering as his eyes drifted to the living room window.
Matéo pulled the band from his hair, freeing his curls as he stepped down the hallway in search of his sister, his ears picking up the tail end of an argument as he followed the bickering.
Matéo curiously peeked into the bedroom of Noir and Pav, both Alphas exchanging heated words before Pav stormed angrily out of the room, muttering under his breath.
“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Noir said with a tired sigh as he pulled his glasses from his face, his expression bleak.
“I need you to breathe.” Gonzalo encouraged as he dragged his fingertips across Miles’s eyelids as he spoke.
“I am breathing.” Miles said as he reluctantly closed his eyes.
“You haven’t been sleeping much the last few days.” Gonzalo said softly as he ran a lazy finger through Miles’s hair, taking in the delicate details of his face.
“I can’t sleep-knowing I can’t protect my family.”
Miles said as his eyes opened, and he lifted his head, his attention on the window.
“Miles…don’t say that-“ Gonzalo trailed off as he watched the Alpha slowly rise to his feet, his hand protectively sliding to his shoulder before he yanked him harshly to the floor, his arms and legs cradling the smaller man as the living room wall caved in.
Windows shattered, sending glass and debris flying as Miles lifted Gonzalo with ease and lunged behind the couch as the front of a car merged through the living room.
“What’s wrong?” Matéo asked as he turned toward the hallway, his eyes falling onto Khalid and Kabir, deeply engaged in conversation, their wrists bumping together as they headed in the direction of Kabir’s room.
“Ah…it’s grown up stuff. Don’t worry about it.” Noir said as he followed Matéo’s gaze.
Matéo frowned, his obsidian eyes loaded with questions as Noir took his hand and gently guided him down the hallway, in search of the other children.
Marianna posed happily in front of the mirror, making Wei giggle and her brother roll his eyes as he stepped into the doorway with a frazzled looking Noir.
“What do ya think?” Marianna asked proudly as Hobie shifted the happy baby higher up his hip.
Matéo pulled his hair from his eyes and shrugged, his curls sliding back over his face as Marianna frowned.
“You ok?” Hobie asked as he stepped around Marianna and approached Noir, his voice steady as he looked him over.
“Miles?! Miles?!” Gonzalo yelled frantically as he shook the Alpha, trying to wake him as he pushed away broken bits of foundation that littered his hair, and shoulders.
“I-I…I’m ok.” Miles groaned sitting up, his hand immediately sliding to his ankle.
“Your hurt.” Gonzalo said shakily as he tenderly touched Miles’s ankle, trying to assess the injury as he lightly ran his index finger over the freshly forming lump above bone.
“It’s-not that bad.” Miles winced as he attempted to move his ankle, the echo of pain dancing across his handsome features.
Miles blinked as Gonzalo abruptly sprang to his feet, the kiss of familiar rage skipping across their link as his eyes slid to Gonzalo’s back, his movements brisk as he quickly stepped over bits of broken glass and destroyed furniture.
“G-Gonzalo wait!” Miles said as he fumbled to rise on unsteady feet, sharp pain shooting up his ankle as he reached for the nearest piece of debris for support, watching in vain as his counterpart approached the SUV lodged into the wall.
Gonzalo growled as he ripped the driver’s door from the henges, rage illustrating his movements as he snatched a disgruntled man from the driver’s seat.
“Stevens?!” Miles squawked, his brows slamming into his hairline.
Gonzalo narrowed his eyes as the pungent smell of liquor hit his face, nearly choking him as he tossed the man to the ground.
“He’s fucking plastered.” Gonzalo spat as he slammed his heel into the back of Stevens ankle, making him cry out.
“Stay still.” Gonzalo hissed as he watched the older man clutch his ankle.
“Fuck you Spi…der man. You… BOTH ruined m..y life.” The man hiccuped from the floor, tears running down his cheeks as his eyes locked onto Miles.
“What the fuck?” Miles questioned as he hoped closer, his eyes on the drunk, delusional and visibly bitter older man.
“Fuck that.” Gonzalo snapped kicking Stevens ankle again, gaining his attention.
“You’re the one who drove through our house after trying to plant drugs on us.” Gonzalo reminded, shoving the balls of his feet harshly into Stevens injured ankle, making him choke and stammer.
“I’m going to kill him.” Gonzalo stated calmly his calm tone accompanied by wild sparks of static springing from his fingertips.
“No killing.” Miles reminded as he reached for Gonzalo’s hand, the static immediately ceasing as the weight of the Omega’s heel reconnected into Stevens ankle, making the man cry out in pain as two disappointed faces peered through the wreckage.
“But you have every right to…if you wanted. It’s technically self defense.” A man sighed as he pulled his badge from his pocket, the man beside him shaking his head as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“We’ve been looking for this bum since your little press conference.” The man with the phone pressed to his ear said with an eye roll.
“You’ve been sitting outside our house. Why?” Gonzalo demanded as the man’s partner shyly stepped forward as the man with the phone turned away.
“To monitor you of course.” The man said with a frown as his eyes slid to the former chief of police.
“There’s been a series of targeted attacks that resemble your recent break in….and I think they’re linked together.” He admitted sheepishly.
“You think the intruders are the same people who attacked the Mayor?” Miles asked curiously, eager to hear the new information.
“Yes I do.” Margo giggled as Gwen added a second scoop of rainbow sherbet ice cream to her bowl.
“You two keep eatting so much ice cream you’ll end up on the toilet.” Peni warned as she stepped into the kitchen, her eyes falling on the two Betas eatting their heart’s fill of dairy.
“Remember the last time you two went sherbet crazy? I do.” Peni reminded as she sat her laptop on the table and took a seat across from Margo, her fingers furiously flying across the keys.
“Yeah yeah.” Gwen said dismissively as she shoved a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and hummed contently.
“What ya workin on?” Margo asked curiously pointing her spoon at Peni’s laptop.
“I’m trying to compile enough evidence to get this case dismissed.” Peni said quickly, her eyes rapidly jumping across surveillance footage, aggressively searching.
“When will I see you again?” Xiang cooed into the phone, desperately seeking to schedule alone time with her uninterested Attorney.
Jericho frowned, disappointed he’d answered and placed the call on speaker.
“I’m not in the mood for this.” Jericho hissed as he scooted backward in his seat, his eyes sliding to his reflection.
He touched his left eye, the bruise seemingly growing darker the longer he looked.
“Sir please-get some ice.” Ross encouraged gently, trying to lift his boss’s poor mood.
Ross stepped forward and pressed the mute button on Jericho’s phone, piecing together a polite rejection. “Sorry Ms.Ch-“
“Oh Ross? Please call me Xiang.” The woman purred seductively into the line, making his cheeks grow rosey with color.
Jericho wrinkled his nose disapprovingly as he rose from his seat and stepped out of the office.
“Why do women I never WANT seem to always want me?” Jericho asked sadly, his attention quickly sliding to his phone.
He smiled as he scrolled through pictures of Margo, his eyes glued to her Instagram page as he turned the corner and stepped into the break room.
His smile dropped as pictures of Margo’s mates took over the screen, their hands and bodies intertwined in various stages of life.
The scenery and backgrounds continually changing as years ticked on, their wide smiles consistent and genuine.
“I long for what you have.”Jericho sighed as he took a seat at a table, his eyes roaming over Peni and Gwen’s faces until he drilled their pretty features into his mind.
“What do they have…that I don’t?” Jericho pondered as his finger stopped scrolling, his eyes landing on new born baby with slanted eyes.
Margo held the baby in her arms, in tears as Peni smiled weakly beside her from a hospital bed.
Jericho’s eyes narrowed as he zoomed in on Peni’s face, anger and envy crashing together as he struggled to process his wavering emotions.
Jericho scrolled lower, his eyes landing on Gwen. “I hate you the most.”
“What?” Gwen asked as she loaded the dishwasher, her attention turning to Peni as she handed her several spoons.
“I said-Ross isn’t just his assistant. “ Peni repeated, frowning.
“Sorry-I zoned out.” Gwen admitted with a crooked smile.
“I created a profile on him.” Peni said as she stepped away from the dishwasher and grabbed her laptop from the table. “All the info I could find.”
“Ross Henderson Gus-34 and lives alone with three cats.” Peni started, Gwen’s eyes turning her way as she closed the door and leaned against the counter.
“His hobbies include cyber terrorism, cycling, the violin and hiding Jericho’s past of bad behavior.”
“What the hell?” Gwen asked crossing her arms over her chest.
“He’s worked as Jericho’s unpaid assistant for the last seven years-”
“Who the fuck works seven years for FREE?!” Gwen squawked.
“That’s what I thought too.” Peni mused as she looked away from the screen and grimaced.
“You learn anything else?” Gwen asked as she stepped to the table and leaned over Peni’s shoulder curiously.
“Not really but I think…they’re related.” Peni said evenly, her eyes meeting Gwen’s.
“I can’t prove it though.”
“That or he owes a fucking debt to that piece of shit.” Gwen said tensely, her mind sliding back to the protective way Ross had grabbed Jericho, his voice calm as he pushed the taller man into the car.
Jericho filled the clear bag with ice, flinching as he tenderly placed it over his eye.
“Here.” Ross said softly as he offered Jericho two white pills and a bottle of water.
“For pain.” Ross said simply, pulling a slow smile to Jericho’s lips.
“What would I ever do without you?” Jericho hummed before he took the pills and downed half the bottle of water.
“Let’s hope we never find out.” Ross said with a pleasant smile as he unplugged Jericho’s office phone and tossed it across the room.
“That was weird.” Margo yawned as she turned off the tv and closed her eyes, ready for an early nap as Peni stepped into the bedroom, her face glued to her glowing laptop screen.
Jessica watched as Ignacio breezed through the kitchen, seasoning and tasting food as he went about making lunch, his good mood contagious as salsa music screamed from his Bluetooth speaker, he sang in Spanish as he twisted his hips gracefully moving about in his apron.
Summer continued to write, her eyes jumping from her text book to her homework as she flew through several math questions without hesitation, her head bobbing to the French lessons blaring from her headphones.
Andrés sat closest to Jessica, his fingers meticulously moving as he pieced together a tiny robot, happily humming as his creation breathed movement, rapidly rolling forward and shoving the paper towels over the edge of the table.
“My children are all gifted.” Jessica hummed proudly as Miguel stepped into the kitchen and plucked the stray roll of paper towels from the floor.
“OUR children.” Miguel gently corrected as he placed the roll of paper towels into Jessica’s hand and smiled.
“Have you been taking your meds?” Miguel asked as he pressed a quick kiss between her eye brows, his eyes curiously sliding to the stove.
Miguel stepped toward the stove his eyes peeking into the large pan of chicken lasagna
Ignacio slowly pulled out of the oven.
“Nope. Don’t need them.” Jessica said honestly as she watched Andrés’s robot run into Summer’s textbook and tip over on its side, the wheels rapidly turning.
Miguel’s head turned in Jessica’s direction, shock and concern merging across his face as he quickly approached her side and reached for her shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Jessica asked slowly, her hand wrapping around Miguel’s wrist and stopping his movements.
“You should be taking your medication.” Miguel replied, not bothering to answer her question as he held her gaze.
Andrés’s eyes bounced from the robot and onto his parents.
“I feel fine.” Jessica said lightly, dismissing his concerns.
“You were shot and had a concussion. “Miguel said pointedly, his sharp tone rising over the music and snatching Ignacio’s attention.
“Did you forget you were unconscious for TWO days?”Miguel asked quickly, irritation inching up his neck as he pulled his wrist from Jessica’s hand.
Jessica’s lips dropped into a line of irritation, her brown eyes locked on Miguel as she shifted her upper body in his direction.
“Mmmh… guess I forgot.” Jessica said dryly, the atmosphere of the kitchen aggressively shifting.
Andrés bumped Summer with his elbow, she frowned as she dragged her eyes from her notes and paused her French lesson, her eyes meeting his briefly before sliding to their parents.
“You were in a coma for two days Jess.” Miguel repeated, his emotions getting the better of him as his voice grew louder.
“I was there.” Jessica reminded rolling her eyes at his dramatics. “NO need to REMIND me.”
“I want you to take your medicine.” Miguel said evenly.
“Are YOU in pain?” Jessica snapped.
“Are YOU hurting?”
Miguel’s blinked, caught off guard.
“Well-why don’t YOU take your meds and go sleep-ALONE?” Jessica asked rudely, making Ignacio snort as he turned around and slid the tray of garlic bread from the oven.
“Why won’t you just take your medicine?” Miguel asked with a sigh of exhaustion.
“Your healing ability isn’t working-“
“I told you I’m fine.” Jessica sharply interrupted, making Miguel’s eyes narrow with suspicion.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Mmmh just like I don’t believe you about this marriage.” Jessica said stiffly, making Miguel’s brows slam into his hairline.
“What…are you talking about?” Miguel asked shakily, the somberness of his tone summoning Lyla to the kitchen.
“I know you lied Miguel.”
“I’m gonna finish my homework in my room.” Summer said abruptly as she shut her textbook and rose from the table before anyone could say anything.
“Uh…me too.” Andrés said evenly as he snatched his tiny robot from the table and rose from his seat, mirroring his sister’s movements as he quickly stepped out of the kitchen, his eyes sliding to Ignacio.
“You knew?” Miguel asked as he broke their gaze, shame coloring his cheeks and neck as Ignacio continued to make his plate, indifferent to his parent’s issues as he cut into the lasagna.
“Yup.” Jessica said popping the p as she leaned backward in her seat, waiting for his response.
Lyla’s eyes bounced from Jessica to Miguel, the desire to scream “I told you so” growing over whelming as Miguel awkwardly avoided her gaze, his eyes on the colorful title of the floor.
“Why didn’t you…say anything?” Miguel questioned, his eyes slowly lifting from the floor.
“I wanted to see how long you’d lie.” Jessica said as she pulled the ring from her finger and placed it onto the table, her eyes devoid of patience as she rose from her seat and exited the kitchen, leaving Miguel to stew unhappily in his thoughts.
“That’s what you get for lying.” Ignacio said boredly as he stacked several pieces of garlic toast onto his plate and quickly rushed out of the kitchen.
Jessica locked the bathroom door and inhaled deeply as she sank onto the seat of the toilet, her head in her hands as she attempted to steady her raging nerves and uneven breathing.
“He was going to keep lying.” Ignacio announced as he kicked open the door of Summer’s room, interrupting her French lesson.
“I told you so.” He added.
Summer frowned and paused her lesson, her brows creasing together as she spoke.
“What’d you say?
“Dad’s a liar.” Ignacio said flatly as Andrés stepped into the doorway, greedily shoving half a piece of garlic bread into his mouth.
Andrés quickly chewed and swallowed, his words making Summer roll her eyes.
“Well…he is a politician.”
“Fuck.” Miguel said as he ran anxious hands through his hair, pacing nervously through the kitchen.
“Miguel…” Lyla started softly, her sympathy nonexistent and her tone sweet.
“I fucking TOLD you so.”
“Lyla-please. I don’t wanna hear that.” Miguel said weakly, too hurt to be angry as his shoulders slumped, his feet quickly taking him
to the stove as he proceeded to make a plate.
“How can you EAT at a time like this?! Your marriage is already on the rocks and you’re NOT even married YET!”
Jessica inhaled and exhaled rapidly, her head throbbing as foreign memories slammed through her, the corner of Miguel’s lips lifting upward as he slid the ring up her finger,his lies like honey as she fell through the past, her mind cycling back to their last argument.
Hurt and rage cartwheeled through her chest as she stormed out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.
She snatched several pill bottles from the nightstand, her eyes narrowing as the letters meshed and merged together until they blurred.
“You NEED to apologize. Like NOW.” Lyla said as Miguel sat his now empty plate into the sink, avoiding Lyla’s heated gaze as she hovered above his right shoulder.
“I’m going to wait-“
“WHY WOULD YOU WAIT WHEN SHE’S MAD NOW?!” Lyla interrupted, her eyes wide as she struggled to sort through Miguel’s bullshit.
“I just need to give her time to cool off.” Miguel said weakly as Lyla’s eyes narrowed with annoyance.
“GET OUT.” Jessica said as she stepped back into the kitchen and tossed a suitcase at Miguel’s feet.
Miguel opened his mouth to protest, her voice growing louder as she spoke over him, tears streaming from her eyes.
“GET THE FUCK OUT MY HOUSE!!”
Summer, Ignacio and Andrés’s eyes met, confusion written across their faces as Ignacio hopped to his feet to investigate, Andrés on his heels as they quickly ran down the stairs.
“What is goin on?!” Hobie asked as he stepped through the portal, his eyes roaming the destruction of Miles’s house, wood and brick scattered the streets as neighbors clumped together curiously stepping through the wreckage.
Police cruisers and an ambulance blocked majority of the street, permitting intrusive onlookers from entry.
A tow truck pulled away, carrying the remains of a bruised and abandoned SUV.
“I think that’s the chief of police.” Hobie mumbled, as a police cruiser pulling away with a familiar face in the backseat, sped past them.
“Watch your step.” Pav instructed as he placed his hand on Hobie’s lower back, guiding him through the mess of the street as they stepped onto the wet lawn, quickly approaching the SUV sized hole that tainted the left side of the house and provided an unnecessary open view of the busy street.
“Gonzalo are you ok? Where is Miles?” Hobie asked as soon as his boots stepped into what was left of the living room.
“I’m fine. But I think Miles’s ankle is fractured.” Gonzalo sighed, running an anxious hand through his messy hair, as he kicked a broken chair out of the way.
“Where is he?” Pav asked as he stepped over half of the coffee table, his feet taking him deeper into the house.
Pav looked toward the hallway. “Miles? Where-“
“I’m here.” Miles said as he hopped into view, his hair ashy with dust and pieces of broken wood.
“Do you need anything?” Pav asked as he quickly approached Miles and slid his arm under the taller man’s shoulder, supporting his weight.
“No. I packed everything already. Gonzalo took the bag.” Miles said tiredly as Pav slowly guided him back to the living room.
“That’s all your taking?” Hobie asked curiously as his eyes slid to the thick backpack slung across Gonzalo’s shoulder.
“Papi are you hurt?!” Marianna cried as she ran to Gonzalo, tears in her eyes as she clung to his thigh, looking him over franticly.
“I’m fine Mari.” Gonzalo said softly as he lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly, her small hands tangling through his hair as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Do you need help walking?” Matéo asked as he inspected Miles’s ankle curiously, his small hands mindful as he looked over the wrappings.
“Does it hurt?” Matéo asked softly.
“I’m fine Tay.” Miles said with a calm smile as Matéo lifted his hair from his eyes and shot his father a look of sadness as he looked him over.
“You promise?” Matéo asked shakily as his curls fell back over his eyes.
“I promise.” Miles said as Pav scooted him onto the couch, careful not to bump his ankle as he elevated it atop a pillow across the living room table.
Matéo sat beside Miles, the sad expression on his little face morphing with concern as Miles attempted to wiggle his toes, a pained grimace forming on his lips.
“Daddy…will you need a wheel chair?” Marianna asked lightly, immediately receiving matching looks of horror from all three family members.
“What’s going on with you and Noir?” Hobie asked as Pav stepped into the room, the Omega’s eyes meeting his as he pulled his jacket from his arms.
“Nothing.” Pav said dismissively as he broke eye contact and hung his jacket in the closet.
“Soooo you didn’t scream at Noir today about his parenting?” Hobie asked with a tilt of his head, his thick wicks bumping across his shoulders and spilling down his back.
“I did.” Pav admitted his back to Hobie.
“Is everything…ok?” Khalid asked as Kabir stepped back into her room and slowly pulled the door closed behind her.
“Yeah…just a little chaotic.” Kabir said with a sigh as she pulled her hair into a messy bun and plopped onto the bed.
“Marianna I need you to relax.” Miles said evenly, trying to calm the young girl down, her ludicrous questions quickly making her brother spiral.
“What happened to the house?” Matéo asked flatly, his eyes combing through his father’s hair.
Miles frowned, trying to summon a simple explanation. “Umm…there was an accident-“
“That wasn’t an accident.” Gonzalo interrupted flatly, snatching their children’s attention.
“Some drunk drove a car through the living room wall.”
Marianna’s eyebrows shot into her hairline as Matéo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
“Gonzalo.” Miles hissed, earning an annoyed look from his partner.
“Are we homeless?” Marianna asked suddenly, the tears returning.
“I-no…baby we’re NOT homeless.” Gonzalo fumbled, trying to offer reassurance.
“We’re totally homeless.” Matéo said with a deep sigh as he fell into the large cushions of the couch.
“…Daddy may never walk again.” Marianna said wistfully as she turned toward her brother, making Miles frown.
“Don’t be so dramatic.” Jericho said dryly, interrupting Ross mid rant.
Jericho rose from his seat, and strolled toward the large glass windows, his arms folded behind his back as he looked over the city.
“Sir-several unflattering videos of you have resurfaced.” His assistant sighed as he pulled the glasses from his eyes and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb.
“This IS a problem.” Ross added.
“Xiang has been calling ALL morning-requesting to speak to you.” Ross said as Jericho tossed discarded paper into the trashcan.
“That IS a problem.” Jericho said wrinkling his nose.
“Sir…the videos-“
“What videos? I thought you scrubbed every unsavory video of me from the net.” Jericho questioned as he turned around, his bone straight hair framing his face as he tucked a stray strand behind his ear.
“I DID.” Ross said defensively. “Years ago!”
“If you DID why is this a PROBLEM?” Jericho asked angrily, his sharp eyes shining with irritation.
“I…I’m NOT sure Sir.” Ross said as he pulled his phone from his pocket, his eyes looking over the unsaved number flashing across his screen.
“I’m pretty sure WE both know who’s behind those leaked videos.” Jericho said stiffly as he turned away from the window, his cold eyes sliding to Ross.
“Peni, what’s this?” Margo asked as the Beta placed a neatly packaged box onto her lap.
“Open it.” Peni said with a smile as she climbed back into bed with Margo, impatiently waiting for her to rip away the colorful paper.
Margo carefully picked apart the paper, a smile sliding to her lips as she pulled a new cellphone from the box.
“Awe…thank you so much.” Margo said happily as she looked over the glitterly phone case and fingered the assortment of hanging charms.
“You like it?” Peni asked as Margo pulled her into her arms and squeezed her tightly, the jubilant scent of cherries wrapping around them.
“I love it!” Margo said with excitement as she looked over the phone case a second time.
“It’s the latest model…I took the liberty of adding security measures, sooooo we WON’T have a repeat of last time.” Peni said as she tapped the phone screen, unlocking it and pulling up an app Margo had never seen before.
“No repeats.” Margo said evenly as she looked over the app curiously.
“Sooooo how have you been?” Eric asked with a smile as he watched Gwen step into his office, a queer look on her face.
“Could be worse. I guess.” Gwen said as she took a seat in the chair and crossed her legs, her index finger probing at the rip in her jeans across her knee.
“Is that optimism…orrrrrr you’re being serious?” Eric asked as he lifted his notebook from the tiny side table beside his leather chair.
“Mmmmh…I guess a bit of both.” Gwen said honestly, a whisper of a smile sliding to her lips.
“Why are you smiling?” Eric asked with concern as he slowly flipped through his notebook.
“Gwen you’re scaring me.”
Gwen snorted as she leaned back into her seat, her eyes on the ceiling as she dragged her hands down the armrest as she spoke.
“I got into a fist fight yesterday.”
“WHAT?! WITH WHO AND WHY?!” Eric snapped, his eyes going wide as Gwen pushed the hair on the right side of her face behind her ear, revealing a large forming purple bruise.
“Did you see the video?” Gwen asked lightly, her tone laced with thinly veiled amusement.
“Nooooooo? Should I be concerned?” Eric asked looking up from the pages of his notes.
“Depends on perspective-but I personally adore these.” Margo hummed as she wiggled her pokemon phone charms in the air, making Peni shake her head as she slid out of bed.
“What do you want for lunch?” Peni asked as she disappeared into the hallway, quickly pulling open the refrigerator door, her sharp eyes roaming for substance.
“Anything sweet is fine with me.” Margo said as she took a seat at the kitchen table, scrolling lazily through her phone contacts.
“Mmmmh you want waffles?” Peni asked as she pulled the milk and carton of eggs from the fridge.
“Only if you add blueberries.” Margo chimed in a sing song voice as Peni grabbed a large bowl from out of the cabinet and turned toward Margo.
“I thought you hated blueberries.”
Margo considered that for a moment a funny look crossing her face as her hand slid to her stomach. “You’re right.”
“I can’t believe he hit you.” Eric said as he paused the video on Gwen’s phone and met her gaze.
“Are you ok?”
Gwen considered the question as she pulled a pack of blueberry gum from her pocket.
“I’m perfectly fine.” She said as she pulled away the wrapper and popped the gum into her mouth.
Eric’s brows creased together as he leaned forward in his seat, handing Gwen back her phone.
“Rightttt. I know physically your fine but-“
“Perfectly fine.” Gwen interrupted, making Eric toss her a look of skepticism.
“Hey don’t look at me that way!” Gwen said with a laugh as she accepted her phone.
“Well I mean Gwen-this doesn’t look pretty.” Eric said evenly looking over his notes before continuing.
“The lawyer who’s terrorizing your mates-literally assaulted you in broad daylight-mid conversation.”
Gwen chewed her gum and blue a bubble, letting his words sink in as the bubble expanded before popping.
“He obviously has a vendetta.”
“Pretty sure he definitely does.” Gwen nodded in agreement as she blew another bubble.
“This paired with the fact he drugged a pregnant woman looks….” Eric trailed off leaning back in his chair, his forehead wrinkled with stress as he held Gwen’s gaze.
“I hope you press charges.” Eric said sharply.
“He’s absolutely unwell and will only get worse.”
“Are you sure?” Peni asked gently, wanting confirmation as she tenderly pulled a waffle from the waffle maker and sat it onto a plate, her eyes meeting Margo’s as she turned around.
“I just don’t want you to stress out…it’s NOT good for YOU or the baby.” Peni added as she grabbed the butter from the fridge.
Margo blinked, sadness dancing across her pretty features as she nodded.
“That…was one of the scariest things I’ve ever experienced in my life.” Margo said breathlessly, discomfort scooting up her chest as thoughts of Jericho smiling wickedly danced across her mind, his laughter sharp and unnerving.
“He stole my phone, drugged me AND punched Gwen in the face. I’m pressing charges.” Margo said flatly, her eyes narrowing as the doorbell chimed.
Peni’s brow lifted as her eyes slid to the living room. “You order anything?”
“Nope.” Margo said as Peni grabbed the syrup and handed Margo the plate stacked with blueberry waffles, her eyes toward the living room as she pulled off her apron and headed toward the door.
Margo leaned forward and deeply inhaled, the buttery aroma attractively filling her nose as she graciously poured syrup, greedily licking her lips as she watched the syrup and butter run together along the edges of her waffles.
Margo lifted her fork, her eyes sliding across the kitchen as Peni’s phone vibrated loudly.
“Hold on.” Peni said as she stepped down the hallway and through the living room, her eyes on the door as she pulled it open.
“YOU BITCH!” Xiang screamed as she cocked her hand back, spread her fingers wide and slapped Peni hard, startling reporters and onlookers alike as they watched the drama unfold.
Peni blinked, clutching her cheek as the situation registered, rage consuming her as she stepped outside and shut the front door behind her.
Chapter 6: Breath
Notes:
Spelling errors aren’t…real😂😭
Chapter Text
“Peni?”
Margo called as she rose from her seat, her eyes sliding to the Beta’s loudly vibrating phone across the kitchen.
“Where did she go?” Margo mumbled as she plucked Peni’s phone from the counter and quickly answered.
“Hey Gwen-“
“Where is Peni?” Gwen interrupted breathlessly.
“Are you running?”
“Where is Peni?” Gwen repeated.
“Uhhh…she stepped outside to answer the door earlier-and hasn’t came back yet.” Margo said as she pressed the phone to her ear, her feet quickly taking her through the house as she headed toward the front door.
“What’s going on?” Margo asked as she reached for the door handle and pulled.
Peni growled as she balled her fist and swung on Xiang, knocking her down the walkway and sending her spiraling across the lawn.
“I’m going to beat your ass!” Peni snapped, stepping off the front porch, she pulled her apron over her head and tossed it carelessly into the crowd, ready for a fight.
“No you WON’T!!” Margo yelled as she reached for the back of the shorter woman’s shirt, stopping her movements and yanking her backwards as the phone slid from her hand.
“Peni calm down!” Margo snapped, her link buzzing with unadulterated rage as Peni reluctantly dragged her gaze from Xiang.
“I’m pressing charges!!!” Xiang yelled, embarrassment coloring her cheeks as she struggled to her feet, refusing the offered hands of nearby bystanders.
Patches of wet earth and lose grass clung to her arms and hands as she ran dirt covered fingers through her hair, attempting to make herself look presentable.
“What’s going on? Everyone ok?” Gwen asked as she appeared at Margo’s side, blue eyes locked on Peni as she slowly reached for her chin, turning her head and taking in the red hand shaped mark on her cheek.
“What happened to your-WHO hit you?!” Gwen questioned, her eyes shifting through the crowd and quickly finding Xiang.
“Why the fuck is SHE here?” Gwen asked dryly, her eyes narrowing.
Xiang frowned as she took a step backward, bumping into a local reporter who happily shoved a microphone into her face.
“She came out of no where and hit me!!!” Peni snapped, pulling out of Gwen’s reach as she turned back around toward Xiang, ready to publicly drag out their altercation.
“Hello-I’m Rebecca Freedom with channel thirty six.” The woman with the microphone explained with a wide smile ignoring Xiang’s personal space as she shoved the mic into Xiang’s jawline.
“Are the rumors about you and your lawyer true?”
“Rumors?” Xiang questioned as she brushed grass away from the front of her dress.
“The rumors about you having an UNPROFESSIONAL relationship.”
Gwen and Peni’s eyes snapped in Xiang’s direction, matching expressions of shock and disbelief blanketing their faces.
Xiang’s face twisted unhappily as she pushed the mic away, her irritation growing as the reporter ignored her and shoved the mic back into her face, bumping into her top lip and rudely smudging her lipstick.
“No comment.” Xiang snapped putting distance between her and the overly intrusive reporter.
Rebecca smiled unphased, her next question catching the taller woman completely off guard.
“Was the slap, retaliation for your case being dismissed or something more sinister?”
Gwen’s eyes met Peni’s in disbelief.
“Did she just say-“
“Yes she did.” Peni confirmed before Gwen could get the question out.
“Peni did the slap hurt?” A man in a bright suit asked, his off white teeth unattractively clashing with his beige tie.
“Gwen did you really beat Jericho with a bag of cat food?” A woman with blonde hair asked as she pushed through the crowd. “What brand was it? Are you sponsored?”
“Margo who is the baby’s father?” Someone else from the crowd asked, making Gwen see red.
“Everyone in the house NOW!” Margo demanded as she yanked both woman harshly into the house and slammed the door closed.
“Why is everyone in my house?” Pav asked with a sigh as he stepped into the bathroom, ready to take his evening shower.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had everyone over.” Noir hummed happily as he watched Matéo feed Wei a chopped strawberry.
“I know.” Hobie said as he bit into a strawberry.
“We just need the Girls.” He added thoughtfully as he took another bite of his strawberry.
“They’ll be here soon-apparently press is all over their lawn.” Noir said as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, his eyes sliding back to Wei as he greedily snatched a hunk of strawberry from the spoon.
“A real shit show.” Hobie said evenly as he plucked several grapes from the fruit bowl and popped them into his mouth.
“No cursinggggg.” Marianna sang as she grabbed a step stool and pulled it to the kitchen counter, mindful not to drop her tablet as she stepped onto the third step.
“At least it’s dismissed.” Noir offered optimistically with a shrug.
“Anyone want pineapples?” Marianna asked as she looked away from her tablet, her smile mischievous as she held the large fruit in the air, her eyes eagerly sliding to the fully stocked knife block across the counter.
“Sure.” Matéo said as he bit into his kiwi slice.”
“You stay away from sharp things.” Hobie reminded as he plucked the fruit from Marianna’s hand and grabbed a knife, the movement of his wrist fluid as he quickly chopped and sliced the fruit.
“Does it still hurt?” Gonzalo asked as he pressed a slow kiss to Miles’s hairline.
“No…just feels stif.” Miles mumbled as he closed his eyes and started to rotate his ankle.
“Not so fast.” Gonzalo warned as he reached for Miles’s ankle, his touch feather light as he gently
took control, slowing Miles’s pace.
“I wasn’t even going fast-“ Miles trailed off as his ankle popped, his eyes locked on Gonzalo as he popped the bone a second time, pulling a loud groan out of him.
“I know you heal fast…but don’t rush your body.” Gonzalo said with a faint smile as he slowly dragged his knuckle across the balls of Miles’s feet, taking his time as he massaged up the arch of the Alpha’s foot.
Miles moaned as the pressure increased, his body sinking comfortably into the silky sheets as his eyes closed.
“I watched you rip a door from a car with those hands.” Miles hummed, making Gonzalo chuckle as he rubbed the bottom of Miles’s heel.
“Your point?” Gonzalo asked, amusement heavy in his tone.
“No point.” Miles said with a laugh. “Just saying.”
“Let me find out you like when I’m aggressive.” Gonzalo teased, his right brow suggestively lifting.
Khalid’s eyes narrowed as he disconnected the line and tossed his phone across the room, his mother’s ludicrous words ringing from his ears.
“Everything ok?” Kabir asked as she took a seat beside Khalid, her eyes on the steady fire as she reached for his hand.
“I just had an argument with my mom.” Khalid admitted, his eyes on their linked hands as he spoke, his attention on the silver and gold rings that decorated her fingers.
“I’ll listen if you want to vent.” Kabir offered gently, not wanting to pry or overstep.
“I’d rather NOT.” Khalid said breathlessly, his shoulders dropping as Kabir tossed a log into the fire with her free hand.
“If you ever feel like-you need to talk to someone…that’s not me…who might understand what you’re going through…my Dad says he’s all ears.” Kabir said as Khalid shyly picked at the frays of his oversized sweater.
Khalid’s brows knitted together into a question mark.
“My Dad is an Omega.” Kabir pointed out, making his jaw drop.
“Which one?!” Khalid asked with excitement as he sat up straight.
“I thought you would have noticed sooner.” Hobie said crouching as he stepped into the den, mindful not to bump his head as he stepped deeper into the space with a plate loaded with chopped fruit.
“I didn’t want to assume.” Khalid said, his cheeks growing red as he accepted the offered plate.
“There’s spaghetti in the fridge if you two get hungry.” Hobie said as he stepped out of the room as quickly as he’d entered it.
Pav tossed his towel into the clothes hamper, stretching as he strode through his bedroom, his eyes immediately sliding to Noir.
Noir snored loudly as he turned over in bed, his thick tresses a halo of brown and grey as he snuggled deeper into the pillows, his soft scent tickling Pav’s senses as he approached the bed.
Guilt pinched at Pav’s insides, his harsh words resurfacing as the argument he’d birthed earlier plagued his thoughts.
Pav’s footsteps faltered, his eyes roaming Noir’s face as he watched his brows knit together, his forehead wrinkled with stress as he tossed and turned beneath the sheets, his usually tranquil expression absent as he fought his sleep.
“Why should YOU apologize?” Kabir snapped, startling Khalid mid bite, his meatball rolling from his fork and hitting his noodles.
“I-I-“ Khalid stuttered, unable to produce a legitimate response as he held Kabir’s gaze.
“Your step Dad wants you to apologize for what, exactly?”
“Apparently I was disrespectful…as always.” Khalid mumbled, making Kabir’s eyebrows lift.
“Mom’s also upset I hit James.” Khalid sighed dryly, his eyes sliding to his large plate of spaghetti.
“I think your family assumes because you’re an Omega-you’re supposed to be a fucking doormat.” Kabir hissed with malice, surprising him.
Khalid opened his mouth to speak, the words freezing on the tip of his tongue as Kabir’s sharp
eyes roamed his face.
“Hold that thought.” Kabir said abruptly as she sprang to her feet and quickly exited the den, leaving Khalid with his thoughts.
“I read your diary.” Kabir said as she stepped into the kitchen, her father’s movements faltering as he turned to meet her gaze.
“It was an accident.” Kabir said as Hobie turned and met her gaze, his dark eyes laced with surprise.
“I found it in the attic and thought it was a regular book.” Kabir explained as her father looked away, his attention returning to the task of cleaning the counter and stovetop.
“How do you feel?” Matéo asked as he stepped into the room, his eyes sliding to Miles.
Miles smiled as he turned toward his son, his arms opening as Matéo scurried into the room and crawled in bed bedside him, happily falling into the embrace.
“I’m fine-I promise.” Miles said reassuringly as he brushed the curls from Matéo’s face and pressed a kiss to his temple.
“Stop worrying. It’s my job to worry about you.”
Miles reminded as Marianna stepped into the room with Wei.
“Daddy are you healed yet?” Marianna asked as she placed Wei on the bed, the happy baby giggling as Miles scooped him into his arms and cooed.
“I feel fine.” Jessica said evenly as she turned the deadbolt, and dragged the chain across the door, a strained smile sliding to her lips as she turned toward her concerned children.
“Well I’m ready for lunch.” Jessica said happily as she stepped past her children and headed toward the kitchen before either of them could speak, her attention on the stove as she grabbed a plate and cut herself a large piece of lasagna.
Ignacio’s eyes slid to his siblings, the three of them wordlessly conveying their concern before rushing toward the kitchen.
Summer watched as her mother bit into a hunk of garlic bread and hummed happily.
“Mom…why’d you kick Dad out?” Andrés asked softly, earning a sharp look from Ignacio as Jessica dug her fork aggressively into her food.
“Because he’s a fucking liar.” Jessica said as she bit into her bread.
“No argument there.” Ignacio said with a nod of agreement as he took a seat at the table and burped.
“Manners.” Jessica said with a frown as Summer and Andrés hesitated before joining them at the table.
“When did you figure out he was lying?” Ignacio asked curiously, Summer rolled her eyes as she rose from her seat and grabbed a can of sprite from the fridge.
“Mmmh…I don’t know-but the more he pressured me to take all those meds the more suspicious, I got.”
Jessica said honestly as she lifted her water bottle from the table and took a sip.
“Mom…you were in an accident and almost died…” Summer reminded uncomfortably trailing off as her mother met her gaze and smiled.
“Are you sure?” Jessica asked, making Andrés frown.
“Mom we saw you-YOU were unconscious and hooked up to machines.” Andrés stated, discomfort radiating from his pores as he remembered how small his mother had looked in the hospital bed.
Her eyes tightly closed, the machine around her head steadily supplying her with oxygen as he’d watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, a strange machine behind her head slowly beeping ominously.
“I’m a superhero-why wouldn’t I heal?” Jessica asked, her right brow lifting with suspicion.
“Because the medical report said your healing factor wasn’t working.” Summer said sharply, dread from the day before sneaking up her spine.
She’d read the report twice before Ignacio had tugged it from her hands.
Jessica wordlessly leaned back in her seat and grabbed the collar of her sleep dress, indifferent as she yanked it harshly down her shoulder, tearing fabric and revealing scarless brown skin.
“I’m completely fine.” Jessica informed her eyes bouncing across the face of each child, studying their expressions.
Summer’s brows knitted together in confusion as she rose to her feet to get a better look, her dark eyes roaming the blemish free skin of her mother’s shoulder.
“There’s no scar.” Summer said faintly as she pushed her hair behind her shoulder, her wide eyes sliding to her brothers.
“Miguel I need you to breath.” Lyla said slowly as she struggled to comfort him, apprehension and panic colliding as he continued to cry inconsolably in the middle of his office.
“She’s…she’s going to leave me and take the kids.” Miguel cried out as he shoved his hands nervously into his hair, his mind wandering and arriving to the worse possible outcome.
“Miguel she’s NOT going to leave you.” Lyla said awkwardly, unsure if that were true, her mind cycling back to the misery and rage that had clung to Jessica’s face as she tossed the suitcase at Miguel’s feet and screamed.
She’d never heard Jessica scream.
Let alone seen her cry.
The experience had been sombering.
“You DON’T know that!!” Miguel said between tears, his attention sliding to his office window.
Lyla hesitated, unsure how to assist as she watched him stalk through his office, touching and moving things erratically.
“I’m done.” Miguel said sharply as he dragged his arms across his desk, knocking everything to the floor, his back to Lyla as folders, papers and pens flew across the room.
“Miguel think about this!” Lyla yelled in horror as Miguel pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number he’d been avoiding since the accident.
“I already have.” Miguel said dryly as the line rang.
Horror danced across Lyla’s face, her mind picking at straws to deter him.
“Think about your family-“
“I am!” Miguel snapped, making her flinch as the line continued to ring, irritating him more.
“All I do is fucking work-I DON’T know anything about my kids! I can’t fucking cook and my fiancé hates me!” Miguel ranted, the words spilling uncapped from his lips as he brushed away tears.
“I was out campaigning when I should have been home with my family!!”
“Miguel- I know you’re upset…and those feelings are justified.But you NEED to THINK about this!” Lyla snapped, her eyes going wide as the line answered and a man spoke, quickly greeting Miguel.
“Don’t do it.” Lyla said thickly as Miguel’s eyes met hers.
“I’m resigning.” Miguel said flatly before he disconnected the line and tossed his work phone out the window.
“That was-kind of rash.” Gwen said as she watched Xiang’s hand connect with Peni’s cheek, nearly knocking her backward and into the front door.
“Why the fuck did she hit you?” Gwen asked, her eyes sliding curiously to Peni, as she paced angrily throughout their shared bedroom, her fists clenched at her sides as she angrily mumbled in Japanese.
“I can’t believe this shit is already on the fucking news.” Margo said unhappily as she rapidly flipped through the channels.
“What’d you say?” Gwen asked, her brow lifting as Margo turned her way and frowned.
“I said-“
“Not you-Peni.” Gwen interrupted.
“The case is dismissed and the lawsuit dropped earlier this morning.” Peni informed closing her eyes.
“You and Margo pressing charges also helped.”
“Damn…that was pretty fast.” Gwen whistled as Margo begrudgingly signed into Netflix.
“Gwen-he kidnapped and drugged a pregnant woman and attacked you in a gym parking lot in the span of two days.” Peni highlighted, her eyes opening as she turned toward Gwen.
“We also have a restraining order.” Margo chimed, quickly reminding the Beta.
“We’ll be ok. We’re always ok.” Gwen said reassuringly as she pulled both women into her arms.
“This is BAD sir.” Ross said stiffly as he pulled his eyes from his phone screen, his attention sliding to his unhappy boss.
“Xiang just made everything worse.” Jericho sighed as he stepped away from the window and sharply kicked the nearest chair harshly across the room.
“What the FUCK was she even doing?!”
“Apparently…getting embarrassed on national television.” Ross said with an eye roll as he locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket.
“God it’s embarrassing to be associated with that woman.” Jericho groaned, as his phone started to vibrate erratically across his desk, the woman in question’s name flashing across the screen.
“Status update Ross and be honest.” Jericho demanded as he lifted his phone from his desk and turned it off, his attention on his assistant.
“Well…the judge dismissed the case.” Ross said bluntly, his attention returning back to his notes.
“He simply stated, evidence presented by the prosecution is not sufficient to proceed with the case.”
“WHAT?!” Jericho snapped in disbelief.
“You’ve also been hit with a restraining order from Gwen and Marg-“
“I wonder how she’s doing.” Jericho hummed breathlessly, making Ross escalate to irritation.
“Sir this is serious. BOTH women are pressing charges.” Ross said dryly, making Jericho frown.
“Are you able to remove the unflattering video of Gwen and I…fighting?” Jericho asked as he took a seat behind his neatly organized desk and smiled.
“Fuck no.” Khalid said as he disconnected the line, abruptly ending the call with James.
Kabir’s eyes curiously slid to Khalid as she looked up from her textbook and cleared her throat.
“James…was tryna bribe me NOT to tell Mom why I ACTUALLY hit him.” Khalid informed with an eye roll as he plopped down beside Kabir on the futon.
“What?!” Kabir asked closing her textbook and sitting up, shock spilling across her pretty features. “Your step Dad didn’t tell her?!”
“Apparently NOT.” Khalid said unsurprised.
“Honestly…I thought you two had a better relationship.” Kabir said evenly, her mind sliding back to the protective way James seemed to appear at Khalid’s side each time she glanced in his direction.
“It’s an act.” Khalid admitted as he pulled his trigonometry homework from his bag and frowned as he gathered his thoughts.
“He pretends because it makes him look better.” Khalid said dryly as he grabbed a mechanical pencil and clicked the eraser rapidly.
“I got into a pretty bad fight between classes…recently.” Khalid chuckled trailing off, his eyes on the pages in his lap.
“I didn’t hear anything about that.” Kabir said as she scraped the back of her mind searching for a memory.
“It happened last semester.”
Kabir’s brows lifted in surprise. “Before I transferred.”
“Yeah…well… I beat the guy up pretty bad and embarrassed him.”
“What happened?” Kabir asked as she sat her textbook on the floor, committing her full attention.
“We had gym together.” Khalid started with a tired sigh as he leaned backward, his eyes sliding to the ceiling.
“He said some rude shit…so I tripped him in the middle of a game. He swung on me and I swung back.”
Kabir’s right brow lifted curiously.
“I beat his ass in front of our class…word got out and his girlfriend dumped him.”
Kabir opened her mouth to speak, her sentence ceasing as he continued.
“After…she dumped him…he targeted me every chance he got.” Khalid said faintly, as he struggled to swallow the lump in his throat, pushing past the memory of the taller boy saying sexually derogatory things as he knocked his books from his hands and shoved him face first into the lockers each passing period between classes.
“He blamed me for his girlfriend leaving and him failing gym.” Khalid said shakily his eyes sliding from the ceiling and onto her.
“Khalid.” Kabir hissed, growing upset.
“That had NOTHING to do with you.”
“YES it did.” Khalid said as he held her gaze, his usually kind eyes sharp with pain as he leaned into the cushions of the futon.
“The bullying continued for a month before I-snapped.” Khalid admitted with a shrug, looking slightly embarrassed. “It took five teachers and the Principal-to get me off of him.”
Disbelief flickered across Kabir’s face as she looked him over, trying to imagine so many people attempting to restrain him, his tiny frame aggressively rooted in motion as faculty struggled to end the altercation.
Khalid was small.
Probably a hundred and nine pounds wet.
With the top of head stopping just below her breast line.
The thought of so many people restraining him made her aggressively uncomfortable.
“An Omega beating a Beta twice his size-until he’s blue-is a pretty BIG deal.” Khalid sighed wistfully, his mind no longer in the room, Kabir watched as his left hand absently rubbed the knuckles of his right hand.
Kabir blinked uncomfortably, unsure if she should speak, the desire to offer comfort itching her top lip as she held her tongue.
“I got suspended for two weeks...the day I came back…him…and…a group of his friends followed me into the showers after gym.” Khalid said clearing his throat, a tense expression clinging to his features.
“No.” Kabir said she reached for Khalid’s hand and gave a gentle squeeze, sadness tugging at her lips as he broke their gaze.
Kabir looked down at their joined hands, taking in their contrasting complexions as she struggled to shove down her sadness.
“They didn’t-“
“No.” Khalid said quickly. “James showed up and defused the situation before…they did anything.”
Kabir opened her mouth to speak, his words continuing as he watched the hands of the clock across the room, slowly tick.
“News spread around school…he’d saved his weak Omega brother from a PACK of Betas.”
Khalid said with disgust.
“His was popular overnight…girls wanted him and other Alphas flocked to him.” Khalid said wrinkling his nose at the heavily practiced dynamics of campus.
“Everyone loves a protective Alpha.”
Khalid concluded, his rage skating just below the surface as Kabir reached for him.
Her fingertips warm as she tilted his chin toward her, softly demanding his attention.
“I like you because I LIKE you. I NEVER once worried or questioned your second gender.”
Surprise danced behind Khalid’s eyes as Kabir leaned closer, their thighs bumping together as her lips ghosted just above his as she spoke, sending jolts of static along his spine.
“I LIKE you.”Kabir repeated evenly as she pressed her lips gently to his.
Pav exhaled slowly, his feet quickly taking him away from the den as he sprinted toward his study, suddenly feeling guilty he’d been ease dropping on a private moment.
“Learn anything new?” Hobie asked curiously as he met Pav at the door, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression disapproving.
Noir sat up in bed, exhaustion clouding his mind as he checked the time and frowned, his eyes closing as he fell back into the blankets.
Pav’s harsh words of yesterday haunting his sleep as he fruitlessly chased the sandman, longing desperately for peace.
“Apologize to Noir.” Hobie said firmly, his smooth voice dancing along the edge of confrontation as he closed the door to the study behind him.
“You want me to apologize because he’s sad?” Pav asked begrudgingly, his right brow lifting.
“Because I was RIGHT and DON’T regret what I said.”
“You HURT Noir. That was unnecessary and mean.” Hobie corrected, making Pav’s eyes narrow with annoyance.
“I’m NOT a child.” The Alpha hissed, earning a sharp look from the Omega as he sat on the corner of the desk.
“Stop acting like one.” Hobie said sharply, his deep brown eyes burning into Pav as he held his ground, indifferent if it led to another argument.
“Is someone trying to crawl? You can do it Wei.” Marianna encouraged as the annoyed baby tossed her a tired look, upset she’d sat him down halfway across the room from his bottle.
Wei’s eyes slid above Marianna’s head, the world swirling around her as she encouraged him to crawl her way.
Happiness split across Wei’s face as he suddenly started to crawl.
“I’m right here Wei…keep going.” Marianna encouraged with open arms.
Wei giggled as he sped past Marianna and straight toward the forming portal.
Marianna frowned.
“How’s my little dumpling?” Peni asked happily as she stepped through the portal her arms wide as she scooped Wei into her arms and bounced him into the air twice before blowing a lazy raspberry across his tummy, making him giggle
“We missed you too Wei.” Gwen said as she pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and headed toward Marianna.
“You’ve gotten so big Mari!” Gwen said happily as she lifted the seven year old into her arms and spun her around the room, making her laugh.
“You keep growing you’ll be taller than Peni.” Gwen whispered as Marianna’s feet touched the floor, making Peni roll her eyes as Margo stepped through the portal.
“You look different.” Matéo said as he watched Margo’s hand slid to her lower back, her shirt slowly rising and revealing her small tummy.
“Did you cut your hair?” Matéo asked curiously as Gwen turned toward Margo, her eyes going wide.
Miles groaned as hot water streamed through his hair and down his back, the muscles in his arms unclinching as he exhaled deeply, forcing himself to relax as warm hands dragged a soapy towel across his shoulders.
“What are you stressing about now?” Gonzalo asked as he scrubbed down the middle of Miles’s back, reminding him of his presence.
“What makes you think I’m stressing?” Miles asked as he stepped under the nozzle of the shower before his other half could answer, quickly washing away the soap that coated his shoulders.
“You do that thing with your eye brows.” Gonzalo said evenly as he reached for Miles’s wrist and pulled him backward and away from the water.
“What thing?” Miles asked with a frown, his brows knitting together in the center of his forehead.
“That.” Gonzalo said flicking soap covered fingers and sending bubbles across the taller man’s chest.
“I’m NOT stressed.” Miles said flatly as he looked away, making Gonzalo roll his eyes at his poor attempt of a lie.
“Right. Just like Stevens WASN’T drunk when he drove into our house.” Gonzalo said flippantly as he tossed the soapy wet towel at Miles.
Miles caught the towel, his eyes sliding to Gonzalo as he watched the smaller man pivot on his heels, his eyes on his bath towel as he stepped out of the shower.
Miles reached for Gonzalo, his wet fingers locking around his wrist as he pulled him backward and back into the shower, ignoring his complaints as he crashed their lips together, the water gradually becoming warmer as it cascaded around them and through Gonzalo’s hair.
“Ummmmm….” Summer said akwardly as she looked away from her phone screen, a deep frown etched across her pretty features as she debated if she should say anything.
“You saw it too?” Andrés asked faintly as he stepped into Summer’s room, the clip of their mother crushing a man with a large slab of asphalt repeatedly playing on loop.
“We CAN’T let Mom see this.” Summer said growing frantic as she started to question who’d all seen the viral clip.
“What do you mean-WE can’t let Mom SEE?! This-is LITERALLY her IN the video.” Ignacio hissed as he pushed past Andrés and plopped lazily into his sister’s beanbag chair and shook his head.
“Great-now the world knows mom murdered a bald guy.” Ignacio said as he locked his phone and shoved it into his pocket.
“Why would anyone release this?!” Summer asked as she scrolled through the cest pool of comments below the video.
“That bald guy was Mom’s first husband.” Andrés informed, briefly blanketing the room in uncomfortable silence.
“WHAT?!” Ignacio and Summer erupt at the same time.
“How do you know that?” Summer asked, her eyes on her baby brother as she watched him shuffle forward and pull the bedroom door closed behind him.
“Well…after finding out dad wasn’t always an Omega…I grew curious about who OUR parents really ARE.” Andrés said as he turned his phone screen toward his siblings, their eyes going wide as they stared at the screen in shock.
“Mom…was married before she got with Dad. This is the guy from the video.” Andrés said as Ignacio snatched the phone from his hand and looked over the pictures.
“She looks so young.” Ignacio said as he looked over the photo of his mother dressed in white, her smile wide as an attractive bald man clung to her side.
“Mmmh…you think his hair line was fucked before he went bald?” Ignacio asked seriously as he tossed the phone back to Andrés.
“Ignacio this is serious!” Summer snapped starting Andrés and making Ignacio roll his eyes boredly.
“Mom and Dad are back fighting.” Summer pointed out anxiously.
“Your point?” Ignacio asked with a lifted brow, making Summer’s eyes go wide.
“I agree with Ignacio.” Andrés said, stepping back into the conversation before his sister could respond.
Summer’s eyes slid to Andrés. “Not you too!”
“Mom and Dad fighting has NOTHING to do with us. They’ll sort it out eventually.” Andrés said dismissively as his attention slid to his phone screen, his finger flying across the screen as he rapidly scrolled through photos.
“Or not.” Ignacio snorted.
“WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS?” Miguel asked in shock as his cellphone slipped from his hand and landed face first on the floor.
“Well…you did agree to be Mayor as long as they never leaked this.” Lyla reminded, shoving Miguel fifteen years back into the past, his eyes closing as the warm sensation of David’s insides painted his face, neck and chest.
Miguel didn’t respond, his shock swiftly evolving to rage as flash backs from the past collided into him, aggressively shoving him back to the uncomfortable restaurant meeting he’d been strong armed into attending.
The wrinkled and aged faces of the board members, held no emotion, their dark judgemental eyes laced with muted hostility.
Reluctantly he’d accepted the job, hoping to keep his family intact as he fought to find and destroy the original video.
“You’re no longer Mayor-soooooo…why are you surprised this happened?” Lyla asked snatching Miguel back into the hotel room.
“I thought we’d have found the original recording by now.” Miguel mumbled as he snatched his phone from the floor and tossed it carelessly onto the bed.
“You definitely got distracted. But I couldn’t find anything.” Lyla sighed. “They were thorough.”
“We can’t let Mom see this.” Summer hissed as their mother’s voice floated up the staircase and knocked on the door, requesting their attention.
“How the fuck are we supposed to stop mom from seeing a VIRAL clip?” Ignacio asked with a frown.
“I disconnected the WiFi.” Andrés said evenly, his attention turning toward the door.
“That’ll hopefully buy us time. Mom hasn’t been using her phone since the accident.” Andrés added as he pulled Jessica’s phone from his pocket.
“We can’t let her watch the news.” Summer said as she rushed toward the door, her brothers on her heels.
“I think you should go back home.” Lyla said, her suggestion causing his movements to stutter as he struggled to unzip his suitcase.
“Lyla please.” Miguel sighed tiredly as he plopped down on the bed beside his suitcase.
“I understand you had a fight-but you NEED to be home with your family.”
Miguel didn’t respond, his eyes downcast as he suddenly remembered the look of sadness that clung to her features,tears of betrayal streaming
from her eyes.
She didn’t trust him.
Didn’t want to see him.
She’d gone mute the moment his hands touched his suitcase.
Miguel struggled to swallow past the forming lump in his throat, he’d gone from embellishing to full blown lying in a matter of days.
He couldn’t really blame her.
“Miguel…you need to be with her when the news hits. This is already VIRAL.” Lyla said thickly, pulling him from his pity party.
Miguel snatched his key card from the bed and grabbed his suitcase from the floor, Lyla trailing behind him as he pulled the door open and stepped into the rain.
“I think…you’re the only one who can possibly relate to what Khalid is going through.” Kabir said as Hobie started the dishwasher and sighed tiredly, his hands sliding to his hips as he turned toward his daughter.
“Talk to him about what?” Hobie asked evenly, pushing away the urge to ask her which diary she’d stumbled upon.
Pav swallowed as he slid in bed beside Noir, his hand finding the Alpha’s shoulder under the blankets.
“Noir?” Pav said softly as he lightly shook the taller man’s shoulder, pulling him from his troubled slumber.
“Mmmh?” Noir mumbled as he turned around, his eyes still closed.
“I…didn’t mean what I said earlier.” Pav whispered, his eyes sliding to the ceiling as he pieced together his thoughts.
“I was just upset and felt like you and Hobie were deciding important things without me.”
Noir hummed as he wrapped his arm around Pav’s waist and pulled him closer, the sheets bunching around them as Noir pressed his face in the space were
Pav’s shoulder and neck met, inhaling the soap that faintly clung to his skin.
“I…also feel like parenting is easier for you both.”Pav sighed tiredly. “And…I’m envious.”
Noir’s right eye opened.
“I…didn’t grow up with parents.” Pav said as his eyes slid to a painting across the room, the uncomfortable mention of his childhood blanketing the room with temporary silence.
“I grew up poor…and had no structure.”
Noir’s other eye open, his full attention on his partner as he patiently listened.
“My life was shit even after Aunt Maya took me in.” Pav said shakily as he turned on his side, commanding Noir’s gaze as he continued.
“I worked hard and told myself I’d never experience that again.”
“I’ll talk to him-fine.” Hobie said tiredly as he tossed the dish towel into the sink.
“Thanks Daddy.” Kabir said happily as she sprinted out of the kitchen before he could change his mind.
“Great…now I’m a therapist.” Hobie sighed as he pulled a joint from his pocket and shook his head.
“I..just…want to give Kabir the things I didn’t have.” Pav said shakily, his eyes closing as Noir pressed his lips to the link on his neck, attempting to kiss away the shame of sadness that floated from the smaller man’s pores.
“I…I’m struggling with the fact my baby…isn’t a baby anymore.” Pav concluded as Noir’s arm tightened around his waist, his touches kind as he trailed his index finger down the Alpha’s cheek and across his jawline.
Hobie lingered in the doorway, exhaling deeply as the chilly night air kissed his senses, he brought the joint to his lips trying to decipher his congested thoughts as his daughter’s request clogged his ears.
“Sooooo….when’d you cut your hair?” Gwen asked as she followed Margo into the guest bedroom, her eyes roaming the short curls that didn’t past her neck or touch her ears.
“Before we left.” Margo hummed as she stepped in front of the dresser mirror and smiled at her reflection.
“Oh..you finally cut your hair.” Peni said with a smile as she stepped into the room with a snoring Wei. “Looks good.”
“Why…do I feel like I’m the last one finding out about this?” Gwen asked as her blue eyes bounced from Margo and onto Peni.
“Probably because you are.” Margo snorted, as Peni lay a snoring Wei onto the bed and tucked him in.
“What? Why?” Gwen asked a little hurt.
“Mmmh probably the day you beat Jericho with Abel’s food.” Margo said evenly as she modeled in the mirror, indulging in her reflection as she looked over herself.
“So…why’d you cut your hair?” Gwen asked curiously as she watched Margo run fingers through her short Afro.
“Do you NOT like it?” Margo asked sharply, her brown eyes cutting into Gwen, daring her to answer incorrectly as their eyes met in the mirror.
“ILOVEIT!” Gwen said quickly before Margo could curse her out.
“Guys…LOOK at this.” Peni said as she clicked a button on her watch, projecting the latest news story and making Margo’s brows shoot into her hairline.
“Jericho’s missing?” Gwen asked skeptically as she stepped closer to the projection, taking notice of all the candid shots of Jericho.
Photos of him eatting a bagel, working out in public and doing other miscellaneous tasks that made him appear mundane and not at all like a nut case.
“I don’t believe this.” Gwen said dryly, her eyes narrowing. “You couldn’t find ANYTHING on him but the news suddenly has ALL these candid shots of him?”
“His assistant reported him missing a little over three hours ago.” Peni filled in as Margo stepped beside Gwen and frowned, fear chilling her bones.
“I don’t like this.” Margo said quickly, her hand sliding to her stomach as she turned away from the projection and crawled in bed beside Wei.
She closed her eyes as she pulled him into her arms, trying to calm her senses as she pressed a kiss to his hairline, the calming smell of baby lotion filling her nose.
Gwen tossed Peni a look, silently conveying her thoughts before turning to Margo.
“Did you have to give the press so many pictures of me?” Jericho hissed with disgust as he turned down the tv, his eyes sliding to his assistant.
“Why’d you start that rumor about me and Xiang?” Jericho asked getting up from the couch and approaching Ross in the kitchen.
Ross didn’t respond, his eyes forward as he pulled various spices from the cabinet, his mind on dinner as he moved about the kitchen.
“Stop ignoring me.” Jericho snapped as he stepped in Ross’s personal space, he rudely placed his palms on the counter on each side of Ross, trapping him in front of the kitchen sink, his eyes cold.
“I’m not ignoring you sir.” Ross said evenly as a frown slowly crossed his lips.
“Feels like it.” Jericho hummed.
Ross sighed tiredly as he placed a hand on Jericho’s chest and pushed him backward, putting distance between them.
“I did it to make you seem more normal. Almost likable.” Ross added with an eye roll.
“Then why’d you start the rumor about me being with Xiang?” Jericho asked pointedly, as Ross dropped several cubes of butter into a bowl of mashed potatoes.
“Because-if the media caught wind of your ungodly obsession with the mate of the woman you were suing…” Ross trailed off as he added salt and pepper to the bowl.
“It wouldn’t look good. Considering you kidnapped and drugged said pregnant woman.”
Ross sighed as his phone vibrated to life in his pocket.
“My obsession isn’t ungodly.” Jericho hissed as he watched Ross pull a roast out of the oven.
“The media and general population would beg to differ.” Ross said evenly as he closed the stove and turned in Jericho’s direction, a bored and disapproving look besmirching his features.
“How long do I have to stay here?” Jericho complained, his eyes roaming the luxury apartment unenthusiastically.
“Long enough for people to forget your very public restraining orders.” Ross deadpan with a smile so wide his eyes closed.
“Wait…wait-wa-“Miles trailed off as Gonzalo lifted him in his arms, the heat of the shower scolding as he wrapped the Alpha’s legs around his waist, his lips and hands roaming aggressively as he devoured the taller man’s lips, snatching his words.
“Why would I wait?” Gonzalo asked cheekily as he dragged hungry lips across Miles’s jawline, the head of his dick probing before sinking into the taller man making him cry out.
“The walls are thin.” Miles groaned as his nails dug into Gonzalo’s shoulders, his eyelids fluttering as the pace changed.
“Then DON’T be loud.” Gonzalo teased as he crashed their lips together again, over conversation as he pressed Miles back first into the blue tiles of the cool shower wall.
Miles groaned as his back dragged up and down the wall, water hitting his face as Gonzalo’s hands gripped his hips, supporting his weight as he fucked him into the wall.
“You’re getting loud.” Gonzalo whispered into Miles’s ear with a smile before his teeth sank into his shoulder, making him moan as he desperately clung to the smaller man, becoming lost in the steam of the congested shower.
“You sound so good.” Gonzalo panted, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as his hips wildly bucked, sending the Alpha higher and higher up the wall.
“I..I-I’m closeeeee.” Miles moaned breathlessly, a familiar sensation began to buffer in the pit of his stomach.
Gonzalo’s hand slid between them, quickly jerking and working Miles’s dick from top to bottom.
“I know.” Gonzalo said as he devoured Miles’s cries, his body shaking in the Omega’s arms as his orgasm railed through him, his dick wildly sputtering between them as he held back a scream.
“Anyway,who are you again?” Jessica asked flatly as her eyes slid distrustfully to Lyla, making the Ai frown as she hovered a few feet away, interrupting the Beta’s task of fixing the bed.
“I’m Lyla.”
“Rightttttttt.” Jessica said as her eyes slid back to the bed, her hands quickly folding and tucking the sheets into place as the Ai wordlessly watched her move about the room.
“Is there something I can help you with?” Jessica asked with a sigh as she tossed a pillow onto the bed.
“Yes.” Lyla said quickly, her shades suddenly disappearing as she flickered in front of Jessica.
“I’d like you to let Miguel back into the house.”
Lyla said evenly, trying to gage Jessica’s mood.
“Absolutely not.” Jessica said dryly as she turned away, her brow lifting with annoyance as Lyla flickered in front of her again, blocking her path.
Ignacio’s eyes narrowed as he pulled back the curtain and looked out the window, his eyes landing on the roof of his father’s rental.
“Dad’s here.” He announced as Andrés walked into the room with left overs, his mouth stuffed with garlic bread.
Andrés blinked as the robot floor cleaner bumped into his ankle.
Summer hummed as she stood in front of the mirror, her playlist blasting from a Bluetooth speaker across the room as her LED lights changed color rapidly, copying her jubilant mood as she grabbed her lipgloss from the vanity.
“Mirror Mirrior Mirrior on the wall…tell me.” She said evenly as she twisted the top off the gloss and puckered her lips.
“Who’s the glossiest-of them all?” She sang as she applied a gracious amount of gloss to her bottom lip.
She smacked her lips together twice and winked at her reflection, nearly flying out of her skin as her room door abruptly opened.
“Dad’s outside.” Andrés said quickly as he bit into a piece of bread, Ignacio at his side, his arms crossed definitely over his chest.
“Ok-AND what does THAT have to do with you knocking?” Summer asked tossing her brothers a sharp look of annoyance.
“Why are you HERE?” Jessica asked trying to remain civil as her tone shifted in an unfriendly direction.
“Miguel…has been mentally unwell since you kicked him out.” Lyla said quickly, not bothering to continue with small talk.
Jessica’s right brow lifted quizzically. “It hasn’t even been a full twenty four hours.”
“I wouldn’t want anything to happen to the father of your children.” Lyla continued pointedly, earning a skeptical look from the Beta.
“Fine…he can come back into the house. But he’s sleeping in the guest room.” Jessica sighed tiredly.
“Of course.” Lyla said nodding enthusiastically
She’d get Miguel back into the house one way or the other.
Even if it meant mixing a little lie with the truth.
Miguel sighed as he turned off the car, his eyes on the house as he pulled the keys from the ignition.
“I’m getting out.” He said out loud to himself as he unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his suitcase from the backseat, the car door swinging open before he could touch it.
“She’s STILL mad.”Andrés informed as he held the open umbrella, shielding his father from the aggressive drizzle as he stepped completely out of the car.
Miguel sighed as he shut the car door behind him and accepted the umbrella.
“What about your brother and sister?” Miguel asked curiously as Andrés leaned boredly against the car, his hands sliding into his jacket pockets as he ignored the droplets that sprinkled his hair.
“Mmmh…potentially mad.” Andrés said as he looked toward the dark sky, watching it spiral unwelcomingly.
“What about you?” Miguel asked evenly, unsurprised his older children shared their mother’s feelings.
They mirrored her the most.
From their sharp disapproving gazes down to their wayward moods and acts of self expression.
“I’m not mad.” Andrés said as he met his father’s gaze, thunder lighting the sky as he continued.
“Just disappointed.” He concluded as he turned on his heels and headed toward the front door, leaving Miguel to stew uncomfortably in his thoughts.
The front door opened before Andrés could touch it, his eyes widening as they landed on his mother.
Her expression pinched unhappily across her face as she stepped barefoot into the rain, her eyes on Miguel as Andrés scurried into the house.
“You can stay in the guest room-“
A smile broke across Miguel’s face as he took several steps toward her, ready to apologize.
“I don’t want to hear it.” She said dryly, making his steps falter. “I DON’T trust you.”
Hobie took a sip of his tea, his eyes on the window as he watched snow lazily drip across the back yard, slowly melting.
Khalid shyly took a sip of his tea, his eyes nervously sliding to the picture of a fruit bowl hanging on the wall.
“You wanted to talk?” Hobie asked after a moment, his dark eyes slowly sliding to the teen.
“I…uh-yeah.” Khalid fumbled nervously.
Hobie exhaled deeply as he pulled a joint from his pocket. “You don’t have to be nervous.”
“Right.” Khalid said skeptically as he watched Hobie light the end of joint and bring it to his lips.
“How old were you…when you presented?” Khalid asked lightly as he shyly fiddled with handle of his cup.
“Thirteen.” Hobie said exhaling smoke from his nostrils.
“That’s…young.” Khalid squawked, surprised.
“And you?” Hobie asked as he ashed the end of his joint into the ashtray between them on the table.
“Fourteen.” Khalid said clearing his throat.
“You look fourteen now.” Hobie snorted, making the teen blush.
“I’m…actually older than Kabir.” Khalid mumbled, making Hobie laugh as he rose from his seat and opened the kitchen window.
“We-I…didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” Noir said truthfully as he met and held Pav’s gaze, his hand finding the Alpha’s under the sheets.
“You worry about so much already-I didn’t want to bother you with a conversation.” Noir sighed as Pav squeezed his hand.
“I don’t want my daughter alone with a boy.” Pav hissed, making Noir roll his eyes.
“Khalid’s a good kid.” Noir said with a chuckle.
“I like him.”
“Why? You’ve only interacted with him for ten minutes.” Pav pointed out with narrowed eyes.
“That’s plenty enough.” Noir said dismissively.
“You didn’t see the two piece combo he gave James.”
Pav rolled his eyes unimpressed.
“The only reason you don’t like him is because he reminds you of yourself.” Noir said as he fluffed his pillow, his knees bumping into Pav as he wrapped his legs around him.
“What?” Pav scoffed, slightly offended.
“What was your first heat like?” Khalid asked, his eyes in his cup as Hobie bobbed his head to the soft jazz music floating from his phone.
“Mmmh…pretty fuckin shitty.” Hobie admitted, making Khalid shake his head, his thick wavy hair swishing as he moved.
“Imagine everything ya learned in health class-but a hundred times worse.”
“I…haven’t-had one yet.” Khalid said akwardly as he sat his cup on the table and absently rubbed the knuckles of his right hand, lost in thought.
“I’m…actually kind of-terrified.” The teen admitted clearing his throat as his eyes met Hobie’s briefly before he looked away.
“You two are totally alike.” Noir said with a tired yawn, growing more amused as the conversation continued to unfold.
“In what way?” Pav demanded as he sat up, the silk sheets sliding deliciously down his bare chest.
“Wellllllll….both of you are emotional and reactive-“
“I am not!” Pav interrupted, making Noir snort.
“Both of you care deeply about culture.” Noir noted, his mind sliding back to the delicate bookmark Kabir had shyly showed off.
The encouraging words and Arabic lettering akin to the motivational posters that hung on the walls of Pav’s study.
“Are you saying that because we’re both Indian?” Pav asked sharply, making Noir sit up and consider.
“No. But now that you mention it-“
“Go back to sleep.” Pav said as he hit Noir in the face with a pillow, ending the conversation.
“How did you know your mates were…right for you?” Khalid asked, his question pulling Hobie’s attention away from the chip bag in his hand.
Hobie bit into a chip and contemplated the question.
“I’m not gonna tell ya some cheesy shit-like you’ll know.” Hobie said with an eye roll, annoyed adults had told him that repeatedly in his youth.
That stupid shit had lead him astray a few too many times.
“I knew because-every time I needed to feel safe…they’d find me.” Hobie said as he tilted the bag of chips politely in Khalid’s direction.
“Soooo…you were friends first?” Khalid asked as he dug into the bag and popped a chip into his mouth.
“Yes.” Hobie said with a nod. “Just like you and Kabir.”
Khalid proceeded to choke, his cheeks warming with color as Hobie’s laughter filled the kitchen.
“I’m only teasing.” He said with another laugh.
“But yes…I was friends with both of my mates before anything happened.” He said as he brought his cup to his lips.
“What…if…she loses interest in me when she presents?”
“What?!” Hobie asked trying not to choke on the absurdity of the question.
“Why would you think some stupid shit like that?” Hobie asked trying to get his bearings as he sat his cup onto the nearest coaster and contemplated relighting his joint.
Khalid cleared his throat before speaking.
“It’s kind of happened…before.”
Hobie’s eye brows slid into his hairline in surprise.
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Kabir said as she stepped into the kitchen an empty water bottle in hand.
“I like you for you. We’ve already discussed this.” Kabir said with an eye roll.
Hobie’s eyes slid curiously to his daughter.
“Weren’t you home schooled like your whole life?” Khalid asked suddenly, making Kabir blush.
“Yes-but WHAT does that have to do with anything?” She asked growing flustered unsure what he was implying.
Hobie’s eyes slid curiously to Khalid.
“What if you THINK you like me…because I’m the first person you met?”
“WHAT?!” Kabir asked her eyes growing wide.
“I can’t believe you just said that shit.”
“That’s my que to leave.” Hobie said as he pushed backward from the table and rose to his feet, quickly giving the teens room for a much needed conversation.
“Good news! The ice will be melted by tonight.” Noir announced gleefully, his eyes glued to the weather app.
“I don’t believe you OR trust that app.” Pav said bluntly as the room door slowly opened and Hobie stepped into the room, lit joint in hand.
“We just had a blizzard three minutes ago. Why would the snow suddenly just melt-overnight?” Pav asked growing more skeptical.
“I created it with HQ.” Noir reminded.
“I know.” Pav said with indifference, making Noir frown as he looked away from his phone screen.
“What’s wrong with you?” Kabir asked sharply before storming out of the kitchen and in the direction of her room, her feelings conflicted as sadness and anger raged together, tugging at her eyes.
“Kabir wait!” Khalid pleaded as he rose from the table and rushed after her.
“I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.” Khalid said as he reached for her wrist, stopping her stride.
“Then how’d you mean it?” Kabir asked shakily, her back to him as he pieced together a feasible explanation.
“You looked me dead in my face and said ‘what if you don’t know how you feel about me because your home schooled and never had friends’.”
Kabir snapped startling Khalid as she snatched her wrist away and continued toward her room.
“Sorry I’m a loser.”
“You’re NOT a loser…please don’t put words in my mouth.” Khalid pleaded, confusion slipping up his spine as he followed behind her.
“Look-I’m SORRY!” Khalid yelled, making Kabir stop in the middle of the hallway, her back to him as she refused to meet his gaze.
“Since before I could remember…adults in my life-would look at me with pity and say…hurry and grow. Pretty girls don’t WANT short boys.” He sighed, sham crawling up his ribcage as he forced himself to continue.
“And… when I presented…it-EVERYTHING got progressively got worse.”
Kabir slowly turned around, her expression unreadable as she stepped in his personal space and lifted him in her arms, her lips crashing into his before he could process what was happening.
Khalid moaned his eyes closing as he grew lost in the kiss, too shy to take the lead as Kabir directed him, her eyes slowing opening as she pulled away.
“I liked you the moment I saw you.” Kabir confessed softly, her arms tightening around him as she pressed her face into his chest shyly.
“I actually saw you before…we met in class.” Kabir admitted, her eyes closing as she fell into the past.
Her father’s jubilant as they ushered her into the court yard of the campus with her sketchbook, their eyes on the decor and general structure of the building.
“I’d like a blue print of the school, please.” Noir said confidently as the thrupple eagerly stepped into the office. “We need to know every point of entry.”
“This is boring.” She sighed as she flipped through the partially filled pages, her ears catching the soft hum of a familiar beat.
She turned toward the sound, a blush immediately settling across her cheeks and slipping down her neck as a boy with bronze skin and thick wavy hair stepped into view, a watering can in his hand as he watered several plants.
Kabir blinked as an unfamiliar feeling bubbled in the pit of her stomach, the pen in her hand flying across the paper as she inked his likeness across the center of the page.
He moved with ease, his good mood only seeming to brighten as he approached a colorful patch of flowers, his excitement distracting as a breathtaking smile slid across his face, revealing pretty white teeth and braces.
The pen slipped from Kabir’s hand.
Her eyes locked curiously on the teen as he adjusted his large headphones over his ears and sat beside the plants.
She wordlessly observed him, wanting to speak but unsure how to start a conversation.
He was a complete stranger.
“Ready to go?” Noir asked with a smile as he seem to materialize from thin air, startling his gawking daughter.
“I…um-sure.” Kabir mumbled quickly looking away from the boy.
“Aren’t you excited?” Noir asked as he lifted her pen from the ground, his eyes sliding knowingly in the direction of the boy singing to flowers.
“You start high school tomorrow.”
“Please don’t invalidate my feelings because the people around you are fucking weird.” Kabir pleaded, pulling herself out of the past as Khalid’s arms tightened around her.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Khalid asked softly as his feet touched the floor.
“Now why would I do that?!” Xiang snapped, trying to push past security, her face red with anger as she swung her purse into the face of a tired man twice her size.
“Let me see my Lawyer!” She yelled as she stomp harshly on the man’s foot and rushed past him, sprinting to the elevators.
Ross stepped in front of the elevator doors, ready to return to his room with unneeded snacks for his unwanted guest.
“I need a drink.” He said sadly as his eyes slid from the elevator and onto the commotion behind him.
“Ross?! I knew that was you!!” Xiang yelled, making Ross sigh with resignation as the elevator chimed.
“Ross please! Tell them you KNOW me! Tell them Jericho IS my Lawyer-“
“Jericho isn’t your Lawyer. Go home.” Ross said dryly as the elevator doors opened.
“What?! No! My lawsuit-my case!” Xiang cried as security angrily stepped behind her.
“I’ve never seen this woman in my life.” Ross said boredly to security as he pressed the button to close the doors.
Xiang’s face dropped. “What?! Why are you lying?!”
“Let’s go ma’am.” The taller security guard said as he grabbed Xiang’s arm harshly, yanking her backwards.
“Get off me!!” Xiang snapped, elbowing the man harshly, her eyes narrowing as she angrily lunged in Ross’s direction.
“GIVE ME BACK MY FUCKING MONEY.” Xiang hissed as security restrained her, interrupting her attack and harshly pulling her backwards and knocking her off her feet.
“Night.” Ross said politely with a smile as the elevator doors quickly slid closed.
“Don’t be rude.” Gwen said to Eric flatly as she uncrossed her legs, leaning back in her seat.
“Soooo you do like Margo’s hair cut?” Eric asked curiously as he took a series of notes.
“It was-just so impulsive!” Gwen snapped as she bolted out of her seat and onto her feet, confusion weighing her pretty features.
“I don’t want her to be upset she did this-in like three months”
“Why do you think she cut her hair?” Eric asked lightly, his question catching her off guard.
“I don’t know…less maintenance?” Gwen tossed out without much thought.
Eric frowned,his pink lips slipping into a disappointed line as he held Gwen’s gaze.
“You didn’t ask?”
“I’m sorry-I was too busy wondering WHY she cut off six inches of hair.”
“Control.” Eric said evenly.
“What?” Gwen asked her right brow lifting, clearly confused.
“Think about it.” Eric said with a sigh as he flipped his notebook closed and leaned forward in his seat.
“She’s pregnant…her body is constantly changing. She was kidnapped and drugged by a childhood friend and this lawsuit was very very public.” Eric pointed out.
“Margo cut her hair as a way to gain control in her life.” Eric concluded as he rose from his seat, his eyes on his watch.
“I guess it’s over.” Peni said with a yawn as she woke up to the soft sound of nursery rhythms floating from the tv.
Her eyes slid to Margo and she exhaled slowly, her body relaxing as she pressed her palm lightly to Margo’s stomach.
She slowly trailed her hand across Margo’s stomach, her eyes slowly dancing across her face, taking in the soft slope of her nose and arch of her brows.
Wei stirred between them before farting, a peaceful smile sliding to his face as he continued to snore.
Peni shook her head as she pressed a kiss to Wei’s cheek and climbed out of bed, the loud vibration of her phone on the nightstand demanding her attention.
She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she unlocked the screen, the brightness making her squint as she clicked the newest text notification, her feet taking her into the hallway and toward the bathroom.
“What the fuck?” Peni snapped before her feet could hit the bathroom floor, irritation climbing up her ankles as she read through a series of passive aggressive messages sent from three different unsaved numbers.
Peni joined the numbers into a group chat, not bothering to mince words as her fingers aggressively danced across her keyboard.
“FUCK OFF.” Peni said as she hit send and quickly blocked all three numbers.
She yawned as she placed her phone on the cabinet and flicked on the light, the toilet seat cool to her skin as she peed, tiredness returning as she wiped and washed her hands.
Her phone started to ring viciously, the sudden sound nearly sending her into the ceiling as she quickly dried her hands and reached for her phone, her brow lifting as ‘no caller id’ slid across the screen.
She hesitated before answering, her lips pinched tightly together as she brought the phone to her ear.
The sound of labored breathing filled the line, the sound of a woman’s wanton moan hit a high note, as the seductive voice of a woman tickled Peni’s ear.
“Does your girlfriend sound as pretty as mine?” The woman teased coyly, instantly irritating Peni.
“Xiang?” Peni questioned.
“You think just because you got a little success-you’re worth something.”
Peni blinked as all the exhaustion in her body dissipated, her grip on her phone tightening as the woman laughed.
“So is the baby Gwen or Margo’s. He ONLY looks like you-“
Peni disconnected the line and sprinted to the room, mindful of her steps as she snatched her laptop from her bag and headed toward the living room.
“Morning.” Pav said with a tired yawn as he untwisted the cap on his water bottle, his eyes still closed as he shuffled tiredly through the living room.
“Night.” Peni said quickly as she sat on the couch and placed the laptop on the coffee table, her fingers running across the keys as she searched and locked the location of the number.
“This house is big for no reason.” Pav grumbled, musing on the fact family and friends cycled through the same three rooms.
“You wanna call me at four am being weird as fuck-trying to ruin my morning…” Peni trailed off as she lifted her bag from the floor and reached inside, quickly finding a green case.
She gently opened the case and pulled out a tiny robotic wasp. “I’m going to ruin your life for the next twenty four hours straight.”
Gwen stepped through the portal, her feet landing ungracefully on Peni’s keyboard.
“Excuse me.” Gwen said shyly as she stepped off of the coffee table and landed beside Peni on the couch.
“What are you planning to do with that?” Gwen asked pulling a pack of gum from her pocket, her eyes suspiciously roaming the delicately crafted machine.
“Destroying the lives of all who oppose me.” Peni said calmly as she input the coordinates of her crank caller.
“What?” Miles asked as he fell face first into the sheets, his body heavy with exhaustion as Gonzalo’s fingertips trailed along his spine.
“I said-we need to talk about the house.” Gonzalo repeated, making his partner frown.
“Half the living room is missing.” He swiftly reminded.
“Mhhhh…why don’t we just move?” Miles asked suddenly, not wanting to bother with the endless tasks of home repairs.
“What?” Gonzalo asked the movements of his fingers stopping. “How long have you been thinking about this?”
“Honestly? Since the break in.” Miles admitted as he turned around in bed, his fingers tangling in Gonzalo’s damp hair as he spoke.
“Well…we’ll have to repair the house before we can sale it.” Gonzalo pointed out.
“Ahhh…so we’ll HAVE to fix it regardless.” Miles sighed, disappointed he had to adult and deal with the situation.
“Guess I’ll start looking for upcoming open houses.” Gonzalo said as he pulled his phone from the nightstand and unlocked it.
“Anything you want in particular?” Gonzalo asked curiously as he scrolled lazily through a list of local realtors.
“An extra bedroom.”
“Ohhh-for your upcoming portraits, right? We do need extra space for all those supplies.” Gonzalo mused, growing gradually excited he’d soon be decorating a new space.
“Not for that.” Miles said lightly, his eyes closing as he fell backwards into the pillow admitting his true thoughts. “I want another baby.”
Gonzalo’s eyebrows slammed high into his hairline.
Surprised wasn’t the word.
“Excuse meeeee.” Matéo huffed as he watched his sister pull away the blue wrapper of her snack and toss it halfheartedly into the trash
“What?” Marianna asked as she greedily shoved half the rice crispy treat into her mouth.
“Dad said you can’t eat any more of those until your cavity is gone.” Matéo reminded, making his sister roll her eyes as she took another bite.
“Ok. Don’t get mad at me when your teeth fall out.” Matéo warned flatly as he followed her down the hallway in search of their parents.
“This house is too big.” Marianna complained as she inhaled the last of her rice crispy, her eyes looking over the hallway.
“This IS a mansion.” Matéo reminded as he looked left and right, his right brow lifting.
“I can’t remember where the room is.” Matéo admitted uncomfortably as his eyes slid down the dark hallway.
“It’s too scary NOT to remember.” Marianna hissed as she stepped closer to her brother.
“I don’t think I heard you.” Gonzalo said still in shock as Miles sat up and met his gaze, clearing his throat before speaking.
“I’ve been thinking about THIS for a while…now.” Miles confessed as he reached for Gonzalo’s hands, a soft smile sliding to his lips.
“Would you be open to trying for another baby after everything’s calmed down?”
Gonzalo blinked, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to shape his thoughts into coherent words.
“You don’t have to answer now.” Miles said as he pressed a gentle kiss to Gonzalo’s ring finger.
“Just think about it.”
“Is this the real worlddddddd?” Marianna sang trailing beside her brother as she quickly opened and closed a broom closet.
“Or is this just fantasyyyy?” Marianna sang loudly into her brother’s ear, making him swat at her until she moved away.
“I think…it’s that door.” Matéo interrupted growing unamused with his sister’s antics as he pointed toward a door.
“Tay…you’re NOT even looking at the door.” Marianna complained.
“You guessed wrong the last three doors and I didn’t say anything.” Matéo reminded as he approached the door.
“I didn’t even count the broom closet just now.” Matéo said dismissively as he turned the knob ending the suspense.
“You two were gone a while.” Miles said as Matéo and Marianna tentatively stepped into the room.
“Told you it was this door.” Matéo said proudly, making his sister roll her eyes.
“You’re supposed to knock-before entering a room.” Gonzalo reminded as Matéo pulled the door closed and smiled with indifference.
Miles rose from bed and quickly stretched.
“Do we haveeeee to go to bed?” Marianna whined as Miles guided her to the couch.
“We took a nap earlierrrrrrr.” She whined.
“Do you know what time it is?” Miles asked as he lifted the cushions from the couch and pulled the bed from the frame.
“Not really.” Marianna said as her brother yawned beside her.
“Tay shut up.” Marianna warned, annoyed he was proving their father’s point.
“It’s bedtime.” Gonzalo concluded as he quickly tossed sheets and pillows onto the pull out bed, Miles’s suggestion of extending their family rapidly replaying in his mind as he busied his hands.
Did he want…another child?
Gonzalo’s eyes slid to the twins, the two of them engaged in idle chatter as Marianna pulled a coloring book from her bag, her lips slipping into a frown as Miles politely plucked the book from her hand and placed it onto dresser.
Gonzalo’s eyes slid back up to Miles, his movements considerate as he tucked Matéo’s curls into a bonnet, his attention quickly sliding to Marianna as he helped her reluctantly change into her sleeping clothes.
His patience with the twins seemingly endless, with gentle parenting and kind words wielded as noncombative weapons.
He never raised his voice no matter the situation.
Gonzalo exhaled deeply as his mind slid to the past, the memory hazy with warmth as he’d held Miles’s gaze.
He’d cried the moment the pregnancy test crossed his vision, his eyes the size of saucers as he studied the double red lines, excitement and awe streaming down his cheeks.
“I’ll be HERE every step of the way.” Miles had said breathlessly, sensing Gonzalo’s unease, his eyes traveling to the Omega’s flat stomach as he pressed a proud hand just below his ribcage.
“I promise-I’ll keep you both safe.” Miles said shakily as his nerves started to take over, his overactive mind winding rapidly with concerns.
“I know.” Gonzalo said gently as he pressed his hand on top of Miles’s, his chest growing warm with jubilance as Miles dropped to his knees and pressed his face to Gonzalo’s stomach.
“Papi what are you thinking about?” Marianna asked curiously, poking her father’s stomach as she watched him curiously, her heterochromia eyes sparkling.
“I’m thinking about why you aren’t counting sheep.” Gonzalo smiled as he lifted Marianna in his arms and quickly tucked her into the blankets.
“Can we listen to rain sounds?” Matéo asked as he fluffed his pillow, his eyes closing before he could complete the question.
“Of course.” Gonzalo said softly as he pressed a quick kiss to Matéo’s forehead.
Miles skipped several adds his eyes on the tv as rain sounds filled the room, making him think of his home dimension as Marianna’s eyes slowly drifted closed.
“I think they miss the rain back home.” Miles said lightly as Gonzalo stepped beside him, his eyes on the live rain coverage.
“Does it really rain that much back home?” Miles inquired absently, his eyes sliding to the window as he watched snow drip from the roof.
“You can’t be serious.” Gonzalo said stopping mid stride as he snatched a pillow from the bed and tossed it at Miles. “It rains EVERY day.”
Miles’s brows creased together as he lifted the pillow. “Yeah…but it doesn’t RAIN.”
Gonzalo frowned. “Are you high?”
Miles snorted as he stepped away from the foot of the pull out couch, his eyes on his partner as he approached the bed.
“Pav did give me a pain pill earlier.”
“It was literally STORMING with a flood watch last week.” Gonzalo hissed, remembering the way mud had clung to his shoes as he sprinted through the work parking lot, his mind on the impending traffic as he rushed home.
Miles crawled in bed, his eyes on the ceiling as he adjusted the extra pillow under his head.
Gonzalo grabbed a comb from his bag, his attention on his hair as he dragged the comb across the ends, preparing to braid his hair.
“Do you like living here- in my Dimension?” Miles asked after a moment, the softness of his voice interrupting the flow of Gonzalo’s fingers.
“What do you mean?”
“We could…move if you wanted.” Miles said with a yawn as Gonzalo’s fingers stopped moving.
“Miles…is everything ok?” Gonzalo asked evenly as he reached for his hand, concern weighing down his voice.
Miguel flicked on the bedroom light as he stepped into the guest room, unhappily dragging his suitcase behind him as he struggled to decipher his thoughts.
He pushed open the bedroom curtains and sighed, his eyes on the overflowing street as Lyla flickered beside him.
“What’s wrong with you now?” She asked tiredly, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb.
She needed a vacation.
Maybe another job.
“I got you back IN the house. Why aren’t you happy?” She groaned.
“My family hates me.” Miguel sighed as he watched thunder light up the sky, his eyes narrowing as he caught strange movement across the street.
“My thirteen year old told me, he was disappointed in me.” Miguel said sadly.
Lyla made a face, trying to comprehend Miguel’s woes as he popped open the bedroom window, letting in a chilly breeze.
“Andrés is fourteen.” Lyla corrected, making Miguel feel even more like shit as he abruptly turned away from the window and met her gaze.
“What?”
“He’s fourteen. His birthday was last month.” Lyla clarified, giving him a look.
Miguel blinked, an unhappy realization dawning on him. “I…missed his birthday.”
“You were busy with preparations for the sanctuary.” Lyla filled in, reminding him of a particular meeting.
“I-didn’t even tell him happy birthday.” Miguel wheezed, disgust and sadness washing over him.
“It could be worse.” Andrés stated lightly, trying to remain optimistic as Ignacio peeped out of the living room window.
“There’s a fucking camera crew standing outside.” Ignacio hissed, growing irritated as he watched a man trip and fall on the edge of the lawn. “They’re fucking up the yard.”
“You don’t even like doing yard work-why do you care?” Andrés pointed out sharply as he shot a quick text to Summer.
“There’s a news crew in the yard.” Lyla said evenly as Miguel closed the curtain.
“Fuck…we can’t let her see this.” Miguel said anxiously as he headed toward the door.
“Are you serious?” Summer whispered as she breezed down the stairs and stooped in front of her brothers, her eyes jumping to the front yard.
“How many people?” She asked casually looking through the peephole.
“Enough to be a problem.” Ignacio said with a head shake, his eyes going wide as they landed on Jessica, fully dressed with an umbrella.
“Ummmm…Mom-where are you going?” Summer asked tensely, trying not to freak out as her eyes slid from the door and onto her mother.
“To the grocery store.” Jessica said boredly.
“We’re out of tissue and milk.”
“Uhhhh-would you like us to get it for you?” Ignacio offered, trying to segway into a solution.
Jessica’s left brow lifted curiously.
“You have a driver’s license?”
“Uhhh…no-but Summer’s got her permit.” Ignacio fumbled, making Jessica roll her eyes.
“No. It’s fine, I’ll go.” She said as she slid her purse strap higher up her arm.
Ignacio’s eyes slid to Andrés.
“You’re not going to wait until the storm ends?”
Andrés asked curiously.
“Mom that’s dangerous.”
“WE really think you should STAY home.” Summer suggested her eyes bouncing from Ignacio to Andrés before meeting her mother’s gaze.
Jessica frowned, in disbelief her children were denying her exit, their bodies evenly spaced as she stepped toward the door.
“What’s going on?” Jessica asked tentatively, her hand sliding to the strap of her purse as she met the gaze of her children.
“Jess it’s storming-WHERE are you going? Do you need something?” Miguel asked as he stepped into the room, making Jessica roll her eyes as she turned in his direction.
He was in on the weird behavior as well, she quickly noted.
“I’m going to the store and NO.” Jessica said flatly as she headed toward the front door, a frown sliding to her lips as Summer twisted the deadbolt and smiled awkwardly.
“Why don’t you want me to leave?” Jessica asked with narrowed eyes, her suspicion growing as her eyes slid from Summer and onto Ignacio.
“It’s not safe.” Ignacio chimed in, shuffling nervously from foot to foot.
“I’m a super hero.” Jessica said evenly, still not comprehending what was transpiring.
“We’ve discussed this.”
“Mom…everyone is just worried because the last time you left…you were in an accident.” Andrés said sheepishly, still upset about the ordeal as he offered a half truth.
The thought of his mother leaving in the middle of the storm had him on edge.
Jessica’s face softened, her eyes on Andrés as she took several steps toward him and wrapped her arms around him.
“I told you-I’m fine.” Jessica said softly as Andrés buried his face in her chest, closing his eyes as the comforting scent of cocobutter and caramel filled his nose.
“Mom…please don’t leave.” Andrés pleaded softly, his tone inspiring his mother to hand her umbrella to Miguel.
“Fine. I’ll stay home.” Jessica sighed with resignation as Ignacio, Summer and Miguel wordlessly held a conversation.
“You are quit the actor Andrés.” Ignacio complimented boredly as his younger brother stepped into their shared room, his hair still damp from the shower.
“You should consider acting if robotics doesn’t pan out.”
Andrés’s unamused green eyes slid to Ignacio, his expression unreadable as he spoke.
“That wasn’t acting.”
“Kabir…are you awake?” Khalid asked softly as he tapped on her bedroom door, a shy smile sliding to his lips as the bedroom door slowly open, revealing a disgruntled looking Kabir.
“…yes.” Kabir mumbled, clearly lying.
“I…can’t sleep. I’m sorry to wake you.” Khalid admitted softly, his mind still reeling from the overly informative conversation he’d had with Hobie.
“It’s ok.” Kabir yawned as she stepped away from the door, inviting him in.
“It’s colder in here than it is outside.” Khalid mused as goosebumps pebbled his arms as he followed Kabir deeper into her room.
“Yeah…I can’t sleep unless it’s freezing.” Kabir said sleepily, her eyes closing as she slid back in bed.
“Freezing is an understatement.” Khalid said as Kabir tossed several pillows at him.
“You’re welcome to use the blankets.” She said with a yawn before she snuggled deeper into her blankets and drifted off, leaving Khalid awake with his thoughts.
“What are you staring at?” Hobie asked as he pulled a bag of M&ms from the night stand drawer, his brow lifting with irritation as Pav continued to watch him wordlessly.
“He’s probably wondering if he should camp outside Kabir’s door.” Noir teased as he turned on his side, his eyes closing as he tuned out the response of the Alpha.
“How can you be so calm? He could be in her room right nowwwww. ” Pav hissed, making Hobie roll his eyes as he tossed several M&Ms into his mouth.
“Doing what?” Hobie asked flippantly, fenning ignorance, and making Pav frown in the same second.
Khalid slid Kabir’s headphones over his ears, his head bobbing to the strange collection of music as he pulled several blankets from her closet.
He took his time stacking and building up the blankets, a smile sliding to his lips as he took a step back to admire his handy work.
He lifted several stuffed animals from her bed, his body quickly taking him under the blankets as he neatly placed each animal along the blankets, making the small space cozy.
“Why are you building a fort at four am?” Kabir asked softly, her eyes still closed as she listened to Khalid move about her room, his ears full of music.
A faint smile slid to her lips as a new song started, a familiar hum leaving his lips as he took his time getting comfortable,his soft hum lulling her back to sleep.
“Well maybe if you spent more than five minutes with him-you wouldn’t be so concerned.” Hobie said evenly, his mind slipping back to the conversation he’d had with the young uncertain teen.
Sex was definitely the last thing on his mind.
“I agree.” Noir added, quickly pretending to fall back asleep as Pav’s head turned in his direction.
“You know how teenage boys think. We ALL do.”
Pav reminded, as Hobie slid the half eaten bag of candy back into the nightstand, his brown eyes sliding to Pav.
“What are you on about now?” Hobie asked with irritation. “Go to sleep.”
“I’m glad she’s finally resting.” Gwen whispered as she tiptoed back into the room, her attention on Margo and Wei.
The two of them now hogging the bed happily as Wei stretched out lazily beside Margo.
“I’m glad she’s not as sick as I was.” Peni said as she sat her laptop back onto the dresser, her thigh bumping into Gwen as she walked by.
“Yeah…you were sick-the entire time.” Gwen nodded, her mind slipping back to Peni’s rough mornings and nights.
Hunched over the toilet as she uprooted her breakfast, tears streaming down her cheeks as Gwen held her hair out of her face, her free hand gently rubbing comforting circles down her back.
“Anyway-I found out where that psycho lawyer is.” Peni said dryly, her voice guiding Gwen out of the room and into the hallway.
“That was fast.” Gwen said as she pushed opened the first door she saw, her eyes searching for a light switch on the wall as Peni followed her into the library.
“Not fast enough.” Peni said as the lights flickered on, her attention on her watch as a projection bounced from her wrist and into the air.
“He’s-no surprise hiding out with his Assistant.” Peni stated as Ross and Jericho’s faces filled the projection in front of them, showcasing mundane activities the pair begrudgingly preformed together.
“He looks miserable.” Gwen snorted as she stepped closer to Peni, her right brow lifting as a realization crossed her mind.
“You sent the wasp to spy on them, didn’t you?” Gwen asked her eyes sliding onto the Beta.
“No-I actually sent the wasp to FIND Xiang…but ended up finding Jericho.” Peni laughed, making Gwen smile.
“Apparently she’s been demanding a refund for his ill preformed services.”
“Ohhhhh trouble in paradise, I see.” Gwen said amused as she turned back toward the feed, not bothering to suppress her laughter as Xiang slammed her high heel into the windshield of Jericho’s personal vehicle.
“That woman is a MENACE!” The Driver snapped as he yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it into Jericho’s face.
The uniform shirt landed on Jericho’s shoulder, making him contemplate violence as he yanked the fabric from his body and angrily tossed it back at the man with disgust.
“YOU DON’T PAY ME ENOUGH.” The man snapped before Ross could speak, his head held high and his breathing rushed as he turned on his heels, dismissing himself as he slid into the backseat of an Uber.
“Ross-I need another driver.” Jericho said stiffly, making the younger man sigh with resignation.
“YOU DONT NEED A DRIVER.” Ross said calmly, his voice wavering with annoyance as he watched the Uber speed away.
“Just GO back in the apartment-I have to take care of this.” Ross instructed as he pulled his phone from his pocket, annoyed he’d have to have a windshield replaced for a car they weren’t even using.
Jericho pulled a cigarette from his pocket, his nerves just about shot as he flicked open his lighter and lit the end, inhaling deeply.
“I thought you quit.” Ross mumbled as he read the two hour eta for the tow truck, his eyes unhappily sliding to the clock in the corner of his phone.
Jericho didn’t respond, his long legs quickly escorting him to the dented car door.
He exhaled, his eyes assessing the damage as his eyes slid from the large key scratch that traveled along the driver and rear door.
“I can’t believe you lied and told people I was fucking her.” Jericho said with disgust as his eyes lingered on the white high heel wedged in his windshield.
“I obviously did that to distract people from the fact you’ll be arrested soon.” Ross shot back, growing irritated the man was attempting to shift blame.
“You’ve swiftly gone from lawyer to felon.” Ross hummed, unable to keep the amusement from his voice. “All for love.”
“Ross-WATCH HOW THE FUCK YOU TALK TO ME.”Jericho said with a sharp smile that didn’t reach his eyes, his face reminiscent of a snake before striking.
“I wonder when he’ll be arrested for kidnapping and assault.” Gwen hummed, her eyes on her iPad as she rapidly flipped through news coverage of the controversy.
Gwen scrolled down the video and into the comments, her brows swiftly shifting into her hairline as the underlying tone became swiftly apparent.
Mixed reactions of their union plagued more than half the comments, as men and women questioned what they were doing and what kind of environment they were creating for Wei.
Gwen inhaled sharply as she quickly scrolled past several judgmental comments, asking overly intrusive questions and making questionable assumptions about Margo and Jericho’s “friendship”.
With many pointing the finger of paternity in his direction.
“Don’t read that.” Peni said sharply as she gently tugged the iPad from Gwen’s hand, her concerned eyes searching the blonde’s.
“What if-the baby doesn’t…look like me?” Gwen asked abruptly, nearly making Peni drop the iPad as she sat beside her on the futon, pulling a blanket around them.
“Is that what you’ve been thinking about?” Peni asked softly, as Gwen pulled the blanket tighter around her and didn’t answer the question.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Gwen mumble sinking into the cushions of the futon.
“Do you think Margo sits and wonders if people think Wei is hers?” Peni asked gently, her eyes on Gwen as she watched her gather her thoughts, hesitating in her response.
“Ye-NO!.” Gwen admitted as she finally met Peni’s gaze, her frazzled emotions slicing into Peni as she released her buried concerns.
“What if no one believes-it’s MY baby?” Gwen asked, her voice wavering as she bit her bottom lip.
“There’s now speculation of a love square.” Ross announced as he stepped into the bathroom, carelessly interrupting Jericho’s evening shower.
“Why DON’T you knock-before delivering disappointing news?” Jericho hissed from the closed shower curtain as Ross remained in the doorway, his eyes skimming through content of a popular blog .
“Don’t you mean love TRIANGLE?” Jericho questioned.
“People are saying the baby is yours-you cheated on Xiang and-“
“But that wouldn’t explain why she hit Peni instead of Margo.” Jericho interrupted as he reached for the shampoo and graciously poured a large amount into his hand.
“There’s speculation that Xiang and Peni were a thing in college and this lawsuit was just…a lover’s quarrel publicly being dragged out.” Ross grimaced as he locked the screen of his phone and sighed.
“What NOW?” Jericho snapped snatching back the curtains and sending shampoo and soap all over the bathroom floor.
“Why isn’t the internet working?” Jessica asked tiredly as she tried a fifth time to trouble shoot her issues, her attempts making her question her sanity as Miguel took a seat on the living room couch.
“Would you like me to-“
“No.” Jessica said flatly before he could finish, making him sigh as he sank into the cushions of the couch.
“What’s wrong?” Summer asked as she stepped into the living room with a towel around her head, her eyes sliding from Jessica and onto the tv.
“The internet isn’t working-hasn’t been working all day.” Jessica grumbled as she tossed a disappointed look at her daughter.
“My phone is missing too.”
Miguel rose from the couch, his large hand gently tugging the remote from Jessica’s fingers as he spoke, the warmth of his body radiating into her as he stood a little too close, politely lingering beside her and sending strange sensations throughout their link.
Jessica swallowed as her eyes roamed his full silhouette, greedily drinking in tan skin that wrapped around broad shoulders, slid into a fit waist and deliciously muscular thighs, his lavender scent gently caressing her senses as he placed a considerate hand on her lower back, sending sparks straight to her crotch.
“What?” Jessica asked her eyes lingering on his lips, embarrassment skipping across her cheeks as he smiled, fully aware she hadn’t been listening.
“Why don’t we watch a movie?” Summer suggested quickly, not bothering to address the strange emerging atmosphere.
“Ohhhh we’re watching a movie?” Ignacio asked as he appeared at the foot of the stairs, clad in a freshly washed hoodie, his hands loaded with snacks. “Which one?”
“I wanna watch a movie.” Andrés said as he sat the cleaning robot onto the floor, the machine swiftly bypassed a table, the floor rug, Miguel’s ankles and headed in Ignacio’s direction.
“Get away from me.” Ignacio frowned as he kicked at the robot, making Andrés frown as chips sprinkled to the floor.
“I’ll pop popcorn.” Miguel volunteered before anyone could stop him, his eyes on Jessica as he slowly dragged his hand down her back and walked away.
“What’s gotten into him?” Summer whispered as Ignacio and Andrés stepped beside her, watching as their mother took her time picking through dvds.
“He’s TRYING to get into HER.” Ignacio corrected, making Summer yank the towel from her head and frown.
“Could you not?” Summer hissed, her thick dark hair framing her face as she shot him an incredulous look.
Andrés found a spot beside Jessica on the rug, his eyes forward as he religiously tinkered with the floor robot as she took her time sorting through movies.
Jessica’s eyes slid to Andrés curiously as he opened and closed a tiny compartment on the back of the cleaning bot and quickly sat it back on the floor.
The floor bot happily beeped and promptly scooted away, searching for work.
Wordlessly Andrés lifted a movie from the pile and handed it to his mother, their eyes meeting as she accepted the selection.
“We used to watch this one…every time it stormed.” Andrés said softly as Miguel returned with two large bowls of popcorn.
“That’s a little morbid.”
Jessica mused as she turned over the movie case, taking in the design and graphics of several natural disasters.
“We haven’t watched this in years.” Miguel said with excitement as he gently tugged the movie case from Jessica’s fingers and handed her a large bowl, the smile on his face unmoving as he ushered her and Andrés to the couch.
Andrés dug a greedy hand into the popcorn bowl, his eyes sliding to the tv as he watched Miguel and Ignacio fiddle with the cords behind the tv.
“Did…he watch this with us…a lot?” Jessica whispered skeptically, interrupting Andrés mid chew. “Or was he always being Mayor?”
Andrés considered the question and answered honestly after a few seconds.
“A handful of times.” Andrés said as his mind cartwheeled back to his youth, his eyes on Miguel as he took his time carrying each of them to their room, whispering words of kindness as he pressed a kiss to Summer’s temple and quickly tucked her
in.
“But I don’t think he cares about the movie much.” Andrés said as Jessica dug into the bowl unsurprised.
“I think he liked…when everyone fell asleep.” Andrés Concluded.
“What?” Jessica asked, her right brow lifting in confusion.
“We all would fall asleep…on the same part just before the movie ends.” Andrés hummed, fondly looking back on the memory.
“I think because Dad never got to start the movie with us, he always rushed home to tuck us in bed…afterwards.”
“Oh.” Was all Jessica could say as memorizes of the past bombarded her, reminding her of various occasions Miguel seemed to beam at the idea of family time.
His hands usually already in motion before she could utter a word.
Jessica cleared her throat and lifted her water bottle from the coaster, trying to push away the fact his lies seemed to be things from his perspective.
Arguments hatched without intention as they bumped heads, their parenting styles vastly different as he demanded structure but was never home.
Jessica twisted the lid of her water closed, inhaling deeply as another memory washed over her.
He stood before her, his suit dusted in blood and his handsome face stained with despair as he took a tentative step toward her, his hand extended as his green eyes trailed to the slaughtered remains of a person.
Jessica blinked as unfamiliar rage sparked in her chest.
She wanted to stomp on the remains.
Wanted to grab handfuls of her hair and scream until her chest burned.
Her mind a growing typhoon of unadulterated rage as her insides itched and her eyes refused to look away from the mess she’d created.
Miguel shuffled uncomfortably beside her.
She doesn’t need to see his face.
She can taste the shock dripping from his pores.
She held no desire to witness the bewilderment and unease marring his handsome face.
“Here ya go.” Miguel said politely as he draped a large blanket over her shoulders bringing her back into the room.
Her brown eyes slid to Miguel, slowly picking and pulling him apart as he turned toward the tv, his back unchanged by time as he pressed play.
“What do you think about Dad being nice?” Ignacio asked as Summer continued to moisturize his hair, gradually growing more annoyed he wouldn’t do it himself.
“I thinkkkk…Dad is trying.” Summer said as she reached for a rat tail comb, quickly parting his hair with the metal end as she spoke.
“He resigned today.” Ignacio said seriously, suppressing his usual blunt criticism.
“WHAT?!” Summer snapped, her eyes going wide as she met her brother’s gaze in the mirror.
“How do you kn-WHEN?!” Summer fumbled making Ignacio roll his eyes as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I saw it mentioned BEFORE the video of Mom went viral.” Ignacio said clearing his throat as he unlocked his phone and pulled up a local news article.
“You’ve been reading.” Summer said in surprise as her sharp eyes quickly skimmed through the article.
“I always read.” Ignacio hissed as he locked his phone screen slightly appalled.
“Your grades in English beg to differ.” Andrés said impolitely as he leaned against the frame of the bathroom door, watching as Summer grabbed three small sections of hair and started to braid.
“Shouldn’t you be downstairs being babied?” Ignacio asked as he lifted his hand and tossed his baby brother a middle finger.
“Stop that.” Summer warned as she popped Ignacio’s hand with the plastic end of the comb, making him flinch.
“I felt…like…they needed to talk.” Andrés said slowly, uninterested in Ignacio’s comment as his eyes met Summer’s in the mirror.
“I think-she’s starting to remember things.” Andrés added as he ran a hand through his straight hair, growing a bit anxious as he nervously wondered how the conversations downstairs were unfolding.
Gonzalo tip toed out of the room, swiftly closing the door behind him as he made his way down the hall, taking notice of faint light splashing across the wall across the hallway.
He pivoted on his heels, his feet quickly escorting him to the den, his eyes immediately sliding to Hobie as he watched the Omega toss several bits of wood into the fire place.
His expression lax as he leaned backwards, watching as the flames jumped and danced in front of him.
“Can’t sleep?” He asked, his eyes still on the fire as he grabbed the poker and absently poked at a bottom piece of wood, shifting the fire and sending tiny bits of amber flying.
“Not really.” Gonzalo admitted with a sigh as he pulled his oversized sweater tighter around him, his hands outstretched for warmth as he took a seat a few feet away from the fire.
“Why are you up?” Gonzalo asked lightly as he watched Hobie continuously poke the fire.
“Same reason you are.” Hobie said lightly, his interest sliding to something buried in the ashes of the fireplace.
“Ohhhh…Ok-so your UP because your mate thinks you should have ANOTHER baby-“
“Woah woah woah-“ Hobie interrupted, clearly caught off guard by the topic as he promptly sat the poker back in it’s original place, his eyes sliding to Gonzalo.
“It’s MATES.” He corrected cheekily, making Gonzalo roll his eyes.
“Miles…thinks we should consider having another baby…after everything is straightened out.” The shorter man explained, his cheeks warming with color.
“Mmmmh…have you thought about having more?” Hobie asked lightly, watching a slight twitch dance across Gonzalo’s delicate features.
“I…uh.. “ He trailed off, clearing his throat suddenly feeling silly. “Honestly?”
“You can lie if you’d like.” Hobie snickered, making Gonzalo snort.
Miles hummed as he adjusted the volume of the tv, his eyes sliding to the twins as they peacefully slept, Marianna’s tight curls no longer under her bonnet as she turned on her side.
“You need anything?” Pav asked as he peeked his head into the bedroom, his eyes sliding to Miles.
“We’re fine.” Miles said softly, his eyes still on the twins as he approached the bed and gently tucked Marianna’s hair back into the silk cap, a serene expression dancing across his face.
“Ohhhhh I know that look.” Pav said softly as Miles stepped into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.
“What are you talking about?” Miles asked trying to fight back the amusement in his voice as he met and held the shorter man’s gaze as he crossed his arms knowingly over his chest.
“That’s the same look Pav gets when he looks at baby pictures of Kabir.” Noir informed as he yawned, casually stepping into the conversation and making Pav frown.
“I don’t-“
“Yes YOU do.” Noir interrupted, ignoring the man’s protests as he turned to Miles and placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder.
“I meannn…I haven’t really thought about it.” Gonzalo admitted, his thoughts sliding to his busy everyday schedule.
“I think it’d be nice in theory…but I work alot.”
“Mmmmh…HAVE to or WANT to-work alot?” Hobie asked, seeking clarification as he rose to his feet and stepped across the room, quickly plopping down on the futon.
“What?” Khalid asked as Kabir mumbled sleepily a second time, her lids dropping as she drifted back off to sleep.
“It’s cute you talk in your sleep.” Khalid whispered, a soft smile sliding to his lips as he crawled back into his fort of blankets, his mind unsettlingly shifting to tomorrow morning.
If the snow melted…he had class.
He’d also have to see James.
Eventually had to go home.
Khalid sighed deeply as he sank into the pillows, closing his eyes tight as he slowly counted to a hundred, weakly attempting to change his mind.
“I mean-the twins weren’t exactly planned.” Gonzalo said sheepishly, as he sat down beside Hobie, his eyes on the fire.
“They just…happened.”
Hobie nodded, well aware.
“I think-you should talk to Miles.”
“And say what-I’m scared? Now isn’t a good time? I have work?” Gonzalo sighed, his eyes closing.
“I don’t want him to think…” Gonzalo trailed off, attempting to sort through his congested thoughts.
“You’re avoiding the conversation.” Hobie softly filled in.
“I don’t think…either of us truly got over..what happened-with…the first loss.” Gonzalo confessed, his voice wavering as he refused to return Hobie’s gaze, desperately searching for a distraction.
Pav shifted on his feet, breaking away from Miles and Noir mid conversation, his mind made up as he jogged past the den, his brow furrowing with annoyance.
“Surprise. Surprise.” Pav muttered dryly as he sprinted down the hall in search of khalid,
his eyes forward as he slid to a stop in front of Kabir’s open room door.
“You think NOW is a good time to have another baby?” Noir asked curiously, his question pulling Miles’s eyes away from Pav’s disappearing form.
“As soon as I deal with law enforcement-it WILL be.” Miles said evenly, his crisp definite tone sending an uncomfortable chill down Noir’s spine.
Miles’s phone aggressively vibrated in his pocket, temporarily disturbing his train of thought as he looked over the unfamiliar number.
He answered on the third ring, his brow quizzically lifting as a man claiming to be the new chief of police nervously greeted him.
“Mr.Morales…WE have a proposition for you.”
Gwen stretched as she stepped out of the shower, her body feeling lighter than usual as she stepped through the large bathroom, grabbing a towel from the rack as her phone vibrated with several notifications.
“Whose number is this…” Gwen complained as she wiped water from her forehead, wondering if her data had been leaked.
Her eyes brows shot into her hairline as she flipped through a string of dated pictures, confusion slipping from her pores as questionable photos of Xiang and Peni filled her screen.
Gwen inhaled shakily as the unsaved number sent her a recent news article, the bold title nearly making the Beta slam her phone into the wall as she rushed out of the bathroom and stepped back into the bedroom.
Peni hummed as she bobbed her head to the music screaming from her AirPods, her fingers rapidly flying across her iPad as she made several adjustments to the current watch design, the projection proudly floating in the air as the color changed.
Margo continued to snore, her arms wrapped around Wei as he clung to her, his fingers buried deep in the fabric of her shirt as he farted.
“What’s this?” Gwen asked evenly,her eyes bouncing from the suspicious news article that corrupted majority of her phone screen and onto Peni, her body still dripping with confusion.
“Mmmh?” Peni asked as she pulled an AirPod from her ear, her slanted eyes curiously sliding to Gwen across the room as she paused her music
“You’re dripping on the carpet.” Peni pointed out, briefly remembering this wasn’t their house.
“Why didn’t you tell me YOU and Xiang were a thing?!” Gwen hissed harshly, trying to keep her volume at an appropriate level as Margo stirred in bed.
Peni pulled the other AirPod from her ear, her eyes sliding to the news article, quickly skimming through it’s contents, a deep frown slid down the center of her face as she spoke.
“Gwen look-“ Peni sighed deeply, unhappy she had to resurrect and address the past.
“This is fucking embarrassing.” Peni said as she dropped her iPad onto the bed, committing her full attention to the conversation.
“Xiang…wanted to be more than friends-and I didn’t.”
“What?” Gwen asked bleakly as she clicked off of the article and back into the text thread, quickly turning the screen to Peni.
Peni didn’t bother glancing at the screen, her eyes burning as she spoke.
“There was a party…I drank too much and Xiang pushed and push…apparently I didn’t say no.”
Gwen’s eyes went wide with shock as Peni cleared her throat, her eyes closing as she continued, a tense expression blanketing her pretty face.
“She took pictures that night…showed them to me that morning.” Peni said shakily, shame spilling throughout her tone as she struggled to continue, her mind throbbing as the sensation of the hangover from that night, years ago triggered her senses, making her inhale deeply.
“She…uh..told me-that if we dated…she wouldn’t show anyone the…pictures.”
“I’M GOING TO BEAT HER ASS.” Margo spat heatedly, her voice startling both women, as they turned her way surprised she’d woken up.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Gwen asked softly, her insides itching with guilt and discomfort.
“Is THIS why she came after you?”
An unsettling thought stomped away any remaining remnants of sleep, as Margo snatched the blankets off of her. “Did she make you-“
“No.” Peni said clearing her throat, her eyes down as her eyes uncomfortably burned a hole into the plush carpet. “I wasn’t ready and she didn’t want to wait…so she dumped me.”
Margo’s jaw dropped in shock.
“She…tried to bully you again.” Gwen said sharply, her rage sliding next to Margo’s up the scale of madness.
“I don’t think that’s…why she suddenly just appeared.” Peni said closing her eyes and leaning tiredly into the dresser.
“I bet the fuck it is.” Margo growled as she lunged out of bed, her delicate face twisted with rage. “She came out of the trenches-for money.”
“I…I’d rather not talk about this.” Peni said uncomfortably as her eyes opened and she looked toward the window.
“The plot continues to thicken.” Jericho hummed as he pulled his eyes away from the news paper, a smile on his lips as he turned the paper toward his assistant, his finger eagerly tapping the page he’d just read.
“What am I supposed to be looking at-OH wow.” Ross trailed off, his eyes going wide as he looked over the photos of Peni and Xiang heatedly embracing.
“I think this was WHY she was so adamant about a lawsuit.” Jericho hummed as Ross looked away from the paper, the light on his phone rapidly flashing as it vibrated across the table.
“It’s that woman isn’t it?” Jericho asked wrinkling his nose before Ross could look at the screen and confirm.
“I think she leaked those herself.” Ross sighed as he hit ignore, wordlessly watching as the call went to voicemail.
“Of course she did.” Jericho said with an eyeroll.
“Her case was dismissed-so she found a way to piss off a bunch of people.”
“I don’t…know what to do about this.” Peni admitted softly, her voice just above a whisper as Gwen pulled her into her arms.
“It’s ok-we’ll ruin her life soon enough.” Margo said sweetly as she pressed a comforting kiss to Peni’s cheek.
“I say you counter sue her stupid ass for defamation.” Margo added, making Peni turn her way, visibly surprised.
“Come on Peni-she’s been saying reputation ruining shit since her arrival back in town.”
Margo reminded.
“I agree with Margo. She doesn’t deserve to get away with this.” Gwen said evenly, her arms wrapping tighter around Peni’s waist.
“She lied and said, she made the company WITH you. Attempted to sue you for half your earning AND then leaked these-pictures to press!”
“I just want this to go away.” Peni mumbled into Gwen’s chest, no longer wishing to continue the conversation.
Gwen shot Margo a loaded look, their links buzzing with matching unease.
“Can we talk?” Miles asked as he stepped into the den, his cool voice splashing uncomfortably throughout the space as Gonzalo shot Hobie a look before rising to his feet.
“What’s up?” Gonzalo asked rubbing the palms of his sweaty hands across his pajama bottoms, his eyes curiously sliding to Miles.
“I got a call about the house.”
Gonzalo’s brows furrowed in surprise.
“Already? It hasn’t even been a full twenty four hours-“
“Don’t forget the time difference here.” Miles reminded gently as he reached for the smaller man’s hand, softly dragging his thumb across his knuckles as he continued.
“The NEW Chief of police called-“
“What?!” Gonzalo asked his eyes going wide.
“They’re tryna cover their asses so they DON’T get sued.”
“Yup.” Miles agreed with a lazy nod.
“They offered a lump sum along with a new house.” He added as he fiddled with the knobs of his watch.
“Same area?” Gonzalo asked suspiciously,wondering if the conversation of moving had been fleeting as Miles gently tugged him into the newly formed portal.
“It’s…twice the size it was before.” Gonzalo noted as he took a step onto the walkway, looking over the beautiful dark rock steps that lead to the doorway.
“Yeah…it’s six bedroom now.” Miles said as he reached for the box hanging around the knob, his fingers quickly imputing a code.
Gonzalo looked over the healthy lawn, his eyes narrowing with skepticism as the front door clicked and then opened.
“Let’s check it out.” Miles said softly as he pressed a quick kiss to the Omega’s earlobe, shifting his attention.
“This looks NOTHING like our house.” Gonzalo immediately pointed out as he took in the gody decorations and stale furniture.
“They gifted us more than enough money to buy whatever we want.” Miles informed as Gonzalo tossed an unimpressed look at the oddly shaped coffee table in the living room.
“How much?” Gonzalo asked, his eyes sliding across zigzag picture frames, an oddly shaped rug, the new fire place and an unattractively huge sectional that took up more than half
of the living room.
“Ewww…WHO decided all this shit needed to be in here?” Gonzalo asked wrinkling his nose is disgust.
“Well…you don’t have to work if you don’t want.” Miles said gently, his tone making Gonzalo’s snap in his direction.
“Miles-we agreed you’d stay home.” Gonzalo reminded.
“Yeah-we agreed I’d stay home back when there was NO crime in this dimension.” Miles clarified.
The aftershocks of his Prime command had been strange.
Order had been installed and maintained the second he’d glanced into the camera, the aura around him downright frightening as he dropped his command, carelessly tossing the world into peaceful chaos.
“I’m NOT going to STOP working.” Gonzalo said sternly.
“But we discussed-“
“I KNOW what we discussed-BUT technically there’s STILL crime in the dimension.” Gonzalo said evenly, his smooth voice ready to slide into an argument.
“Technically?” Miles asked with a lifted brow.
“Miles! The Police literally drove through our house, tried to plant drugs on us AND stalked us.” Gonzalo hissed, reminding the Alpha of all the none subtle bullshit they’d been dragged through. “Did you forget the break in?”
“I didn’t forget ANY of those things happened.” Miles said stiffly as Gonzalo spun on his heels, putting distance between them as he dragged curious fingertips along the bar counter.
“You sure?” Gonzalo asked as he stepped away from the bar, his eyes meeting Miles’s.
“Because it seems like you’re trying to run past the conversation we had last night-about waiting to have another baby.”
“I-“
“Have you thought about putting on the suit longer than three minutes?” Gonzalo interrupted sharply.
Miles opened his mouth to speak, Gonzalo’s no nonsense voice quickly cutting him off again.
“I’ll get pregnant when you start being Spider-Man again.”
Miles’s brows slid up his forehead in surprise as Gonzalo exited the room before he could respond.
“I wish I could remember more.” Jessica sighed as she comfortably sank into the cushions of the couch, her eyes sliding to Miguel, a pleasant expression on his face as their children peacefully slept, wedged underneath her on the sectional.
Jessica pressed her hand to Andrés’s cheek, looking over the delicate freckles that littered the bridge of his nose and just below his eyes.
He looked every bit like Miguel, his straight hair obscuring most of his face, he clung to her like a small child peacefully snoring as he rested his head on his mother’s thigh.
“I feel like we’re close.” Jessica said as she played with Andrés’s hair, her eyes sliding to Ignacio.
The teen slept on the other side of her, his head resting on her shoulder as he lightly snored, his arms defiantly crossed and his sock covered feet lazily resting across Summer’s lap.
Jessica’s eyes slid back to the tv, the ending well over thirty minutes away.
Jessica watched as the plot progressed, a wind chill quickly consuming the city and freezing the screen as people desperately hauled ass to safety, seeking refuge behind the solid dry walls of the library.
Summer’s head bobbed as her eyes closed, sleep quickly consuming her as Miguel shifted slightly beside her, letting her head rest on his shoulder as he continued to watch the movie.
“Everyone’s asleep.” Jessica said softly as she watched the weather on screen briefly match the aggressive storm raging outside the windows.
“Yup. Same scene every time.” Miguel hummed softly. “Just like when they were little.”
Jessica didn’t respond, her eyes on the screen as Miguel openly continued to share his thoughts.
“It seems like…one minute I was making macaroni pictures with them and the next they’re in high school… too busy to speak to me.” Miguel said wistfully.
“Weren’t you always working?” Jessica asked, her eyes cutting skeptically to Miguel.
“I was.” Miguel said with a sad nod.
“I worked and worked…constantly stretching myself thin at the expense of my family.” He admitted abruptly with a heavy sigh as he turned on his side, catching Summer’s head and lifting her in one swift motion.
“I feel like I don’t even know my children.” He said softly as he pivoted on his heels and headed toward the stairs, a troubled expression pulling at his handsome features.
Jessica soaked in his words, the uneasy look on his face staining her thoughts as thunder loudly struck the sky, making her jump in surprise.
“You ok?” Miguel asked as he stepped back into the living room, his eyes sliding to Ignacio.
“I’m fine-the thunder just scared me.” Jessica admitted, growing a little embarrassed as his eyes met hers.
“I won’t let anything happen to any of you.”
Jessica rolled her eyes as she turned back toward the tv.
“Don’t you have Mayor shit to do?”
Miguel grunted as he lifted Ignacio, the teen loudly snoring as Miguel hoisted him higher, his attention sliding back to Jessica as he spoke.
“I resigned… before I came back home today.”
Jessica’s eyes widened with shock, his feet quickly moving him away from the discussion as he turned toward the second floor.
“What?! WHY? You love your job-“
“No-I LOVE my family.” Miguel corrected quickly. “I actually HATED that job.” Miguel confessed.
“I only did it…to keep you safe.” He said softly before disappearing up the stairs before she could question him.
“Protect me from wha-“
An aggressive set of knuckles danced across the front door, derailing her words and waking Andrés.
Andrés sat up, his green eyes curiously sliding to the door. “Why are they knocking so hard?”
“Damn the knocking. Do they know what time it is?!” Jessica’s asked heatedly.
“Mom…it’s Nine thirty.” Andrés filled in as he watched his mother rise from the couch as the knuckles hit the door a third and fourth time.
“Mom-I don’t think you should answer.” Andrés warned sitting up straighter, an unsettling feeling of dread sliding down his shoulders as his warning fell onto deaf ears.
“I hope it’s not an emergency.” Jessica said as she pulled open the front door, her eyes landing on a woman she’d never seen before.
The woman stood before her in a sopping wet coat, her eyes laced with animosity and her voice loaded with rage as she spoke, summoning Andrés from the couch.
“IT WAS YOU!!!” The woman spat angrily, water dripping through her graying hair and down her face, as she held Jessica’s gaze.
“I ALWAYS knew-YOU did something to HIM.”
Jessica frowned, confusion fogging her head as she tried to comprehend what the upset woman was going off about.
Miguel pressed a kiss to Ignacio’s forehead and smiled as the teen brushed him away, his snores quickly filling the room.
Miguel peeked in Summer’s room before heading to the stairs, the sound of a familiar shrill voice nearly making him skydive neck first down the stairs and into the living room.
“You COULD’NT stand to see us HAPPY!” The short haired woman screamed, making Andrés cover his ears as he took a protective step closer to his mother, ready to shove the strange woman back onto the streets.
“He SAID-if ANYTHING ever happened it was because of YOU!”
Andrés’s eyes slid behind the deranged woman, his attention landing on several people hiding behind parked vans with cameras.
Confusion painted Jessica’s face, her mind moving a thousand miles a second to recall the angry woman.
She couldn’t place her face.
Couldn’t fathom a fuck to pretend she did.
Jessica tilted her head, enraging the woman more as she spoke. “I’m sorry…have we met?”
“Come back with a lawyer.” Miguel barked as he jumped over the last four steps, his feet quickly bringing him to Jessica’s side as he shoved the woman chest first out of the doorway and slammed it.
Ignoring her angry howls as she repeatedly banged on the door, kicking and screaming obscurities.
Andrés’s eyes trailed curiously to Miguel.
“Dad…who’s tha-“
“Andrés call the police.” Miguel said dryly as he peeked out of the living room window, watching as several reporters attempted to shove a microphone into the woman’s face.
“What’s wrong?” Ross mumbled half asleep as Jericho appeared in his door way, his features twisted uncomfortably.
“That woman has been constantly dialing us on the call box downstairs-for the last two hours.”
“Why didn’t you notify security?” Ross asked with a yawn as he sat up, his mind warming with ideas as he snatched the house phone from the bar and quickly dialed the lobby number.
“That woman is obsessed.” Jericho said dryly as soon as Ross hung up the phone. “Why?”
“What? Why are you asking me?” Ross asked frowning as he turned in Jericho’s direction.
“Did you fuck her?” Jericho asked point blank, nearly making Ross consider knocking everything from the bar between them.
“Excuse me?” Gwen asked pointedly, her eyes on Eric as he mindlessly tapped his pen across the top of his notebook, irritating the Beta as he repeated the question.
“Why’d you feel when you saw those pictures of Peni and Xiang, in the newspaper?”
Anger screamed up Gwen’s throat,her resolve wavering as she struggled not to blurt out her first thought.
“I can see your STILL upset.” Eric hummed, his eyes closing as he leaned back in his seat and exhaled deeply from his nostrils, his body relaxed as he gave Gwen time to gather her thoughts.
“I…just-“ Gwen trailed off, her eyes closing as she leaned forward and dropped her face into her hands, the feeling of exhaustion suddenly returning and tugging mercilessly at her senses.
She needed a nap.
A long and endless-
“How’s Margo doing? She had an appointment this morning, right?” Eric inquired, quickly shoving Gwen to a topic she actually wanted to discuss.
“How do you feel?” Peni asked as she took Margo’s hand, guiding her down the concrete steps, a whisper of a smile ghosting her lips as she watched the taller woman angrily tug her shirt down over her growing bump.
“Like I’ve gained twenty five pounds.” Margo replied dryly, her attention sliding to a nearby cafe as they exited the parking lot.
“That’s because you have.” Peni said with a laugh , her eyes appreciating the additional weight Margo had gained.
“Gaining weight is a part of the process.”
“Don’t remind me.” Margo said dramatically, tossing her head back at the idea she’d gain even more weight before the nine month mark.
“You’re over thinking.” Peni said sweetly as she pressed her lips’s to Margo’s fingers, greedily inhaling the soft scent of cherries that wrapped around her.
Her usually pleasant scent had only gotten sweeter with each passing month.
“It feels weird being back home.” Margo said boredly, as Peni pulled open the door for their Uber.
“Yeahhhh-I’m ready to head BACK to Noir’s place.” Peni said as she slid in beside Margo and shut the door.
“It’s pretty relaxing.” Margo said with a nod of agreement, ready to head home and grab a few items and swiftly return.
“Wei seems to like it too.” Margo hummed, her eyes closing as she rested her head on Peni’s shoulder.
“Yeah because everyone carries him everywhere.” Peni said with a laugh.
Peni’s eyes slid to the window, her smile immediately dropping as she caught sight of Xiang and a string of suspicious looking people.
“What…all do you need out of the house?” Peni asked, not wanting to startle Margo as she sat up higher, her sharp eyes roaming their lawn as the car grew closer.
“Mmmh…just my robe…some more underwear…mmmh maybe those chocolate granola bites in the pantry.” Margo mused, imagining the snack dancing graciously across the tip of her tongue.
“I’m going to inhale the box.”
“That’s wonderful.” Peni said as she pulled her keys from her bag, trying to mentally prepare herself for the onslaught of monstrous and insidious questions that would momentarily fill her ears.
Reporters were right next to photographers on the list of people she had no desire to deal with.
From peddling unflattering Ai photos to poorly botched together lies they’d rearranged, carelessly omitting and substituting important words and details she’d said.
Peni inhaled sharply, her mind cycling back to the past as the Uber slowly turned into the driveway, giving the press and neighbors time to nosily flee to her yard.
This is a fucking nightmare. Peni screamed internally, rage skating up her spine as her eyes landed on Xiang.
She stood toward the edge of the curious onlookers, choosing to keep her distance as she watched reporters and paparazzi viciously quarrel over a spot closer to the approaching Uber.
“You wait in the car-I’ll get our things.” Peni said softly as she clumsily pressed a quick kiss to Margo’s nose.
Margo blinked tiredly, not bothering to respond as she pulled Gwen’s coat tightly around herself, a soft yawn escaping her lips as she pressed her head to the cool door window.
Peni pulled her cap down over her eyes and stepped out of the car, the door quickly looking behind her as soon as it closed, filling her with slight relief as flashes of white interrupted her vision.
Peni marched forward, her head held high as she bypassed several reporters, not bothering to acknowledge their presence as the screen of her watch lit up with color, a happy face appearing as she held her wrist above the scanner on the door.
She slipped inside and locked the door as soon as it opened.
She inhaled lungs full of air, trying to calm herself as her nerves wildly sprinted up the back of her throat as she pressed her back to the door, her breathing erratic and uneven as her eyes combed through the empty house.
“How has it been staying with friends?” Eric asked curiously as he lifted his cup from the table between them and deeply inhaled the wafting aroma.
“It’s been nice.” Gwen said with a soft smile as she pulled a pack of gum from her pocket and slowly picked away the wrapper.
“It’s usually hard to get together with everyone being so busy.” Gwen said as she brushed a purple loc of hair behind her ear.
“That’s good. “ Eric said as he sat his cup back on the table and met Gwen’s gaze.
“Mmmh I think last time we spoke, you mentioned-three of your friends having parenting disagreements.” Eric noted not bothering to flip back open his notebook.
“How are they doing?” He asked with a smile.
“HE’S IN HER ROOM.” Pav hissed ominously from behind the clothes in the closet, startling Hobie and nearly making him drop the hanger in his hand.
“What IS the problem NOW?” Hobie asked clearly annoyed as he slid the hanger back on the rack, his full lips pinched together in a frown as he met the Alpha’s gaze.
“He’s mad Bir and Khalid are existing in the same room without an adult.” Noir said with an eye roll as he stepped into the closet with Wei strapped to his chest.
“She’s in bed and he’s on the floor…in a tent.” Noir explained, making Hobie sigh loudly with irritation as Pav stepped from behind the clothes.
“Doesn’t matter-he shouldn’t be in her room.” Pav said evenly.
“He’s nothing but a distraction.” Pav pointed out before either partner could respond.
“Kabir should be studying for mid terms and preparing for her SAT.”
“What makes you think I’m not?” Kabir asked evenly from the doorway, her hazel eyes locked on her father.
Pav’s face dropped at the sight of Kabir.
“Sweetie I didn’t say-“
“But you just did.” Kabir sharply interrupted, not wanting to hear it.
“Maybe this school wasn’t a good idea-“
Kabir’s eyebrows slammed into her hairline, her shock palpable to Noir and mirrored by Hobie, the two of them wearing twin expressions of horror as Noir cleared his throat, attempting to defuse the situation.
“I’ve been homeschooled my WHOLE life-and I finally start to make friends…and ALL you can think about is how you DON’T trust me.” Kabir snapped, her true feelings slipping out before she could stop them.
“I didn’t say I don’t trust you-I just DON’T trust everyone else.” Pav corrected, making Hobie shift angrily in his direction.
Noir sighed akwardly, unsure how to lighten the mood, disappointment weighing down his features as he watched Kabir’s bottom lip tremble.
“I…I’m preforming in the winter formal…I’m in band-I…study everyday-I’m PASSING all my classes….I don’t-understand…why you’re punishing me.”
“Punishing? You’re being a bit dramatic.” Pav replied, making her grow more anxious.
“You rarely practice your music and when you do-you play the SAME song.” Pav added.
Hobie winched, the jab hitting him and Kabir at once.
“Your grades are fine but they can be better. You haven’t been as focused since we enrolled you in school-I knew we should have continued homeschooling you. College is right around the corner and you aren’t focused.”
“Why are you trying to lock me away…and pretend it’s better for me? Kabir asked, tears running down her cheeks as she suddenly grew overwhelmed, her body growing overly warm with discomfort as sweat clung to her skin uncomfortably and coated her forehead.
“Kabir-it’s NOT that serious. One day these things won’t even matter.” Pav said dismissively, making his daughter wheeze uncontrollably.
“SHE’S HAVING AN ASMTHA ATTACK!!” Noir said as he sprinted out of the bedroom and into the hallway, running past Khalid.
Khalid turned around, curiously watching as Noir frantically pushed open Kabir’s bedroom door, the baby strapped to his chest cooing as he reached for decorations hanging above the door.
“WHERE’S her inhaler?!” Hobie questioned as he turned toward the dresser, fumbling for her backup.
Pav shifted uncomfortably, nearly ripping several drawers from the hinges as he fruitlessly searched, tossing shirts and papers to the floor as he stood beside Hobie.
Khalid headed toward the commotion, his ears picking up the sound before his mind could register what was happening as his eyes landed on Kabir.
“BREATH!! “ Khalid yelled as he crashed into the room, not bothering to knock or check his surroundings as he pushed past Pav and pulled Kabir into his arms.
“You need to calm down and breath-“ Khalid said evenly, looking her over as brushed a tear from her face.
“It’s OK…I’ll breathe with you.” Khalid said as he pulled an inhaler from his pocket and brought it to her lips, inhaling and exhaling with her as she desperately pressed down, filling her lungs.
“Come here.” Hobie said tensely as he grabbed Pav’s arm and yanked him into the hallway away from the teens.
“Why’d you make us leave? Now they’re alone-“
Anger steam rolled from Hobie’s link and straight into Pav, making his words falter as the Omega shot him a nasty look.
“Why are you in the hallway?” Noir asked as he stepped back into frame, Wei no longer strapped to his chest, an inhaler dangling from his left hand. “Is Bir ok-“
“You stressed her out so much she had an asthma attack.” Hobie said dryly, his tone making Noir flinch and Pav look away.
“She hasn’t had an asthma attack since we took her out of Day Care!”
“Nooooo…he made her have a panic attack that resulted in an asthma attack.” Noir lightly corrected, not wanting Hobie’s rage to dangerously flicker in his direction.
Hobie stepped back toward the doorway, the two Alphas right behind him as he looked into the room, observing.
“She hasn’t needed an inhaler in ages.” Hobie said wistfully, his arms crossing nervously in front of his chest.
Pav opened his mouth to speak, his words freezing and sticking behind his lips as Hobie shot him a heated look.
Anger and rage melting together behind his usually playful eyes, sending a wave of apprehension and regret throughout Pav’s being, making him take a hesitant step backward.
Pav’s eyes slid to Kabir, unhappiness twisting her delicate face together in a way that made his chest cave with guilt.
He inhaled shakily, wanting to erase the tension that coated the room like desolate dust.
“I -“
“Think you should GO to Aunt Maya’s-for a few days. Maybe think about ALL the things you said tonight, yeah?” Hobie interrupted, not bothering to disguise his tone, his suggestion more of a demand as he held Pav’s gaze, refusing to look away.
Khalid blinked uncomfortably.
Noir placed a warm hand on Kabir’s shoulder, his even tone pulling at Pav’s attention.
“You’re ok.” Noir said softly as he pressed a kiss to her hairline, offering comforting words as he gently pulled her from Khalid and into his arms, softly brushing her messy hair with his fingers.
“You can preform at winter formal as PLANNED.” Noir said thickly, his hazel eyes lighting into the shorter man, making him hiccup with sadness.
“You can keep your friends. We’d never go out of our way to make you unhappy.” Noir said tensely as his fingers tangled a knot from Kabir’s wild tresses.
“Or make you feel like we’re disapproving of you having freedom.” Hobie added as his arms wrapped around Kabir, making her eyes water.
“I-I that wasn’t my intention.” Pav protested, suddenly feeling excluded as the hallway grew chilly and the room seemed to grow in distance.
“Good night.” Hobie said with indifference to the Alpha’s response, as he pulled the bedroom door shut.
Chapter 7: What the fuck?! Who the fuck?!
Notes:
This series is SO messy🌚
Chapter Text
Gonzalo yawned as he pulled his hair into a low ponytail, his mind cluttered with thoughts of work and home related tasks as he breezed through his morning routine of getting dressed.
He slipped on a pair of slacks and grabbed a turtle neck, his mind drifting to the studio as he stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway.
Marianna yawned as she sat up in bed, wrinkling her nose as she caught sight of the newly painted walls.
“I don’t like it either.” Matéo said dryly as he rose from his bed across the room, the frown on his lips deepening as his feet touched the new wood floor.
“I miss…carpet.” He sighed halfheartedly.
“I hope we move.” Marianna hissed as her bare feet touched the cool wood floor.
“They didn’t even give us a rug.” Matéo pointed out as Marianna slowly approached the book shelf and frowned, an unhappy look clinging to her features as her eyes roamed across the spines of books she hadn’t glanced at since learning to read.
Miles looked out of his bedroom window, his eyes on the steady flow of morning traffic moving in and out of the neighborhood.
He hadn’t seen any SUVs since their return, his distrust ever growing as he watched a black sports car zoom down the street, callously splashing an elderly man on the sidewalk.
“I can’t wait to move.” Miles said dryly as he closed the curtain and headed to the closet, quickly slipping on a pair of pajama bottoms, his mind wandering aimlessly as he listened to the different movements throughout the house.
He could hear Marianna and Matéo’s list of grievances, their distain for the newly remodeled home was humorous.
He slid a hoodie over his head as he listened to the seven year olds complain about the book selection of the room being altered along with the ugly decor that hung from the walls.
He could hear Gonzalo’s light footsteps, his soft hum floating from the kitchen as he took his time opening cabinets, preparing breakfast.
Gonzalo grabbed bacon and a carton of eggs from the fridge, his mind floating to work as he cracked several eggs into a hot pan.
Excitement and dread stomping away his optimism as a gross realization hit, he’d have to see Dean.
Gonzalo frowned as his insides started to itch uncomfortably.
He held no desire to see, hear or SMELL that perverted man.
“Smells good.” Miles said thickly as his arms wrapped around Gonzalo’s waist, tugging him from his thoughts.
“Morning.” Gonzalo said clearing his throat and shoving away his wayward thoughts.
“How’d you sleep?” Miles asked as he pressed a light kiss to the back of the shorter man’s neck, lazily inhaling the faint scent of shampoo that clung to his hair. “Morning.”
“I slept ok.” Gonzalo said as he grabbed the pepper and sprinkled a gracious amount into the eggs. “You?”
“Mmmmh…would have been better if we’d stayed in bed…a bit longer.” Miles teased, making the Omega roll his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Marianna asked with a frown as she watched her brother step out of the closet fully dressed.
“Not being in my pajamas all day.” Matéo said evenly as he pulled the ponytail holder from his hair, his curls immediately covering his face.
Marianna rolled her eyes. “It’s NOT like we have school.”
“I think we should think about transferring the twins.” Miles said as he pulled away, his eyes on his phone as he breezed through new emails.
“Did you want to do that-before or after the move?” He asked as he slid his phone into his pocket, watching as Gonzalo sprinkled cheese into the pan.
“We’re moving?” Marianna asked happily as she slid into the kitchen, her eyes sparkling.
“I’d like to transfer schools.” Matéo said calmly as he stepped past his sister and took a seat at the table. “Also I don’t want eggs.”
“Your father and I are still discussing that.” Gonzalo said lightly as he slid in front of the freezer and pulled out a box of waffles.
“What’s there to discus? I don’t want to live in this ugly house.” Marianna complained, nearly making Gonzalo drop the box in his hand as Miles laughed.
“Marianna the house is NOT-“
“You think the house IS ugly?” Miles interrupted, clearly amused as Marianna took a seat at the table across from her brother.
“Very.” Marianna said truthfully, making her brother snort as her eyes bounced from Miles and onto Gonzalo.
“Why’d they redo the whole house if only the living room was messed up?” Marianna questioned with a frown.
“Because they didn’t want to get sued.” Miles answered with a smile.
Gonzalo shook his head as he pulled several waffles from the box and popped them into the toaster.
“Tay do you like your new room?” Miles asked curiously, patiently waiting as he watched the young boy consider the question.
“Es muy feo.” Matéo said blankly, making Marianna fall into a fit of laughter at the table.
“Why…are yall like this?” Gonzalo mumbled to himself as he turned off the eggs and grabbed a plate, his eyes sliding to the toaster as it dinged.
“Would you two like to have a little brother or sister?” Miles asked casually, making Gonzalo drop the plate in his hand.
“Absolutely not.” Hobie said dryly as he hit ignore on his phone, rejecting Pav’s fifth call that morning.
“So he’s just banned from the house?” Noir asked skepticaly his right brow lifting as he turned toward the kitchen table, his hands heavy with plates.
“Yes.” Hobie said flatly as he turned his phone on DND and placed it face down on the table, his eyes slowly trailing up to Noir’s.
“This will be interesting.” Noir hummed as he handed Hobie his plate.
“I wonder how many days he’ll make it this time.”
“I’m sorry about the drama with my Dads.” Kabir sighed as she handed Khalid a face towel, his eyes still heavy with sleep as he pressed the warm towel to his face.
“It’s ok.” He mumbled into the towel, trying to wake himself up.
“You saw MY family drama-it’s only fair I get to see yours.” He said with a smile as Kabir breezed by him, her attention on the cabinets above his head.
“Lucky us.” She mumbled as she pulled an unopened toothbrush from the cabinet and handed it to him.
“I don’t wanna go to school today.” Khalid whined as he hastily opened the packaging and pulled out the toothbrush.
“I’m indifferent about classes, I just want to get out of the house.” Kabir confessed as she grabbed the toothpaste and quickly twisted open the cap.
“Why…didn’t you tell me you had asthma?” Khalid asked after a moment, his eyes slowly sliding to hers in the mirror.
“Because…I don’t have asthma.”
“Well…what was that last night?”
“I had…a panic attack.” Kabir sighed as she squeezed the tube graciously above her brush, embarrassment nipping at her chest.
“I haven’t had one…since I was five.” She added quickly, as if trying to speed past that omission.
Khalid digested her words, his curiosity spiking rapidly. “Mmmh…do you usually keep inhalers around or-“
“There’s several around the house in case of an emergency…but I haven’t needed an inhaler in a very long time.” Kabir said as she offered him the toothpaste.
“Why didn’t you tell me YOU had asthma?” She asked lightly, tossing the question back at him, her eyes locked on her reflection as she started to brush her teeth.
“I…didn’t think to bring it up.” Khalid admitted sheepishly as he closed the toothpaste and started to brush his teeth, mimicking her movements.
“I haven’t needed it since middle school.” He confessed as he spit into the sink.
“But I keep it with me out of habit.” He continued as he twisted the faucet, turning on the water.
Kabir spit into the sink, her attention on the toothpaste as it slipped down the drain.
“…..thanks for-”
“You don’t have to thank me for that.” Khalid quickly interrupted as he reached for her hand, indifferent to the toothpaste that clung to her bottom lip and stained her chin.
“You’re my girlfriend-it’s my job to protect you.”
Kabir’s cheeks grew rosey with color as butterflies danced throughout her chest at his gentle declaration, he held her gaze shamelessly, refusing to let nerves falter his actions as he dragged his thumb across her bottom lip, with his free hand, brushing away the toothpaste.
Noir took several silent steps backwards, not wanting to besmirch their intimate moment, he smiled as he turned down the hallway, eager to share what he’d seen as he rushed back to the kitchen.
“WHERES THE FIRE?!” Ross shouted as he ran into the living room with a fire extinguisher.
“Not in this unit.”Jericho said boredly as he lifted a cucumber slice from his eye.
“You’re ruining the ambience.” He sighed as he slid the cucumber back over his eye and stretched out lazily across the sofa.
“What?” Ross asked as he stepped through the living room and yanked open the front door, frantically searching for the origin of the blaring alarm.
“ Ambienceeeeeeee.” Jericho hissed as Ross shut and locked the door. “You know-the VIBE.”
“NO! Xiang is RUINING the vibe.” Ross snapped as he tossed the extinguisher rudely to the floor, startling Jericho from his spa themed haze.
“She’s been calling NONSTOP since THREE am! Excuse me if I’m NOT in the most pleasant mood right now-I didn’t get any sleep!”
Jericho sighed as he slowly sat up, mindful not to send the cucumbers astray as he turned in the direction of Ross’s disgruntled voice.
“Sit. You need this as much as I do.” Jericho instructed as he pat the cushion beside him on the couch.
“I’d rather sleep.” Ross stiffly declined as he stormed out of the living room, muttering unhappy obscenities under his breath.
“What’d you say?” Margo asked as Peni filled her arms with snacks, the door locking behind her as she slid back into the Uber.
“I said-I think I need a NAP.” Peni lied with a smile, as she quickly buckled her seatbelt.
“I’m GLAD we Ubered here first-instead of the office.” Margo hummed as the car backed out of the driveway, she yawned as she opened a bag of chocolate covered pretzels.
“Did you get everything you needed?”
“Mmmh?” Peni asked as her fingers rapidly danced across her iPad.
“Oh yeah.” She said half listening.
Margo rolled her eyes as she bit into a pretzel.
“All you do is work.”
“Babe…” Peni sighed with a laugh as her attention slid onto a pouting Margo.
“We DISCUSSED me going back to work AFTER maternity leave.” Peni reminded.
“Yes, I know but-“
“But?” Peni interrupted, her brow lifting quizzically.
“I just…don’t want you to go back to working as MUCH as you did-BEFORE we had Wei.” Margo admitted her eyes downcast as she busied herself finding a pretzel piece layered with the most chocolate.
Peni frowned, ready to complain.
“I didn’t work that much.”
“Peni-you worked up until you went into labor.” Margo rebuffed quickly, her amber eyes meeting the Beta’s.
“You RAN back to work after you had Wei.” Margo said stiffly as she turned away from Peni, her eyes on the window as she watched the scenery change.
“Margo…I’ll-“
“Work on it?”Margo filled in knowingly.
“After this project-“
“You’ll take a break?” Margo filled in again, her eyes meeting Peni’s as she bit into a pretzel.
“You said that weeks ago.” Margo added before Peni could open her mouth.
“Weiiiiiii? Weiiiiiii? Where are youuuu?” Gwen sang as she chased the happy baby down the hallway, his chubby legs rapidly taking him into the den.
“Well hello.” Hobie said with a laugh as he scooped the baby into his arms.
Wei giggled as he yanked one of Hobie’s locs, his attention on the colorful jewel threaded into his hair.
“Morning.” Gwen said as she stepped into the den, her usually unkept hair neatly tucked into a beanie.
“Morning.” Hobie hummed as he placed the grabby baby into her arms.
“There’s breakfast in the kitchen if you’re hungry.” Hobie said casually as he tossed a log into the fire.
“What’s for breakfast?” Gwen asked as she slid Wei into her sling and strapped him to her chest, ignoring his small hands reaching for her nose ring.
“Ask Noir, he cooked today.” Hobie said with a yawn as he poked the fire.
“Morning.” Noir said with a smile as Khalid floated into the kitchen.
“Morning-what smells delicious?” Khalid asked with a smile as Noir handed him two burritos wrapped in foil.
Kabir frowned at her reflection as she dragged a comb lazily through her hair, her irritation growing as she struggled to comb out a forming knot.
The soft sound of knuckles danced across her bedroom door interrupting her task.
“Need some help?” Hobie asked politely as he stepped into the room, mindful not to crush any of her items on the floor as he joined her in front of the mirror.
“Yes please.” Kabir said lightly as she handed her father the brush.
“How many knots today?” Hobie asked as he slowly ran the comb through the ends of her hair, slowly detangling the small knot of hair.
“Not a lot.” Kabir sighed as she looked herself over in her school uniform.
“Thats good. Means you’re getting better at brushing your hair.” Hobie hummed approvingly
as he pulled her hair into a low ponytail, his fingers quickly moving as he divided her hair into three sections.
“Cute lip rings.” Hobie said lightly as he started to braid her hair. “When did you get them?”
“Thanks for the extra clothes Mr.Noir…but I’ll need to stop by my house on the way to school.” Khalid sighed as he tossed the foil into the trash and quickly slid an extra burrito into his pocket.
“These are a little…big.” Khalid informed as he spread his arms wide, showcasing how the sleeves were twice the length of his arms.
“Can we not argue about this?” Peni asked as Margo pushed opened the bedroom door and kicked off her shoes.
“Who’s arguing? I’m NOT arguing.” Margo said dryly as she grabbed a pair of crocs and quickly slipped them on.
“Margo please…this is definitely an argument.” Peni sighed as she watched the Beta pull her shirt over her head and toss it into a clothes hamper.
“Where are you going? We just got back.” Peni said as she watched Margo slip a bigger shirt over her head, her hand quickly sliding to the watch on her wrist a fiddling with the buttons.
“The beauty supply.” Margo said dryly not bothering to elaborate as she stepped through a forming portal before Peni could ask further questions.
“Want a burrito?” Gwen asked as she pushed open the room door, her smile dropping as she caught sight of the look on Peni’s face.
“What’s wrong? Where’s Margo?” Gwen asked as she handed Peni the burrito, her eyes sliding to her watch and widening.
“Hold that thought-I have to go see my Dad.” Gwen said as she unbuckled Wei and quickly handed him to Peni.
“He already ate.” Gwen informed as a portal formed beside her.
“What about his bath-
“I’ll see you later. Love you bye.” Gwen said dismissively as she stepped into the portal, leaving Peni with her thoughts and a gassy infant.
Summer yawned tiredly as she poured milk into her bowl, quickly drowning her Frosted Flakes as Ignacio stepped into the kitchen.
His usually unruly hair neatly parted and braided as he did a spin for Summer, confidently showing off his new varsity track and field sweats.
“I look how I feel.” He sang as he snatched a blueberry muffin from the counter.
“Like a jackass?” Andrés asked dryly as he appeared in the entrance of the kitchen, his black on black attire swiftly complimenting his friendly mood.
“HAH! Just admit your bummed Coach didn’t see in you-what he saw in me.” Ignacio said as he pulled the refrigerator door open and snatched the orange juice carton from the rack.
Andrés opened his mouth to speak, his sister’s annoyed voice immediately stopping him.
“DON’T.” She said evenly as she held Andrés’s gaze already aware of the off-colored rebuttal he had brewing. “Stop entertaining him.”
“I’ll stop when he STOPS.” Andrés said with an eyeroll as Summer dropped bits of banana into her bowl.
“I’ll STOP when you make varsity.” Ignacio said with a wink.
Andrés glared before turning his attention toward the left overs in the fridge.
“Soooo we’re just going to pretend last night didn’t happen?” Andrés asked evenly as he slid his plate into the microwave, his eyes sliding to his older siblings as he pressed the start button.
“Yup.” Ignacio said as he pulled the orange juice carton from his lips and burped.
“What the hell can we DO? What the hell CAN we SAY?”
“What about excuse me?” Summer asked in disgust as she dipped her spoon into the bowl and glared.
Ignacio shrugged and tossed her a lazy unapologetic smile.
“Everyone knows…what Mom did.” Summer said her voice dropping to a whisper.
“There’s NO way we can keep this from her.” She added as she brought the spoon to her lips.
“We should have just told her from the beginning what was going on.” Andrés sighed as he pulled his food from the microwave, his thoughts sliding back to the woman who’d repeatedly kicked and screamed outside their door.
She’d screamed and screamed until her voice grew hoarse with sadness, her rage growing momentous as she dug in her heels, refusing to leave the property.
Indifferent to the uniformed men threatening to arrest her as she tossed a Bible through the living room window.
“I agree.” Ignacio said with a nod, pulling Andrés back to the kitchen.
Jessica turned on her side, lightly snoring as the blanket wrapped around her, undisturbed and unbothered by the world around her as Miguel tucked the blanket around her.
His eyes roaming her face before he pulled the room door closed, not wanting to wake her as he headed downstairs in search of their children.
“I can’t believe we had to call the police…last night.” Lyla sighed as she found her place beside Miguel, a scowl present on her usually pleasant face.
“Well…she did find out with everyone else…what really happened to David.” Miguel whispered as he reached for the railing of the stairs, a sharp pain skating across his back as his foot missed a step and he tumbled forward, losing his balance.
Miguel hissed in pain, his eyes closing as he attempted to reach for the railing again, the pain only increasing as he hit the floor.
“Ouchhhhhh…” Miguel groaned as three worried faces suddenly appeared at his side.
“Dad?! Are you ok?” Summer asked as she dropped on one knee, looking him over as she brushed hair from his face.
“Yeah-I’m fine…I..I just lost my balance.” Miguel said as he slowly sat up and tried to pull away.
“Don’t. I think your hurt.” Summer said sternly as she held him in place.
“Your definitely hurt.” Ignacio said flatly as he reached for Miguel’s arm, taking his time as he lifted him from the tile floor with Summer’s help.
Embarrassment slid across Miguel’s shoulders as Andrés joined his siblings concern, his green eyes worriedly looking him over.
“Guys..I’m fine-“
“Let’s get you to the couch.” Summer interrupted, not wanting to hear her father’s words as she practically dragged him to the couch.
“You’re bleeding.” Andrés said evenly, his eyes glued to the back of his father’s shoulder, he shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, discomfort filling the room as Summer and Ignacio followed his gaze.
“I’ll grab the first aid kit.” Andrés said quickly as he scurried out of the living room and down the hallway.
“Are you in pain?” Summer asked worriedly as she sat beside Miguel on the couch and took his hand, her pretty face pinched together with concern as Ignacio abruptly shifted.
“Summer get a towel.” Ignacio instructed as he slowly lifted Miguel’s shirt and went pale.
“What’s wrong?” Summer asked as she rose from the couch.
“Dad’s hurt.” Andrés said bleakly as he stepped back into the room, quickly pressing a large towel into Summer’s hands as he brushed past her and sat the first aid kit onto the coffee table.
“I can’t do this.” Ignacio mumbled growing nauseous, on the verge of tossing up his breakfast, his discomfort only mounting as more blood trickled down his father’s back onto the couch.
“I’m surprised you haven’t fainted yet.” Andrés said as he pushed his brother out of the way, his eyes going wide as he took in the raw wound dripping from his father’s shoulder.
Dread danced across Andrés’s insides as his eyes knowing slid to his brother.
“Let me see.” Summer said as she stepped past the table, setting both boys on edge.
“Summer wait-“
Summer’s face dropped as her eyes landed on the injury, her scent aggressively spiking with fear as her eyes bounced from the injury to her brothers, the towel slipping from her fingers as she took a step closer.
Lyla hovered close by, not wanting to look but too fearful to leave the living room as she floated closer, her eyes trailing up the stream of crimson that trickled down Miguel’s back and along his spine.
“Whats wrong? Is it bad?” Miguel asked lightly, startling the teens from their silent conversation.
“Umm…you have a-“ Summer hiccuped, her eyes down cast as she trailed off, unable to speak as she lifted the towel from the floor and handed it to her brother
“Dad there’s a hole in your shoulder.” Andrés said evenly as he pressed the fabric to the wound, bitting his bottom lip as he lightly applied pressure.
“How bad is it?” Miguel asked lightly, his eyes sliding to his older children.
“Why’d you do that?” Gonzalo asked dryly as he yanked Miles out of the kitchen before the twins could respond.
“Whaaaaat? We talked about it, I wanted to see how the twins would feel about it.” Miles said lightly, making Gonzalo’s eyes narrow with irritation.
“MILES-WE’RE STILL TALKING ABOUT IT.”
“Yeah, but you said-“
“LET’S WAIT” Gonzalo reminded. “There’s TOO much shit going on to EVEN think about having a baby.”
Miles rolled his eyes, ready for the argument to begin.
“I CAN’T believe you’re doing this NOW.” Gonzalo snapped.
“I have work.” He added harshly as he spun on his heels in the direction of the kitchen.
“But do you HAVE to work or is that just an excuse to NOT have another baby?” Miles asked quickly, making Gonzalo’s brows slam into his hairline in shock.
“Oh-you WANT to argue.” Gonzalo snapped, turning around, he glared as Miles crossed his arms defiantly over his chest.
“I think they’re fighting.” Matéo hummed as he grabbed the waffles from the toaster and sat back at the table.
“Yeahhhhh…I’m not surprised.” Marianna said as she sat the syrup bottle onto the table.
“You want a sibling?” Matéo asked halfheartedly as he broke his waffle in half.
“I do NOT care.” Marianna sang as she poured a gracious amount of syrup onto the plate.
“Yeah…me either.” Matéo said boredly as he handed his sister half of his waffle.
“I’m NOT doing this with you right now.” Gonzalo repeated a third time, irritation corrupting his tone as he shot Miles a heated look before turning away.
“WHEN are we talking about this?” Miles asked, his tone stopping Gonzalo’s movements, nearly sending him into a fit of rage as he pivoted on his heels.
“You’re NOT making me late for WORK.” Gonzalo said evenly, his obsidian eyes burning as he held Miles’s gaze, indifferent to their height difference as he took a closer step, rounding his shoulders.
“He won’t return my calls.” Pav said solemnly into his coffee, his sad face ruining his Aunt’ cheery afternoon.
“I blame you.” Maya said with a frown, disappointed the Alpha had visited unannounced without her great niece.
“Your bad energy is wafting all over the house.” She complained fanning the air around her. “Why are you here crying in coffee instead of preparing my great niece for her formal?”
“This will look great on her college applications.”
Maya added proudly.
“She’s mad at me too.” Pav whined, making his Aunt squint.
“I…told her she couldn’t preform at the formal.”
“Why the HELL would you do that?” Maya asked dryly, unsure if she really wanted to hear an explanation.
“I’d rather not talk about it.” Khalid sighed as he sprinted through the living room, his mother hot on his heels as he quickly bypassed his step Dad in the hallway.
He picked up momentum as he tugged the chain necklace from under his shirt, his room key bumping into his fingers as yanked the chain from his neck and quickly shoved the key into the knob, turned it, pulled his key out and rushed inside, the room door quickly locking behind him as he shove the key and chain into his back pocket.
“WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS KHALID!”
His mother yelled as her knuckles aggressively danced across the door.
He inhaled shakily, holding his breath as he stepped through his room, his eyes bouncing across the dated band posters that filled his walls, he stepped deeper into his space, his eyes landing on the figurines that lined his bookshelves.
He exhaled slowly, his shoulders dropping as he kicked off his shoes, quickly running through his morning ritual of getting dressed.
Noir yawned a he looked away from his watch, his brows creasing together curiously as he watched a woman with pale skin and long hair slowly approach the car, her olive jacket blowing in the chilly wind as she brushed her hair from her face.
“Good morning.” The woman said as she stepped through bits of broken snow, her eyes on Noir as she approached the driver side door.
Her wide eyes locked on Noir as she looked him over, taking in the large black Ray-Bans that covered majority of his handsome face and the expensive and clean suv he’d rolled up in.
Noir smiled. “Good morning, how are you?” He asked politely, mentally preparing himself for small talk as his eyes slid above her shoulder and landed on Clint standing menacingly in the doorway.
Noir waved politely at the man, his eyes sliding back to the woman as she cleared her throat, gently demanding his attention.
“I am well, thanks so much for asking.” The woman said with a smile as she pushed a strand of straight hair behind her ear and smiled.
“I’m Amulya-Khalid’s mother.” She quickly informed as she extended her hand toward him.
“Wonderful.I’m Kabir’s Dad and-“
“Aren’t you glad the snow is just about gone?” Amulya interrupted as she dusted snow from the side mirror.
“Well…believe it or not. I actually like snow.”
Noir said with a laugh, his voice faltering as the woman’s hand touched his.
Khalid shoved several uniform shirts and pants into his backpack, his eyes sliding to his reflection as he slid his arms into his spiked leather jacket, not bothering to comb his hair or tuck his uniform shirt into his pants as he yanked his backpack from the floor and twisted the knob of his door.
“You CAN’T stay with those people forever.”
James said harshly as soon as Khalid pulled the door open, his arms crossed and a hateful expression on his face.
“That jacket doesn’t suit you either.” James said enviously as his eyes dragged across the spiked shoulders and sleeves. “You think you’re cool now?”
“Why do you care?” Khalid asked pointedly as he closed his bedroom door in his brother’s face, locked it and turned toward his bedroom window.
He lifted his bag higher up his arm as he pulled the small window open, brisk morning air tickling his cheeks as he climbed out of the window, his feet quickly sinking into melting snow.
He pulled the window down behind him, mindful to jam it before turning toward the drive way, his eyes narrowing as he spotted his mother flirtatiously leaning across the driver’s side door.
Kabir shifted in the backseat, her eyes on the time as she looked away from her phone and slid her headphones from her ears, her long limbs pulling her forward as she pushed into the space between the driver and passenger seat.
“Whats going on?” She asked quickly, her eyes roaming the front of the house and sliding to the strange woman pressed to the driver’s side door.
Kabir’s sharp eyes slid to the woman’s hand resting ontop of her father’s arm.
Amulya’s eyes slid to Kabir and went wide, she snatched her hand immediately as she met and held the teen’s gaze.
“You two look so much alike-yet so different.” She uttered before she could stop herself, making Kabir roll her eyes boredly.
“Yeah well-I’m definitely HIS kid.” Kabir said dryly, over the fake interest the women held as her eyes sharply roamed Kabir’s face, picking apart her features and her complexion.
“You look different than I expected.” Amulya said after a moment, making Kabir sink back into the backseat, her full lips pinched tightly together as she slid her headphones back over her ears, having no interest in the woman whose perfume was steadily floating into the car uninvited.
Kabir cleared her throat, her attention sliding back to her graphic novel, she’d heard enough.
Had heard THAT statement enough, framed and pieced together in so many disingenuous and disastrous ways.
People were often color struck, their eyes locked on Noir and Pav before landing distrustfully on her, their attention shifting uncomfortably as they raved about the loose texture of her hair and colored eyes.
But the comments never stopped.
Khalid exited the backyard, not bothering to speak to his step father as he sprinted past the porch, mindful not to slip as he floated past his mother, his hand ghosting to the passenger seat door.
Amulya’s entire face dropped, the mask no longer visible as shifted her head in his direction, ready to tear into him.
She opened her mouth to speak, Noir’s polite voice quickly beating her to the punch.
“Well it was a pleasure to meet you. I have to get these two to class NOW.” Noir said with a smile as he shifted gears and backed out of the drive way as soon Khalid slid into the front seat.
“I can’t believe you.” Maya snapped as she abruptly rose from her seat and snatched Pav’s
drink from his hand.
“I was drinking that!”
“You NEED to go home right NOW and FIX this.” Maya said as she carelessly toss his cup into the sink, her arms crossing over her chest as she stood rooted in the center of the kitchen, her eyes as sharp as daggers.
“I don’t think they’ll let me back in the house. Hobie won’t even return my calls.” Pav whined pitifully as he sank lower into his seat.
“You made her have an anxiety attack.” Maya hissed, suppressing her rage as her mind slid back to the day, her nephew had called her in hysterics.
His voice ringing in her ears as he breathlessly told her they had to rush Kabir to the emergency room.
Something had transpired at daycare resulting in her hyperventilating and fainting, her body unresponsive as the Alpha rushed her to HQ.
“I…I…didn’t mean to make her upset-I only wanted to protect her.” Pav mumbled his voice shaking as he dropped his face shamefully into his hands and tried not to cry.
“You want to protect her from what exactly-growing up?” Maya asked, impatiently waiting for his response.
Pav didn’t respond, only shook his head as sadness slipped from his pours, souring the room around them more.
“I-I don’t know.” Pav admitted after a moment, refusing to meet his Aunt’s gaze.
“She was my little girl a minute ago and now she has a boyfriend and weird friends-“
“SHE’S STILL your little girl-you’ll never be able to stop her from growing up.” Maya said with a sigh, her arms dropping to her sides.
“Did you forget it’s your job to protect her and makes sure she grows up right?” Maya questioned.
She looked exhausted.
Like this never ending conversation was aging her.
Pav responded by sinking lower in his seat, his body slipping to the floor, a mess of tangled and unhappy limbs.
He sighed pitifully, as the uncomfortable feeling of guilt and regret filled his chest, making it harder to breathe as Maya shook her head before taking a seat beside him on the kitchen floor.
Maya sighed deeply as she pulled Pav into her arms, brushing his hair from his face as she cleared her throat, her eyes sliding to the ceiling as she struggled to organize her thoughts.
Margo hummed as she combed her hair, taking her time with the moose as she grabbed the comb from the sink and ran the comb through her hair, creating waves.
“Look what I found in the attic-ohhhhhh.”
Gwen said with excitement as she stepped into the bathroom, she took a seat on the closed toilet, watching the precise way the comb glided through Margo’s thick curls, creating ripples of beauty.
“You like it?” Margo asked with a laugh, her face lighting up with amusement as Gwen nodded, promptly lifted the Polaroid camera in her hands and took a picture, startling the other woman.
“Yes! It’s so cute!” Gwen said cheerily as she waited for the camera to spit out the photo.
“Where did you get that old ass camera?” Margo asked blinking rapidly, still blinded by the flash.
“We discussed this already.” Peni hissed at the unhelpful lawyer, her eyes narrowing with irritation as she shifted her upper body completely in the man’s direction.
She shuffled the paperwork neatly in her hands and slid them into a folder, a frown sliding to the portly man’s wrinkled face as he tossed out more words she didn’t want to hear.
“Yes-I understand but I’d advise against this.” The man argued as Peni abruptly rose from her seat enraged, her pretty features twisting with anger as she spoke.
“THESE people KIDNAPPED and DRUGGED my VERY pregnant mate, ATTEMPTED to steal money from me,-oh let’s NOT forget the DEFAMATION.”
The man rose from his seat, his mouth opening and closing as he fumbled through their discussion that had swiftly bled into an argument.
“If you’re going to be SCARED and SECOND guess yourself CONSTANTLY-I DON’T NEED you representing me or my business.”
Peni snapped harshly, making the man flinch and step away as she headed toward the door, annoyed she’d wasted her time.
“I hate this.” She said tiredly as she pulled up a list of local lawyers, her attention sliding to an older woman, with an extensive background.
Peni dialed the number and booked an afternoon appointment, her eyes going over the results of each case the woman had won.
She read through the reviews, several comparing the seasoned woman to a shark in the courtroom.
Peni strolled through the area, digging deeper into the woman’s background as she reached into her bag and pulled out a burrito, she unwrapped the foil and bit into it, pleasantly surprised to taste chopped bacon.
Her watch started to beep, the alarm signifying her appointment was in ten minutes.
She tossed the foil into the trash and pulled her hat down over her ears, her feet quickly taking her inside the large office building.
“Sooooo you want to sue all three of these people, correct?” JoAnna asked as she looked over the photos Peni had placed on her desk, a sly smile sliding to her full lips.
“Yes.” Peni said with a nod, offering no further details.
“Ohhhh….this has been pretty public.” JoAnna said as she tapped on the photo of Xiang, her smile dropping.
“I say counter sue her stupid ass for lying and defamation.” She said dryly as she pushed the photo away in disgust. “Add pain and suffering too, I KNOW she LEAKED those photos of you in college.”
Peni blinked.
Surprised the woman had done her research before meeting her.
“These two…” JoAnna trailed off as she tapped the photo of Jericho and Ross aggressively.
“We’re going to make an example out of.” She hummed, her smile returning, her face akin to a jaguar before a strike.
“I KNOW ALL ABOUT Mr.Jericho.” She said her eyes sliding away from the photo and up to Peni.
“You know him personally orrr?” Peni taken aback.
“Not personally, but well enough to know he’s a snake with a pretty face.” JoAnna concluded, her Caribbean accent thick with annoyance.
“Has he bothered you since the restraining order was put in place?” JoAnna asked curiously as she pulled a notebook from her desk drawer, the pen in her hand flying across the paper.
“No…but Xiang has.” Peni admitted with a sigh, remembering the creepish phone call from a few nights ago.
JoAnna’s eyebrow twitched disapprovingly, the pen in her hand no longer moving.
“Do you have a restraining order on Xiang?”
“No…I-“
“File one as soon as you leave my office. We need to start a paper trail of her harassing you.” JoAnna interrupted as she leaned back in her seat, her eyes narrowing.
“I saw her slap you on the news.” JoAnna admitted, her eyes sliding to the window as she gathered her thoughts.
Peni inhaled sharply.
Everyone in their dimension had SEEN that embarrassing shit.
“We are going to prove she is crazy and never speak of her again.” JoAnna said as she abruptly rose from her seat and extended a hand to Peni.
“Let’s ruin these people’s lives like they tried to do yours.” JoAnna said with excitement, her smile sincere as Peni slid her hand into hers.
Jericho sat up abruptly, his eyes searching the apartment as an ominous feeling washed over him, pebbling his arms and legs.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ross asked as he stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes meeting Jericho’s as he watched the taller man shift uncomfortably on the couch, his silk robe bunching around his thighs as he turned toward Ross with a solemn expression.
“I…uh-think I had a nightmare.” Jericho said as he pulled the blanket back over himself.
“You THINK you had a nightmare?” Ross asked with a frown. “How do you not know?”
“I’m not sure.” Jericho admitted as he pulled the blanket up to his neck.
“Welp…that’s what you get for sleeping past one in the afternoon.” Ross said unsympathetically as he walked away.
Gonzalo exhaled shakily as he parked the car, his nerves unattractively rattling through his chest as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and frowned, his eyes sliding to the low temperature on the dash.
“Why the fuck and I sweating?” He asked growing annoyed as he pulled his arms from his jacket and grabbed his umbrella from the back seat, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he pondered the location of his lunchbox.
“Fucking Miles.” Gonzalo huffed as he pushed open the car door and flung the umbrella outside, quickly opening it as he stepped out of the car and closed the door, his eyes sliding to the building as he hit the alarm.
“Let today be a good day.” He chanted repeatedly as he bypassed several shallow puddles, his eyes forward as he walked toward the glass double doors.
“Daddy, what’s this?” Marianna asked as she slid into her father’s bedroom without knocking, interrupting his painting as she abruptly flung the item in his direction.
Miles caught the item in his hand, his eyebrow lifting as he sat the paintbrush down.
“I think Papi lost it.” Marianna said with a bored yawn as Miles opened the container, his eyes going wide as they fell onto several ivory colored pills.
“Where did you find this?” Miles asked, his eyes lifting to his daughter as he watched her jump into his bed and grab the remote from the headboard.
“Mmmh…I dont remember.” She said dismissively as she turned on the tv, a smile sliding to her lips as Matéo stepped into the room with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn.
Miles’s right brow lifted curiously as he watched his children quickly commandeer his space.
“Dad forgot his lunchbox in the kitchen.” Matéo announced as he handed the bowl to his sister and took a seat on the floor rug, yawning as he stretched lazily across the thick soft material.
Miles pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Gonzalo, a frown sliding to his lips as his call went straight to voicemail.
“What are we watching?” Marianna asked as she slowly flipped through several streaming apps.
“Brandy and Mr.Whiskers.” Matéo snickered as Miles stepped out of the closet fully dressed in a hoodie.
“Where ya goin?” Marianna asked as she turned the volume down on the tv, a frown sliding to her lips as her father spoke.
“You mean US.” Miles corrected with a smile.
“Where are WE going?” Matéo asked unhappily as he dug his hand into the popcorn bowl.
Gonzalo slid his headphones into his ears, his hands busy as he flipped through today’s script, his eyes sliding to the different paintings that littered the walls, each style unique to it’s home region.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” Dean asked with a smile, his off putting cologne clogging Gonzalo’s nostrils and disrupting his peace as Dean gazed longingly at a painting of a nude woman.
“WHAT do you want-DEAN?” Gonzalo hissed, saying the taller man’s name like a slur as he pulled a headphone from his ear, his eyes aggressively zeroing in on a painting as he impatiently waited for a response.
“I asked my Aunt if I could sit in on filming today.” Dean answered with a smile, the toothpick in his mouth sliding to the inner crease of his thin lips.
“Why would you do that?” Gonzalo asked dryly, his head slowly turning in Dean’s direction, his face transparent with disgust.
“Because your segment gets OUR network the MOST views.” Dean said quickly, as if it should have been obvious.
“What are you talking about?” Gonzalo asked as he stepped away from the taller man, putting space between them as he pulled his other headphone from his ear.
So much shit had been going on at home, he hadn’t bothered to check his viewer count, let alone the ratings or reviews.
“Don’t act SO surprised.” Dean said with a laugh that made the Omega’s eyes narrow.
“You know my core audience is children, right?” Gonzalo asked as he sat the script face down on a nearby desk. “I make educational videos.”
“YUP and for some reason people LIKE them.” Dean said curtly, not bothering to hide the jealousy in his tone.
Gonzalo lifted the script from the table, skimming over the lines as Dean continued pestering him.
“You have a growing audience of collage students AND seniors rewatching your show.” Dean informed as he slowly slid his hands into his pockets.
“My Aunt has been thinking of renewing your segment for another three seasons.” Dean admitted with a sigh, his eyes floating across the paintings that sat on set.
“I’m still trying to find the appeal.” Dean admitted wistfully, making Gonzalo slam the script down and turn in the man’s direction.
“Watch your step.” Miles said softly, as he took Marianna and Matéo’s hand gently guiding them through the portal and into the living room of Aunt Maya’s house.
“It smells good in here.” Matéo hummed happily as the smell of cooked meat and spices filled his nose.
“Finally! The children are here!” Maya announced happily as she breezed into the living room with a dejected Pav trailing behind her.
“Aunty Maya!” Marianna sang happily as she dropped her father’s hand and ran into the woman’s arms. “You smell delicious.”
Maya laughed as she pressed a kiss to Marianna’s cheek. “You’re just in time for lunch.”
“Hola Aunty.” Matéo said softly as he waited for a hug, a smile sliding to his lips as she pulled him into her arms. “What’s for lunch?”
Maya laughed as she guided both children to the kitchen, not bothering to entertain or feign interest in the adults breathing in her living room.
“You ok?” Miles asked, his eyes roaming Pav’s face, quickly taking notice of his ashen complexion and the bags under his eyes.
“You look exhausted.”
“I feel the way I look.” Pav confessed as he pulled his phone from his pocket and sighed at the lack of notifications.
“He’s not accepting my calls.” Pav said shakily, sadness ripe in his voice as his eyes lingered on his phone screen.
“Just give him time. You know Hobie doesn’t like to argue.” Miles said as he placed a hand on Pav’s shoulder. “What about Noir?”
“He’s upset too.” Pav filled in closing his eyes as a tidal wave of unhappiness shimmered across his shoulders. “He’ll read my messages and not respond.”
“Do you…want to talk about what happened?” Miles asked gently, still unfamiliar with what had transpired.
Pav cleared his throat and locked his phone screen. “No…not yet.”
Miles sighed unsurprised as he pulled his hand away. “I’m here whenever you’re ready.”
“I know.” Pav said after a moment, the sadness from his voice fading into his face.
Dean pulled the toothpick from his mouth and laughed. “I didn’t mean anything by my comment.”
“YES you did-now EXPLAIN.” Gonzalo demanded sharply, his body growing warmer and warmer with rage as the conversation progressed.
Thunder struck loudly, informing everyone on set of an impending rain storm.
“You don’t look so good.” Dean said considerately, changing the subject, his normally hazey blue eyes crisp with an intensity Gonzalo didn’t want to decipher.
“I’m fine.” He said clearing his throat uncomfortably.
“You look a little-warm.” Dean noted as he reached for the shorter man, his hand lightly brushing Gonzalo’s ear.
“You smell…” Dean trailed off, inhaling deeply, his eyelids fluttering as his hand slid to Gonzalo’s jawline. “Sweeter than usual.”
Gonzalo wordlessly knocked his hand away, his eyes narrowing as he took a cautious step backward.
“Don’t.” He warned sharply, sending a wayward smile across the taller man’s lips.
“When was your last heat?” Dean asked softly as he took a step forward, once again invading Gonzalo’s personal space, his intentions unwanted as he backed Gonzalo into the desk behind them.
“That’s NONE of your business.” Gonzalo said sharply, his obsidian eyes sparkling with rage at the direction the conversation was going.
“True.” Dean said with a laugh, undeterred.
“But you know how Omega hormones work.” He hummed, growing pleased with himself.
“Sometimes an Alpha like me can turn Omegas feral.” He hummed suggestively.
“Excuse me?!” Gonzalo asked taken aback, shocked the man had uttered those brazen words so casually in the work place.
Dean cackled, the sound unpleasant and reminiscent to pennies dancing in a dryer.
“It’s cute when you act stupid.” Dean said as he ran his fingers through Gonzalo’s hair, a fun idea sparking to life in his mind as Gonzalo took a step backwards, his lower back pressing to the desk as he inched away from the taller man.
“Here’s your pass Mr.Morales.” The receptionist at the front desk said happily as she stood up and pressed the sticker to his chest, dragged her finger across the freshly printed lettering and smiled.
“He’s on set seven-all the way down on the left.” She informed quickly as she sat back down in her chair, the smile on her face sincere as he fought the urge to ask her why she’d touched him.
He simply smiled and walked away, clutching the lunch box in his hand as he looked over the numbers that decorated the doors.
“I need to apologize.” Miles mused out loud , his eyes sliding to the lunch box, guilt from the morning’s argument festering up his chest as he picked up the pace, the desire to see his other half suddenly growing overwhelming.
“GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!” Gonzalo snapped as he shoved his hand hard into Dean’s shoulder, knocking him harshly into the wall, sending several paintings to the floor.
Several heads on set turned their way, wordlessly watching.
“It was just a question.” Dean said with a laugh as he slowly rose, dragging his back along the wall overjoyed with the interaction unfolding.
“Back to work!” He snapped at the onlookers, his Alpha tone and status quickly rearranging their attention as his eyes swiftly skipped back to Gonzalo.
“Let’s play a game.” Dean suggested as he pulled his arms from his jacket and tossed it across the room. “I’ll even let you go first-“
“Gladly.” Miles interrupted devoid of emotion as his fist flew past Gonzalo’s head, quickly connecting with Dean’s face, promptly sending him flying through several walls and sets.
Gonzalo’s eyes grew wide, shock dancing across his features as he slowly turned toward Miles, his eyes sliding to the lunch box.
Several employees stepped forward, curiously watching and whispering from the sidelines as Dean struggled to his feet, embarrassment and rage coloring his face red as he stepped through each wall, growing madder and madder.
“My turn.” He hissed as he lunged at Miles.
“We should tell mom.” Ignacio said shakily, his face still pale with unease from the sight of their father’s blood dripping onto the living room couch.
“I’m sure she’ll see the stain.” Andrés said casually,
already growing bored of his brother’s dramatics as he thoroughly washed his hands in the kitchen sink.
“WHAT the FUCK Andrés?!” Ignacio yelled.
“You don’t think Mom has enough to worry about?”Andrés asked clearing his throat as he snatched a paper towel from the roll and turned toward his bother.
“There’s a hunk of meat missing from Dad’s shoulder!” Ignacio hissed his attention turning toward the entry way of the kitchen.
“I wonder how he got it.” Summer said as she stepped into the conversation, clad in her pink crocs as she took a seat at the kitchen table and nervously tapped her freshly painted fingernails across the table.
“He was obviously shot.” Andrés filled in evenly as he tossed his paper towel into the trash and headed toward the refrigerator, his attention on left overs as he slid them off the first rack, pulling a frown to both his older siblings faces.
“How can you eat at a time like this?” Ignacio asked, his voice laced with judgement and disbelief.
“You’re about to see innnnn 5 minutes.” Andrés said cheekily as he turned on the air fryer.
“WHAT do you mean shot-HOW do you know?” Summer asked as she watched Andrés slide several slices of pizza into the air fryer.
“Mmmmh…that’s the only thing I can think of…that would make a hole that big.” Andrés said as he pulled a plate from a nearby cabinet.
“But…the discharge papers said Mom…had been the one shot.” Ignacio said stiffly, his mind cycling back to the jumbled and unfortunate words that stained the papers and ruined their night. “WE SAW THE REPORT.”
“We did.” Summer agreed uncomfortably with a nod.
“Trueeeeee, but did you look over Dad’s release papers?”Andrés asked, making Summer blink and Ignacio look away.
“Well I did.” Andrés informed as the air fryer beeped. “Dad had a slight concussion and minor scrapes.”
“That explains why he fell down stairs.” Ignacio sighed, shaking his head. “But Dad seemed fine yesterday-“
“Seemed.” Summer highlighted, interrupting her brother. “I’ve…uh..noticed Dad taking his pain meds…a lot.”
“Define a lot.” Andrés said as he slid his pizzas onto the plate and grabbed a bottle of hot sauce from the pantry.
“Enough to make me think he has a problem…”She admitted, trailing off uncomfortably as she wrapped her arms around herself, silently counting off with her fingers how many times she’d seen him pop a pill or two.
“Mom…seems fine.” Ignacio offered weakly, unsure what to do with the tense atmosphere snowballing to life before his eyes.
“Yeah…if it wasn’t for the memory loss.”
Summer hiccuped, thinking back to the moment she’d stumbled across their mother flipping through the family album, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tenderly dragged her fingers across each photo.
“She SEEMS fine.” Ignacio repeated with a sigh as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes on the ceiling as an uncomfortable silence settled across the room.
“Everything ok?” Jessica asked with an unsure smile as she stepped into the kitchen, startling Ignacio upward in his seat.
Had she heard them?
Would she say something?
Would she be upset if she’d heard their insinuation that their father was potentially abusing his medication .
“Yeah, why do you ask?” Andrés asked quickly before either sibling could spew the truth, his attention on his food as he drowned his slice of pizza in sauce.
“Everyone just looks so…glum. Except for you-Andrés.” She pointed out as her eyes roamed the kitchen, taking in the bleak breakfast choices that sat on the table. “Is everything ok?”
Andrés bit into his pizza and didn’t answer.
“Uhh-I don’t think Dad feels well.” Summer fumbled, earning a swift kick under the table from Ignacio and a pointed look from Andrés.
“Mmmh?” Jessica asked as she turned toward Summer. “Do you think he’s in pain? Or did he say something?”
“You could say that.” Ignacio mumbled under his breath.
Jessica’s brow lifted curiously.
“I definitely think you SHOULD check on him.” Summer said quickly, distracting the Beta before she could ask Ignacio to repeat his statement.
“Possibly now.” She added with a tight lipped smile.
“Are you ok?” Lyla asked hovering closer as Miguel pressed a cautious fingertip to the back of his shoulder, his eyes immediately closing as pain scorched down his arm straight into his wrist, making him jerk aggressively.
“I’m fine.” He huffed unconvincingly, making her grow more worried.
“I think you should go back to the hospital.” Lyla said softly as she watched Miguel stumble to his feet and head to the closet, his eyes closing as he pulled a shirt over his head.
“I’m NOT going back to the hospital.” He said dryly as he looked over his reflection in the dresser mirror.
“I just want to stay home.” He said as he kicked his pants off and slid into bed, his eyes closing as he pulled the covers up to his neck and willed himself to relax.
“Pretending nothing is wrong-never helps anything.” Lyla remind, making Miguel frown at her chastising tone.
“Are you awake?” Jessica asked softly as she stepped into the doorway, her eyes roaming the walls of the guest bedroom, taking in the aquatic decor.
Miguel responded by steadying the rise and fall of his chest, speech evading him as guilt urged him to sleep, his energy nonexistent as he felt himself suddenly go weightless, his senses freezing.
“The kids said you weren’t feeling well…” Jessica trailed off as her eyes slid along Miguel’s sleeping form.
Lyla rolled her eyes at his antics as she jumped from the guest room and into the kitchen, startling the teens seated at the kitchen table.
“Your father is lying and NEEDS immediate medical attention.” She said flatly, not bothering to offer a more pleasant greeting.
“He’s in denial.” She added tensely.
“What isn’t he in denial?” Ignacio asked flippantly as he rose from his seat and stepped out of the kitchen.
Lyla sighed, dejected and too tired to argue.
“What are we going to do about the other issue?”
Andrés asked lightly as he slid his plate into the sink, his eyes locked on something outside the kitchen window.
“What issue?” Summer asked as a brick flew through the window and slammed into the wall, sending shards of glass all over the kitchen floor and cabinets.
“That one.” Andrés said as he pointed to the disheveled woman standing across their backyard, her eyes cold and unforgiving as she charged toward them, raising another brick high in her hand.
Kabir’s eyes slid from the window, her attention on the teacher as she spit boring facts about a war no one in the room held interest in.
Her eyes slid from the teacher and danced along several chairs until Khalid slid into her line of sight, he turned and met her gaze, a shy smile sliding to his lips sending rapid butterflies up her stomach and throat.
He winked before turning back around, his attention back on the lesson, pencil furiously moving as he took notes, his eyes on his paper as he pulled a highlighter from his backpack.
A pleasant expression danced across her face as the bell chimed above their heads ending class and signifying lunch.
She grabbed her backpack and halfheartedly shoved her history book into it, her long legs quickly propelling her forward and out of the classroom.
“Ready for lunch?” Khalid asked as she slid her backpack up her arm, her hand immediately finding his as they rounded the hallway.
“I am.” Kabir hummed as she watched a soft blush settle across his cheeks.
“Keep blushing and I’ll kiss you.” She warned with a laugh as she guided him toward the crowded cafeteria.
“Would you really…in front of everyone?” He asked shyly, clearing his throat as his eyes slid to the entrance of the cafeteria.
“Without hesitation.” Kabir said evenly, her hazel eyes burning with sincerity as she lifted their joined hands and pressed a slow kiss to his knuckles, the double rings in her bottom lip softly brushing his hand.
The lunchroom seem to go silent the moment they stepped into it, with hoards of eyes curiously brimming with judgement as they watched the strange couple stroll into the lunch room.
Hushed whispers wrapped in disbelief filled the space, making Kabir roll her eyes at the unwarranted attention.
“This isn’t akward.” Khalid mumbled sarcastically as they stepped into the lunch line, grabbing items they wanted. “At all.”
“Nor is it surprising.” Kabir said boardly as she slid her tray along the lunch line, her eyes on a container of banana pudding.
“You’ll get used to it and then they won’t care.” Cheeia said with a yawn as her and Shawn seemed to materialize from thin air.
“I’m not ready to get stared at.” Chandler admitted softly, his eyes shyly sliding to Clair as she grabbed a container of strawberries.
“Nothing new.” Cheeia said boredly as she pulled her wallet from her purse, earning a look from Shawn as he push her hand away and slid both their trays to the register.
“They stared at us for like a month.” Shawn admitted with amused laughter as he quickly paid and carried both their trays out of the lunch line, the smile on his face unmoving as Cheeia slid her arm in his and guided them all to a table.
“How are you two holding up?” Clair asked softly, her kind eyes sparkling as they slid down to Kabir and Khalid’s still linked hands.
“Fine.” Khalid said quickly as he grabbed his tray from the line. “Just trying to avoid James.”
“You LIVE with him.Good luck with that.” Clair said dryly, her tone sharp and devoid of its usual compassion.
“He’s been fucking calling me nonstop.” She added, her eyes roaming the large cafeteria as she stepped out of line behind Chandler.
“Soooo your just going to keep ignoring his calls?” Noir asked as Hobie stepped out of the shower, his hair piled high in a towel as he strolled through their bedroom proudly naked.
“Yup.” Hobie said flatly as he headed toward the dresser, his hands searching until he located his favorite robe, his eyes lock on Noir as he slipped his arms into the silk fabric.
Noir took a seat a the foot of the bed, his eyes closing as he fell backward and yawned, quickly changing the subject.
“I met Khalid’s mother this morning.”
“Oh…how fun.” Hobie said as he pulled the towel from his hair, his eyes on his reflection as his locs cascaded around him, spilling messily in his face.
Noir snorted, unimpressed.
“Awww was she NOT a good person?” Hobie asked with a laugh as he grabbed a bottle of lotion from the dresser.
“No surprise.” Hobie added rolling his eyes, remembering the way the woman and her husband had practically abandoned their teen son in the middle of the blizzard, only to call back hours later demanding an apology.
“That woman used every opportunity she could to touch me.” Noir said with disgust as he abruptly rose from the bed and gently tugged the bottle from Hobie’s hands.
“Oh? Do tell.” Hobie inquired as he plopped down in bed, his brown eyes following Noir’s steady movements as he squeezed a gracious amount of lotion into his hands and rubbed them together.
“I think-she’s one of those people…who are just aggressively into Alphas.” Noir said flatly, trying to push away the offputting sensation of her thin fingers trailing up his arm.
“That explains SO much.” Hobie sighed, his mind sliding back to the way Khalid had questioned Kabir’s feelings, ready to push her away.
His fear of her presenting and losing interest in him, had been made abundantly clear.
“You see James?” Hobie asked curiously as Noir rubbed cocobutter onto his upper thigh.
“No. But Khalid did.” Noir said dryly as he rubbed higher and higher up the taller man’s thigh, his fingers gradually trailing higher and higher, slipping under the bottom of the silk fabric.
“You skipped my feet and ankles entirely.” Hobie gently pointed out, earning a laugh from the Alpha as he pressed a quick kiss to his inner thigh.
“James…don’t do this.” Clair pleaded softly as James stepped into Chandler’s path, refusing to budge, his shoulders tight with tension and his wayward emotions spilling across his unhappy face.
“How long were you after Clair?” James barked, ignoring the Omega completely, his dark eyes burning.
“You broke up.” Chandler remind harshly as he sat his tray onto the nearest table, interrupting a conversation among friends.
Several heads turned their way, waiting with their phones out and bated breath, eagerly counting the seconds until the first fist swung.
“What do you care?” Chandler asked as he pulled his wide framed glasses from his face and handed them to Clair, making her panic as he gently pushed her away from him.
“Clair-HOW do I know you DIDN’T cheat on me?” James snapped, making her flinch with embarrassment as several girls on the cheerleading team tossed her dirty looks.
“She DIDN’T cheat on you.” Chandler interrupted, pulling James’s attention back to him.
“She found out you were a fucking CREEP and DUMPED you.” Chandler snapped , making half the room gasp and the other half lean in closer.
Embarrassment screeched across James’s face, his emotions getting the better of him as he abruptly swung on the Beta, tossing the lunch room into a collection of approving sounds.
“Fucking spectators.” Cheeia said uncomfortably as she took a step backwards, bumping into a table.
“You missed.” Chandler said with a smile as he lifted his lunch tray from the table, his mood immediately shifting to absolute violence.
“My turn.” Chandler said as he stepped forward, his grip on the tray tightening.
“Back up.” Khalid said quickly as he yanked Kabir behind him and pushed the girls away from the impending brawl, his eyes unsurprised as Chandler abruptly shifted and slammed a full tray of food into the Alpha’s face, breeding instant chaos.
“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!” James growled as his fist slammed into Chandler’s chest, knocking him into a lunch table,the scent around him turning murderous as Chandler intercepted his second punch and slammed him hard into a table, sending classmates running.
“WHAT THE FUCK MAN?!” Shawn yelled as he dove into the fight, attempting to break it up, his attempts swiftly denied as he was sent flailing across the room and over a table.
“SHAWN!!” Cheeia yelled as she pivoted on her heels and hoped onto the nearest table, stepping on trays and kicking away drinks as she ran.
“COUNT YOUR FUCKING DAYS JAMES!!” She screamed as she lept from the table and onto the floor, her eyes searching for Shawn.
Khalid exhaled slowly as he lifted a lunch table and dropped it on its side, creating a barricade as Kabir crouched beside him with wide eyes.
“I…I need to STOP this.” Clair said shakily as she watched Chandler calmly redirect every punch tossed his way, his eyes clear and his movements crisp as he took a defensive stance.
“I THINK you should STAY where the fuck you are.” Shawn groaned as Cheeia helped him stumble back to the group, his hand gripping his right side as he hobbled to a seat.
“Yeahhhh…we CAN’T stop that.” Shawn sighed, as he slumped in his seat, unmoved by the altercation as he grabbed a hot dog from the tray behind him and bit into it, pissing off Cheeia.
“How can you eat at a time like this?!” She hissed as she yanked the hotdog from his hand and tossed it behind him.
“Babeee I didn’t get to eat lunch.” Shawn whined.
“I’m scared…this could get really bad.” Clair cried, her frustration with the situation mounting as she watched James’s fist connect with Chandler’s temple, spilling blood across his forehead.
“Khalid…what the FUCK is going on?” Kabir whispered as she sat down on top of her backpack, her back pressed to chair as her eyes closed, the sound of explosive movements making her grow uneasy.
“This was a LONG time coming.” Khalid said as he ducked down and faced Kabir, taking her hand as he sat down on the cold tile lunch floor.
“I’m not the only person who has issues with James.”
Kabir’s eyes snapped open and immediately slid to Clair. “I’m NOT surprised.”
“No…he did something to Chandler BEFORE the breakup.” Khalid explained, making Shawn’s head snap in their direction.
“Oh shit!” Shawn said as a realization seemed to dawn on him. “He’s STILL mad about that mock test.”
Confusion flickered across Kabir’s face.
“What mock-“
“It was before you started.” Clair mumbled timidly as she stepped into the conversation.
“We have mock tests in the middle of first semester to confirm we’re in the right classes.”
Kabir frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s definitely something that’ll make or break your end of semester average.” Shawn whistled knowingly.
“Okkkkkk? Where is this going?” Kabir asked growing impatient.
“James swapped his test with Chandler’s…and proceeded to score the highest in our graduating class.” Clair filled in, making Kabir’s eyes go wide.
“Where the FUCK are the teachers?!” Cheeia snapped as several milk cartons crashed near them, splashing her leg warmers and shoes with chocolate and strawberry milk.
“How did he find out?” Kabir asked, her eyes on Clair as the blonde uncomfortably pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Chandler overheard James bragging about it…months after receiving ALL his awards.” Clair whispered, recruiting the group into uncomfortable silence as the desire to leave suddenly became overwhelming.
“Let’s get out of here…and find a teacher.” Clair sudden suggested, breaking the silence.
“How? The exit is on the other side of the cafeteria.” Cheeia asked, popping her gun loudly and making a valid point.
“We can sneak out through the back cafeteria doors.” Shawn offered. “We’d have to sneak behind the lunch ladies though.”
“Let’s go.” Khalid whispered as he released Kabir’s hand, their movements quick as they started to crawl toward the lunch line, bypassing spilled food and discarded backpacks.
“We’re almost there guys.” Shawn said optimistically, his eyes forward as he started to crawl faster, leaving everyone behind.
Kabir opened her mouth to speak, her words catching in her chest as she suddenly felt her head yank backward.
Khalid turned around, surprise overriding his senses as he reached for Kabir.
Her eyes went wide as her fingers slipped between his, fear smudging her pretty face as she slid across the cafeteria floor.
“Kabir!” Khalid yelled as he rose to his feet, his body reacting before she could scream, he dived to the floor, his hand supporting the base of her neck, he gripped her braid firmly, stopping the pull of her hair before she could dive head first between the gap of a table.
“LET GO.” Khalid said through clenched teeth, his eyes blazing into James as Kabir’s fingers dug painfully into his forearms.
“This is HER fault.” James said evenly as he wrapped the end of Kabir’s braid around his hand. “Clair and I would STILL be together if she wasn’t here.”
Khalid’s eye brows slid into his hairline, confusion dancing across his face as the words registered and made no sense.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!” Kabir snapped, her panicked voice and frantic touches exciting movement into Khalid’s body, he closed his free hand and swung hard into James’s nose, the loud sound of a crack splitting through the air and submerging the room in silence.
“What did you just say?” Gwen asked as she sat her cup onto the table and tossed Eric a heated look of disapproval.
“Hey-I don’t want any problems.” Eric said with a laugh as he defensively held his palms open toward her. “Just want to hear your thoughts.”
“My thoughts onnn-telling Margo I’m worried I’ll be a shit parent or tell her I’m scared the baby won’t look like me?” Gwen asked bluntly, already annoyed enough for the day.
Probably the week.
“Gwen these are logical concerns to have.”
Definitely the month.
“I’m NOT telling her that.” Gwen said with a frown as she rose from her seat, her eyes locked on Eric’s.
“That will just make her worry MORE.”
“That maybe true..but Gwen NOT having these conversations is…” He trailed off, his eyes sliding to the notebook in his hand.
“Say it.” Gwen said stiffly.
“Gwen I-“
“SAY IT.” Gwen challenged, making him sit up straight in his seat.
“Say I’m DEPRESSED and you want to UP my medication dosage.” Gwen said between clinched teeth, submerging the room in tense silence.
Eric pulled the glasses from his face and sighed, he could feel a headache forming.
“You should feel comfortable communicating with your partner about important matters-not spiral into what-if land.”
“Don’t patronize me.” Gwen said harshly as she turned toward the window, watching as the changing leaves fluttered wildly throughout the parking lot, decorating the grass and lot.
“Gwen you KNOW, I’d never.” Eric hummed as he clicked the pen rapidly in his hand, piecing together his thoughts.
Gwen rolled her eyes and didn’t bother to respond as she stepped across the room, ready to drink freshly brewed coffee.
“So…I take it you… haven’t openly discussed your depression with Peni or Margo?” Erica asked sharply.
Margo hummed happily as she grabbed several dresses from the rack and headed toward the changing room.
She contemplated what she’d eat for lunch, laughter bubbling from her lips as she posed in a maternity dress that was not her style.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this.” She mused as she tried on several shirts, a few pairs of jeans and two more dresses.
“Do you need help with anything?” A woman asked politely as she accepted the unwanted items and smiled.
“No,I think this is everything I want.” Margo said returning the smile as she pivoted on her heels, her eyes roaming the different displays as she searched for the register.
“Can I help you?” A blonde haired woman asked sharply, the iciness of her tone knocking the smile right off of Margo’s face as she stepped behind her, looking over the items in her arms.
“No, I was just looking to check out.”
“Wonderful.” The woman said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Cash or card?”
Gonzalo splashed his face with water, still in a daze from the morning’s sporadic events.
He reached for a towel, his hand searching until fabric brushed against his palm, the soft scent of Miles wrapping around him as he dried his face.
“Are you ok?” Miles asked after a moment, his eyes on his other half as he watched him hang the face towel on a rack, their eyes meeting in the mirror.
Gonzalo considered the question, his eyes closing as Miles’s arms wrapped protectively around him, pulling him backwards into a solid wall of warmth.
“Where are the twins?” He asked instead of answering the question, his mind still reeling from the way Miles and Dean had wildly gone at it.
In front of majority of his coworkers.
“With Aunt Maya.” Miles filled in as he pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s ear, lingering before slowly pulling away.
“…ok.” Gonzalo forced himself to say, his mind sprinting back to the damage that’d transpired on set.
“You think I’m about to let a STAY-AT-HOME DAD, beat my ass?!” Dean challenged, overzealous as he eagerly dove head first into the altercation.
Miles’s flow of movements were unaffected by time, his body a pillar of lean muscle as he redirected the Alpha’s destination, flipping and slamming him hard to the ground, his usually patient eyes black with malice as he slammed his foot hard into Dean’s chest, sending him a layer deeper into the ground.
“I’m going to say this once.” Miles said evenly, his tone corrupt with disdain as he slammed his foot down a second time, making the Alpha cry out and several onlookers gasp.
“DON’T FUCKING TOUCH HIM.” Miles concluded as he watched Dean frantically grab at his ankle, trying and failing to remove the harsh pressure from his ribcage.
“Do it again-and I won’t stop at ONE bone.” Miles said with a smile that made the room go cold, Dean screamed as a sharp cracking sound split through the silence of the room.
Miles cleared his throat, gently tugging him back into the room.
“…I’m ok.” Gonzalo said with a tired sigh, his eyes closing as he leaned into Miles.
“Pretty sure Dean isn’t.” Miles hummed, making the shorter man snort.
“I left my lunch by accident this morning.” Gonzalo mused, his eyes still closed as he dropped his full weight onto Miles, not bothering to stand up as the taller man quickly scooped him into his arms.
“You left your lunch…because I started an argument this morning.” Miles said evenly as he sat Gonzalo on the bed, his hands quickly moving to the shorter man’s feet as he slowly started to untie his shoes.
“I’m sorry.” Miles said softly as he rubbed considerate circles along Gonzalo’s calf, gently squeezing along the muscle, pulling an appreciative groan out of the smaller man.
“Don’t be.” Gonzalo said as he sat up, his elbows digging into the pillows as he held Miles’s gaze.
“That was HIM, wasn’t it?” Miles asked evenly, his hands moving along smooth skin as he impatiently waited for answer.
“Yup.” Gonzalo said popping the p, as he fell backwards into the blankets.
“That was STUPID Dean.”
Miles frowned, attempting to be mindful with his words before speaking.
“Why was he on set with you?”
Gonzalo exhaled loudly. “Apparently my show is gaining so much attention…it’s going to be renewed for another two…maybe three seasons.”
“That’s fucking great!” Miles said with genuine excitement, his face lighting up with happiness as he rose to his feet and quickly slid beside Gonzalo in bed. “Are you excited?”
Gonzalo hummed thoughtfully but didn’t answer.
“Well I’m excited.” Miles said after a moment, peppering Gonzalo’s face in kisses annoyingly as he pulled him into his arms and held him close.
“I can’t wait to tell everyone.” Miles said pridefully, ready to set the group chat ablaze with good news as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Dean’s Aunt-owns the studio.” Gonzalo said evenly, his bleak tone interrupting the rapid movement of fingers.
“Ok andddddd?” Miles asked looking up from his phone screen.
“You kind of destroyed…the entire set, smashed through several walls and stomped out her nephew.” Gonzalo softly reminded, making the Alpha roll his eyes.
“He shouldn’t have put his hands on you.” Miles said quickly, his voice devoid of regret as Gonzalo reached for him, his obsidian eyes hazy with want as he pressed their lips together, his body erupting with desire as he yanked his shirt over his head and tossed it across the room.
Miles hesitated as Gonzalo climbed on top of him, his small frame radiating like a furnace as he yanked the tie from his hair, a gentle expression dancing across his delicate features as his hair fell around them.
Miles cleared his through nervously, his common sense bubbling up past arousal as Gonzalo met and held his gaze dangerously, sending unfiltered want to his dick.
“I..uh-I think we should wait.” Miles stammered, his dick rising as Gonzalo pressed a series of slow kiss to his collarbone.
“Wait for what?” Gonzalo asked, his obsidian eyes sparkling with contagious arousal.
“You were just demanding a baby this morning-.” Gonzalo said thickly, his hand sliding between them as he firmly gripped the base of Miles dick, making him groan. “Let’s make one.”
“Wait-“ Miles pleaded, his hand wrapping around Gonzalo’s wrist and stopping his greedy touches.
“I think we should talk about this-when your heat is over.”
Gonzalo wrinkled his nose at the soft rejection, confusion rolling across his shoulders as he fell forward, not bothering to support his weight as he clung to Miles, burying his face in his chest, his cheeks growing pink with embarrassment.
“I…don’t know what you want.” Gonzalo admitted shakily as Miles’s arms locked around him, his touches light as he brushed Gonzalo’s hair from his face.
“I just…want to make you happy.” Gonzalo mumbled into his chest.
Miles’s eyes slid to the ceiling as he dragged a lazy finger along the smaller man’s spine, his voice soft with kindness as he spoke.
“I want US-to be happy.” He gently corrected, his thoughts spilling from his lips.
“And if that means waiting until we’re situated and safe.” Miles paused as he pressed a slow kiss to Gonzalo’s shoulder. “I’ll wait.”
“You were right anyway..we’ll wait.” He sighed, his eyes closing, as the movement of his fingers hesitated before resuming movement.
“It’s already so much going on….I think I just wanted a distraction.” Miles admitted honestly.
“Sometimes when your at work…and the twins are are school-I get lonely.” Miles continued.
“We were so happy when we found out about the twins.” Miles added wistfully.
“I just wanted to relive that happiness with you…but…”Miles trailed off searching for the right words to convey his thoughts
“But?” Gonzalo asked as he lifted his face, his chin comfortably resting on the Alpha’s chest as he spoke.
“There’s an ongoing investigation with the people who broke into the house-and the people who put Miguel in the hospital.” Miles said flatly, his eyes slowly opening and meeting Gonzalo’s.
“We need to decide WHEN and WHERE we’re moving….we have to sale the house-and we have to transfer the twins-it’s just…never ending.”
Miles sighed, growing overwhelmed.
“I know, but you don’t have to do any of this alone.” Gonzalo softly reminded, a faint smile sliding to his lips as wild hair spilled across his face and shoulder as he sat up slightly, the ends of his hair tickling the Alpha’s nose.
Miles opened his mouth to speak, the Omega’s words immediately tugging laughter from his lips.
“And…the house is ugly.” Gonzalo stated flatly.
“The house is ugly.” Miles nodded in agreement as his laughter grew louder.
“Scoot over.” Marianna demanded, waking her brother as he opened one eye and rolled over, ready to drift back off to sleep.
Marianna slid in bed beside him, clutching his Snorlax plush to her chest as she wordlessly stared at the ceiling, her mind unfortunately filling with stressful scenarios of the impending future.
“Stop it.” Matéo demanded lightly with a yawn.
“I can hear your thoughts from here.”
“Well-aren’t you scared?” Marianna asked, her eyes closing as she slid the plush over her face and deeply inhaled.
It smelled like laundry.
Like home wrapped in the form of detergent.
“Scared of what?” Matéo asked as he slowly opened his eyes.
“The future…” She whispered, making him roll his eyes with annoyance.
“We can’t control the future nor can we predict it.” He pointed out as he stuffed his hair back into his bonnet. “Why worry about it?”
“Soooo you just don’t THINK about anything?” Marianna asked skeptically, making her brother pull the bonnet down over his eyes tiredly.
“Why am I NOT surprised?” She replied dryly.
“You know that’s NOT what I meant.” Matéo hissed, making her snicker.
“We can just talk to Dad about it, when we go home.” He said as he fluffed his pillow.
“Yeah yeah.” Marianna mumbled dismissively as she closed her eyes and forced herself to count sheep.
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!” Jessica shouted as she bolted into the kitchen, her socked covered feet sliding across the floor and right into glass.
“Fuck!!” She yelled lifting her foot, her eyes catching dots of crimson along the heel of her sock.
“Mom watch out!!” Andrés yelled as he yanked her out of the way of incoming debris, knocking them both to the floor and dragging her under the kitchen table.
“WHAT IS GOING ON?!” Jessica snapped as another brick flew into the kitchen and smashed into the microwave, knocking it to the floor.
“That woman whose boyfriend you murdered-wants revenge.” Lyla said flatly, over the lies and secrets.
Confusion sprinkled across Jessica’s face before her eyes narrowed with irritation.
“How many fucking bricks does this lady have?!” Ignacio asked, trying to cover the window with a cooking sheet, attempting to block the woman’s view into the kitchen.
Andrés crawled from under the table, his hands probing along the walls until he flipped the light switch, blanketing the kitchen in darkness.
“The police will be here in five minutes.” Summer whispered into the kitchen, her cellphone sliding back into her pocket. “Is everyone ok?”
“No!” Ignacio hissed as he wedged the metal sheet in front of the busted window.
“Wha…what’s going on?” Miguel asked groggily, his hand resting on the entry way as he hobbled into the kitchen, his hand searching the wall for the light switch.
“Dad DON’T!” Summer said as she crawled from under the table and stopped the movement of his hand, her voice clear as she spoke.
“That woman from yesterday showed up and started throwing bricks through the window.”
Miguel’s eyebrows slammed into his hairline, his sharp eyes sliding to the window as Summer helped him out of the kitchen.
“Ignacio?” Andrés asked, his eyes probing the darkness of the kitchen, concern weighing his usually stoic tone as he spoke. “Where’s Mom?”
Jessica stepped into the rain, her socks sinking into wet grass as she tiptoed into darkness, her eyes searching the backyard, her senses going haywire as a brick whizzed by her ear.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”Jessica snapped, her rage vibrant as she closed the distance between them, her brown eyes charged with rage.
“MY CHILDREN ARE IN THERE!” Jessica screamed as she shoved the woman harshly, knocking her off balance and into a shallow puddle.
“The same thing you did to my happiness.” The woman hissed as she kicked Jessica hard in the leg, dislocating her knee and sending her to the ground in agony.
The corners of her lips tilted upward, her intentions becoming clear as she rose to her feet and pulled a glass bottle from her pocket.
“I’m going to KILL it.” The woman hiccuped drunkenly as she reached under her jacket, ripped a piece of her shirt and shoved it into the bottle, her voice cracking as she spoke.
“For YEARS no one would BELIEVE me.”
Jessica bit her bottom lip as she shoved her knee back in place, stifling a scream as she stumbled to her feet, her knee throbbing.
“No one wanted to hear ANYTHING NEGATIVE about the Mayor’s longtime SLUT.”
Jessica blinked, the swing in animosity catching her off guard as the woman pulled a lighter from her pocket.
“YOU TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME.” Kim spat.
“You TOOK my home! My career! And you TOOK my David!!” The woman screeched, making Jessica take a cautious step backwards.
She couldn’t recall any of the things the woman was ranting about.
“Why should YOU get to be happy-after ruining my life?” The woman questioned as she tilted the flame of the lighter just below the fabric, her eyes impatiently sliding to Jessica as the fabric lit up with fire.
“Got everything?” Miguel asked as Summer ushered him into the backseat, her eyes meeting his as she handed him a bag.
“We just have to wait for Ignacio.” She said quickly as she shut the door and hopped into the driver’s seat, her eyes on the door as she started the car.
Ignacio filled the bags quickly, torpedoing through the house as he grabbed miscellaneous things and important documents, the watch on his wrist beeping as he jumped past the last three stairs and headed toward the garage.
“Beg me NOT to do it.” Kim challenged.
“WHAT?! You’re fucking crazy!” Jessica yelled as she stumbled on uneven footing, pain screaming up her leg as her foot slipped in mud.
“Doesn’t sound like begging to meeeee.” Kim chimed, growing bored of their interaction.
“You want me to beg you NOT to burn my house down?! DO YOU KNOW HOW CRAZY THAT SOUNDS?!”
“I know and don’t care.” Kim hummed, sending a wayward chill up Jessica’s spine.
Andrés stayed rooted in place, the branches of the trees concealing his presence as his eyes slid to the makeshift bomb in the woman’s hand.
Andrés sighed as his fingers flew across his watch screen, quickly sending a text to his siblings.
“Oh shit!” Summer said as a text notification flashed across her phone screen, she slammed her foot on the the gas, not bothering to wait for the garage door to fully lift as she accelerated into the rain, running over the curb and knocking over the trashcan as she hit the street.
“Careful Summer!” Miguel yelled as his body jerked backwards, his mind on the rims as the rear tire bumped into something solid.
“You’re NOT getting your license.” Ignacio joked as he cracked open a can of sprite and brought it to his lips, his eyes going wide as the house suddenly lit up in flames.
The smoke alarm beeped aggressively above Gwen’s head as she pulled open the stove and frowned as black smoke rolled into her face and eyes.
She’d burnt lunch to a crisp.
She grabbed the pan and winced, quickly snatching her hand away as pain shot up her fingertips.
She inhaled and exhaled rapidly, the fact she couldn’t complete a simple task, splintering her remaining composure, pushing her closer to the edge.
She couldn’t do anything right.
Couldn’t cook.
Couldn’t open up.
Couldnt fucking protect Margo.
Gwen exhaled shakily, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as Noir suddenly appeared, interrupting her silent break down.
“What’s burning?!” Noir asked, fire extinguisher in hand, his hazel eyes ripe with worry as he caught the look of despair on Gwen’s face.
Noir held Gwen’s gaze a moment, a question bubbling to his lips.
Gwen looked away, not wanting to speak as Hobie’s voice spilled from the nearest intercom.
“WHAT’S ON FIRE?”
“Just chicken.” Noir sighed, as he called out from the kitchen, the expression on his face akin to concern as he snatched the pan of charred bird from the counter and tossed it into the trash.
“I’m glad it was JUST chicken.” Hobie said with a laugh as he stepped into the kitchen, lit joint in hand. “And NOT the house.”
“Me too.” Gwen mumbled as she knotted the trash bag and handed it to Noir, the two of them exchanging a silent conversation as the straps of the bag touched his hand.
Hobie hummed his eyes knowingly sliding to Noir as he stepped deeper into the kitchen, exhaling smoke from his nostrils as he pushed open the kitchen window.
“Everything ok?” Hobie probed gently as he blew smoke out of the open window.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Gwen asked with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“What are you insinuating?” Margo asked between clenched teeth as the woman at the front counter refused to accept her credit card, her blue eyes laced with contempt as she dropped Margo’s items onto the counter, not bothering to place them into a bag.
“We don’t accept EBT here.” The woman said loudly, causing several shoppers to turn their way.
Margo’s brows slammed into her hairline in shock.
“I’m NOT insinuating anything ma’am-only explaining.” The woman hummed unbothered as she pressed the button to clear Margo’s total, dropping it to zero.
“What did YOU just SAY?” Margo snapped, making several shoppers cease movement, fake concerned as they inched a bit closer, ease dropping on the unpleasant conversation.
“REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID.” Margo demanded, making the woman at the register roll her eyes boredly.
“LOOK-I’m sure you don’t have the funds.” The woman said dryly as she rerang up Margo’s purchase, and pointed at the total, a fake smile plastered on her lips as she lifted the card reader and tilted it toward Margo.
“I’ll be cutting up your card if it declines.”
Margo reached for the machine, rage blossoming up her ribcage as her hand wrapped around the card reader, her eyes meeting the cashier’s as she crushed the reader.
The woman’s eyes went wide as the machine rapidly beeped before going silent, the walls completely folded inward as Margo dropped it carelessly to the counter.
Margo blinked, her eyes locked on the black screen and the split dial pad.
“Did I just…” Margo trailed off in shock.
Last week she couldn’t open pickle jars and this week, she was crushing card readers with her bare hands.
Margo’s eyes slid to her hands, confusion dancing across her brows as the woman behind the counter fearfully placed Margo’s items into a bag and shoved them into her chest.
“Please…don’t rob us.” The woman pleaded, making Margo’s eyes go wide as several shoppers stepped back uncomfortably.
“Sounds good, when are you free to set up another meeting?” Peni asked the Lawyer with a smile, her hand extending toward her, ready to shake on the agreement.
The woman glanced at her calendar and hummed. “We can actually set up a meeting for-“
The sharp rapid beeping of Peni’s watch interrupted the flow of conversation, the strange sound raising concern as Peni brought the watch to her face and frowned.
Gwen and Margo were upset, the sound of their distress wrapping together in an unhappy spiral of anger and sadness.
“Everything ok?” JoAnna asked with a polite smile as she watched Peni touch the screen of her watch, projecting two different color silhouettes.
“I’m…not sure.” Peni said honestly as her eyes lingered on the blue silhouette a moment longer before sliding to the purple one.
“We can reschedule this-if you need to.” Lisa said evenly as she watched a new emotion flicker across Peni’s face.
“That sounds good.” Peni said as she pulled the bag of her strap up her arm, her eyes locked on her watch. “I’ll call you.”
“I look forward to hearing from you.” The woman said with a polite smile as she ushered Peni toward the door.
Peni stepped onto the sidewalk, the frown on her face growing as Margo’s phone went straight to voicemail.
“What the hell is going on?” Jericho snapped, annoyed his Uber eats hadn’t arrived.
“I think someone is stealing our food.” Jericho said solemnly as Ross stepped into the apartment.
Ross rolled his eyes as he tossed mail onto the kitchen table.
“You think it’s Xiang?” Jericho asked after a moment.
Ross inhaled deeply and held back a curse.
“Who else would it be?” He asked bitterly.
“Sooooooo…would you like to go to the school or do you want me to?” Noir asked as he stepped into the music room, his eyes on his phone screen as Hobie’s fingers stopped strumming mid cord.
“Go to the school for what?” Hobie asked curiously, his attention no longer on the guitar in his hands. “Is Lovely ok?”
“She’s fine.” Noir said quickly.
“She texted me a minute ago…asking if we could pick her and her friends up-“
“Pick her AND her friends up?” Hobie asked, his brow lifting as he sat the guitar on the floor and rose to his feet, his eyes sliding to the clock on the wall.
“Thank you so much-for picking me up.” Kabir said breathlessly as she slid into the backseat.
“Hello.” Khalid said politely as he quickly slide in behind her, followed by Shawn, Cheeia and Clair.
“Where’s Chandler?” Noir asked as he turned around in the passenger seat, his eyes roaming the faces of the teens as his glasses slid down the bridge of his nose.
“Uhhhhh….” Khalid trailed off awkwardly, his eyes sliding to Clair. “Do you want to tell them?”
Clair frowned as her cheeks burned red, embarrassment skating across her face as she pulled her hood down over her eyes and didn’t respond, an awkward silence immediately filled the car.
Hobie sighed deeply as he turned off the car, his eyes sliding to the review mirrior as he spoke.
“I’ll wait.”
Clair sank deeper into her seat.
Kabir exhaled softly, the annoyance on her face palpable as the seconds ticked by.
Hobie frowned at the lack of voulenteers.
“I’m NOT moving until-“
“Ughhhh!” Cheeia snapped, startling everyone in the car as she aggressively chewed her gum and messily gave a run down of the last forty eight hours.
“James started a FIGHT with Chandler-because him and Clair broke up, and she like immediately got with Chandler-the same day.” Cheeia said making Hobie’s eyes widen in surprise.
He hadn’t expected that.
“Cheeia.” Clair whined growing more embarrassed as she attempted to melt into the floor mat.
Cheeia smacked her gum and tossed Clair an unimpressed look before continuing.
“Soooo anyway-James approached US at lunch, startin shit!” Cheeia yelled, growing more enraged as she recalled the smug expression glued to James’s face the entire conversation.
“Language.” Hobie warned sharply as Noir gestured for her to continue.
“James knocked Chandler out and…attacked Kabir.” Khalid added, clearing his throat as both adults shifted in their seats.
“Excuse me, what did you say?” Pav asked the elderly woman walking aggressively close to him, her purse bumping into his elbow as she shot him a dirty look.
“I said-get the HELL out my way.” The old woman hissed rudely, practically shoving him into a street sign.
“Geez…the old people here are tough.” Marianna whistled with disapproval as she crossed her arms over her chest and watched the old woman push a young couple out of her way, the smile on her lips unmoving as she skipped down the sidewalk.
“Right.” Matéo nodded in agreement as he stepped beside his sister, his eyes steadily following the old woman’s movements as she tripped an elderly man and snatched his cane.
“I prefer Mrs.Bates.” Marianna concluded, as she thought back fondly to the divorcee.
“Yeah…she’s probably smokin in the rain as we speak.” Matéo said as he pulled the strings of his hoodie.
Marianna proceeded to mimic the elderly woman, her right eyes closing as she pretended to blow smoke into the air, making her brother laugh as Pav stepped into their bubble, a faraway look in his eyes as he stood motionless with a stressed expression.
“Tio Pav…are you sad?” Marianna asked softly as she turned in his direction, her playful mood slipping as she reached for his hand and gave a gentle squeeze, pulling him from his murky thoughts.
“I am.” Pav admitted as he slid the grocery list into his pocket and reached for Matéo’s hand.
“Let’s stay close, so we don’t get separated.” He said shakily with a hollow smile that looked as miserable as he felt.
He wordlessly guided them through the busy street, pushing them past street food vendors and people selling handmade jewelry.
“Why are you sad?” Matéo asked softly, his eyes curiously sliding to his uncle as he patiently waited for a response.
Marianna’s eyes worriedly slid to her brother after Pav provided no response, the far away look in his eyes returning as he stood motionless in the middle of the sidewalk.
“Did you…have a fight with Tio Noir or Tio Hobie? Matéo asked after a moment, gently poking for an answer.
Marianna watched the echo of sadness skip across his face, the expression similar to the one she’d seen her father have after heated “disagreements” with Papi.
Pav didnt respond, the words sluggishly buffering up his chest as tears threatened to spill uncapped from his eyes as he struggled to hold it in.
Matéo’s eyes shifted knowingly to his sister, the two of them exchanging another silent conversation before turning around and ushering the distraught Alpha back in the direction of his Aunt’s house.
Pav wordlessly let the children drag him down the sidewalk, their eyes clear as they retracted his earlier steps, mindful not to step into dirty water as their hold on Pav tightened.
“It’ll be ok.” Marianna said softly, her brows creasing together as Pav seemed to wilt lower and lower with each passing step, tears streaming down his cheeks as they rounded the corner.
“Don’t cry yet…we’re almost at Aunty Maya’s.” Matéo said growing distraught, unsure how to comfort the emotional older man. “Tio Pav-it’ll be ok.”
Pav didn’t respond, his eyes down cast as he fell into a fit of hysterics, startling both children, his words incoherent as he struggled to convey his thoughts.
“Great…now everyone here is gonna think WE made him cry.” Marianna grumbled as several bystanders turned their way with judgemental eyes.
“Maybe-we should just SLOW down and TALK about this.” Miles said as he dodged Gonzalo’s advances, he hoped over the couch and grabbed the nearest pillow, a crooked smile sliding to his lips as he placed the pillow protectively over his crotch.
“Miles…WHAT are you doing?” Gonzalo asked evenly as he pulled his hair into a low ponytail, his sweat pants ridding dangerously low on his hips as he stepped around the couch, his eyes narrowing as Miles repeated his actions, stepping around the opposite end of the couch.
“We just talked about this!” Miles said as he jumped over the sectional and took off running toward the hallway.
“True.” Gonzalo said calmly as he brought his foot down hard, almost knocking Miles off his feet.
“But my heat is STILL on.” Gonzalo said with a smile as he took a step toward him.
Miles shifted on his feet, ready to suggest an alternative solution.
“I just think-“ The sharp sound of a familiar ringtone interrupted the sexual tension.
Gonzalo’s eyes slid to his cellphone on the coffee table wedged between them.
“I’ll just…”Miles trailed off as he snatched the phone from the table and quickly answered, immediately placing the call on speaker.
“Hey-“
“DAD PLEASE COME HELP TIO PAV.” Matéo interrupted sharply, the volume of his voice setting off alarm bells.
“Qué tienes?” Gonzalo asked seriously as he plucked the phone from Miles’s hand.
“Are you two ok?” Miles asked as he stepped out of the portal, his feet hitting grass.
“We’re fine.” Marianna sighed as she pulled her beanie down over her forehead and frowned.
“Why are you outside anyway?” Miles asked looking around the crowded park, full of bustling movement, dog walkers, food vendors and enthusiastic sightseers.
“It’s cold as hell.” Miles complained zipping his jacket up to his neck.
“Aunty Maya sent us to the grocery store and Tio Pav…just-“ Matéo trailed off pointing to a park bench several feet away.
“How long has he…been like this?” Miles asked softly as they approached the bench, his eyes on Pav as he looked him over.
A somber expression corrupting his handsome features as he lay face down on the bench, his body unmoving as he cried softly, mumbling things that weren’t in English.
“Dad…what should we do?” Marianna asked softly after a moment.
Hobie looked at his phone screen and frowned, his brows creasing together as he slid his phone back into his pocket.
Now was NOT the time for distractions.
“I’d like to KNOW WHY WE WERENT CALLED AS SOON AS THIS FIGHT STARTED.” Noir snapped, his voice making the man behind the desk flinch uncomfortably.
“I know your upset-but if we could all just calm down-“
“Calm down?CALM DOWN?!” Noir snapped his voice becoming gradually louder as he slammed his hand hard into the desk.
“My daughter had to CALL me and tell me about this-I WANT AN EXPLANATION RIGHT NOW.”
Hobie cleared his throat, his hand sliding to Noir’s lower back as he spoke calmly.
“We ALSO want to know what DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS will be taken against the student who attacked our daughter.”
The principal’s eyes slid from Noir and onto Hobie, his mouth opening and closing as Hobie rose from his seat, and spoke again, his voice sending a chill throughout the room.
“We WILL be pressing CHARGES.”
“Fuck…he’s not answering.” Miles mumbled as he redialed the Omega again, his concern for Pav swiftly morphing into panic.
“Should we call Aunt Maya?” Matéo asked as he watched Miles slide the phone back into his jacket pocket.
“Mmmh…let’s try to get him back to Maya’s.” Miles said as he stepped toward the bench, the tug of Marianna’s fingers stopping his progression.
“I think we should take him HOME.” Marianna said evenly, her eyes meeting her father’s.
“Khalid, are you coming home with us?” Noir asked as he stepped out of the office, his anger subsiding as Hobie wordlessly slid his hand into his.
“We’re having Pho for dinner.” The Alpha informed as Khalid joined them in the hallway, still in shock from the scene he’d just witnessed in the Principal’s office.
“Yes sir-if it’s ok.” Khalid said shyly as Kabir stepped beside him, her eyes on the ceiling as they stepped down the empty hallway.
“Of course it’s ok.” Hobie said with a soft laugh.
“You’re ALWAYS welcome over.”
“Geez Dad.” Kabir said with reddening cheeks as her hand slid into Khalid’s and gave a gentle squeeze.
“What? Only you can like him?” Hobie teased, making Noir laugh as they rounded the corner, their budding good mood fizzling out as they spotted Clint and James standing beside the car.
“What the fuck?” Kabir snapped, echoing everyone’s sentiments out loud.
“Language.” Noir reminded, making the teen roll her eyes. “But I completely agree.”
Khalid’s eyes slid distrustfully to his step father, taking in his casual clothes and stance.
Livid wasn’t the word.
“Ugh.” Kabir said unhappily as her eyes landed on James.”
He stood several feet away from his father, his nose crooked and in an unflattering nasal splint, his right eye bruised completely closed.
“This will be fun.” Noir said evenly as he pushed opened the school door, waiting for everyone to step out into the cold before he released the door, his eyes sprinting back onto Clint.
“Don’t go overboard.” Hobie warned as he slid his hands into his coat pockets and grabbed his keys, his boots crunching snow as they stepped across campus.
“We won’t let anything happen to you.” Kabir whispered, her grip on Khalid’s hand tightening as she pulled him slowly behind her, her heavy boots sinking into the snow as she met and held James’s gaze.
James maintained an expressionless face, his one eye trained on Kabir as he watched the protective way she pulled his brother behind her, his eye trailed to her lips taking in the metal rings, he exhaled slowly as his eye slid to her hair, the rope of a braid still attached and freely hanging past her waist.
“What do you want?” Noir spat, ready for an altercation as Hobie unlocked the car doors, unbothered.
“Look-James TOLD me what happened and I’d like Khalid to come home, so his mother and I can decide an appropriate punishment-“
“PUNISHMENT?!” Kabir hissed viciously, her eyes bouncing from the car door and onto Clint.
“FOR WHAT?” Hobie inquired, his movements faltering as he pulled open the driver side door.
“Do you SEE James’s face?!” Clint snapped, gaining no sympathy from the group.
“What does that have to do with Khalid?” Hobie asked, his hand resting on the door handle.
“With all due respect-that’s NONE of your fucking business.” Clint said sharply, shoving Noir to irritation.
“When your fucking child puts their HANDS on OUR child it IS OUR BUSINESS.” Noir shot back as he stepped in front of Clint before Hobie could bother with a response.
“Move.” Noir said harshly, ready to shove the Alpha out of his way.
Clint squared his shoulders and rolled his neck, his face reminiscent of James’s the moment he’d said something stupid to Chandler.
“Don’t.” Noir warned flatly, his hazel eyes hazy with animosity, his frosty demeaning blooming to the surface as he cracked several knuckles at once, clocking the man’s intention before he could make it.
“You don’t tell me what to do.” Clint snapped as he charged Noir, his eyes going wide with surprise as the Alpha side stepped his swing and caught his arm, pulling him forward and off balance, his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose as he slammed his elbow down hard into the base of the Clint’s spine, knocking him unconscious.
“Are you sad yet?” Kim asked Jessica with a smile, her eyes on the growing flames consuming the Beta’s home.
“Sad is NOT the word.” Jessica growled as her fist landed in Kim’s midsection, sending her ass first across the wet backyard and into a bush.
“You BETTER hope my FAMILY WASN’T IN THERE.” Jessica said ominously as she cracked the knuckles of her left hand, her feet taking her to Kim.
“You saw what I did to David-why would you TRY me?” Jessica asked, closing the distance between them as she lunged at Kim, splashing mud and knocking over garden decorations as they fought.
Andrés dropped from the tree, his eyes sliding from his burning home and onto the silhouette of his mother.
Jessica growled as she slammed Kim’s face into the grass, aggressively rubbing her nose in mud and water, her murderous intent growing rapidly as Kim started to scream.
“Mom.” Andrés said evenly, interrupting his mother’s actions.
Jessica went still for a moment, her head shifting in his direction before she rose to her feet and scoped him into her arms.
“No one was in the house.” Andrés said lightly, not bothering to stop the curious touches of his mother as she looked him over, tears rimming her eyes.
“Mom?! Mom?!” Summer yelled as she slid into the back yard, her pastel pink crocs sinking into the grass as she frantically searched the backyard.
“Put your glasses on.” Ignacio said as he stepped beside her, his eyes immediately spotting their mother and Andrés as he pressed her glasses case into her hand.
“Andrés…everything GOOD?” Ignacio asked as he pulled his hat down over his ears, the police sirens seemingly growing louder.
Miguel stepped out of the car, greeting several officers as they crammed onto the busy street, full of onlooking neighbors.
A fire truck drove onto the lawn, several men in brightly colored uniforms rushed out of each door, quickly assembling the items needed to take out the fire.
Miguel stepped into the backyard, relief flooding his system as he spotted his family.
He turned toward them, his feet quickly sinking into the earth as he loss his footing and stumbled forward, eating the distance between them.
“Are you ok?” Jessica asked as she broke his fall, water streaming down her face as the rain started to fall a bit harder.
“I’m fine. Are YOU ok?” Miguel asked softly as he slid his fingers between hers, his eyes looking her over.
“I’m-“ Jessica trailed off as Kim suddenly shifted, something shining in her hand as she lunged toward them.
Miguel shoved Jessica out of the way without hesitation, his fingers letting go as the item in Kim’s hand quickly lodging itself into his midsection exciting excruciating pain.
“Just like David.” Kim hissed as she pulled the kitchen knife from his midsection and dropped it to the ground.
DAD!!” Ignacio screamed, his panic signaling several officers in their direction.
“MIGUEL!!” Jessica screamed as she watched blood pool from his stomach and quickly stain his sleeping shirt, she reached for him, pressing her hands to the wound.
Miguel feverishly clutched at his stomach, his fingers covering hers, trying to apply pressure as his vision started to blur, he stumbled backwards, the world around him going silent as everything went black.
“I need you both to breathe.” Peni said calmly as she closed the bedroom door, her eyes falling onto both women, their earlier stats running through her mind. “What happened?”
Margo fiddled with the purple watch on her wrist, an unhappy look tugging at her delicate features.
“I…was racially profiled today-“ Margo trailed off, inhaling sharply. “And…I snapped.”
Gwen’s brows knitted together in disbelief.
“WHAT?”
“I…was buying maternity clothes earlier and the cashier told me, they DON’T accept food stamps.”
Margo informed as she leaned back in her seat, silent rage floating from her pores.
“Can you believe that shit?” Margo asked with laugh, the absurdity of it all dawning on her as she ran manicured nails through her hair.
“Which store was it?” Peni asked sharply as she snatched her IPad from the dresser and unlocked it, her fingers rapidly flying across the screen.
“Never mind-I found it.” Peni said as she pulled up the camera feed for the store, quickly finding Margo’s interaction with the racist cashier.
“What are you doing?” Gwen asked as she reached for Margo, pulling her into her arms and rubbing comforting circles into her lower back.
“Emailing THIS clip to the CEO with a list of demands.” Peni hummed lightly as she hit send, her fingers continuously moving as she pulled up reviews written online about the store.
“Apparently ‘Amber’ has been openly racist to shoppers for some time now.” Peni said as she dragged her finger down the page, quickly taking note of the aggressive counter responses obviously written by the woman in question.
“That’s nice.” Peni said sarcastically as she pieced together more information, a soft hum escaping her lips as she emailed the information to several local news stations.
Peni locked her iPad and sat it back on the dresser, her eyes meeting Margo’s.
“It’s been handled. I’m SORRY that stupid shit even happened.”
She turned her attention to Gwen, not bothering to beat around the bush with her questioning.
“Gwen…what happened today?”
Gwen’s nose wrinkled with disapproval at Peni’s tone as she stepped away from Margo, her attention on the closet as she rummaged through the hangers, searching for a distraction.
Preferably cotton.
“You sound like my Therapist.” Gwen joked uncomfortably.
“Why were you upset earlier?” Peni asked as her lower back pressed into the dresser, her eyes looking over the blonde as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited.
Gwen’s face dropped,her discomfort ripening as she hesitated.
“When was the last time you had a good cry?” Eric asked curiously, his eyes on Gwen as the movement of his pen stopped.
“What? Why?” Gwen asked wrinkling her nose, a little put off by the question.
“Because you’re going to burst eventually.”
Eric informed, as he leaned back in his seat.
“Gwen…you hold EVERYTHING in, why would you think that’s healthy?”
Gwen’s bottom lip trembled as she fidgeted
with her hands.
Eric sat his pen and notepad on the table between them and patiently waited for a response.
Seconds ticked into minutes.
Eric crossed his legs, his gaze unwavering as he continued to wait.
“Gwen, is everything ok?” Peni asked a second time, her hand resting on Gwen’s hip as she stepped closer, eliminating the distance between them as she pulled her into her arms.
“I just want you to know…that you can talk to me about anything.”
“I…know.” Gwen said faintly as Peni pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
“I burnt lunch earlier.” Gwen admitted after a moment, making Margo snort.
“Noir already told me.” Peni hummed.
Gwen rolled her eyes unsurprised.
“Is anything else…bothering you?” Peni asked softly, her hand rubbing comforting circles across Gwen’s lower and upper back.
Gwen contemplated telling the truth.
Considered unearthing feelings and thoughts she’d long buried.
Guilt slid up her spine, tossing her into the emergency room.
The look of fear on Margo’s face haunting as the nurse spoke, inflating her fears of doubt.
Regret burning the tip of her tongue as Margo’s hand squeezed hers.
She looked small.
As if the hospital bed would swallow her up, with crisp white sheets sealing her away.
The hospital band around her wrist an ugly reminder of what could go wrong.
Gwen’s arms tightened around Peni, speech eluding her senses as she held back tears and drowned in her thoughts.
“Should we really just leave him like that?” Khalid asked curiously as Hobie pulled away from the curb, leaving an unconscious Clint face down in the snow.
“Meh.” Hobie said dismissively as he pulled onto the road, his head gliding to the heat and turning it up. “He’ll be fine.”
“I only knocked him out. He’ll be sleeping a good thirty minutes if James doesn’t wake him.” Noir said as he pushed his shades up the bridge of his nose, his eyes sliding to the side mirrior as he watched Clint and James grow smaller and smaller.
“How…did you do that?” Khalid asked, his body shifting in Noir’s direction, as Kabir shoved both AirPods into her ears, trying to fight off an impending headache as white noise filled her ears.
She closed her eyes, her body relaxing as idle chatter filled the car.
“I’ll gladly teach you.” Noir said proudly as his phone vibrated loudly in his pocket.
“We NEED to talk.” Miles said thickly, his tone forbidding.
“What’s going on?” Hobie asked as he hopped out of the car, his eyes meeting Miles’s as he stepped toward the door.
“Whatever IS going on with you two and Pav-FIX it.” Miles said flatly.
“Do you know he had a mental breakdown today-in front of the twins?”
“What?” Hobie asked, caught off guard by the news. “Is he ok-“
“NO.” Miles said with a tired sigh.
“What’s going on?” Noir asked as he stepped out of the car, his eyes bouncing from Hobie to Miles quizzically before concern blanketed his attractive features. “Is Pav-“
“No, he’s not.” Miles interrupted, his hand hovering above the doorknob.
“He won’t stop crying…so I brought him home.” Miles said evenly, making Noir’s eyebrows lift with shock.
“Look I understand being upset with him and needing space-but THIS was NOT the way to do it.”
Gonzalo exhaled deeply as he stepped out of the shower, his body no longer tense and his heat no longer clouding his judgment.
“I can’t believe I did that.” He snorted, his mind sliding to the lust felt promises he’d uttered to the Miles repeatedly.
He tossed his medication under the bathroom cabinet, his eyes crossing a wayward box tossed to the very back, nearly hidden behind a blow dryer.
He grabbed the box, quickly looking over the cursive lettering, a blush coating his cheeks as he held the pregnancy test in his hands.
Gonzalo cleared his throat as a silly thought crossed his mind.
“Miles CALM down.” Noir said thickly, his irritation with his close friend’s unwanted advice, growing.
“I DON’T tell you how to run shit in your household-DON’T tell me how to run shit in mine.” Hobie said as he brushed past the shorter man, exhaustion tugging at his eyes as he stepped through the living room.
“Hola Tio.” Matéo greeted from the couch,
Marianna shifted beside him, attempting to nod a greeting mid chew of her sandwhich.
“Don’t do that. You’ll choke.” Matéo warned frowning at his sister as she shoved several chips into her mouth.
“Hello children.” Hobie said with a polite smile as he sprinted toward the hallway.
“Look-it’s been a LOT going on these past few days.” Noir sighed as a car door closed loudly behind him.
“What’s going on?” Miles asked as he watched Kabir and a thick haired boy idly chat beside the car, giving them space to continue the conversation.
“Today has been fucking crazy.” Kabir said with a sigh as she leaned against the car, her hand sliding to her braid as she pulled away the rubber band at the end and started to unbraid it, her fingers quickly moving.
“Crazy is an understatement.” Khalid exhaled, his mind sliding to the crazed look in James’s eyes as he pushed away from accountability and cartwheeled toward madness.
“Chandler!” Clair yelled as she searched the cafeteria franticly, her eyes roaming the nearly empty space of abandoned tables and lunch trays.
“He’s over there!” Shawn said as he pushed past Cheeia and ran across the cafeteria, his oversized leather men swaying around him as he pushed away several tables, his eyes immediately finding the teen with a large gash across his forehead.
“Oh my god!!” Clair cried as she retraced Shawn’s steps, Cheeia at her side as they rushed to the unconscious Beta.
“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?” Khalid asked, his hand palming the back of Kabir’s head, the back of his fingers brushing the table.
“This is HER fault. If she HADN’T of talked to YOU-NONE of this would have happened.”
James said, his voice husky with disdain as he wrapped Kabir’s hair around his knuckles tighter.
Khalid hadn’t hesitated.
The response instantly filling his body with rage as he cocked his fist back and swung forward hard, smashing James’s nose and lip.
He swung again.
And again.
And again.
Until James’s fingers untangled from her hair, he wheezed loudly and fell backwards onto the cafeteria floor, his face bruised and bloody.
Slender arms immediately wrapped around him, cocooning him in warmth, shoving away the strings of anger as he burried his face where her neck and shoulder met, his arms tightened around her, his fingers trailing down her braid, making sure it was all there.
“Are you ok?” Kabir asked softly, her warm hand cupping his cheek as she looked him over, her hazel eyes sharp with kindness as she pulled him out of the cafeteria.
“Where’d you go?” She asked softly as he pressed his hand to hers and wordlessly held her gaze.
“To clean up your mess.” Ross repeated as he slammed the front door, his back erect with disbelief as he stormed to the lobby, rudely interrupting the receptionist mid conversation, his bad mood quickly fucking up the vibe.
“Why the FUCK is security here so worthless?”
The man’s face twisted with annoyance, his eyes sliding from Ross and onto a security guard standing several feet away.
“Sir-what unit are you in and how can I HELP you?” The receptionist asked with a frown, his eyes reluctantly bouncing back to Ross as his fingers danced across the keyboard aggressively.
“Yeah I’m in unit 304B and I haven’t been RECEIVING anything I’ve ordered in the last two days.” Ross hissed as he pulled his phone from his pocket and turned the screen toward the man.
The receptionist learned forward, his eyes widening as he watched a woman snatch an incoming Uber eats order.
“Sir I-“ He trailed off as that same woman intercepted several Amazon packages,her smile pleasant as she shared a smoke with several security guards.
“This WOMAN has been stealing my shit and harassing me! Now she’s buddy buddy with security?!” Ross snapped, his head turning in the direction of the security guard several feet away. “You’re literally IN this video.”
“How embarrassing.” Gwen sighed as she melted into the tub, her mind sliding back to the burnt lunch she’d butchered earlier .
“What’s wrong?” Margo asked as she washed her face, her attention sliding onto Wei ask he nosily crawled into the bathroom.
“I tried to cook-
“What did you burn?” Margo asked turning around before Gwen could finish her sentence, well aware of the Beta spotty track record in the kitchen.
Gwen groaned as she sank lower into the water.
Peni’s brows creased as she looked at the packaged assortment of chicken, unsure which one to buy.
“I should have asked Noir…HOW much chicken to buy.” Peni mused as she grabbed five packages and tossed them into the basket.
“It wasn’t THAT bad.” Gwen sighed as Wei dug his hand into her bath water, reaching for bubbles.
“Gwen…there’s a fire extinguisher on the kitchen cabinet.” Margo giggled, making Gwen’s cheeks darken with color as she laughed.
“I don’t burn everything!”
“Rightttttt.” Margo said skeptically as she hung up her towel and stepped toward the tub, the smile on her lips growing as she scooped a hand full of bubbles and gifted them to Wei.
“How’d your conversation with the Doctor go?” Gwen asked, lazily dragging her fingers atop the water.
“Super strength aside, it went ok…he recommended a Doula in the area.” Margo said as Wei snatched a fistful of bubbles and shoved them into his mouth.
“Why?” Gwen asked as she sat up in the water, her hand reaching for her lofa.
“Have you made an appointment yet?” Gwen asked as she squeezed a gracious amount of body wash onto the lofa.
Wei sneezed, a frown sliding to his face as he tossed the remaining bubbles in Margo’s hands a dirty look before crawling away.
“My appointment is tomorrow afternoon.” Margo admitted, her eyes on Wei as she watched him slowly crawl toward the bathroom cabinet, his chubby hands guiding him to his feet as he curiously pulled the cabinet door opened.
“Anddd…he suggested a Doula-because this pregnancy has been…a little scary and having someone to talk me through this…would put me at ease.” Margo confessed, her shoulders dropping.
Gwen’s stomach dropped.
“I’m sorry…” Gwen whispered, sadness seeping from her pores as her eyes slid to Margo’s small belly.
Margo opened her mouth to speak, Gwen’s insecurities swiftly shoving her words down her throat as she quickly spoke.
“Do you regret getting pregnant?”
“What?” Margo asked caught off guard by the question, confusion pushing her forward as she took a seat on the edge of the tub.
Gwen didn’t answer, her eyes down cast as she pulled her knees to her chest.
Peni paid for the groceries and grabbed her bags, her eyes on the sky as she watched it change colors.
She headed back to Noir’s, the heat blasting as she turned down his street, her eyes immediately falling onto a heated discussion happening in the front yard.
“WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!” Miles snapped, his eyes burning into Clint as the Alpha stood by the curb, an unattractive frown hanging from his lips as he stood ominously silent, dressed head to toe in black gym clothes.
“What the fuck…” Peni mumbled as she pulled into the driveway and parked.
“You have 2.5 seconds to GET the FUCK off my property.” Noir warned calmly.
“You don’t want a repeat of earlier, do you?”
Clint spat into the grass as he pulled his arms from his coat and squared his shoulders.
“What if I do?”
“What the fuck?” Hobie asked as he pulled the joint from his lips, his irritation spiking as he watched Clint toss his coat to the ground and take an offensive stance.
Pav stirred awake in his office, his hand sliding to his neck as his link pulsated with aggressive warmth.
He yawned as he rose from his seat, dragging his feet tiredly as he stepped into the hallway, his eyes narrowing with agitation as the other side of his neck started to burn with anger.
“What’s going on?” Pav asked groggily as he stepped into the kitchen his eyes sliding to Hobie.
He stood in the center of the kitchen, his jacket slung across a nearby chair, his attention on the window, the joint between his fingers quickly burning.
“Wonderful.” He said flatly, his eyes glued to the scene unfolding in the front yard.“You’re awake.
Pav followed Hobie’s gaze, his eyes sliding to a jacketless man stomping across the yard, his mouth moving a mile a minute as he shouted at Noir.
“Who the fuck is that?” Pav asked with a frown.
Hobie ashed his joint over the astray as he spoke, prepared to tell the entire story. “He attacked us-“
Pav moved before Hobie could complete the sentence, his body flying out of the window as he stepped barefoot into the snow, rushing toward the argument.
“Mr. Prabhakar?” Khalid questioned, surprised as he turned slowly, watching as Kabir’s father ran barefoot through the snow, the gold bands on his wrists clanging wildly together.
“You think you’re gonna get away after sucker punching me-earlier?” Clint challenged, making Noir’s eyebrows roll into his hairline before he burst into laughter.
“Is that what you’re telling people? That I sucker punched you?” Noir asked between laughs as Peni pulled the grocery bags from the back seat and stepped away from the car, her feet quickly taking her up the driveway and beside Kabir.
“What the hell is going on?” Peni asked as she shifted the bags in her arms.
“You DID sucker punch me!” Clint lied, making Noir shake his head disapprovingly.
“Are you calling my husband a LIAR?” Khalid’s mother asked as she stepped into the argument, immediately filling her son with a mix of shame and embarrassment.
“Who the hell is that?” Peni asked pointedly, as she watched the long haired woman add further fuel to the argument.
“My loser parents.” Khalid confessed with an exhausted sigh.
“I should probably call the police.” Hobie mused as he blew smoke out of the window.
“NO-WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.” Margo said as she grabbed Gwen’s wrist, stopping her stride into the bedroom.
“I don’t…want to talk about this.” Gwen said weakly as she held her towel closed, water dripping onto the carpeted hallway as they lingered in a stand off Gwen didn’t want to be a part of.
“WHY DO YOU DO THAT?!” Margo asked with frustration as she released Gwen’s wrist.
“You NEVER want to talk about things that make YOU upset!!” Margo yelled, startling Wei as he bumped into Gwen’s calf.
“Gwen what if it makes ME upset?!” Margo asked following Gwen into the bedroom.
“You can’t just say shit like “maybe we shouldn’t have another baby”-and then say NEVERMIND, I don’t wanna talk about it!”
Gwen inhaled sharply, her mouth opening and immediately closing.
Margo was right.
She’d been doing this bullshit for months.
Years.
Ducking and dodging uncomfortable conversations.
Gwen squeezed her towel tighter around herself and said nothing, her eyes sliding to Wei as he grabbed at her leg, attempting to stand.
Her mind slid back to her therapy session, Eric’s haunting words echoing across her mind and filling her ears.
“Gwen…you do know it’s impossible to maintain a healthy relationship if you DON’T talk to your mates, right?” Eric asked, his pen no longer moving as he held her gaze.
“WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MY WIFE?!” Clint
yelled, taking another step into the yard.
“I SAID-YOUR HUSBAND IS A LIAR AND A SHIT PARENT!” Noir repeated, unbothered by Clint’s rage as he stormed across the yard, quickly closing the distance between them
Pav’s fist connected with Clint’s jaw, sending him spiraling into the side of his truck.
Clint dented the passenger door with a harsh thud, his eyes going wide as they slid onto Pav, taking in the over sized cardigan that hung from his shoulders, his bare feet and wild hair.
“Ohhhhh shit.” Hobie said as he shoved his joint into the ashtray, crushing the flame and quickly running out of the front door.
“Who the FUCK are you?!” Amulya spat at Pav, looking him over, her eyes lingering on his hair a moment before going wide with recognition.
“Kabir’s father.” Pav said evenly as he stood up straight. “Are you Khalid’s mother or James’s?”
Amulya stared Pav down and didn’t answer, she was too busy taking in his complexion and hair, her eyes curiously jumping to Kabir in the drive way, her wild tresses blowing in the wind like her father’s.
Gonzalo inhaled sharply as he watched two pink lines appear on the test, his mind immediately going blank as he took a step backward, bumping into the bathroom door.
“I don’t understand.” He mumbled as his hands slid to his stomach.
Miles stepped into the house, and promptly found the twins in the music room, arguing about which instruments were the easiest to play.
“Let’s go home.” Miles said as he reached for their hands, a portal forming close behind him.
“Is Tio Pav ok?” Matéo asked curiously as he took his father’s hand.
“Ok-so when did you say was the earliest I could come in?” Gonzalo asked as he paced throughout the living room, the phone tightly pressed to his ear as he looked over his wall calendar.
“Tomorrow at 9:15am? Yeah-that’ll work just fine.” Gonzalo said evenly as he set his appointment and disconnected the line, his mind in a haze as he floated into the kitchen.
“Rain sounds please.” Marianna requested with a yawn as soon as her feet hit the hardwood floor of her bedroom.
“Of course.” Miles said sweetly as he pressed a kiss to her temple. “Get changed into your pajamas.”
“It’s the middle of the day.” Matéo yawned, already pulling his sleeping shirt over his head.
“Naps are a part of growing up.” Miles hummed, unsurprised both children were exhausted.
“I know Daddy.” Marianna yawned as she let go of his hand and headed toward the closet, quickly pulling her night gown from a hanger.
Matéo tucked his hair into his bonnet and crawled up the steps to his bunk, a lazy yawn floating from his lips as soft rain sounds filled the room.
“ Buenos noches.” Miles said as he kissed the boy’s cheek and quickly tucked the blankets around him.
“ Buenos noches.” Matéo yawned turning on his side and closing his eyes, his Snorlax firmly pressed to his chest.
“Me next.” Marianna requested, quickly crawling into her bunk.
Gonzalo poured himself a cup of tea, trying and failing to calm his frazzled nerves as he sat at the kitchen table.
His eyes slid to the clock across the kitchen, each tick seemingly louder than the last.
He exhaled deeply, trying to ignore the passage of time, his mind reeling as he began to count back the days, trying to pinpoint when this could have happened.
A blushed settled across his cheeks as thoughts of Miles sliding into him filled his mind, from the kitchen to the bedroom, the laundry room and shower, Miles had happily sank balls deep inside of him.
“Everything ok?” Miles asked as he stepped into the kitchen, interrupting Gonzalo’s lusty train of thought.
“Are you hungry? I could make you something.” Miles suggested, sensing the smaller man’s unease as he blankly stared at the cup on the table.
Gonzalo cleared his throat before speaking, his neck growing hot as thoughts of Miles lifting him onto the kitchen counter danced across his mind.
“I could eat.” He said quickly, looking away from the cabinet as Miles moved around the kitchen.
“How hungry are you?” Miles asked as he pulled open the refrigerator door and grabbed several eggs, a soft smile sliding to his lips as he quickly assembled ingredients.
Gonzalo hesitated, wondering if he should rip off the band-aid now or later.
“I could eat.” Gonzalo said lightly as he rested his elbows on the table, watching as Miles placed a skillet onto the stove.
“Ok…cool.” Miles said as he twisted the tie from the bread. “So a lot right?”
“Enough for two.” Gonzalo said casually as he lifted his cup from the table and took a hardy sip.
Chapter Text
“Oh…did you invite someone over?” Miles asked as he grabbed the milk and vanilla extract, smiling softly as he mixed the ingredients together in a bowl.
“Something like that.” Gonzalo snorted.
“Look at you. Making friends.” Miles teased as he crack several eggs into the bowl.
“God…we’re so UNserious.” Gonzalo said with a laugh as he rose to his feet, his arms wrapping around Miles’s waist as he rested his face in the middle of his back and sighed.
“Miles…I’m pregnant.”
Miles stiffened for a moment, his body slowly turning around, shock on his face as his arms wrapped around Gonzalo.
“So much for waiting.” Miles hummed happily, his right hand sliding to Gonzalo’s flat stomach, his jubilance floating across their link as a thought crossed his mind. “How…far along are you?”
“What a shit show.” Khalid sighed as he watched his mother fall to his step Father’s side, screaming and threatening to call the police.
“Language.” Pav warned, his eyes sliding away from the scene and onto Khalid and Kabir’s linked hands.
“You two go in the house.” Hobie said calmly, his hands in his pockets as he ignored the woman wailing several feet away.
“Let the adults handle this.” Noir said lightly as he pressed a quick kiss to Kabir’s forehead and promptly ushered the teens to the front door away from the drama.
“This is….ghetto.” Peni said dryly as Pav lifted several of the bags from her arms.
“Very.” Hobie agreed as he watched two police cruisers with flashing lights turn onto their street.
“That’s my que to leave.” Peni said swiftly as she turned on her heels and rushed toward the front door, Pav trailing behind her.
“Pav…why did you punch Clint?” Hobie asked slowly as he turned toward the shorter man, stopping his casual stride back into the house.
“I don’t know…what I want.” Kabir mumbled, her stomach growling as she rummaged through the packed refrigerator, her attention split between a chicken salad and turkey sub.
“I’m glad I packed extra clothes.” Khalid said as he dropped his backpack to the floor, his eyes nosily sliding toward the kitchen window.
“I hope my mom doesn’t call me later demanding an apology.” He said with a frown as he neatly folded his jacket and hung it across the back of the nearest chair.
“Eww. She wouldn’t dare.” Kabir said wrinkling her nose as she grabbed the turkey sub from the fridge and quickly unwrapped it.
“Oh she would.” Khalid said with a laugh as Kabir offered him a bit of her sandwich.
“Why is she like that?”
“You know…I have no idea.” Khalid admitted as he bit into the sandwich.
“Honestly…I don’t think Clint thought I’d beat the fuck outta James-like that.” Khalid said frankly, his eyes sliding to Kabir as she offered him a can of soda.
“I can see that.” Kabir said as she bit into the sandwich.
“You did break his nose.” She said between bites.
“That wasn’t intentional.” Khalid said as he sipped his drink, a faint smile sliding to his lips.
He hadn’t exactly held back either…
His hatred blossoming throughout his being as his knuckles roughly connected with the older boy’s face.
He like Chandler, had been counting down the days.
The perfect moment had fallen into his hands the moment James touched Kabir, his brazen actions the excuse needed to conduct lawless consequence.
“Well that was quick.” Noir said as he watched law enforcement drag Clint from their yard, starry eyed and confused as his wife followed behind them, inconsolable.
“They ATTACKED US!!” She screamed, earning a skeptical look from an older officer.
“THEY KIDNAPPED MY SON!!”
“Hopefully NOT the one that started that fucking school fight today.” The officer responded stiffly, embarrassment spilling across her face as Clint kicked off a shoe, fruitlessly trying to break free of the officers hold.
“She’s got a lot of nerve.” Pav said dryly his eyes narrowing as Amulya turned around and tossed them the finger.
“So I’m assuming this a continuation of what transpired at school earlier, correct?” Officer Hanks asked, his eyes on Hobie and Noir.
“Unfortunately it is.” Hobie confirmed with a nod.
“You’ll be pressing charges on the entire family or just the father and son?” Hanks asked curiously, his brow lifting with amusement as Noir snickered.
“Definitely the ENTIRE family.” Noir said quickly, before Hobie could respond.
“Their son knocked a student unconscious and dragged our daughter by the hair across the cafeteria.” Noir filled in, the news swiftly sending Pav into hysterics as he pivoted on his feet and rushed into the house, nearly dropping the bags in his hands.
Hanks whistled with disapproval.
“The kid he knocked unconscious…his parents are also pressing charges.”
“Good for them.” Noir said with a nod of approval.
“I also know…they’re threatening to sue the school board if no disciplinary actions are taken.” Hanks added leaning toward Noir, ready to gossip.
“There’s also whispers of an ongoing feud between both boys regarding stolen test results.”
“Fucking insane.” Kabir said as she watched Amulya filng open Clint’s driver side door, her hair blowing in the wind as she screamed obscurities, slamming on the horn repeatedly, her antics swiftly earning a heated response from a female officer.
Amulya proceeded to antagonize the female officer, rapidly insulting her appearance, tossing fast food trash out the truck window and needlessly arguing until the officer yanked her out of the driver’s seat.
“I wonder who’s going to bail them out.” Khalid said with a laugh as he watched Clint shove an officer hard with his shoulder, his boot pressed to the side of the car as he fought back being pushed into the backseat.
“KABIR?!” Pav yelled as he sprinted into the kitchen, carelessly tossing the grocery bags onto the cabinet his attention on his daughter as he frantically looked her over.
“Are you hurt?! Why didnt you CALL me?!”Pav asked his eyes laced with sadness as he took a cautious step closer, his anger swiftly strolling into the kitchen behind him.
“I need you to tell me what happened.” Pav said quickly as Khalid awkwardly shuffled across the kitchen, unsure if he should leave, stay or offer support.
“Khalid stopped it before it could get started.” Kabir said as Khalid took a seat at the table and grabbed his backpack from the floor, trying to ignore the heat of Pav’s intrusive gaze as he opened his text book and started his homework.
“It just keeps getting worse.” Noir snorted as he watched a female officer cuff Amulya, the woman kicking and screaming as she was dragged away from Clint’s truck and tossed into the back of a squad car.
“Can you get this shit off our street?” Hobie asked pointing a lighter at the large running truck visibly parked on the edge of the yard and atop the curb.
“Gladly.” Hanks said with a laugh. “We’ll have it towed before we leave.”
“What’s…going on?” Peni asked as she stepped into the bedroom, the frosty atmosphere instantly wrapping around her.
Neither woman responded.
Margo lifted Wei from the bed and quickly exited the room.
“Ummmm….Gwen?” Peni asked, worry heavy in her voice as she sat the car keys onto the dresser and slowly approached her.
Taking in the unhappiness etched on her face and the wet ends of her hair still dripping from the bath.
“Gwen?”
Gwen’s brows creased together as she pulled a shirt over her head and quickly grabbed a hoodie, her mind clearly somewhere else as she moved around the room on auto pilot.
Peni placed her hand on Gwen’s shoulder, stopping her chaotic moments.
“Your hair is still wet.” Peni said softly as she grabbed the towel from the end of the bed, Gwen looked away, refusing to return her gaze.
“I don’t want you to get sick.” Peni said with a soft smile as she took her time drying Gwen’s hair, choosing not to pry any further as she offered silent support.
“I see.” Pav said as he took a step toward Kabir, looking over her hair and face before pulling her into his arms. “Are you ok?”
Kabir wordlessly nodded, her eyes closing as the comforting scent of cardamom and lemons filled her nose.
“I’m sorry.” Pav exhaled as his arms tightened around her.
“I didn’t mean to yell at you…I didn’t mean any of those things I said.” Pav said softly as Khalid pushed his chair back and tiptoed out of the kitchen, giving them space.
“I’m happy you’re growing into your own person…it just scares me-because you’re growing up.” Pav said as a tear ran down his cheek.
“I just have to accept you aren’t my little girl any more.” He said with a sad laugh, as he brushed the tears from his face.
“I know.” Kabir mumbled into his cardigan, her eyes watering as she slowly pulled away.
“It’s…scary.” Pav admitted as he pushed her hair
from her face, his shaky smile returning.
“One minute you were in diapers…the next your running track and preparing to preform at winter formal.” He laughed shakily.
“Dada…I won’t be a little girl forever.” Kabir said softly with a laugh.
“I knowwww.” Pav said with a laugh.
“You’re a teenager now.” He teased rolling his eyes.
“A teenager with a boyfriend.” She reminded.
“I know.” Pav sighed, making her snort as he pulled away and took a seat at the table.
“Noir told me a bit of what happened, I’m glad Khalid was there.” Pav said as Kabir lifted half a turkey sub from the table and bit into it.
“That James kid is a fucking psycho.” Pav said making his daughter choke on her food.
“Dada-language.” Kabir reminded with a laugh, her smile dropping as her father held her gaze, his brown eyes stark free of playfulness.
Margo breezed through the kitchen, her stomach grumbling as she walked past Pav and Kabir, the two of them engaged in a concerning discussion.
“Noir and I have decided it’s time you start self defense classes.”
“That sounds fun.” Margo said as she handed Wei to Pav and raided the refrigerator, a happy sound leaving her lips as she pulled a chicken salad from the fridge.
“It will be if Pop is teaching me.” Kabir said as Khalid timidly stepped back into the kitchen and took his seat at the table, a smile sliding to his lips as he watched Wei yank a patch of Pav’s hair.
“I want to thank you for protecting Kabir not just today but…yesterday when she-“
“It’s ok.” Khalid said quickly, seeing no reason for the thanks.
“I want you to take these classes with Kabir.” Pav said evenly, his eyes on the young teen as he took his seat at the table, surprise dancing across his face.
“MIGUEL CAN YOU HEAR ME?!” Jessica shouted, panic overriding her senses as she followed him to the ground, her hands pressed to his stomach.
Andrés took a step backwards in disbelief, the world going silent as he looked around frantically, his legs quickly taking him away from the commotion and barreling into the front yard.
He bumped into a person, the man’s dark uniform a vibrantly dull reminder of reality.
“Son are you ok?” The older man asked, his white haired face the picture of concern as he spotted the tears in Andrés’s eyes.
The officer spoke again, his hand touching the teen’s shoulder as he tried to get his attention.
Andrés’s ears were ringing, the look of pain on his father’s face riddled his mind, bringing him to tears as the fire fighters moved in unison around them, trying to douse out the fire as the rain started to fall a bit harder.
The officer looked over Andrés, his brows lifting with concern as he caught sight of blood splatter on the sleeve of his shirt.
“I need a medic!” The officer yelled as he pulled his jacket from his arms and placed it across Andrés’s shoulders.
“Can you tell me where your family is?” The officer asked, his dark eyes burning into Andrés as several more people in matching uniform shifted around them.
Andrés couldn’t speak, his words evading him as he turned toward the backyard, his arm lifting as he pointed a shaky finger.
“MIGUEL STAY WITH ME!!” Jessica pleaded as she ripped the sleeve from her shirt and pressed the fabric to his stomach.
“He’s lost a lot of blood.” Ignacio whispered beside Summer, his eyes glued to their mother’s hands. “We should have told her he was hurt earlier.”
Summer’s mind went blank, fear rooting her in place as speech alluded her.
Thunder struck, lighting up the world in white as several people in uniform suddenly appeared, their movements quick and their voices calm as they ushered Summer and Ignacio out of the backyard.
Ignacio looked over his shoulder, his eyes going wide as he watched several EMTs pull his mother away from his father, her hands and clothes covered in blood as several officers fought to restrain her, rage swiftly replacing her sorrow as she caught sight of Kim.
Her head downcast as she tried to sneak away from the chaos she’d birthed, flat out refusing the help of a medic.
Jessica screamed as she broke free, knocking the officers off their feet as she turned in Kim’s direction, her eyes black with hatred as she took off after the other woman, several officers and medics rushing behind them.
“MA’AM PLEASE STOP!!” An officer yelled as he tripped over a flower pot and face planted.
Ignacio frowned as he watched the man spring up to his feet, his face covered in mud.
“I don’t know if NORMAL people can restrain her.” Summer whispered to her brother, her eyes sliding to their father as she watched several medics load him onto a stretcher.
“If they don’t…Mom might send Kim to David.” Ignacio whispered back as he watched a woman with a homely face, approach them.
“Let’s get you two checked out.” The woman said with a kind voice as she guided Summer and Ignacio toward an ambulance , their eyes immediately landing on their baby brother.
“I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU.” Jessica promised as she lunged forward, her feet crushing the wet earth with each step as she dug her fingers into Kim’s hair and harshly yanked her backwards, neck first and off her feet.
Her rage limitless as she straddled the other woman and started to swing wildly, beating her mercilessly until she was dragged away kicking and swinging as Kim lay unconscious.
“Ugh…this is so fucked up!” Ignacio snapped as an EMT checked him over a third time.
Andrés pulled the jacked around him tighter, the look of horror on his mother’s face playing on repeat as they’d watched the knife plunge into his father’s abdomen, splattering blood in different directions.
“It’s just been one bad thing after the next.” Summer cried as she grabbed several offered tissues, her eyes sliding to their father as she continued to cry.
“Sir…can you hear me?” An unfamiliar voice asked Miguel as an unwanted light suddenly shined in his eyes, blinding him and making him blink rapidly.
“Sir if you can hear me…wiggle the fingers of your left hand.”
Miguel groaned weakly as he attempted to move his fingers, his entire body burning as he felt hands poke and prod him before he felt himself being moved.
He faded in and out, the sharp sound of police sirens filling his ears as he struggled to stay awake, an impending headache forming as he was slid into the back of an ambulance.
“Dad it’ll be ok.” Summer said reassuringly as she climbed into the ambulance behind him, shoving tissues into her pocket and pushing harshly past a medic.
She pushed her hair behind her ear, and took a seat beside him, her eyes sliding back to her brothers just as the doors slammed closed.
“She’ll call us with an update soon.” Ignacio said evenly as his eyes roamed the yard, searching for their mother, her disgruntled face swiftly appearing as four officers dragged her into the front yard, her arms restrained.
“Do you think they’re hurting her?” Andrés asked as he watched his mother break free and sprint into Kim’s direction, her hands digging deep into the woman’s scalp before swiftly being tazed.
Kim screamed as electricity radiated throughout her body, her arms flailing as the officers continued to taze both women repeatedly.
Ignacio sighed tiredly as both women crumbled to the ground, his mother’s hands still firmly buried in the woman’s hair.
“This…is going to get worse before it gets better.” Andrés said solemnly, his eyes toward the murky sky as he counted the seconds that swiftly turned into minutes, his mind on their father and sister.
“Well Mr.Morales you seem well…just a little under weight.” The Doctor said with a considerate tone as she looked over his paperwork.
Gonzalo simply nodded as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes sliding to the overly bright lights above as the questions began.
“I’m seeing here from your chart….that you’ve lost almost twenty eight pounds-“
Gonzalo’s brows shot into his hairline in surprise.
He’d noticed losing a little weight…but not nearly thirty pounds.
The Doctor tsked, her eyes roaming across the paper.
“Are you stressed? Have you been properly eatting? Do you feel safe at home?”
Gonzalo sat up straighter, his eyes on the different medical posters that littered the wall.
“I uh…work a lot, but I don’t think I’m stressed…” He trailed off his mind recounting every stressful inconvenience he’d encountered in the last thirty days.
“I feel safe at home.” He added, clearing his throat akwardly.
“Mmmk.” She said skeptically her pen tapping against the clipboard in her hand.
“Has your diet changed recently?”
“I-“He trailed off again his mind rapidly piecing together each time he’d skipped a meal or forgotten his lunch during filming.
“Could be healthier.” He admitted after a moment, suddenly feeling light headed and warm, he leaned back in seat, his eyes closing as the paper beneath him crinkled.
“Any children?”
“Yes…just two.” Gonzalo said as he nervously slid his hands into his jacket pockets.
“And how many pregnancies?”
She asked as she sat the paper on the cabinet, her eyes on him as she sat in her chair.
“I’ve…had three…one was a loss.” Gonzalo said lightly, not wanting to add any additional details.
“You carry to full term?”
She asked evenly as she slid closer to him, pulling a tool from her pocket.
“Two of them yes…I loss the first one.” He admitted shakily, ready for a new topic.
“Mmmh…any complications with your other pregnancies?” She asked as she shined a light into his eyes.
“No.” He said resisting the urge to blink.
“That’s good.” She hummed as she grabbed her stethoscope and pressed it to his chest.
“Anything out of the ordinary?” She asked curiously as she pressed the stethoscope to his back.
“Yes.” He said quickly as she started to look him over. “I feel like I’ve been having heats but…” He trailed off, unsure how to verbalize his issue.
“You feel overly warm and light headed-but it’s more like flashes instead of a regular heat?” She asked lightly.
“Yes.” He confirmed, his brows creasing as he fought off the urge to rip off his shirt.
“We can run some tests but your body’s hormones are just confused.” She hummed.
“That would explain why you’ve had no morning sickness or signs of pregnancy until now.”
“What do you mean confused?” Gonzalo asked, his hand sliding protectively to his stomach.
“Well, between your consistently high stress levels, intense work schedule and poor diet-you haven’t allowed your body to rest and PREPARE for a pregnancy.”
The appointment seemed to drip by, his discomfort levels only rising as she continued to ask overly personal questions, her cold hands poking and prodding him as another woman stepped into the room.
“This is Ashley, she’ll be doing your ultrasound today, and soon we’ll know just how far along you are.” The Doctor said with a smile.
Miles slashed paint across the canvas, his mind in disarray as he struggled to focus on his work, curious questions running through his mind as his eyes slid to his phone across the room.
He sighed as he stepped away from his incomplete painting, searching for a distraction as he approached the closet.
Digging into the past and pushing back items he no longer used as he dragged his hands along the closet shelves, searching.
“Found you.” He said triumphantly as he pulled a small black box from the closet, his breath hitching as he slowly lifted the lid, his eyes sliding onto a pair of black and red baby booties.
“Hopefully…we’ll get to use you.” He said softly as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Looks like you’re just shy of five months.” Ashley said with a smile as she pointed toward the screen.
“Did…you just say FIVE MONTHS?” Gonzalo squawked in shock, his eyes locked on the screen.
“Yes-“
“How is it possible I didn’t know?” He asked sitting up, his eyes searching the screen, still in disbelief at the small dot of life.
“This is actually pretty common for some people.” Ashley sighed. “There’s like a whole show about it on like TLC.”
“What?!” Gonzalo snapped, growing visibly upset.
“You haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary besides your weight fluctuating?” The Doctor asked as she stepped back into the room with a water bottle, her eyes on the screen.
“No…I-“ He trailed off, drawing blanks as he tried to list anything unusual. “Just the hot flashes.”
“No nausea? No reactions to smells?” Ashley asked, as she slid the machine across Gonzalo’s stomach, zeroing in and taking several pictures.
Gonzalo blinked, his mind sliding back to the refrigerator, none of his favorite foods had been touched.
He hadn’t even glanced at the carton of ice cream he’d impulsively purchased nearly three weeks ago.
“No nausea…no cravings-nothing.” He continued.
“Mmmh…how have your heat flashes been?” The Doctor asked abruptly as she unscrewed the top to her bottle, her eyes sliding to Gonzalo.
“I’m starting to have them more frequently.” Gonzalo exhaled, his mind sliding back to the unique warmth his body had been producing.
“Mmh…when was your last heat before the flashes started?
“It was-…”He trailed off, pulling his phone from his pocket and checking his calendar, his eyes going wide as he scrolled back the months.
“Months ago?” Ashley asked softly, pulling his attention back to the screen.
He couldn’t find a date on his calendar.
“Well anyway-“ The Doctor smiled with a dismissive wave, fanning away his discomfort.
“We can actually tell you the gender and provide your due date today.” She hummed as she pivoted on her heels and exited the room.
“If you look right here…that’s the baby’s head.” Ashley said with a smile as she pointed at the screen.
“Right here is the baby’s-“
“I had a few glasses of wine.” He admitted quickly interrupting her, his eyes closing .
“How many is a few?” Ashley asked, her eyes sliding from the screen and onto him.
“How about thirty eight?” Marianna asked, as she watched her brother pull several marshmallows from the bag hidden in the pantry.
“No. They’ll notice if that may go missing.” Matéo hissed as he closed and tucked the bag, quickly placing it back behind a large bag of rice.
“Yeah yeah.” Marianna said rudely as she greedily shoved several marshmallows into her mouth.
Miles took a step back, his eyes roaming the canvas as he took a second to digest his art.
“I’m unsure…if I like this.” He hummed, his eyes narrowing as he considered tossing the canvas out the window and into the street.
He couldn’t keep doing that with commissions.
Gonzalo exhaled deeply, his attention sliding to his phone as he stepped out of the building, his left hand sliding to his flat stomach.
Biting his bottom lip he walked to the car, his eyes sliding to the sky as it spiraled gray, signifying an evening downpour.
He placed a quick pizza order, opting to have dinner delivered home as he drove in silence, his guilt and self doubt taking a comfortable seat across from him as he turned the heat up and tried to clear his head.
“I only had three glasses.” He said evenly as he pulled to a stop at a red light, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel as he remembered the look on Ashley’s face when he’d mentioned the wine.
He eased onto the gas and turned onto the highway.
“Daddy where is Papi?” Marianna asked as she stepped into her parents bedroom, licking the remaining marshmallows from her fingers.
“He should be home soon.” Miles said as he lifted the canvas from the easel and quickly replaced it with a blank one. “He had a doctor appointment.”
“Should we be concerned?” Matéo asked as he stepped beside his sister, a caprice sun in hand.
“No no no.” Miles said quickly as he turned toward the twins, his voice calm as he spoke.
“Everything will be ok.” He promised as the front door chimed opened, signifying Gonzalo’s return.” See? He’s already back.”
They bolted into the hallway with questions.
“Papi are you ok?” Marianna asked skeptically as soon as Gonzalo stepped into the doorway.
“I’m fine Mari.” Gonzalo said as he pressed a quick kiss to the girl’s forehead.
“No need to worry yet.” Gonzalo added as he pulled his rain jacket from his arms and quickly hung it in the hallway closet, his eyes sliding to Matéo.
“That’s good.” Matéo hummed as he followed his father into the room, his voice clear as he spoke casually about his appointment.
“I’ll be five months…Monday.” Gonzalo said with a soft smile, his eyes locked on Miles as surprise and happiness lit up his face.
“That’s in two days.” Miles laughed, his mind loading with all the new baby items he’d be rushing to buy.
“I know.” Gonzalo said wistfully, his shoulders dropping as he finally allowed himself to enjoy the moment, a soft smile tugging at his lips as Miles reached for his hand, his lips kissing the ring on his finger.
The twin’s eyes looped between both parents nosily.
“I have pictures.” Gonzalo said softly as he pulled several small pictures from his pocket and wordlessly handed them out.
“Dad…what is this?” Matéo asked first, his brows creasing together in confusion as he struggled to make out the image.
“I don’t think mine is labeled right.” Marianna complained as she turned the picture upside down.“There’s no hand on this.”
“Mine is a foot.” Miles said gleefully, earning an unconvinced and possibly judgmental look from both children.
“What are we looking at?” Matéo questioned as he turned the photo counter clockwise.
Gonzalo exhaled slowly, bracing himself .
“Your going to have a little-“
“Wait! Let me guess.” Marianna interrupted with excitement as her brother’s eyes slid to the ultrasound picture in her hand.
“Soooo you’re pressing charges on my entire, family, right?” Khalid asked casually as he inhaled his dinner, loudly slurping a noodle and making Kabir snort.
Pav nearly dropped his cup. “No slurping at the table.”
“Probably.” Hobie said with a nod as he broke his fortune cookie in half and pulled out the small slip of paper. “James and Clint have a lot of fucking nerve.” He added dryly as he read over his fortune.
“But your mom-“ He trailed off with a tired laugh.
“What about my Mom?” Khalid asked, twirling his fork in his noodles.
“Mmmh…the officers she screamed at earlier-may be filing a report themselves.” Pav said clearing his throat as he remembered the way the thin woman had been dragged away, ranting disrespectfuly, her long hair blowing elegantly in the winter breeze as she was shoved headfirst into the back of a cruiser.
“What happened to getting Pho?” Margo asked as she stepped through the kitchen and commenced to make herself a hardy plate.
“Not complaining, just asking.” She clarified as she bit into a piece of orange chicken.
“The shop we usually go to closed early.” Noir informed as he stabbed his fork into his beef and broccoli unhappily.
“Wonderful.” Margo sang as she sampled the vegetable fried rice. “Thanks for dinner.”
“We also might have to get the school board involved.” Pav said evenly, his statement snatching the attention of the table.
“What?” Pav asked, his brow lifting at the look of shock on several faces. “The school didn’t NOTIFY us of the fight-we had to FIND out.”
“Also-per campus rules, everyone involved in physical altercations is subjected to revoked enrollment and or prolonged suspension.” Noir remind as he tossed the school pamphlet onto the kitchen table.
Kabir frowned at the pamphlet, quickly dismissing her question as Pav snatched it from the table.
“I almost flipped that man’s desk when he mentioned suspension.” Hobie said with an eyeroll as he dug his spoon into his fried rice.
“Fucking insane.” Pav hissed as crumbled up the pamphlet and tossed it into the trash.
“James ASSAULTED Kabir-NOT the other way around.” He added as he bit into a crab ragoon.
“That was… pretty fucking traumatic.” Kabir admitted shakily as soon as her bedroom door closed, her eyes sliding to the ceiling as her back pressed to the door.
“I’m sorry…James did that stupid shit.” Khalid said gently as he pulled his uniform shirt over his head, Kabir’s eyes slid to Khalid her breath hitching as she took in his physique.
Her eyes lingering on the solid six pack that dipped into boring uniform pants, her eyes continued to greedily roam, following along muscular arms as he pulled a shirt from his bag.
“But I promised-I’d NEVER let anything happen to you.” Khalid said evenly, guiding her back to their conversation as he pulled a college basketball shirt over his head.
His scent washed over her, reminding her how solid his chest had felt pressed to hers.
She yearned to touched him, itched to have his
his solid arms wrapped around her, enveloping her in way she’d never experienced.
“Do you need help taking off your boots?” Khalid asked softly, the soft smell of something sweet floating from his pores as he stepped toward her, ready to be of service.
“Thank you for keeping me safe.” Kabir hiccuped on the verge tears as she reached for him, pulling him into her arms, her sadness spilling onto him as his arms locked around her, his eyes closing as she finally allowed herself to digest what’d happened.
He wordlessly held her, rubbing her back as she cried into the fabric of his jersey.
“Take as much time as you need.” He encouraged without judgment.
“I need you to talk to Gwen, NOW.” Peni said quickly, not bothering to offer a greeting as she barged into Eric’s office.
Eric’s brows lifted with confusion, his eyes searching her face before recognition quickly set in.
“You must be Peni.” He said with a tense smile.
“I shouldn’t be surprised you’re here.” He added as he closed the door and took his usual seat.
“I should have known something was amiss when Gwen’s voice sounded different on the phone.”
“I’m not surprised you didn’t notice.” Peni said evenly, her eyes judging the walls and decor of his office.
“I prefer NOT to judge my patients.” Eric said with a tight lipped smile as Peni continued to prob the room curiously, her eyes honing in on the degrees that hung above his desk.
Peni took a seat in the chair across from him, crossing her legs as she returned his dry smile.
“Well I’m NOT one of your patients-“
“So…how can I help you?” Eric asked sharply as he flipped open the notebook in his lap, preparing for an apparent impromptu session.
“We need to discuss Gwen’s decline in progress since she’s started seeing you.” Peni said bluntly, as she crossed her legs, refusing to break their gaze as his eyes narrowed with anger. “I’m convinced you may not not be a good fit.”
“My fucking head hurts.” Gwen whined, her face buried in fresh laundry as Wei started to toss clean clothes onto the floor.
“Wei these are my clean clothes.” Gwen sighed as she watched the infant toss her sports bra across the room.
A soft tap of knuckles slid across the door revealing Noir with a bottle of medication and a soft smile.
“Still got that headache?” He asked as he walked into the room, quickly plucking several pieces of laundry from the floor.
“Unfortunately I do.”Gwen groaned into a clean hoodie.
Wei frowned as he watched Noir place the clothes back onto the bed and laugh.
“You are a little handful.” Noir teased as he handed the medication to Gwen and lifted Wei from the bed. “I miss when Kabir was this little.”
“I can’t wait until he’s Kabir’s age.” Gwen huffed as she twisted open the bottle of medicine.
“You say that now.” Noir hummed as Wei happily blew raspberries, his small hand reaching for the Alpha’s dark frames. “But you’ll miss him being this little soon.”
“I’ll believe you.” Gwen said evenly as she face planted back into the laundry.
“Let’s go get Mommy some water to take with her medicine.” Noir said as Wei snatched his glasses from his face, the pair laughing as he stepped out of the room amused.
Gwen groaned, pressing herself more into the bed, fabric softener tickling her nose.
“Everything ok?” Hobie asked softly as he stepped into the room with two bottles of water, the bedroom door slowly closing behind him as he handed her a water.
“Yeah, I just have a stupid headache that won’t go away.” Gwen said as she popped two pills into her mouth and twisted open the water.
“Ahhh…a migraine. Always fun.” He said as he lifted the pill bottle from her hand, popped several pills into his mouth, and swallowed them dry.
“Are you ok?” Gwen asked as she pulled the bottle from her lips. “Hobie that was a lot-“
“I came in here to ask you that, not the other way around.” He teased as he took a seat at the vanity, his eyes on his reflection as he spoke.
“I have a never ending migraine. Now what’s wrong with you?”
He asked, his eyes sliding to Gwen’s somber expression in the mirror.
“She’s NOT communicating at ALL!” Peni snapped as she abruptly rose from her seat, livid the conversation was bearing no fruit.
“She burnt chicken the other day and had a fucking mental breakdown!”
“Wait? She what?!” Eric asked in shock as he sat his notebook onto the table, his eyes wide with concern. “Why didn’t she reach out-“
“That’s what I’ve been saying.” Peni interrupted sharply. “Your job is to HELP her-not the opposite!”
“I know you’re upset-but blaming me for your relationship issues, won’t fix anything.” Eric said as his eyes slid to his notebook.
“You didn’t exactly CREATE an environment she could thrive in.” He added, swiftly pissing Peni off.
“Excuse me?!” Peni snapped, her face growing rosey with anger as the man squared his shoulders defiantly. “You don’t know SHIT about me or Gwen’s relationship.”
“Ahh…but I do.” Eric said dryly as he stepped toward his desk, quickly widening the distance between them.
“I know about your hectic work schedule and how it’s constantly a fight with you to take time off, let alone watch your baby-“
“You DON’T know me.” Peni scoffed, gearing up for an argument.
“But that’s the thing…I know Gwen and that’s enough.” Eric said as he pressed the button under his desk, summoning security.
“You are selfish, impulsive, argumentative, rude and an absent partner-yet you stand here screaming about problems, you’ve created!!” Eric shouted, losing his temper, his face red with rage as the door abruptly opened, spitting out several security guards.
“FUCK YOU!!” Peni spat, kicking over his table and sending his notebook flying.
“YOU DON’T KNOW ME!! YOU DON’T KNOW SHIT!!!!” Peni ranted as several men hesitantly approached her.
“GET OUT.” Eric spat as a guard’s hand wrapped around her wrist and yanked her backward, nearly onto the floor.
“YOUR FUCKING FIRED.” Peni hissed, as two more guards grabbed her arms, quickly escorting her out of the room.
“EXPLAIN YOU FIRED ME TO GWEN BITCH!!” Eric yelled, pissing off the Beta more as his office door slammed shut.
“Breath Gwen.” Hobie reminded as he pressed an encouraging hand to her back, pulling her back into the room.
“I’m trying…I’m really trying.” Gwen said shakily as she sat the water bottle on the dresser.
“It’s just never ending.” She admitted, her eyes closing as she fought back tears.
“Margo is angry with me. Peni is distance and busy with all this lawsuit shit.”
Hobie took a seat beside her, quickly pulling her into his arms. “I’ll listen…if you want to talk.”
“But we can also sit in silence if you like.” Hobie added as she pressed her face into his chest, the comforting scent of berries and pastries filling her nose.
Margo closed her eyes, her ear pressed to the door as she waited for Gwen’s response, the fork in her hand shaking as Gwen started to speak.
Miles took his time, his touches soft and slow each time he reached for or touched his other half.
He went out of his way to touch the shorter man, often times running his fingers through his hair or kissing his face and hands, his insides fluttering with a possessiveness as he happily ordered a bunch of baby items.
“Dad’s being weird.” Marianna whispered to her brother, her eyes sliding to the bedroom door.
“That’s…nothing new.” Matéo said as he fingered through the clothes in their closet, a frown sliding to his face as he pulled an unfortunate looking shirt from the rack.
“What…is this?” He asked with irritation as he pointed at the strangely built dinosaur on the front of the shirt.
“Tay-do you think the baby…will be like us?” Marianna asked, her soft tone pulling his eyes away from the shirt.
“Miles-please don’t go overboard with ordering things.” Gonzalo signed as the doorbell chimed loudly above their heads.
“We’re moving soon, remember?”
“You need to stop worrying so much.” Miles said dismissively as he pressed his lips to the shorter man’s before he could speak.
“Pick a house.” Miles said tapping the iPad screen in Gonzalo’s hands.
“Be right back.” Miles said as he crawled out of bed and sprinted out of the room.
“Weirdo.” Gonzalo said as he dragged his finger across the iPad screen, browsing through two story houses. “This is a nice area.”
“Are you worried about the baby not being a twin?” Matéo asked curiously as he flipped through his dinosaur encyclopedia, his eyes narrowing as they slid from the pages and back to the shirt his sister was reluctantly holding.
“No…well sorta. I don’t know how to explain.” She sighed as she carelessly tossed the shirt into the closet and shut the door.
“Words would be nice.” Matéo said as he closed the book and slid it back onto the bookshelf.
“That thing-isn’t real.” He added bitterly.
“I have you….Dad has Papi…who will they have?” She asked softly, her eyes sliding to the window as she watched the clouds spiral aggressively before bursting open, quickly drenching the delivery guy.
“Aweee…Mari-twin or not…they’ll have ALL of us.” Matéo said softly as he handed her his Snorlax plush.
Marianna wordlessly accepted the plush, a pleasant expression crossing her brother’s face.
“I’m kind of excited to be a big brother.” He admitted.
“I’m SORRY the delivery took so long, we’re short staffed.” The delivery guy said as he handed Miles’s two large pizza boxes.
“It’s no problem.” Miles said as he quickly accepted the boxes. “I’m sorry about the rain.”
The delivery guy smiled. “It’s no problem.”
He laughed as he handed Miles the rest of his order.
“Where the fuck is the food?” Gonzalo wondered out loud to himself as the twins tumbled into the room with questions.
“Papi will the baby have eyes like you or Daddy?” Marianna asked, her brother beside her with a notebook.
“What?” He asked, a little surprised by the question.
“We’re making a tchart to determine what the baby will look like.” Matéo quickly informed as the pencil in his hand flew across the page.
“A what chart?” Gonzalo asked as he turned the iPad screen toward them. “Do you like this house?”
“Pizza, pizza, pizza.” Miles sang as he sat the boxes on the kitchen table and turned toward the cabinet, swiftly pulling out several plates, his good mood fluttering as his doorbell rang aggressively.
“Hold on!” He said a little annoyed as he stepped out of the kitchen and headed toward the living room.
Mike’s eyes slid to the peephole and widened as he pulled open the door, his eyes falling onto several familiar faces.
“Can I help you?” Miles asked as he pulled open the door, the chilly evening air wrapping around him as the teens held his gaze.
“It’s ok.” Matéo said looking at the screen, his finger quickly sliding through the pictures.
“I like the pool.” Marianna said as she looked over the images with excitement.
Miles slid into the bedroom and shut the door, a strange expression painting his handsome face as he spoke, interrupting the house banter.
“We have guests.”
“We need to find a safe place to go.” Ignacio said as he watched their mother get charted away in an ambulance, her anger ruthless as she trashed about, trying to break free.
“Atleast for tonight.” Ignacio added as the last of the police cruisers sped away, followed by the ambulance and fire truck.
Andrés looked at his phone screen and frowned, Summer hadn’t responded to any of his messages.
“Come on.” Ignacio said as he pulled his hood over his head, his feet taking him across the yard and into the aggressive rain of the night.
“Where are we going?” Andrés asked as he turned around and took one final look at their family home.
It was in ruins, scorched black and nearly unrecognizable.
“Out of the rain atleast.” Ignacio said as he pulled open the driver side door, searching the seats for the keys.
Andrés slid his phone into his pocket and stepped into the rain, the crisp night air ruffling his hair as he quickly stepped around the car and pulled open the passenger door.
“What did you have in mind? He asked as he offered the keys to his brother.
“You remember the Alpha that beat Dad’s ass?” Ignacio asked evenly as he buckled his seat belt, adjusted the mirrors, rolled his seat back and started the car.
“What about him?” Andrés asked as he buckled his seatbelt and grabbed a bag of chips from Ignacio’s backpack.
“Can you find him?” Ignacio asked as he flipped on the lights, his dark eyes cautiously searching the packed street.
“Why? You think you can make it to his house?” Andrés asked growing amused as he pulled his phone from his pocket and aggressively searched the web. “I don’t think he lives close.”
“Of course I can make it to his house.” Ignacio scoffed offended.
“My bad.” Andrés laughed as he connected his phone to the car, the dashboard quickly lighting up with an address.
Ignacio rolled his eyes as he shifted gears and eased onto the gas, mindful of the curb as he bypassed several incorrectly parked cars.
Both hands on the wheel as he turned down the street and merged onto the highway, easing to the speed limit, his eyes occasionally bouncing from the gps and back onto the road.
“Summer is going to be pissed.” Andrés said as he turned on the heat and sank into his seat, his eyes sliding to the window.
“You got your permit already, didn’t you?”
“Got my license last summer.” Ignacio corrected with a smile as he turned on his blinker and merged with ease.
Summer inhaled shakily as she paced the waiting room anxiously, her palms sweating as she pivoted on her heels and looped around the room twice, irritating the security guards.
“Is there an update on my Dad?” Summer impatiently asked the woman at the front desk, startling her for the fifth time.
The woman glared before turning toward the computer in front of her, her fingers flying across the keys. “He’s still in surgery.”
“What about my Mom?” Summer asked, her fingers tapping the desk between them as she waited.
The woman’s fingers danced across the keyboard, quickly finding the information.
“She…uh….unfortunately has been sedated-“
“WHAT?! WHY?!” Summer wheezed, making several other people in the emergency room turn her way.
The woman at the front desk sighed tiredly, her voice dropping as she leaned toward Summer.
“Your Mother bit a Nurse and kicked a Doctor. She NEEDED to be sedated.”
Summer took a step back, her phone vibrating to life in her pocket with several text notifications.
“What am I supposed to tell them?” She whispered as she crumbled into the nearest chair, her body ripe with stress as she watched the time slowly tick by, her phone endlessly vibrating with questions.
“Damn…it’s like morning.” Ignacio yawned as Andrés stirred awake in the passenger seat, his eyes reluctantly opening as he sat up and looked around.
Ignacio pulled to a stop, his eyes falling onto a tacky house with questionable detailing.
“Such an ugly house.” He said as put the car in park, turned the key, and unbuckled his seatbelt, his eyes sliding to Andrés.
“You sure this is the right address?”
“It is.” Andrés said with a confident nod as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned his phone screen to his brother.
“Oh shit! I remember hearing about this.” Ignacio said as his eyes slid back onto the house.
“A drunk cop drove into the side of their house, right?”
“Yup.” Andrés said as he pushed open the car door and stepped out, his eyes on the sky as he watched it flash white.
“It was all over the news for DAYS.” Ignacio hissed as they stepped onto the walkway.
“This will be fun.” Andrés chimed as he shoved his hands into his pocket and followed behind his brother, his eyes sliding to the wet street.
“Wait-“ Gonzalo interrupted, his eyes sliding onto Miles. “You let Miguel’s kids into our house?”
“Yeah. They needed help!” Miles rebuffed quickly, his finger pointing toward the tv. “We LITERALLY just watched the NEWS about what happened!”
Marianna’s eyes slid to her brother, the two of them exchanging a wordless conversation before tip toeing out of the room, leaving their parents to bicker.
“Why’d you tell that cop we had family nearby?”
Andrés asked lightly as he pulled his jacket from his arms and grabbed a blanket from the couch, his eyes dragging along the strange decorations that littered the living room walls.
Ignacio pulled his hoodie over his head and tossed it onto the couch, knocking a decorative pillow to the floor.
Andrés’s mind slid back to their charred home, his fingers so cold they hurt as he stood in the rain, watching the last of the fire fighters retreat, his possessions and peace no longer existent.
He exhaled shakily as his eyes found Ignacio, his face the picture of composed as he spoke to several officers, denying their offers of help.
“No that won’t be necessary.” Ignacio said as he pulled his phone from his pocket. “We have family nearby-“
“How close? Do you need a ride?” The older officer asked, his wrinkled face and tired eyes sliding worriedly to Andrés.
“So close we could walk, if we needed to.” Ignacio lied with a smile as he stepped into the officer’s line of vision. “Our Tío lives a few streets away.”
“What?” The man asked, his eyes sliding to Ignacio curiously.
“I’ll never ride in the back of a fucking cop car.” Ignacio yawned, as he stretched out on the couch, tugging the blanket from his brother’s shoulders and pulling him from his thoughts.
“Where are they?” Gonzalo asked, his eyes sliding to the cracked door.
“In the living room.” Miles sighed as he closed the door. “I couldn’t just NOT help them.”
Gonzalo sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Why didn’t you put them in the guest room?”
“Who are you?” Marianna asked as she stepped into the living room, not bothering to form a proper greeting, Matéo hovered wordlessly beside her, observing the teens, his eyes taking in their faces, hair and clothing.
“Woah.” Ignacio said surprised by both children, his eyes growing wide as his eyes bounced between them, the two of them mirrors of the same person, their Heterochromia eyes following his movements as he shifted uncomfortably on the couch.
Hobie slid several plates into the dishwasher, his eyes sliding to Noir as he chatted with Chandler’s parents, the phone pressed to his ear as he exited the kitchen, a snoring Wei tucked tightly into the crook of his arm.
“Today has been…” Hobie trailed off, his head throbbing as he bumped into the counter, he could feel an incoming migraine.
Something that seemed to be happening more and more everyday.
“Are you ok?” Pav asked, his arm wrapping around Hobie’ s waist, supporting his weight as he guided him to the table.
“I’m fine.” Hobie said as he sat down, his eyes closing as Pav’s arms lingered around him a moment longer. “It’s just a migraine.”
“Are you sure?” Pav asked as he slowly pulled away. “You’ve been having them more often.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Hobie denied flatly, ending the conversation as he pulled a joint from his pocket.
Pav pulled a lighter from his pocket, quickly lighting the end of the joint, he watched as Hobie inhaled deeply, his dark eyes closing as he exhaled thick smoke.
“I think…you should see a Doctor.” Pav said softly as Hobie ashed his joint aggressively into the ashtray between them.
“We’re NOT talking about this.” Hobie said dryly looking away, his eyes sliding to the still open dishwasher.
Pav sighed tiredly, running his hand through his graying tresses as he took a seat at the table.
“What did I do to make you so upset…you won’t talk to me?”
Hobie’s sharp eyes slid to Pav in disbelief.
“Are you fucking serious?” He asked, shoving his joint harshly into the ashtray and putting it out.
“You’re NOT serious.” Hobie said with a chuckle as he rose from his seat, his long locs angrily cascading around him.
“I AM.” Pav snapped, his hand wrapping around Hobie’s wrist and stopping his stride.
“Did you apologize to Kabir?” Hobie asked, refusing to meet his gaze.
“I did and we made up.” Pav said evenly, as he dragged his thumb comfortingly up Hobie’s inner wrist.
“Cool.” Hobie said flatly as he snatched his wrist from Pav, the distance between them growing as he slammed the dishwasher door closed.
“I’m STILL mad.” He said calmly, his voice devoid of warmth as he stepped out of the kitchen, leaving the Alpha alone with his thoughts.
“You can sleep here.” Miles said as he dragged his hand along the wall, until his fingers brushed against the light switch.
“We’ll deal with everything tomorrow.” He added as he flicked on the lights, bathing the room in light.
Andrés stepped into the bedroom, his eyes sliding across a dresser, a small desk and onto a queen sized bed that sat in the middle of the room.
“Thank you” Ignacio said gratefully as he tossed his backpack onto the bed.
“We really appreciate this.”
“You don’t have to say thank you.” Gonzalo said evenly from the door way, his arms heavy with neatly folded clothing.
Andrés’s eyes widened as they slid from Gonzalo and onto Miles, just like their children, they were mirrors of each other.
“Here’s something to sleep in.” Gonzalo said as he placed the clothing onto the dresser, his long dark brown hair swaying behind him.
“Thank you.” Andrés mumbled shyly as he avoided Gonzalo’s gaze.
Gonzalo shot Miles a look, his right brow lifting.
Summer’s bottom lip trembled as she looked over her father’s unconscious body, his face pale and missing its usual charm.
“He’s stable…but he’ll be sleeping a while.” The Nurse said as she looked over Miguel’s chart and frowned. “He’s lost a lot of blood…he’ll need some time to recover.”
Summer didn’t respond, her eyes glued to her father as she reached for his hand and gave a gentle squeeze.
“You should go home. Get some rest.” The woman encouraged softly as her eyes fell onto Summer. “We’ll call you as soon as he wakes.”
Ignacio groaned into his pillow, annoyed his phone was loudly vibrating across the dresser several feet away.
“I got it.” Andrés said quickly as he climbed out of bed, nearly tripping over Ignacio’s shoes as he snatched the phone from the dresser and quickly answered.
Miles yawned as he stepped out of the bathroom, stretching his arms above his head as he stepped into the hallway, his eyes landing on Ignacio and Andrés as they rushed into the living room, still clad in sleeping clothes.
“What’s going on?” Miles asked as Ignacio’s hand hovered above the door knob.
“Our sister called.” Ignacio said quickly, adjusting his backpack straps.
“Dad’s stable…but he won’t wake up for a while.”
“So we’re going to go get her.” Andrés added as he zipped his jacket up to his throat.
“I’m glad your Dad is stable and out of surgery.” Mike’s said as he stepped toward them, his eyes sliding to the window.
“But…I don’t feel comfortable with you leaving out at this hour…in this weather.”
Miles said as he peeped past the curtain, his eyes on the steady rain and dark sky.
“She’s…at the Hospital off Seventh street.” Andrés filled in, pulling his hood over his head.
“It’s just thirty minutes away. We’ll be fine.”
“Thirty minutes or not-it’s storming.” Miles pointed out as thunder loudly struck across the sky.
Ignacio opened his mouth to protest, his voice quickly fading as Miles spoke, his hand sliding to the watch on his wrist. “I’ll go get her.”
“You’ll go get her?” Andrés asked curiously, his attention sliding to Miles’s wrist.
“I’m sorry…what?” Summer asked into the phone as she stepped out of the room, her eyes on the sterile white hospital hallway.
“Who’s coming to get-“ She trailed off as the air in the hallway started to spiral, a portal rippled to life several feet away, confusion weighing her brows together as she watched Miles suddenly appear.
“Papi how long will those weirdos be here?” Marianna asked, interrupting the movements of her father’s fingers in her hair.
“Marianna don’t call people weirdos.” Gonzalo reminded with a sigh as he dipped the hair brush into water.
“I agree.” Matéo said as he turned up the volume on the tv and turned toward his father, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Their Mom killed someone.”
“Who told you that?!” Gonzalo whispered, caught off guard by the shift in conversation, his eyes sliding to the cracked bedroom door.
“It’s been ALL over the news!” Matéo hissed with the same intensity as his father.
“How long do you think it’ll take them to get back?” Ignacio asked he watched his younger brother open the closet door, his sharp eyes searching the racks and shelf’s.
“You saw the watch on his wrist, I’m sure it’ll be seconds.” Andrés said as he turned his attention onto the dresser, his hands roaming the drawers.
“What are you doing?” Ignacio asked as he spun around in the desk chair, his shoe bumping into the desk leg as Andrés stopped him mid turn.
“You’re NOT curious at ALL about the super hero’s house we’re in?” Andrés asked sharply.
“Don’t be weird and get us kicked out.” Ignacio warned rolling his eyes. “Don’t forget our house burned down-“
“WHAT happened to our house?” Summer asked abruptly opening the door and startling both boys.
Marianna ran her fingers through her freshly braided hair, annoyed it’d grown back so quickly.
She stewed unhappily in the corner, her attention sliding to the window as her father spoke about “proper” manners.
She watched as the street filled with cars, several of them arriving at the same house three doors down.
Marianna pulled the blinds lower, her eyes taking notice of brightly wrapped presents and gifts, umbrellas held high as people rushed into the house, trying to escape the downpour and brisk winds.
“What a weird time to have a party.” She said,
her eyes sliding past the commotion as three black SUVs with blackened windows squeezed onto the street, driving ominously slow as people with colorful umbrellas rushed around them.
A chill ran up her spine as two of the SUVs parked, nearly blending in with party goers as the third one crept closer and closer until parking beside their mailbox.
“Mari…what’s wrong?” Matéo asked, pulling out of his father’s reach and turning her way, his brows creasing together as her unease sprinkled over him.
Gonzalo frowned, the comb nearly falling from his hand. “Tay stay still, I’m almost don-“
“Where’s Dad?” Marianna interrupted , her breathless tone snatching her father’s attention.
“LET ME OUT.” Jessica hissed, making the Nurse take an uncomfortable step backward, nearly bumping into her Superior.
“No can do.” The Doctor hummed with a smile as he double checked the restraints of her jacket, tightening them slightly before stepping away.
“You’re under observation for another twenty four hours-“
“WHAT?! WHY?! LET ME SEE MY FAMILY!!” Jessica snapped kicking over the tray of her medication, her sharp eyes scorching into the Doctor.
“Ms. Drew…you attacked three officers, bit a Nurse AND you attacked the last Doctor…who removed your restraints.” The man gently reminded, making her eyes narrow without remorse.
“You would too-if someone attacked your family.” She said sharply, making the Nurse flinch. “You’d snap too if that same person burned your house down!”
Lyla silently hovered close to Miguel, sadness weighing down her features as she waited for him to wake, his usual color slowly returning as the minutes ticked into hours.
“None of this should have happened.” She said on the verge of tears as she filtered through videos and commentary about the other night.
Speculation aggressively wild and nonsensical as District Board members refused to make a public statement about the attack, their hands shoved deep into their pockets as they swept the situation under the rug.
Quickly scrubbing the video of Jessica from the web and muting all conversation about the death of David.
Birthing news of an angry woman attacking the former mayor and screaming about his misuse of district funds, cycled repeatedly on news networks, swiftly plucking away any form of sympathy from the public.
“I need to find a way to prove…you didn’t funnel District funds into your sanctuary.” Lyla sighed as she placed several cameras in his room, her fingers swiftly hacking into the electric keypad on the door.
“I’ll take care of everything…just rest.” Lyla said as she pulled up a live feed of Jessica, her eyes quickly assessing the situation, as she watched the Beta thrash about in a white padded room.
“What’s wrong?” Gonzalo asked, his eyes worriedly sliding to Marianna’s frightened face.
Miles’s footsteps stopped, his eyes closing as the noises of the house faded and the sounds outside grew louder.
The sound of a car door opening and not closing, interrupted the soft flow of rain.
Heavy footsteps splashed through puddles as they grew uncomfortably close.
Miles’s eyes opened, his body on autopilot as he slid into the room and snatched Marianna from the window.
“I need you to take the kids and go to Hobie’s.” Miles said clearly, the seriousness of his face, setting the shorter man on edge, his body moving as he rose from his seat.
Miles’s attention slid to the twins.
“I need you to tell our guests we’re leaving NOW.” Miles said with a smile as he pressed quick kisses to the twins foreheads and pushed them into the hallway.
“Come with us.” Gonzalo pleaded softly as Miles pulled the watch from his wrist and placed it into his hand, his warm fingers wrapping comfortingly around the Omega’s as he spoke.
“I’m right behind you.” Miles said as he crashed their lips together, the heat of body bleeding into the other man as he pulled him close, their bodies pressed together.
“We’re leaving, grab your stuff.” Marianna said sharply as she burst into the guest room without knocking, earning a dirty look from Ignacio.
“What’s going on?” Summer asked as she hoped out of bed, and quickly slid her feet into her mud covered crocs.
“About damn time.” Andrés said as he pulled his attention away from the window and grabbed his jacket from the closet. “Let’s GO.”
“Y’all are scaring me…what’s going on?” Summer asked as she pulled her hoodie over her head.
“So much for my nap.” Ignacio complained as he dragged himself out of bed and snatched his hoodie from the dresser, yawning as he pulled it over his head.
“Remember those creepy black cars that followed us on the highway-they’re OUTSIDE.” Andrés informed with a huff, the casual mood of the room plummeting.
Miles pulled away, his reluctance mutual as he pushed his other half out of the room, his attention swiftly returning to the three vehicles parked uncomfortably close to the house.
“Ready to go?” Gonzalo asked, pretending to seem unbothered as he stepped into the guest room and shut the door behind him.
“Yes!” The twins sang in unison.
Summer watched as he fiddled with the watch on his wrist before setting their destination.
Miles eased into the living room, his hands quickly opening the breaker box door, his eyes slid to the living room window as he flipped the switches off, blanketing the front and rear of the house in darkness.
He tiptoed into his bedroom, quickly locating his second watch, he slid it up his wrist as he walked down the hallway, bitting his bottom lip as he set
off the silent security alarm.
“Woah. Woah. Woah!” Noir said in surprise, nearly spitting out his tea as Gonzalo and a gang of children suddenly appeared in the kitchen.
“You could have called first.” Noir said shyly as he closed his robe, his eyes roaming across three new faces.
Gonzalo inhaled shakily, his nerves on edges as his mind floated back home, seeking Miles.
“Sorry..I-“
“Ok everyone-follow me, it’s time for bed.” Pav said with a yawn as he stepped out of the kitchen, guiding the children to the den.
Khalid waved from the futon, his eyes sliding from the graphic novel in his hands and onto the twins. “Long time no see.”
“Khalid please…we saw you like two days ago.” Marianna said with an eyeroll as she rushed across the den and through her arms around the teen.
“I did sorta…miss you.” She admitted as she sank beside him on the futon, her eyes sliding to his rather large collection of books piled beside his feet on the floor.
“Where’s Kabir?” Matéo asked as he pushed past the staring teens and fist bumped Khalid as he slid onto the opposite side of the futon.
“WHAT is going on?” Pav hissed as soon as the door closed behind Gonzalo, locking the four of them privately in his study.
“Whose kids are those?” Hobie asked lightly as he took a seat on the corner of Pav’s desk, quickly pulling the Alpha into his arms before he could continue his complaints.
“They look strangely familiar.” Noir hummed, his hand sliding under his chin as he contemplated where he’d seen their faces.
Gonzalo sighed, running his hands through his hair and messing up his braid.
“They’re Miguel’s kids-“
“WHAT?!” Pav erupted in shock his wide eyes sliding to the locked door. “Did you kidnap-“
“Pav please.” Gonzalo interrupted flatly, reluctantly fighting back the urge not to curse him out.
“Still doesn’t explain why you kidnapped Miguel’s kids.” Hobie chimed, making the smaller man’s eyes narrow with annoyance.
“Look-apparently some shit happened with their parents and they’re TEMPORARILY in our care.”
Gonzalo explained as he pulled his arms from his jacket, suddenly feeling overly warm and exhausted.
“Are you ok?” Noir asked as he lifted a box of Kleenex and offered it to the smaller man, his sharp hazel eyes taking note of the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“Miles didn’t tell me what was going on…he just told me to get the kids and leave.” Gonzalo admitted as he plucked several tissues, his shoulders dropping, the stress of the unknown bringing forth a headache.
Miles slipped into the shadows of the twin’s room, his sharp eyes and ears patiently waiting to catch movement.
His eyes closed as he heard the faint sound of a door opening, followed by light footsteps, cautiously probing through the house.
He inhaled softly and held his breath, counting the number of intruders as they tiptoed through the house, quietly searching.
Miles’s eyes slid to the clock as a man stepped into the hallway, his frustration mounting as he pulled a phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number, impatiently tapping his foot until someone answered.
“They’re not here-yet car still in driveway.” The man spat into the phone, his thick German accent catching Miles’s attention.
The man’s blue eyes distrustfully roamed the decor as he pushed open the bedroom door with his shoe, his eyes searching the twin’s room.
He scoffed as he stepped through the room, carelessly kicking items and stepping on toys as he searched for a light switch.
“They somehow managed to leave minutes before our arrival.” The man said into the phone as he flipped the light switch and sighed, his attention sliding to the window.
“Yeah the O’Hara kids are with them.” The man said as he pulled open the curtain, his eyes roaming the wet busy street.
“I don’t know-but them being all together should make this easier not harder.” The man tsked as he unlocked and lifted the window, letting in moist evening air.
“Look…my job isn’t to ask questions…or think…” The man trailed off with a hardy laugh as he pulled a loose cigarette from his pocket and brought it to his lips.
“It’s to retrieve lost things.” He concluded darkly with a smile, sending a shock wave of unease straight through the Alpha’s chest, as he watched the white haired stranger disconnect the line and shove the phone into his pocket, his eyes sliding back to the window as he searched his pockets for a lighter.
Miles’s eyes narrowed, the man’s words echoing across his mind, creating more questions than answers and promptly shoving him to madness.
Miles’s eyes slid to the clock, he had minutes until law enforcement would arrive.
A plan blossomed in his mind as he watched the man kick another plushie out of his way.
He needed to find out what the fuck was going on.
“Who’s there?” The man asked abruptly, his eyes sliding to the ominous glowing light escaping the cracked closet door.
“I’m sorry what’d you say?” Gwen asked in disbelief, her brows slamming into her hairline as she rose from her seat and held Eric’s gaze.
“I said,Peni came here earlier and fired me.” Eric repeated, his tone monotone as he sat his notebook on the table between them.
“Why would she do that?! That makes no sense!” Gwen said frantically pulling her phone from her bag, her mind wandering with a collection of negative possibilities.
“Gwen…breath.” Eric said softly as he rose to his feet and quickly crossed the room.
“I need you to breathe before you walk your way into another anxiety attack.” He said as he gently took her hand, refusing to break her gaze.
“Eric…what’s going on?” Gwen asked her attention sliding to their joined hands.
Eric had never touched her before.
Often times he was aggressively appropriate, choosing to maintain a nice distance, his ears open as he danced behind a wall of professionalism.
“What’s…going on?” Gwen asked again, her eyes growing watery as he met her gaze and faintly smiled, sadness in his eyes as he spoke.
“Maybe I shouldn’t be your therapist.”
“You shouldn’t have done that.” Margo said loudly, interrupting Peni’s work and startling awake a sleeping Wei.
“Done what? Fired the help?” Peni asked sarcastically, earning a pointed look from Margo as she shifted in her seat and turned toward her.
“Don’t piss me off.” Margo warned flatly, making the Beta sigh loudly.
“You sound pissed already.”
“Why would you confront Eric instead of talking to Gwen? She obviously likes him as her therapist!!” Margo yelled, indifferent if anyone outside the room could hear her.
“Margo look-“
“No Peni.” Margo snapped. “You were WRONG and you KNOW it.” She concluded as she scooped her now empty plate from the dresser and quickly exited the room, before Peni could produce a response.
“What’s wrong?” Kabir asked as she stepped into the den, her sharp eyes dancing across the twins faces.
Matéo’s eyes slid to the O’Hara teens and back onto Kabir, his expression blank as he spoke.
“Apparently we’re having a sleep over.”
“A wha…” Confusion danced across her face until she noticed additional faces.
“Hello…who are you?” Kabir asked politely as her head turned toward Summer, a smile sliding to her full lips as she pulled the towel from her head, revealing long dark wet hair still wet from the bath.
Andrés’s heart fluttered as Kabir’s eyes met his, her smooth voice rich with care as she spoke, her words fading in and out as his eyes slid to lips, taking notice of the silver hoops.
Ignacio bumped Andrés sharply with his elbow, bringing him back into the conversation.
Khalid sat up straighter on the futon, his eyes sliding to Andrés.
“I’ll be back with blankets.” Kabir said with a smile, the twins at her sides as they left the room.
“Staring is rude, you know.” Khalid said casually as he grabbed his stack of books from the floor.
Summer’s brow lifted quizzically, her eyes sliding to her brothers.
“Didn’t know I was staring.” Andrés said, his attention sliding onto the older teen.
“Well you were.” Khalid said as he stood up straight, tucking his books into a backpack, his eyes on Andrés.
“Sorry, WHO are you?” Andrés asked cheekily, making Ignacio sigh.
“That’s rich coming from you.” Khalid said with a smile as he rose to his feet.
“Well the girl you were staring at-I’m her BOYFRIEND.” He added as he held Andrés’s gaze a moment before walking past him and out of the den.
“What the FUCK Andrés?!” Summer snapped, embarrassment burning her cheeks as irritation spilled from her pores.
“I didn’t do anything.” Andrés said with an eye roll as he plopped down on the nearest couch and yawned with indifference.
“Dude-you were practically drooling.” Ignacio deadpanned, his annoyance quickly taking formation beside Summer’s.
“I was NOT.” Andrés denied, starting to grow bored with the tone of conversation.
“Your mouth was open.” Ignacio quickly pointed out, making Summer cross her arms in disbelief.
“Why are you acting like this?” Summer asked as Ignacio took a seat opposite side of his brother on the couch.
“Acting like what, an orphan?” Andrés mumbled crassly as he kicked off his shoes.
“Might as well-we are HOMELESS.” He added making Summer’s face drop.
“Tighten up.” Ignacio said, his eyes sliding to his brother.
“You wouldn’t stop going through things in Miles’s house, your gawking at girls, starting fights-“
“What do you MEAN going THROUGH Miles’s house?” Summer interrupt sharply, making Andrés sink into the cushions of the couch.
Margo slid her dish into the dishwasher and quickly found her way in the refrigerator, looking for something cold to drink.
“Yes.” She hummed happily as she grabbed an orange Fanta can from the rack, she closed the door and nearly jumped out of her skin as Gwen placed her hand onto her shoulder.
“Gwen you scared the fuck out of me.” Margo said with a shy laugh as she popped the tab on the can and took a quick sip of her soda.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” Gwen said as she pulled her beanie from her head, revealing wild purple and pink hair.
“I know.” Margo said as she timidly offered the can to Gwen. “Want some?”
“I need to talk to you and Peni.” Gwen said evenly, rejecting the offered beverage, her calm tone filling the Beta with dread.
“What?” Kabir laughed her amusement unshared by Khalid as she grabbed a series of blankets from the hallway closet, finding the entire situation humorous.
“Kabir I’m serious-he was literally drooling.” Khalid said dryly as he took several blankets from her arms and shot her look.
“He’s like twelve.” Kabir snorted as she grabbed several pillows from the top of the closet.
“I don’t care if he’s thirteen.” Khalid said sarcastically making Kabir snicker as she pressed her lips to his.
“Come on, the sooner we get them situated…sooner we get to make out.” She said as she pulled away, tossing a wink his way before she turned toward the den.
“Papi…where is Daddy?” Marianna asked as soon as the door to the study opened, spitting out the four adults.
“He’s just grabbing some things from the house.” Hobie filled in quickly before Gonzalo could look for answer.
“Would you like to make Rice Krispies treats until he gets back?” Noir suggested, happily distracting the child with sweets.
Excitement danced across Marianna’s face a brief moment before sliding to her father.
“Papi can I-“
“It’s fine. Go have fun.” Gonzalo answered quickly.
“Let’s get your brother and see if he wants to help.” Noir said with a smile as he took Marianna’s hand and guided her down the hallway.
“I’m going to check on Miles.” Pav said as soon as Marianna was out of ear shot, his dark eyes serious as he pulled his oversized cardigan from his arms and handed it to Hobie.
“What?!” Hobie squawked as he tossed the fabric onto Pav’s desk.
“I said…I’d like some space to deal with my feelings.” Gwen repeated, her calm tone quickly sending Margo into hysterics.
“I TOLD YOU!!” Margo yelled, turning her attention to Peni, tears in her eyes. “YOU SHOULDN’T Have DID THAT!!”
“Gwen wait-let’s talk about this.” Peni pleaded her eyes bouncing from Margo to Gwen frantically.
“Like how you talked to Eric earlier?” Gwen asked pointedly, her blue eyes locked on Peni.
“WE-I did that to HELP you!!” Peni fumbled as Margo wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
“YOU WON’T EVEN TALK TO US-AND APPARENTLY YOU AREN’T TALKING TO ERIC EITHER!!” Peni snapped, growing louder and irate with the entire situation.
Wei sat up in bed and frowned, his eyes on all three women as the argument continued to unfold.
“WHAT’S THE POINT OF THERAPY IF YOUR NOT GETTING BETTER-“
“PENI!!” Margo yelled, stopping her rant, her pretty features twisted with shock as she stomped through the argument.
“You think I’m broken, don’t you?” Gwen asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Peni’s face broke as her words sank in, filling her with shame. “No Gwen. That’s not what I meant-“
“Then what did you mean?” Gwen asked as her gaze met Peni’s, her blue eyes gradually growing colder as she waited for a response.
Peni hesitated, regret screaming up her throat as Gwen suddenly broke their gaze.
“I’ll be taking some of my things and staying at HQ until further notice.” Gwen said evenly, fighting back tears as she turned away and headed toward the door, quickly putting distance between them.
“Why would you say that?!” Margo asked as sadness danced across her link, meshing unhappily with Peni’s regret.
“You made it seem like she’s broken.” Margo hissed, as she took several steps away from Peni. “She’s NOT broken…she just needs help-“
“For how LONG?!” Peni asked, her frustration bubbling back up to the surface.
“I WANT to HELP her!! But she WON’T let ME!!”
Margo grabbed Wei from the bed and didn’t respond.
“Do you know what it’s like to watch someone you love fall apart…in front of you?” Peni asked sadly, her voice nearly a whisper as she fought to ignore the sadness that burned both sides of her neck.
“I do.” Margo said evenly. “I just don’t move the way you do.” Margo added as she stepped out of the room with Wei.
“Thank you.” Summer said gratefully as she accepted the blankets, her eyes sliding to the pillows in Kabir’s arms.
“Aye the more the merrier.” Kabir said unphased as she handed a pillow to Ignacio.
“I’m sorry…but what was your name?” Ignacio asked as he inspected the pillow a brief moment before tossing it onto the couch across the room.
“Oh yeah. I’m the only one without an introduction.” Kabir laughed as she rose to her full height, her long damp hair swaying past her waist as she pulled the remaining blankets from Khalid’s arms.
“I see you met my cousins-the twins.” Kabir said as she sat a blanket in Andrés’s arms, his cheeks darkening as their fingers briefly brushed.
“We have.” Ignacio said as he proceeded to prepare his sleeping space, consuming majority of the couch.
“You also met my BOYFRIEND Khalid.” She added with a smile as she grabbed his hand in front of the group.
Andrés schooled his features, quickly putting on an air of indifference.
“I’m Kabir.” She added with a smile.
“Please let me know if you need anything.”
“Can you fucking believe she’s with that twerp?”
Andrés hissed under his breath, making his brother laugh as Summer continued to stack pillows on the loveseat, unsurprised.
“I actually fucking can.” Ignacio said with a laugh, remembering the tensely blank expression that had hung from his brother’s face the moment Kabir had uttered the word boyfriend.
“Andrés-he literally checked you for staring at her not even thirty minutes ago.” Summer reminded with a tired sigh as she fell face first onto the large loveseat.
“She’s too pretty to be with him.” Andrés said grumpily as he stared dryly at the spot on the futon Khalid had been lounging on.
“She could be a model. Why is she with that toad?”
“Toad is crazy.” Summer said shaking her head as she fluffed her pillow.
“I don’t know. I think he’s kinda cute.” Ignacio interjected, making his younger brother roll his eyes in disgust.
“Can you be gay later? I’m trying to have a serious conversation here.”Andrés scoffed with irritation, making Ignacio cackle with laughter as Summer shoved her headphones into her ears.
Gonzalo nervously paced the bedroom, his eyes on his phone screen as he impatiently waited for a word from Miles.
His patience swiftly replaced with fear as the seconds ticked into minutes.
He fought the urge not to call Pav as he took a seat at the foot of the bed, his eyes closing as he tossed the phone across the bed.
“Dad?” Matéo asked lightly as he pushed the bedroom door open and stepped into the room.
“What’s up Tay?” Gonzalo asked lightly, fighting back his nerves as the young boy sat beside him.
“When will Dad…get here?”
Miles grunted as he his arm locked around the man’s solid throat, ignoring his aggressive hands and sharp nails as he ripped at the alpha’s forearm, nearly drawing blood.
“LET GO OF ME.” The man hissed as he jabbed an ineffective elbow into Miles’s solid ribcage.
Miles responded by tightening his hold on the man, further blocking his airway, his arms quickly wrapping around the man’s torso as he went slump.
“I’m right here baby.” Miles said with a smile as he appeared in the doorway a smile on his face and his arms spread wide.
“Who the hell is this?” Pav asked as he watched Noir neatly tie the unconscious man’s ankles together.
“Pretty sure Peni will tell us soon.” Noir said as he tied the man’s wrists behind his back with a zip tie.
Peni narrowed her eyes as she watched her laptop screen flash through various faces, searching for the identity of the unconscious man locked in the basement.
Her eyes slid to Gwen, wordlessly watching as the Beta tossed her personal items into a suitcase, her giant headphones glued to her ears.
Peni exhaled slowly, guilt screeching up her spine as she began to second guess her actions.
She stepped toward Gwen and hesitated, her hand floating in the air between them as she struggled to produce words.
Should she…apologize?
No.
Apologizing implies she’d said or did something wrong.
Eric’s unhelpful face flashed across her mind, immediately knotting her chest with apprehension , she snatched her hand away and took several steps back.
Ignoring whispers of doubt clogging her ears as she watched Gwen tuck her converse into the suitcase.
The special ones she’d given her for a past birthday.
Peni’s breath hitched as Gwen’s fingers trailed down the soles of the shoes, sadness lingering in her eyes as she quickly zipped the suitcase closed.
Gwen avoided Peni’s gaze, the air around them tense as both women remained mute, stubbornly holding their ground.
Hobie stepped into the door way, his smile evaporating as the uncomfortable vibe of the room washed over him.
He cleared his throat, informing both women of his presence, his eyes immediately sliding to the closed suitcase beside Gwen.
“Any updates?” Hobie asked changing the subject as he stepped into the room, his eyes locked on the changing face recognition screen.
“Just the decline of our relationship.” Margo said harshly as she stepped past the doorway, refusing to speak to either woman.
Peni sighed as she took a seat in front of her laptop, her focus shifting to the screen, the movement of her fingers stuttering as Gwen pulled her suitcase from the bed and wordlessly rolled it out of the room.
“Where are you going?” Summer asked with a yawn, her eyes glued to her phone screen as she continued to aggressively text.
“Just adding to the fire.” Andrés said boardly as he rose from the futon with the comforter wrapped around him, his feet quickly taking him to the low fire.
“Ohhh…so you’re going to piss off Khalid more?” Summer snickered, earning a finger from her brother.
“Don’t add too much-I have PTSD.” Ignacio mumbled as he turned on his side, fading in and out of sleep.
“Of course you do.” Andrés frowned as he tossed several logs into the fire, silently watching as the flames slowly grew higher and higher, partially bathing the room in warm light.
“Can you believe how cold it is here?” Andrés asked unhappily as he stepped away from the fire, his feet quickly taking him to the couch.
“Yeah…it snows a lot here apparently.” Summer informed as Andrés wedged himself onto the couch, rudely bumping into Ignacio in his search for warmth.
“GET your COLD feet off me.” Ignacio warned as he scooted deeper into the cushions, sending several pillows to the floor.
“Fuck! I’m tired.” Summer said as she locked her phone and shoved it under her pillow, her eyes on the ceiling as silence briefly filled the space.
“We’re ALL tired.” Ignacio said as he pulled the blanket over his head. “We’ve been up over twenty four hours…”
“How can we sleep when Dad hasn’t woken up yet and Mom’s being held in a padded white room?” Summer asked, exhaustion weighing down her tone as she fluffed the pillow under her head again.
“I don’t know-but we NEED to sleep.” Andrés said as his eyes closed, his body relaxing as he sank deep into the soft cushions of the couch.
“With all the couches be taken, I’ll have to move you from the den.” Noir hummed as Khalid followed him down the hallway.
“But that’s ok, you can sleep in the guest bedroom.” Noir said brightly as he pulled a skeleton key from his pocket and quickly unlocked the door.
Khalid gasped as the door opened, his eyes falling on row after row of comic books and other nerdy paraphernalia.
“I use it for storage…sorry it’s kind of cluttered.” Noir said apologetically as he lifted a stack of comic books from the floor and placed them into the closet.
“This is amazing.“ Khalid cooed as he slowly stepped into the room, his eyes roaming the limited edition items that decorated the walls, from floor to ceiling.
Marianna bit into her rice crispy treat, her eyes dancing along the faces of the sleeping teens, comfortably spread out across the den.
She ripped off a hunk of cereal and broke it, a smile sliding to her lips as she repeatedly tossed broken bits of her snack at the teens, hitting them in the neck, chin, nose.
Pav’s eyes slid to the suitcase attached to Gwen’s hand, the wayward look on her face catching his attention as she quickly slammed her hand into her watch.
“Where are you-“
Gwen stepped through the portal and disappeared before he could complete the question, leaving him concerned and confused as he rose from his seat.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and shot her a text.
Non surprisingly she didn’t reply.
“Found him.” Peni said triumphantly as her screen started to beep, confusion spilling from her pores as pictures of the man in the basement appeared.
“What’s wrong?” Hobie asked looking over her shoulder, his eyes going wide as he noticed the man’s repetitive background appearances centered around Miguel and the District board.
“He’s literally been at EVERY Board event…right behind Miguel.” Peni said slowly, her fingers pulling up more images.
“Well that’s concerning.” Miles said with a yawn as he stretched out comfortably in bed, his arms wrapping around Gonzalo as he pulled him closer, lazily burying his face in the pillow.
“Miles HOW can you sleep at a time like this?”
Gonzalo asked with a frown as his eyes slid to the ceiling.
“Just like this.” Miles said tiredly as he reached for the remote and turned up the rain sounds, making his other half frown.
“Who’s that man you’re holding hostage in the basement?”
“Mmmh?” Miles considered the question and yawned again before answering.
“No idea…but Peni will tell us soon.”
“Wake up.” Peni said harshly as she shook Ignacio’s shoulder, startling the teen awake.
“What?” Ignacio asked with a frown as Summer’s eyes slowly opened, her attention turning to the conversation.
“Do you recognize this man?” Peni asked pointing at the laptop screen.
Ignacio blinked a few times, blankly staring at the overly bright screen.
“Yeah, he’s our father’s assistant.” Summer said pulling her blanket up to her shoulders. “Why?”
Peni frowned, confusion painting her pretty features. “I thought Miguel had Lyla-why would he need another assistant?”
“He came with the job.” Ignacio yawned turning on his side, his eyes closing as he drifted back off to sleep, ignoring the commotion transpiring behind him.
Kabir grabbed her blanket and tiptoed into the hallway, she didn’t bother knocking as she pushed open the guest bedroom door.
“Are you awake?” She whispered as she stepped into the room, leaving the door a jar.
“I’m awake enough to know you didn’t knock.” Khalid hummed half asleep, a crooked smile sliding to his lips as he turned on the bedside lamp. “Can’t sleep?”
“Not at all.” Kabir said hopping in bed beside him with her blanket.
“Mmmh…it is a lot going on.” Khalid said scooting over and giving her more room.
“Understatement.” Kabir sighed, turning on her side, fluffing the pillow under her head.
“I’ve been thinking about my parents…and James.” Khalid said closing his eyes, his mind shifting through frightening outcomes of the future.
Kabir reached for his hand, encouraging him to continue. “Take…your time.”
“I just-this is so stupid.” Khalid fumbled, feeling a combination of embarrassment and shame as the day’s events flickered rapidly through his mind, shoving him to an unfortunate conclusion.
“Like…James was WRONG and our parents…MY MOM-took HIS side.”
Kabir frowned, the look on Amulya’s face had been singed across her senses, her choice words forever sketched into her memory as she screamed disgusting and obscene things, hoping for a reaction.
“She’s been going out of her way…to show me how much I don’t matter.” Khalid hiccuped, the memory on him presenting taking over his mind.
The look of disappointment on his mother’s face had been horrid.
Disbelief merging with denial as she looked over his paperwork a second and third time.
“An Omega…just like your father.” She said bitterly as she crumbled up his discharge papers, and tossed them at his chest. “No surprise.”
“What the FUCK am I supposed to do with that?” Khalid snapped, yanking himself from the flashback and back into the room.
Pav squeezed the bridge of his nose, his ears burning as he met Noir’s disappointed gaze.
The Alpha shook his head as he grabbed Pav’s hand, pulling him away from the doorway and deeper into the hallway.
“What did we learn?” Noir asked, making the shorter man snatch his hand away.
“It’s NOT nice to eavesdrop.” Noir hummed, wagging a disapproving finger.
“I WASN’T trying to EAVESDROP-I was trying to make sure they weren’t doing anything.” Pav hissed.
“Sooo we DON’T know anything?” Miles asked tiredly, his eyes sliding to their unconscious and zip tied guest.
“Not until we speak to Miguel or Jessica.” Peni said, popping a bubble loudly.
“Lameeeee.” Miles said clinging to Gonzalo, earning a pointed look from him.
“What info were you able to find about him?”
Gonzalo asked ignoring his other half, his attention turning to Peni as Hobie suddenly appeared on the stairway, eatting a rice crispy treat.
“Just general stuff, but nothing that will explain why he broke into your house.” Peni sighed tiredly. “His life before arriving in the U.S. is a mystery.”
“Sounds like we’re making progress.” Hobie hummed as he took a seat beside Peni, his eyes on her laptop.
“I can’t believe that bitch burned our house down.” Summer said abruptly.
“It sounds SO weird when you curse.” Andrés mumbled into his pillow.
“Well…Mom did murder her…boyfriend.” Ignacio reminded.
“Yeah about that.” Andrés said with yawn, his cold feet bumping into Ignacio as he spoke.
“How the hell are you MARRIED with a girlfriend?”
“No.” Summer said scandalously sitting up.
“You’re saying-the lady Mom beat was the mistress?!” Ignacio asked in disbelief. “Welp that explains it.”
“What else did you find?” Summer asked curiously.
“They were in the middle of a nasty divorce and David died…before signing the papers.”
Andrés said evenly.
“Leaving EVERYTHING with Mom.”
“So the plot thickens.” Summer hummed pleasantly entertained.
“Sooo…did anyone know Mom…did that before the video leaked?” Ignacio asked lightly, his eyes closing as he remembered the gruesome way David’s insides had screamed as concrete crushed him.
“Doubt it.” Andrés said as his eyes closed, sleep tugging at his lids.
“His death was listed as an accident.”
“That definitely wasn’t an accident.” Ignacio said tiredly, his eyes closing as he shoved Andrés’s feet off of him.
Gwen slid her keycard across the reader, her hand tightened on her suitcase handle as the door clicked and opened.
Her shoulders dropped as she tossed her suitcase onto the bed, quickly exploring the space.
“This is nice.” Gwen said happily as she took in the high ceilings and obtusely spacious bathroom, her eyes sliding onto the three person tub and shower.
Gwen’s hand slid to her pocket as her phone started to vibrate, she smiled as she answered the line.
“I’m ok and I just got here.” She said quickly, before Eric could ask.
“That’s good.” Eric said as he rose from his seat, his feet quickly taking him to his office balcony, his attention sliding to the apartment complex.
“I’m only an appointment away.” He reminded, his mind sliding to Peni’s rage filled face.
“I know.” Gwen sighed wistfully, not bothering to take up the offer.
“Gwen…I’d like you to give your new medication a chance.”
“Right.” Gwen said as she reached into her suitcase and pulled out the new prescription.
“At least try it and if you don’t like it-I won’t bother you about it again.” Eric said gently as he pulled a vape from his pocket, his eyes sliding to the setting sky.
“Fine. I’ll try it.” Gwen said with a hardy sigh before hanging up and setting her phone on do not disturb, a smile sliding to her lips as she tossed her phone carelessly across the room.
“I guess…it’s time to decompress.” She said as she twisted open the pill bottle and skeptically peered inside.
She pulled a bottle of Sprite from her bag and popped a pill, quickly washing it down with the lukewarm beverage.
She quickly twisted the soda closed and sat the bottle on the dresser beside her medication.
“This better not make me dizzy.” She complained pulling her hoodie over her head and tossing it onto the bed.
She exhaled as she reached for her toes, quickly growing annoyed with the fabric of her jeans.
She huffed as she kicked off her shoes and jeans.
She hummed approvingly as she went through the motions of waking her body, stretching gracefully, her arms and legs flying through the air as she moved around the large space, the tension in her body slowly unwinding.
She stood up straight and sprinted toward the nearest wall, laughing as her feet landed and like a spider she consumed the space, gliding from corner to corner with ease.
“I haven’t been able to do this in ages.” Gwen said with a laugh as she dropped through the air and landed on her feet, the soft sound of applause making her pause.
Gwen’ s eyes slid across the room and widened, her arms immediately covering her chest as she stepped backwards, bumping into the nightstand and knocking her pill bottle to the floor.
“It’s been forever since I’ve seen you this happy.”
He said with a soft smile.
“What are you doing here?” Gwen asked in shock, her eyes roaming the familiar face in disbelief.
Untouched.
Unblemished by time.
In the same clothes he’d been wearing the night he died.
“Aww you didn’t miss me Gwen?” Peter asked with a playful tilt of his head. “I missed you.”
“Peter…you died a long time ago.” Gwen said shakily, as she grabbed her hoodie from the bed, clutching it to her chest as the pill bottle rolled into her foot.
“Did I really?” Peter asked with yawn as he rose from his seat and stepped toward the balcony.
“Yes-you did.” Gwen reiterated as she pulled her oversized hoodie over her head.
“I attended your funeral.” She hissed as he pulled open the sliding door and stepped outside, carelessly twirling as she spoke, unbothered by her words of death.
“That’s nice.” Peter said casually as he climbed onto the railing, startling Gwen forward and onto the balcony.
“PETER!!” Gwen yelled nearly tripping as she reached for his shirt, her fingers sinking into the fabric.
“Did you cry?” Peter asked softly as he placed his hand ontop of hers. “At my funeral?”
“Why would you ask me that?” Gwen asked trying to pull him from the railing.
“Because it’s nice to know you care.” He hummed as he slipped out of his jacket and fell backwards off the balcony.
Gwen screamed, the sound of silence greeting her as she peered over the balcony and saw a partially empty parking lot and no Peter.
“What the hell is going on?” Peni asked with narrowed eyes as she ran into another firewall, her fingers lawlessly flying across the keys as she viciously searched for information.
“Any update yet?” Noir asked with a yawn as he stepped into the room, his robe replaced with a black on black attire. “Or can I just beat it out of him?”
“Noir-NO beating the hostages.” Hobie sighed, disappointed he had to verbalize that.
“That’s no fun at all.” Noir pouted as he pulled his glasses from his face and cleaned them with the fabric of his shirt.
Miles hummed lovingly as he gazed at Gonzalo, wordlessly watching the way he seemed to float around the room as he completed several tasks at once, the desire to touch the shorter man quickly becoming overwhelming.
“Are you ok?” Pav asked with a lifted brow, his eyes on Miles as he watched the Alpha make kissy faces at the other man.
“Never been better.” Miles said with a smile so wide his eyes closed.
“You’re creeping me out.” Pav said in disgust.
“Stop being creepy.”
“Gonzalo.” Miles said abruptly, ignoring Pav’s request.
“Mmmh?” Gonzalo asked turning toward Miles.
“The only lead we have is him being appointed to Miguel once he became mayor of the District.” Peni frowned turning away from the screen and cracking her knuckles.
“There has to be something I’m missing.”
“Have you lost your mind?” Gonzalo asked as he dragged Miles out of the room, his cheeks rosey with color.
“You can’t just say things like that-especially in front of people!”
Miles hummed, unbothered as he pulled the smaller man into his arms and pressed a series of slow kisses along his neck.
“Pav is family.” Miles said dismissively as his kisses continued.
“You’re not going to act like this-my ENTIRE pregnancy are you?” Gonzalo asked annoyed as he ignored Miles’s kisses, making him laugh.
“Probably.” Miles said as he pulled away and met Gonzalo’s gaze shamelessly.
“Now let’s go cuddle.” Miles said as he dragged his other half complaining down the hallway, his jubilance undeterred.
“This house is full of weirdos.” Ignacio said bleakly as he closed his eyes and struggled to go back to sleep, the noises of an unfamiliar home keeping him awake.
“I coulda told you that before we got here.” Andrés grumbled as he aggressively fluffed his pillow.
“Guys…don’t be like that.” Summer said sitting up, her eyes stilled closed as she struggled to piece together what was going on.
“Definitely WILL be.” Andrés said dryly as he turned on his side begrudgingly.
“Why do you think she showed us a picture of Rudolph?” Ignacio asked evenly, his smooth voice shifting the conversation.
“Probably because he’s a piece of shit.” Andrés filled in flippantly.
“You NEVER liked him.” Summer said checking the time on the clock across the room. “Why?”
“I don’t like the way he looks at Mom.” Andrés filled in, his mind sliding back to the mean spirited security guard from his childhood, his disdain bright as day.
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to notice the hostile and heated gazes the older man would toss their way, his blue eyes seeming to dip with cold malice each time he’d glance at their mother.
As if she were the biggest inconvenience he’d encountered.
“What is he-like Russian or something?” Ignacio asked as he lazily elongated his limbs on the couch, yawning loudly as his leg lifted in the air, nearly bumping Andrés in the head.
“He’s definitely NOT.” Summer snorted, as she watched Andrés harshly shove Ignacio’s ankle from his face.
“From the VERY little he’s said…I just assumed he was a creepy old German guy.” Summer concluded as she turned her phone screen toward her brothers, showcasing a strange social media page.
Candid shots of exotic Birds, filled the screen, each picture crisp, clean and zoomed in uncomfortably close.
“What are we looking at?” Ignacio asked squinting, a frown sliding to his full lips as he contemplated complaining about the brightness of the screen.
Andrés shifted on the couch beside Ignacio, his eyes bouncing across the pictures of the Instagram page as Summer dragged her finger down the screen, a familiar silhouette catching his attention.
“This is his page.” Andrés noted as Summer continued to scroll. “How’d you find this?”
“Mmmmh…honestly I think it was an accident.” Summer said as she turned the screen back toward herself. “I was looking for a specific bird for a class and came across his Bird watcher page.”
“It’s not too many pictures of him on here…but there’s enough.” She said turning the screen back around, revealing the older man half dressed on vacation, gazing longingly at a Tucan.
Ignacio pursed his lips together, his eyes racking over the picture of the man’s smiling face and shirtless body. “It’s weird seeing him out of work clothes.”
“I refuse to speak.” The man said flatly as Peni invaded his personal space a second time, her watch beeping and showcasing the man’s personal information.
“Why do they call you Rudolph?” Noir asked curiously, his eyes roaming the man’s face as he took a seat a few feet away. “Is it a nickname?”
“Fuck off.” The man replied dryly as he kept his gaze forward, his steel blue eyes unbothered and laced with indifference.
“Why’d you break into Spider-Man‘s home?” Peni asked, over the small talk and heading straight into the meat and potatoes of the conversation.
Rudolph’s eyes slid to her, his nose wrinkling with disgust before he spat at her feet.
“Fuck off bitch.”
“Oh no no no.” Noir said as he rose from his seat, his hands shoved in his pockets.
“We don’t talk like that here.” He hummed as he abruptly kicked the chair from beneath the man’s body, knocking him face first to the ground.
“Fuck..my head.” Hobie groaned as he stumbled down the hallway, his temples throbbing as he struggled to the bathroom, nearly losing his balance as he desperately searched the medicine cabinet for pain meds.
The bottle seemingly gone and no replacement available as his vision started to blur, his head throbbing as he knocked everything from the cabinet.
“Where the fuck is it?” He mumbled as he frantically searched the bathroom for an alternative.
Pav slid his feet into his house shoes, his eyes sliding to the light in the hallway, slipping from the cracked bathroom door.
Hobie exhaled shakily as he stepped backward into the door, his panicked mind sliding toward the emergency medical kit in the den.
“What’s going on?” Pav asked, startling the other man.
“Nothing-I’m just looking for pain killers.” Hobie said dismissively as he brushed past the Alpha, his mind on the pills down the hall.
“Pain killers for what? Another headache?” Pav asked evenly, interrupting Hobie’s stride.
“Or is it a fucking migraine?” Pav asked as he flipped off the bathroom light and hurriedly closed the distance between them.
“I need you to tell me what’s going on.” Pav pleaded as he took Hobie’s hand, gently cuffing his one hand with both of his.
“I need you to let go of me.” Hobie said flatly, avoiding the affection and pulling his hand away, leaving Pav standing awkwardly in the hallway.
Miles lifted Gonzalo in his arms, covering his lips, face and neck with kisses, his affection endless as he continuously reached for the other man.
“Personal space!” Gonzalo snapped, shoving his palm into the Alpha’s jawline.
“Awww-let me love you.” Miles hummed absolutely enamored as he placed the shorter man’s feet back onto the ground.
“No, now go away.” Gonzalo hissed, swatting Miles’s hands away and making him laugh as he stepped out of his embrace and fell face first into bed, quickly hiding himself under the cool sheets.
Miles hummed unphased, his good mood steadily
rising as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it into the nearest hamper.
Gonzalo unlocked his iPad, his attention falling back onto available listings.
Miles’s eyes slid to the twins, the two of them snoring peacefully as Marianna pulled majority of the blanket from her brother’s side.
Miles shook his head as he fixed the blanket, a gentle expression crossing his face as he watched them sleep.
Gonzalo’s eyes slid from the iPad, the question on his lips buffering as warmth fluttered up his insides.
The expression on Miles’s face was serene.
His touch gentle as he pressed a quick kiss to each child’s forehead and pulled the blanket up to their shoulders.
Gonzalo’s hand slid to his stomach, his mind sliding back to the Doctor’s office.
“Would you like to hear the baby’s heart beat?” Ashley asked curiously, her fingers already adjusting the sound setting of the machine.
“Yes.” He’d said groggily, his throat suddenly feeling dry with nerves.
Silence filled the room for several beats.
Gonzalo opened his mouth to speak, fear pebbling his arms, as the silence stretched on.
His eyes lingered on the screen, the sudden sound of a beating heart startling them both.
Ashley gave an apologetic smile as she spoke.
Sorry…this machine is a little old.”
He exhaled slowly, the comforting sound filling his ears as Ashley adjusted the volume
A question slid from his lips before he could stop it.
“My last pregnancy…they moved around a lot-why isn’t…this one…” He trailed off, no longer wanting to complete the question.
“Mmmmh.” Ashley said considering the question as she handed him several napkins, her eyes on the machine as she pressed a series of different buttons, turning it off.
“It really just depends.” She said as she unplugged the machine. “Some babies just have longer sleep cycles, and are just resting.”
Gonzalo sat up and pulled down his shirt, watching as Ashley tossed her gloves into the trash.
“But your activity level CAN also affect how noticeable the baby's movements are.”
“Right.” Gonzalo said knowingly, well aware he’d need to adjust his hectic work schedule.
“What’s wrong?” Miles asked softly, his voice tickling Gonzalo’s ear as he pulled him back into the room.
“I can’t believe this shit.” Margo ranted as she rapidly paced through the empty guest room, her mind racing as she pulled her phone from her pocket and checked Gwen’s location.
She exhaled unhappily as the words unavailable location slid across her screen.
She wanted to scream.
“This isn’t how we’re supposed to deal with problems.” She said as she crumbled onto the bed, sadness overwhelming her as the look of hurt on Gwen’s face flickered across her mind.
Peni hesitated at the door, her hand dropping from the knob as the sound of Margo’s cries trickled through the door, filling her with immense guilt.
“WHA-WHAT’S GOING ON?!” Gwen stuttered stumbling over her shoes, her eyes on Peter as he waved from the pantry.
“I just watched you jump!”
“Yes you did.” Peter said with a hardy laugh as he pulled a bag of chips from the pantry.
“And now I’m back.”
“I…don’t understand…” Gwen confessed, her tired mind short circuiting as she attempted to wrap her head around what was happening.
“WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”
Peter shrugged lazily, a pleasant expression crossing his face. “Maybe you…missed me.”
Gwen blinked, shock skating across her senses as she struggled inhale, unable to piece together a reasonable explanation.
Her eyes slide to the pill bottle on the floor and back onto Peter.
“That doesn’t make any sense.” She shot back as Peter messily opened the chips.
“I MISS my MOM. WHY do I see YOU and NOT her?”
Peter erupted with laughter, painstakingly shaking as he tossed his head back, his shoulders bouncing, almost as if she’d just blessed his ears with the funniest thing he’d heard in life.
An uncomfortable feeling wedged itself inside her chest as he continued to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
Peter pretended to wipe a tear from his eye before responding, still visibly amused.
“Gwen, you and I both KNOW you DON’T miss your mother.”
Notes:
The O’Hara children have entered the chat
Chapter 9: Space
Notes:
I prefer to write about the children
Chapter Text
Gwen blinked, wordlessly eyeing her grayed complexion in the mirror.
She looked the way she felt.
Fucking drained.
“You should probably get some rest.” Peter encouraged. “Wouldn’t want a repeat of last night.”
Gwen’s head slowly turned in Peter’s direction.
“What?” Peter asked seriously.
“I literally had to drag you from the elevator-“
“That was you? How?” Gwen rudely interrupted, surprised he would even attempt that.
“Well how the hell do you think you made it back in here?” Peter asked sharply.
Gwen didn’t respond.
She didn’t want to think about it.
“I’m going fucking crazy.” She sighed as she splashed her face with water and stepped out of the bathroom.
“Awww…Gwen no your not.” Peter said sympathetically as he watched her move around the apartment.
“Then what do you call this?” Gwen asked gesturing between them.
“Just two friends hanging out?” Peter shrugged with a smile.
Gwen turned away, her feet quickly taking her across the room, her attention on the window as she pulled back the curtain and looked into the parking lot. “I’ve lost my fucking mind.”
“Want me to call Margo?” Peter asked as he picked up her cellphone. “Or Peni?”
“I want you to GET OUT of my room.” Gwen sighed as she unlocked and pulled open the window, letting in a brisk morning breeze.
“No can do.” Peter said indifferently as he unlocked her phone and plopped into bed unbothered.
“I’m gonna change your wallpaper.” He announced as he proceeded to take several selfies.
Gwen groaned as she closed the window, the temptation to jump out of it becoming overwhelming.
Miles sank deeper into the sheets, the steady stroke of Gonzalo’s fingers running through his hair, lulling him to sleep as his arms tightened around the smaller man’s waist pulling him closer.
Peace is the word the flutters to the top of his mind, the usual stressors of their lives seemingly irrelevant as he tangled himself deeper in the sheets.
“Mmh…mmmh.” Gonzalo mumbled as he dragged his finger down the list of available homes, his interest waning as his distain for the education options grew.
“What’s wrong?” Miles asked softly as Gonzalo sat the iPad on the nightstand beside the bed and sank into Miles’s arms, earning an approving sound from the Alpha.
“I don’t…think I like anything I see.” Gonzalo sighed his eyes closing as Miles pressed his lips to his throat.
“Nothing at all?” Miles asked curiously as he lifted the iPad from the nightstand and unlocked it.
“What about a different area?”
“What about a different deminsion?” Gonzalo uttered sarcasticly, growing tired of the consistently murky weather and overly intrusive people parading around as neighbors and law enforcement.
“What about this one?” Miles asked, pressing his face into Gonzalo’s hair as he waited for a response.
“You wanna switch from rain to snow?”
Gonzalo asked with a laugh, entertaining the idea.
“Tell me why you’ve been stalking the O’Hara children.” Noir demanded, his voice rigid as ice as he held the man’s gaze.
“Tell us what we want to know…and we’ll let you go.” Peni said lightly, earning a snort of disbelief from the German man.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Doesn’t matter.” Noir hummed as he produced a black leather bag from a hidden compartment in the wall, his hazel eyes bouncing with mischief as he slipped on a pair of black nylon gloves.
“I’ll get answers out of you one way or another.”
Rudolph snorted with disgust.
“You won’t break me American man.”
“Break?” Noir asked with an airy chuckle as he pulled a long thermometer from the black bag and held it in the air proudly.
“Who said anything about breaking?”
A look of shock flickered across Rudolph’s face as Noir took a confident step toward him.
“You sick man.” Rudolph said evenly, schooling his features into an air of indifference.
“Oh…you have no idea.” Noir hummed as he reached into the bag again, his good mood only climbing as he pulled out a strange double sided tool with rusted screws. “I am going to-“
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Pav asked interrupting Noir’s monologue and ruining the moment, earning a sharp look from Peni.
“Uhhh-can it wait?” Noir asked, his eyes reluctantly sliding from Rudolph and onto Pav.
“Absolutely NOT.” Pav said in a huff, making Noir sigh deeply.
“I’ll be right back.” Noir said with a polite smile as he handed the thermometer and ominous looking contraption to Peni.
“Whats up?” Noir asked closing the basement door behind him and stepping into the empty hallway.
“It’s Hobie.” Pav said inhaling deeply.
“I think he’s sick…or hurt.”
“What do you mean?” Noir asked as he reached for Pav’s hand, sensing his unease and sharing his discomfort.
“I…I don’t know-he WON’T talk to me.” Pav said unhappily, his lean frame seeming to wilt with sadness.
“I need you to tell us what’s going on.” Noir said evenly as he barged into the music room, with Pav at his side, their intrusion interrupting the flow of Hobie’s fingers.
“What?” Hobie asked his fingers hesitating above the strings of his guitar.
“How many of these have you taken today?” Noir asked as he held a bottle of pain killers in the air and shook them.
“Apparently all of them.” Pav said sharply crossing his arms.
Hobie’s eyes slid to Pav and narrowed.
“I haven’t taken that many.” Hobie said dismissively as he sat down his guitar and rose from his seat.
“You didn’t answer the question.” Pav said impatiently beside Noir.
Hobie rolled his eyes as Noir brought the bottle to eye level and read the contents.
“Hobie…this bottle came with fifty four pills.” Noir said evenly as he opened the bottle and dumped the few remaining pills into the palm of his hand.
“So. I don’t count how many pills I take.” Hobie said dryly, over the interrogation. “ Sue me.”
“There’s only THREE left in the bottle.” Noir said softly, the desire to comfort the taller man weighting heavy in his voice.
“You’re sick and won’t tell us about it!” Pav snapped, over the Omega’s denile, his rage the opposite of Noir’s sullen concern.
“Ugh…can we not DO this tonight?” Hobie asked squeezing the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb.
“Literally EVERYONE is here.” He reminded tiredly as he hung his guitar back on the display rack, too exhausted to engage in further confrontation.
“Fine, but we ARE dealing with THIS.” Pav hissed before storming out of the music room.
“He’s so dramatic.” Hobie said shaking his head as he took a seat at the piano, his fingers hovering over the keys.
“I don’t like how you make us out to be the bad guys…when we have rational concerns.” Noir said as he stepped out of the room, leaving Hobie to stew in his thoughts.
“Sweet dreams.” Khalid whispered as Kabir’s faint snores softly filled the room.
He intertwined their hands, mindful to stay on his side of the bed, under his blanket as his mind floated, slowly cycling through the ludicrous and horrid day they’d both experienced.
From the attack to the fist fight, she’d been there.
Like an uncertain pillar of hope, her distress igniting his senses, demanding him to swing without remorse or reservations.
He’d held her tight after the altercation, chest to chest, his hands trembling anxiously, the fear she’d break into pieces haunting his mind.
Clint had dismissed her the moment he’d saw her, finding her strangely exotic but nothing to invest time in.
His mother had bitched about her NOT being pretty enough to wear traditional clothing.
Claiming Kabir’s rich complexion wouldn’t look right in any of the “soft” colors.
Her critiques often teetering the line of anti-blackness, wrapped with a putrid bow.
James shouldn’t have touched her.
Shouldn’t have set his sights on the one thing Khalid had wanted.
Khalid pressed his lips to Kabir’s fingers, his eyes closing as the soft scent of pomegranate filled his nose and made his eyelids flutter.
He’d do anything.
ANYTHING.
If it meant keeping her safe.
Summer yawned as she sat up, blinking sleepily as she rose from the couch in search of the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” Andrés asked lightly, his eyes glued to his phone screen, the dim light illuminating his face as he continued to type.
“Bathroom.” Summer mumbled as she stepped out of the den, still half asleep.
“Don’t get lost.” He called after her, his fingers moving as he continued to search and probe Rudolph’s life, his disdain for the man fueling his insomnia as he dug deeper and deeper,suddenly remembering the laptop hidden away in his bag.
“Go to sleep.” Ignacio mumbled lightly poking his brother with his toe. “We ALL need rest.”
“Then rest.” Andrés said dismissively as he lifted his bag from the floor and pulled out his laptop, his fingers tirelessly scouring for crumbs of information.
“So rude.” Ignacio mumbled into his pillow as he turned on his side and went back to sleep.
Andrés scrolled through pictures oddly assembled across the Omega District website,
each seemingly added at random.
“What…the fuck?” Andrés questioned out loud, his attention hyper focusing on the crowd wrapped around the podium, several onlookers faces twisted with displeasure as Miguel stood oblivious in the center with a microphone.
“When was this?” Andrés mumbled as he pulled up another tab and searched google, quickly strolling through the results, his father’s proud face snatching his attention.
He clicked the first link, his eyes sliding to the caption written under the picture.
“Mayor unveils controversial plans to create an Alpha centered sanctuary in the Omega District, inciting a mass uproar in the District-“
Andrés trailed off, his eyes widening as he looked through the multiple images of the crowd.
“What happened?” Summer asked with a yawn as she stepped back in the den, a yellow apple in her hand.
Margo tossed several grapes into her mouth, unease riddling along her frame as she dwelled unhappily in her thoughts.
It was all too much.
Wei babbled as he stood up on wobbly legs, his chubby hands reaching for the bowl of fruit on the bed, a frown slid across his chubby face as Margo plucked him from the floor.
“Wei…I think it’s time to go home.”
Wei made a face of disinterest, his eyes sliding to the bowl of grapes beside Margo’s thigh.
“Hopefully all the reporters…are gone.” She added weakly as she sat him beside the bowl of fruit and pulled her suitcase from under the bed.
Knuckles lightly danced across the door before Pav stepped into the room.
“Everything ok?” He asked slowly, his eyes sliding from the partially full suitcase on the floor to Margo.
“I…uh-yeah.” Margo fumbled avoiding his gaze, her hands busy with adding her and Wei’s things into the suitcase.
“Would you like some help?” Pav asked after a moment, his eyes on Wei as he greedily shoved grapes into his mouth.
Margo considered the question, her eyes sliding to Wei as he polished off the last of the grapes, a happy smile sliding to his face as he pushed the now empty bowl into the suitcase.
“Oh no, that’s mine.” Pav said with a laugh as he strolled across the room and lifted the bowl from the suitcase, the bracelets on his wrist singing as he sat the empty bowl on the dresser.
“I’m…going home for a few days to clear my head .” Margo admitted, her eyes closing as she felt the curious heat of Pav’s gaze.
“Just for a few days?” Pav asked, his right brow lifting as Wei reached for his wrist, tugging at the gold bands in awe.
“I’ve gotten used to you both being here.” Pav said softly as he watched Wei attempt to ease out of bed.
“Just for a few.” Margo confirmed with a nod as she attempted to zip up her suitcase.
“Would you like us to keep Wei?” Pav asked gently, wanting to offer support anyway he could.
Margo’s eyes slid from Pav and onto Wei.
“No. I’ll miss him too much.” Margo admitted as he reached for her, his chubby hand wrapping around her necklace as she lifted him from bed.
“I miss when Kabir was this size.” Pav said softly as he watched Margo detangle her chain from strong tiny fingers.
“Don’t let her hear you say that.” Margo teased, pulling a laugh out of Pav as she placed Wei into his arms.
“She’s so dramatic. She gets upset when I do anything nice.” Pav sighed wistfully.
“You mean WHEN you BABY her.” Margo corrected, her brow lifting as Pav made the face of denial.
“She’s is my baby.”
“Pav she’s a teenager now-“
“Ah! I already had this talk and I KNOW.” Pav interrupted.
Margo snorted as she tossed a pair of socks at Pav.
“But I don’t know what’s going on with you and Gwen.” Pav said gently, his eyes meeting Margo’s as her smile dropped.
“I can tell…something is wrong.” Pav said as Wei tugged on his bracelets.
“Noir told me about the burnt chicken fiasco.”
Margo sighed, her eyes closing as the truth spilled out of her without restraint, uncapped and raw as Pav silently listened without interruption.
“PENI DID WHAT?!” Pav snapped, his bracelets bumping together as he turned toward the hallway, searching for the Beta.
“Why the HELL would she DO that?!”
“I don’t know.” Margo confessed, suddenly feeling lightheaded. “But she doesn’t think she’s wrong.”
Pav’s eyes widen in disbelief.
“Are you fucking serious?”
“She referred to Gwen’s therapist as ‘the help’. YES I’m serious!”
“I see why Gwen said she needed space.” Pav said shaking his head as he sat Wei back onto the bed. “She hasn’t been returning my calls or texts.”
“I…haven’t tried to call her.” Margo said softly, making Pav’s head snap in her direction.
“She said she needed space-and I respect that.” Margo said with a shrug, her scent churning with sadness.
“Is that why you’re leaving, you need space too?” Pav’s asked pointing at the suitcase.
“I honestly haven’t made up my mind about leaving yet.” Margo groaned.
“Sooooo you usually pack your suitcase for fun?” Pav asked as he took a seat at the foot of the bed, waiting to hear more.
Gonzalo untangled himself from Miles’s arms and crawled out of bed, his eyes quickly finding the twins before returning back to Miles.
He quietly lifted his jacket from the dresser, quickly dressed and grabbed his shoes, his footsteps feather light as he tiptoed out of the room.
He slipped his feet into his shoes, his hand sliding to the door knob, his brow lifting high as he pulled the door and felt resistance.
He turned around and met curious honey colored eyes.
“Where ya goin?” Miles asked lightly as he stepped forward and out of the room, his hand wrapping around Gonzalo’s as he pulled the door closed behind him.
“I’m going home to grab a few things.” Gonzalo said lightly as he pulled his hand out of Miles’s.
“Oh? Do you need me to go home and get something?” Miles asked, his eyes traveling curiously up and down Gonzalo’s attire.
“I can go home myself.” Gonzalo said lifting his wrist, reminding Miles of the watch.
“True. But I’d feel more comfortable if you stayed here.” Miles admitted.
“Why? You don’t want me to do anything alone?” Gonzalo asked sharply growing annoyed with Miles’s helicopter antics and constant attention.
Miles’s eyebrows lifted into his hairline.
“Are you mad at me?” Miles whispered, suddenly remembering where they were standing at four am.
Gonzalo sighed deeply and answered slowly. “No.”
“Why’d you say it like that?” Miles asked as he reached for the shorter man’s hand again.
“I only asked you if you wanted me to go…so you could stay in bed.” Miles confessed, his thumb gently caressing Gonzalo’s knuckles and fingers.
“You should be resting as much as possible.” Miles added, reminding him of the brisk warning the Doctor had given him.
“I’m not tired.” Gonzalo said stubbornly, dismissing Miles’s concerns and making him frown.
“You haven’t been sleeping or eating…enough.”Miles said clearing his throat, his tone sliding from mellow to authoritative.
“I think we should discuss you staying on bedrest.”
Gonzalo pulled his hand out of Miles’s.
“Is the house safe or not?” Gonzalo asked dryly, over the entirety of the conversation.
“What?” Miles asked as he slid restless hands into his pockets.
“You DIDN’T tell me what happened at home.” Gonzalo snapped. “You just brought back some unconscious guy with NO explanation!”
Miles blinked, taken aback by his other half’s outburst.
“I’m…sorry.” Gonzalo said lightly as he broke their gaze and looked away.
“…I didn’t mean to yell at you.” Gonzalo murmured as he turned around, Miles’s hand immediately wrapping around his wrist.
“Tell me…what’s wrong.” Miles asked softly, concern weighing down his voice as his hand slid down Gonzalo’s wrist and linked their fingers.
“You’re NOT talking to me about anything important but you’re constantly touching me and under me.” Gonzalo answered softly.
“You’re keeping things from me.” Gonzalo said as he slowly turned and met Miles’s gaze, his eyes wet with sadness.
“How is that supposed to make me feel?”
Miles’s chest clenched as sadness danced across their link, making guilt bubble up his throat as he tried to offer an excuse.
“I’m not keeping things from you.” Miles said, earning a skeptical look from the shorter man.
“Look-“ Miles started with a sigh as he pulled Gonzalo back into the bedroom.
“I counted a total of sixteen intruders last night-“
“SIXTEEN?” Gonzalo asked, his eyes wide with shock. “What the fuck?!”
“YES sixteen.” Miles repeated as he collapsed back into bed, his eyes closing as Gonzalo stared at him in disbelief.
“The guy I dragged here was the only one who made a phone call about our house being empty.”
Miles said dryly, his mind clearly somewhere else.
“Who do you think he called?” Gonzalo asked as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, digesting the information.
“No idea.” Miles sighed into the sheets.
“I’m waiting for Peni to unlock his phone.”
“What happened to the other fifteen people?” Gonzalo asked after a moment.
“Oh, I made sure every last one was arrested.”
Miles informed, his eyes closing.
“Law enforcement said they’d call if there’s an update.” He added with a bored yawn.
“I see.” Gonzalo said as he pulled his arms from his jacket.
“I didn’t say anything …because I didn’t want you to worry anddddd I didn’t really have anything solid to tell you.”
“Sixteen people is fucking insane.” Gonzalo said tiredly, trying to picture that many people crammed into the home at once.
“I don’t want you to feel like I’m keeping secrets. But I also don’t want you getting hurt.” Miles said as he hopped out of bed and headed toward the closet, quickly pulling out a purple backpack.
“I brought some things…I thought you’d need.” Miles said as he sat the bag into Gonzalo’s lap and fell back into bed.
Guilt cartwheeled up Gonzalo’s spine as he unzipped the bag and noticed several comfort items, ranging from clothes, his favorite novel, his planner and snacks.
“Miles I-“ Gonzalo trailed off as Miles’s light snores filled the room, exhaustion quickly overtaking him.
Gonzalo smiled softly, reaching deeper into the large bag, the corner of something hard bumping into his fingers.
Gonzalo pulled the item from the bag, taking in the familiar faded logo on the lid of the box.
He opened the cardboard box and inhaled sharply, his fingers digging past the wrinkled tissue paper and lifting a tiny black and red baby bootie.
Sadness blossomed up his chest, his body tensing as he felt himself drop back on the island.
The terrain cold, foreign and unforgiving.
The sound of his breathing loud in his ears as he watched the number of individuals in leather animal masks grow.
Gonzalo inhaled shakily, his hand sliding protectively to his stomach as the haunting sensation of a shovel slamming into his midsection echoed throughout his being, the pain reminiscent to swallowing an explosive.
“Papi?” Marianna asked softly, her small hands touching his and pulling him from his bleak thoughts. “Are you ok?”
“You’re sweating.” Matéo noted as he stepped beside his sister, his eyes quickly assessing the situation. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Gonzalo hesitated, his mind buffering as he struggled to reel in his chaotic thoughts, his past and present ungracefully overlapping.
“Oh no!” Marianna said sadly as she snatched her plush and pillow from the pullout couch.
“Do you need us to sleep with you?”
Matéo’s eyes slid to the knitted bootie in his father’s hand.
“Are those for the baby?”
“I…uh..yeah.” Gonzalo trailed off looking down at the tiny shoe in his hand, his chest swelling with sadness as a whisper of a smile floated to his lips.
“Your Dad bought these a long time ago.” Gonzalo said softly as he untied the tag on the fabric and offered each child a shoe, his hands shaking as he sat the box on the bed.
“These are cute.” Marianna said approvingly, still mystified that something that tiny was wearable, as she turned it over in her hands, studying each small detail. “They feel so soft.”
“What’s a long time ago?” Matéo asked, his watchful eyes roaming the dated and slightly battered box that sat beside Miles’s sock covered feet.
Gonzalo stiffened, his discomfort immediately detected as he lifted the box from the bed, staring at it wordlessly a moment before he placed it into his lap. “Before you were born.”
Confusion flickered across Marianna’s face.
“Did you only plan to have one of us?” She scoffed offended.
As if the idea were ludicrous.
“It wasn’t for US.” Matéo hissed at his sister.
There was a beat of silence before it dawned on
Marianna, her brows lifting with surprise as her eyes slid onto their father.
“You’re Dad bought them…after we found out.” Gonzalo recalled fondly, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips before quickly disappearing.
“But we…never got to use them.”
“Eww. What’s with the vibe? Someone die in here?” Ignacio asked with a lifted brow as he stepped back into the den, freshly energized from a shower.
“Look at this.” Andrés said as he rose from the couch, his brother’s eyes growing wide as he noticed the laptop in his hands.
“Whose laptop is that?”
“Don’t worry about it.” Andrés said dismissively as he sat next to Ignacio on the futon.
“Just know it isn’t Dad’s.”
Ignacio’s eyes slid from the laptop screen quizzically.
“I took it from security before Dad quit.”
“Andrés that’s illegal.” Ignacio hissed, looking around the den anxiously as if someone from District security would appear and drag them to hell.
“Mmmh… I’m pretty sure YOU were reading through CLASSIFIED District documents earlier this month.” Andrés reminded with a hum as his fingers flew across the keyboard. “But whatever.”
Ignacio sighed his eyes sliding to their sister.
Summer continued to snooze, unbothered as she pulled the blankets up to her neck.
“I had Lyla help me get past the fire walls and look what I found.” Andrés said as the screen lit up with blueprints of a strangely shaped gun.
“What is this?” Ignacio asked with concern, as he read over the notes neatly written in cursive all over the page.
“I think…the District is illegally producing weapons.” Andrés said as he clicked out of the blueprint and onto a folder.
“This is fucking crazy.” Ignacio said breathlessly as another blueprint filled the screen, something in the notes catching his attention.
“Look.” Ignacio said as he pointed to several stray lines near the bottom of the screen.
Andrés squinted, shock dancing across his face as he zoomed in on the notes.
“I can’t read this.” He deadpanned.
“Bullet transfer.” Ignacio filled in breathlessly as he looked over the notes a second time, trying to piece together the messily scribbled words.
“Designed for moving targets in pairs.” Ignacio struggled to make out, as he read the shitty writing out loud.
“What does that mean?” Andrés asked attempting to decipher the poor writing.
“It says…both targets have to be in range for a transfer to work.” Ignacio filled in.
“Both targets have to be in range.” Andrés repeated, Summer’s voice startling them both as she sat up.
“That’s why mom wasn’t hurt. The bullet was meant for Dad.” Summer said pushing away the covers, a strange expression crossing her face.
“Mom’s healing was unaffected…but Dad’s completely stopped.” Ignacio said evenly, his parents discharge papers flying across his mind.
“That would explain why she was shot in the shoulder, but he was the one bleeding.” Andrés sighed, uncomfortably remembering the gapping hole in their father’s shoulder.
“What if Dad doesn’t have a healing ability?” Andrés asked suddenly, his eyes sliding from the laptop screen.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Ignacio asked as he lifted the laptop from Andrés’s hands and started to speed run through several documents.
“Dad didn’t tell us he used to be an Alpha. Mom didn’t tell us she used to be married.Why would this be any different?” Andrés asked pointedly.
“What if the person who shot Mom was after Dad?” Summer asked, as confusion danced across Ignacio’s face, his fingers no longer moving.
“But why shoot Mom-when Dad’s the target?” Ignacio questioned.
“Because Mom knew who it was.” Andrés said evenly.
“You think Mom saw or knows something?” Summer asked her eyes sliding to Andrés.
“Her memory loss.” Summer gasped, her hand covering her mouth.
“Why do you think everything played out the way it did?” Andrés challenged.
“Dad quit being Mayor and not even twenty four hours later-that video of Mom dropped.” Andrés reminded.
“Sooo you’re saying Mom knew about ALL this but Dad…somehow didn’t?” Summer asked, her right brow lifting skeptically. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“NOTHING has made sense since Dad quit being Mayor.” Ignacio said solemnly.
“I think when Dad quit-that set a lot of things in motion.” Ignacio added, his eyes roaming the laptop screen. “The District is hiding something.”
“We KNOW what you’re hiding.” Peni said flatly as she wildly shook his chair, waking and irritating a drowsy prisoner.
“You know nothing.” Rudolph yawned, unphased.
“I take rest now.” He added.
“Ohhh sorry, no nap nap for youuuuu.” Noir sang, as he stepped down the basement stairs, the old wood creaking beneath his boots.
“First rule of fight club. Noir said as he crossed the last stair and smiled. “We DON’T nap here.”
Rudolph frowned unimpressed, his blue eyes now rimmed with exhaustion as he glared at Noir.
“What? Would you prefer I waterboard you for answers?” Noir asked politely with a smile pissing the man off.
“I DON’T care how long you keep me here-I won’t SPEAK.” The man spat with pride, a smile sliding to his lips as he watched Noir avoid his spit.
“Thats fine.” Peni chimed, reminding both men of her presence. “I unlocked your phone.”
Rudolph’s face dropped.
Noir stepped beside Peni, curiously looking over her shoulder, watching as she probed through the settings and changed the language.
“Now to work my magic.” Peni said with a smile as she linked the smartphone to her laptop, her fingers flying across the keys and clicking through programs rapidly.
“Ohhhhh shit.” Noir said in awe as hundreds of tiny pink spiders filled the screen.
“We have to show everyone this.” Peni said uncomfortably as blue prints of several weapons filled the screen.
“Why are you in another dimension?” Lyla asked as soon as Summer answered the line.
“Apparently we’re safer with family.” Summer sighed, remembering her brother’s lie as she dried her hands and looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
“Family? How’d you travel without a watch?” Lyla asked curiously, her eyes on the live feed of Miguel still unconscious in bed.
“The Moraleses…helped us.” Summer said as she tossed her paper towel into the trash. “How’s Dad?”
“Still unconscious.” Lyla said evenly, as her eyes bounced to the feed of Jessica, bundled to bed and asleep.
“What about Mom?”
Lyla sighed.
“She was sedated earlier. Now she’s sleeping.”
“I don’t like that they’re keeping her drugged.” Summer said evenly as she turned off the light and stepped out of the bathroom, her eyes roaming the strangely decorated walls of the hallway.
“That’s why I called you.” Lyla said tensely, her eyes watching the various Doctors and Nurses that seemed to sprint past Jessica’s room.
“We need to get Mom and Dad NOW.” Andrés said shutting the laptop abruptly and rising to his feet, fear rolling from his pores as he tossed the laptop onto the couch.
“You get Summer.” Ignacio said as he snatched his hoodie from the futon and pulled it over his head. “I’ll grab Mr.Morales.”
“The Board is going to blame Miguel for missing funds, they’ve laundered overseas.” Peni sighed, running her hand through her hair anxiously, her eyes sliding from the phone and onto Noir.
“That means they aren’t safe in a public hospital.” Noir said sharply as he stepped away from Peni and toward the stairs, his steps faltering as Rudolph started to laugh loudly, sending an ominous chill throughout the space.
“What’s so funny?” Peni asked sharply, her irritation with the situation rising.
“Your silly attempts at being heroes.” He chuckled, amused. “You’re TOO late.”
“Wrong.” Noir said loudly as he slammed a closed fist into the man’s jaw, knocking him out cold.
“We ARE heroes.”
Gwen blinked slowly, her eyes blurring as she read over the label of her medication.
She shook the bottle testing the weight.
“How many of these did I take?” Gwen asked as her eyes found the empty bottle of pain killers, her eyes watering as flashes of what she’d done hours prior rapidly flickered through her mind.
She growled angrily as she twisted open the bottle of medication and dumped the contents into the trash, her emotions rapidly colliding with Margo’s sadness and Peni’s defiance.
“I’M OVER ALL THIS BULLSHIT.” Gwen snapped as she flung the now empty bottle across the room, her temples throbbing.
“I’m so fucking tired of these MIGRAINES.” She lamented as she pivoted on her heels and snatched her painkillers from the dresser and ripped the top from the bottle, carelessly dumping several pills into her hand and tossing them back dry.
“Enough.” Peter said, his answer pulling Gwen back into the present as he slowly pulled open the blinds to the patio, letting sunlight gradually fill the room.
Gwen cleared her throat uncomfortably and immediately changed the subject.
“Are you haunting me?”
Peter’s eyes wordlessly slid to Gwen.
Silence filled the room.
“Is that what you think THIS is?” Peter asked after a moment.
“I don’t KNOW what THIS is-that’s WHY I asked.” Gwen hissed, growing irritated with the conversation as she watched him pull a lighter from his pocket.
“Why does your Therapist look like me?” Peter asked lightly as he flicked the cap of the lighter open.
“What?” Gwen asked caught off guard by the question.
“I SAID-“
“I heard what you said.” Gwen interrupted sharply. “WHY does that matter?”
Peter blinked, registering her answer with a smile so wide his eyes closed. “You’re right.”
“Why does it matter?” He asked with a laugh.
“Why does ANY of THIS matter?”
Gwen opened her mouth to speak, Peter’s laughter quickly escalating in volume as his shoulders shook with amusement, interrupting her response.
Gonzalo inhaled shakily as a he brushed away a stray tear, his eyes on the box as he spiraled alone in his thoughts.
“It’s ok.” Marianna said as she gently placed the baby shoe into the box and crawled into bed beside her father, quickly wrapping her arms around him.
“I’m sorry that happened.” Matéo said softly as he placed his shoe into the box, tucked the paper around them and slowly closed the box.
“You don’t have to talk about it if it hurts.” Matéo added as he sat beside him and mimicked his sisters actions, his arms firmly wrapping around his father.
Gonzalo responded by closing his eyes, letting the comforting feeling of the twins care wash over him, gently rolling away the sadness that hung from his shoulders.
“It’s…hard to talk about.”
Miles blinked, his eyes on the ceiling as he wordlessly listened to the interaction, Gonzalo’s melancholy voice making him sit up.
“Well…I’m happy you had us.” Marianna said softly.
Miles’s shifted in bed, pulling the three of them into an embrace, his words heavy with sincerity as he spoke.
“Promise me you’ll see your Doctor tomorrow.” Pav demanded softly as he gently placed an ice pack across Hobie’s forehead, pulling a soft moan of refusal from the taller man.
“I’m serious.” Pav said as he adjusted the blankets and tucked Hobie into bed.
“I’m not sleepy.” Hobie groaned, his eyes closing.
“Well you look exhausted.” Pav said ignoring his words as he crawled in bed beside him.
“Noir and I will DRAG you to HQ-if we NEED to.” Pav weakly threatened with a sigh, earning an eyeroll from the Omega.
Noir sprinted up the stairs and into the hallway, nearly colliding into Andrés.
“You ok?” Noir asked as he caught the teen before he could hit the floor.
“I’m fine.” Andrés said standing up straight and stepping out of Noir’s hands.
“I just need to speak to Mr.Morales-“
“What a coincidence, me too.” Noir said as he turned on his heels and continued down the hallway in search of Miles.
“Come on-we GOTTA go.” Ignacio said as he handed Summer her hoodie and purse.
“I know. Mom and Dad aren’t safe.” Summer said as she pulled her hoodie over her head, her feet following behind her brother.
“How do you know?” Ignacio asked as they stepped into the hallway.
“Lyla called me.” Summer said as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.
“Of course she did.” Ignacio said dryly.
“You don’t like her. WHY would she TALK to you?” Summer asked rolling her eyes as they stepped into the den.
“Whatever.” Ignacio said dismissively as he checked the laces on his shoes.
“Where’s Andrés?” Summer asked looking around the empty space.
Andrés shoved open the bedroom door without knocking, his rude actions swiftly interrupting the family moment.
Miles’s eyes slid to Andrés, and onto Noir as he stepped into the room shaking his head.
“Sorry about not knocking.” Noir said as Andrés stepped past him, indifferent.
“My Mom and Dad are in danger.” Andrés said evenly, his green burning into Miles.
“We NEED to leave now.”
“Be safe.” Gonzalo said as he pressed a quick kiss to Miles’s cheek.
“What’s going on?” Miles asked reluctantly detangling himself and stepping out of the room, his eyes bouncing from Andrés and onto Noir.
“You and Summer get Jessica-“ Miles said as soon as his feet touched the hospital floor.
“Sounds good.” Noir said as he turned left and stepped down a hallway with the teen.
“Let’s go find your Dad.” Miles said checking the map on his watch, Ignacio and Andrés trailing beside them.
“You have seven minutes before the men in black SUVs reach the parking lot.” Lyla said flatly, startling Noir.
“Thanks for the update.” Summer said with a nod as she looked at the map on her phone, her feet moving faster as her mother grew closer.
“We only have a few minutes before those creeps from the District show up.” Andrés informed, his eyes on his watch.
“How many is a few?” Ignacio asked as they made a sharp left into a new hall way, quickly bypassing several Nurses.
“Like six minutes.” Andrés said, his eyes forward as he struggled to keep up with Miles.
“Good. We only need three.” Miles said confidently as he abruptly stopped running, his arm coming up and stopping the teens.
“Why’d we stop?” Andrés asked his eyes quickly landing on the answer.
Eight security guards and several staff members stood posted outside the door.
“Damn…that’s a lot of people.” Ignacio said with a frown as Miles stepped forward, his eyes sliding from the eight guards in front of the door and onto the four incoming guards walking down the hall.
“They’re expecting someone.” Andrés noted quickly.
“Stay right here.” Miles said sharply, his body disappearing.
“Oh shit!” Ignacio said in shock, taking a step back and bumping into Andrés.
An alarm started to blare startling Andrés,
they watched as several guards stepped away from the door and sprinted into the hallway.
“That was quick.” Ignacio chimed, his eyes roaming the layout of bodies in front of them.
“You distract the Nurses.” Andrés said, his attention on the few remaining security guards idly standing in front of the door. “I’ll handle security.”
“Of course.” Ignacio said unsurprised as Andrés rolled up his sleeves.
“Cause a distraction.” Andrés said, inspiring Ignacio to pop his knuckles with glee.
“All you had to do was ask.” Ignacio said with a laugh as he pulled his hood down lower, concealing most of his face, his sharp ears zeroing in on several conversations happening at once.
“Have fun doing what you do best.” Andrés added as he watched his brother pop his neck.
“Watch and learn baby bro.” Ignacio said with a confident wink as he stepped from around the corner, the security guards eyes immediately sizing him up before losing interest.
“This should be interesting.” Miles said, startling Andrés as the alarm continued to scream loudly above their heads.
The teen frowned as he turned toward Miles’s voice.
“Help!! I CAN’T BREATH!!” Ignacio suddenly screamed, snatching the attention of several people as he fell to the floor, clutching his chest and started to convulse.
“Oh wow.” Miles said as Doctors and Nurses rushed to the teen’s aid.
“Your brother is gifted.” Miles said with a laugh as he crawled up the wall, his attention sliding to the three guards posted at the door.
Andrés eased toward the door, his eyes taking note of the people around him.
Miles slid down the wall, his palms sparking as he pressed them into the back of the two guards at once, knocking them both unconscious.
Andrés dove into the last guard, glowing palms pressed to the man’s stomach, quickly sending a sharp jolt of electricity into the man and sending him unconscious to the floor.
“How old are you?” Miles asked, his form flickering back visible in front of Andrés as he pushed open the door.
“Thirteen, why?”
Miles turned toward the Nurses huddled around Ignacio and smiled, his web shooting and landing on his shoe.
“You have way better control over your powers, than I did when I was your age.” Miles said with a laugh as he yanked Ignacio through the crowd and into the room.
“Thanks…I guess.” Andrés said as locked the door, his eyes roaming the dimly lit space.
“About damn time.” Ignacio grumbled as he rose to his feet dusting off the back of his pants, his eyes immediately locating the hospital bed across the room, hidden behind a curtain.
“I thought you forgot about me.”
“Why is this room so big?” Miles asked his eyes landing on the curtain that seemed several feet away.
“I don’t know.” Andrés said evenly as his eyes slid to paperwork thrown carelessly across a nearby table. “But my Dad…better be ok.”
“Where is she?” Summer asked growing more and more frustrated as they looped through the hospital for what felt like the second time, her destination seemingly nonexistent.
“This is weird.” Noir noted as they stopped in front of a map of the large hospital, his eyes roaming the different wings.
“Something isn’t right.” He said pointing to an exit on Summer’s map that didn’t appear on the hospital layout.
“Yeah it doesn’t match MY map.” Summer said with narrowed eyes. “Lyla what’s going on?”
Lyla’s attention split between Summer’s map and the layout of the hospital, irritation weighing down her brows as she pulled up the original blueprint of the hospital.
She sighed as her eyes roamed all three layouts at once, catching each and every and alteration.
“Summer I need you listen very carefully.” Lyla said as she watched five black SUVs pull into the hospital parking lot.
Noir’s shoulder slammed into the wall, destroying concrete and sending debris flying.
“Found the room.” Noir said as he kicked a hunk of concrete out of the way, Summer quickly slipping past him as she slid across rubble and into the large dimly lit room.
Noir’s sharp eyes roamed the space, his hand on his watch as he followed behind Summer, a stack of paperwork nearby catching his attention.
A portal rippled to life, tossing papers and things to the floor as the wind in the room started to swirl.
Andrés yanked the curtains from the railing, his eyes growing wide with confusion as he approached the hospital bed, his chest growing warm as Miles hurried to his side with questions as angry fists started to pound the locked door.
“What’s wrong?”
“This isn’t Mom.” Summer said in shock as her eyes fell onto her father’s unconscious form, an iv stood tall slowly dripping beside the bed, the sterile blankets firmly tucked to his sides, entrapping him in the large bed.
“Well who is it?” Noir inquired as he snatched the papers from the table, his eyes on the impending Nurses and security guards.
“It’s Dad.” Summer said as she tugged the iv bag from the stand.
“Close enough-we gotta go.” Noir said frantically as he shoved the paperwork into Summer’s hands.
“STOP RIGHT THERE!!!” A man in uniform angrily yelled, stumbling through the rubble.
Miles and Ignacio gently pushed the bed through the portal, Andrés’s eyes slid from the door as he stepped behind them, firmly holding the papers to his chest.
“It’s just been a LOT going on lately.” Margo sighed, earning a sympathetic look from Wei as Eric handed her a tissue.
“And with Gwen moving out during all this court shit-and all the arguing…I’m just…feeling exhausted.”
“That is a lot to deal with Margo. Anyone in your predicament would be overwhelmed.” Eric said gently, as he scribbled several notes into his notebook.
“You also may be feeling everything harder than everyone else…due to your pregnancy.” Eric gently reminded. “Have you been sleeping?”
“WHY are you here?” Gwen hissed, no longer in the mood to play with her hallucinations.
Peter smiled as he took a seat at the foot of the bed, continuously ignoring her questions.
“You should sleep.” He suggested politely.
“Otherwise you might start seeing things.”
“Get out!!” Gwen yelled as she snatched her pillow from bed and tossed it in his direction, her eyes going wide as he disappeared, leaving her alone with her thoughts. “What the fuck?”
“Have you spoken to Gwen since she left?” Eric asked as Margo gently rocked a snoring Wei, her sad eyes meeting his.
“No,I’ve..been trying to respect her space.” Margo confessed. “But I miss her…and constantly worry.”
Gwen shoved her feet into her shoes, her confusion swiftly morphing into rage as she snatched the pill bottle from the floor and stormed out of the room.
“Is she eating enough? Is she sleeping enough?Margo asked her eyes closing.
Eric wordlessly sat his pen down, watching the unhappy twists of Margo’s delicate face.
“I…I…wonder if she’s taking her medicine.” Margo said as she exhaled deeply her eyes slowly opening.
“Is space…really helping?”
“I…can’t exactly answer that.” Eric admitted, clearing his throat, the sudden need for alcohol storming across him.
Gwen screamed as the elevator doors dinged and didn’t open, rage consuming her as she started to slam her fists wildly into the number panel, hitting every button and scaring the people behind her.
“Is this…really what she needs to be happy?” Margo pondered out loud as she slid Wei into his car seat.
Eric hesitated, slowly pushing away his personal feelings on the matter.
“Margo…I think you should speak to Gwen.” He said bluntly as he closed the notebook.
“Share your concerns like you did with me.”
“I don’t think I should.” Margo said with a sad smile as she suddenly stood from her seat and grabbed Wei’s carseat, her eyes sliding to the door.
Surprise danced across Eric’s face.
Out of the three women, Margo was by far the easiest to talk to.
Her reluctance to speak with Gwen was bewildering.
“Why not-“
“Because she said she needed space.” Margo interrupted softly as she brushed away a tear before it could roll down her cheek.
“And I’m giving her that.” Margo concluded, her hand on the doorknob.
“WE NEED TO TALK!!” Gwen snapped, rudely kicking open the door and stomping half dressed into Eric’s office.
“I agree. We DO need to TALK.” Eric said sharply as he pulled the glasses from his face and cleaned the lenses with the fabric of his shirt.
Gwen shut the door, frowning as she stepped into the office and took her usual seat, the scent of something sweet catching her attention.
“Gwen-what DID you tell your partners before leaving?”
“That I needed space.” Gwen said flatly.
“That’s it?” Eric asked skeptically with a lifted brow. “How’d Peni and Margo take it?”
“Why are we talking about this?” Gwen asked sharply, as she crossed her legs, annoyed he’d derailed the entire conversation.
“Because if I DON’T ask, you WON’T say.” Eric hummed as his eyes slid to his closed notebook.
Gwen’s brows creased together, her mind quickly honing in on the unwelcoming tone that lingered behind his words.
This hostility was foreign.
“Wait..are you mad…at me?” Gwen asked, her confusion unmoving as Eric shot her an unhappy look.
“What makes you think I’m mad?” Eric asked dryly as he rose from his seat and grabbed a glass from a shelf.
“Definitely your tone.” Gwen said crossing her arms as she watched him pour himself a drink.
“Very unpleasant.”
“Well you did barge into my office in the middle of the day, yelling, without an appointment.” Eric reminded as he took a hardy swing of his drink.
Margo blinked away tears as she stepped out of the portal and into the living room, her body instantly relaxing as she slid off her shoes and pulled Wei from his seat, her feet sinking into the soft carpet as she strode toward the couch.
“I’m glad I didn’t wake you.” Margo hummed as she pressed a kiss to Wei’s temple before she slid him into his rocker.
“I think a three hour nap will do us both some good.” Margo said with a yawn as she turned on the rocker and wrapped his quilt around him.
She collapsed on the couch, not bothering to grab a blanket before passing out.
She awoke hours later to the sound of laughter and the smell of something buttery, her eyes slid to Wei’s empty rocker and widened.
“Don’t worry. I got him.” Hobie said as he stepped back into the living room with a greedy Wei in his arms.
“How’d you know I was here?” Margo asked with a yawn as Hobie plopped down beside her on the couch, handed Wei his bottle and lifted the remote from the table.
“I told him.” Pav said as he stepped into the living room with two bowls of popcorn.
“You woke up just in time for the movie.” Pav added, swiftly changing the subject with a smile as he sat on the other side of Margo.
Margo watched as the opening credits filled the screen, a comfortable silence falling over the living room as the movie started.
“We don’t have to talk…if you don’t want to.” Hobie said as he pulled the bottle from Wei’s hands and started to burp him, gently patting his back until he loudly burped. “We’re just here for support.”
“What’s your problem?” Gwen asked, growing more irritated as she watched Eric down his second drink.
“Is that alcohol?!” Gwen asked as she stood and snatched the now empty glass from his hand and brought it to her nose.
“Gwen I’ve been thinking…” Eric trailed off as Gwen sniffed the rim of the glass and frowned.
“Thinking and drinking.” She said with a frown as she sat the glass down hard on the shelf.
“I think Peni was right…we do need time a part.”
Gwen stormed out the office, rage and shock rolling down her spine as she angrily slammed her hand into the elevator panel, her frustration mounting to tears and as she watched the floors change, her vision blurring completely as she crumbled to the floor.
“How’d the rescue mission go?” Peni asked eagerly as she stepped out of the basement and into the hallway, interrupting Noir’s stride.
“Well.” Noir said dismissively as he brushed past her his eyes forward, dissatisfaction hanging from his face.
Peni’s brows creased with confusion as Miles stepped into the hallway. “Did something happen?”
“We had a few hiccups, but everyone made it back in one piece.” Miles said with an apologetic smile as he inched around Peni, his mind on other things.
“Everyone’s so chatty today.” Peni said sarcastically as she turned toward the basement door.
“We can switch now.” Noir said evenly, his voice floating from a nearby intercom.
“Get some rest.” Noir said as he turned away from the intercom before she could produce a response, his mind shifting to a strange place as he slipped on a pair of gloves and grabbed his black bag.
“I’m not….” Peni trailed off with a sigh as she stepped away from the intercom.
“Guess I’ll sleep.” She said with an eye roll as she strolled down the empty hall, checking the time on her watch.
“Damn…I’ve been downstairs like all day.” She said with laugh as she pushed open her room door, and flicked on the lights.
Peni looked around the empty room, dread filling her chest as she walked through the space, a frown sliding to her lips as she pulled open the closet door.
She searched the dresser, the drawers, the shelves and glanced under the bed, a sad an unpleasant realization dancing to the forefront of her mind.
“She left me.”
Peni inhaled sharply, panic making her fingers clumsy as she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Margo’s number.
Margo’s eyes slid to her phone, her smile dropping mid laugh as she watched Peni’s smiling face slide across her screen.
She hit ignore and quickly shoved her phone deep into the cushions of the couch, her smile returning as her attention bounced back onto the movie.
Marianna’s eyes slid to the fire place, her head filling with endless questions.
“What do you think about-“
“Dad’s loss…?” Matéo filled in gently as he sat beside the fire, his eyes on the steady flame.
“Yeah.” Marianna said with a nod as she pulled her blanket around her tighter, her worried eyes sliding to her brother.
“I think…it’s sad.” Matéo admitted, remembering the somber air that had lingered in the room well after the conversation had ended.
The sadness only seeming to fester as Gonzalo faded in and out of the room, clearly reliving the past, his breathing shallow as he sat motionless with the shoe box in his hands.
He’d sat that way until Matéo gently tugged the box from his hands and Marianna sat her plush into his arms, the two of them working together as they tugged him into the blankets and fluffed his pillow, wordlessly offering support as Matéo flipped on the tv and turned it to rain sounds.
“Let’s give him space.” Marianna whispered as they stepped out of the room, quietly closing the door behind them, their feet taking them to the soft glow of the den.
“I’ve never seen Dad soooo…” Matéo trailed off uncomfortably, not wanting to verbalize the way their father had looked in bed.
“Sad.” Marianna filled in as she watched the fire flicker. “Me either.”
Miles pushed open the bedroom door, the sound of rain filling his ears as he stepped into the space, his eyes roaming the dark room.
He crawled in bed, his arms finding Gonzalo between the blankets, his eyes pinched closed as sadness slipped from his pours, souring his usually soft scent.
“Talk to me.” Miles said softly, his voice nearly a whisper as he dug through the blankets.
“I don’t feel like talking.” Gonzalo mumbled.
“I’m here.” Miles reassured, his hand rubbing comforting circles along Gonzalo’s spine.
“What do you think the baby’s name will be?” Matéo asked curiously as he rose to his feet, his attention sliding to the futon.
“No idea.” Marianna hummed as she bit into an apple. “Something with an M.”
“Obviously.” Matéo said with an eye roll.
“That was fucking crazy.” Summer said as she plopped down tiredly in her seat, her eyes closing as she willed her body to relax.
“Crazy isn’t the word I’d use.” Ignacio said with a sigh as he bit into a snicker.
“More like stressful.” Andrés snorted as he stepped beside their father’s bed, his watchful eyes searching for signs of neglect.
“I’m glad Mom’s getting released in a few minutes. I can’t stay here a moment longer.” Ignacio said sharply, making Andrés laugh.
“Same.” Summer agreed, her eyes closing.
She felt tired.
Like she needed to sleep.
Sleep for twelve hours straight without interruption.
“Someone has to stay here with Dad- “ Ignacio pointed out.
“You voulenteering?” Andrés asked, earning a sharp look from his brother.
“We can take turns. I’ll go first.” Summer said quickly before their bickering could start.
Jessica blinked, her body feeling heavy as she sank into her wheelchair, her head bobbing to the side as Ignacio and Andrés met the Nurse halfway.
“Mom…can you hear me? It’s Andrés-we’re going home.” Andrés said as he took his mother’s hand, his eyes searching her face as she faded in and out, her eyes unfocused.
“What’s wrong with her? She can’t even hold her head up?” Ignacio asked sharply, his eyes sliding from his mother and onto the Nurse.
“We removed as much of the sedatives as we could…but unfortunately she’ll be a little sluggish for a few days-“
“A FEW DAYS?!” Ignacio snapped, startling the man.
Andrés’s eyes slid up to his brother as he released his mother’s hand and grabbed the handles of the chair, the borrowed watch on his wrist warming as Ignacio rapidly shot off questions, his frustration growing more apparent as the lackluster responses continued.
“Ignacio-let’s just go home.” Andrés interrupted.
Ignacio sighed deeply and pivoted on his heels mid conversation, annoyed as he bumped his brother out of the way with his hip and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair.
“Home, huh?” Ignacio asked with a sad laugh as they turned into an empty hallway.
“You know we’re homeless right?” He asked.
“Well…for now.” Andrés mumbled as he fiddled with the watch settings.
“This is such a shit show.” Ignacio exhaled as Jessica started to softly snore, her head bobbing.
Andrés turned and looked at his brother, the words burning the tip of his tongue.
“Don’t say it.” Andrés warned, his eyes narrowing.
“It could have been worse.” Ignacio filled in against his brother’s wishes as he slammed his hand into the watch.
“You are NOT Ben ten.” Ignacio said with an eyeroll as they stepped into the forming portal.
Khalid turned the page of his comic, his eyes sliding to the door as it slowly inched open wider, creaking loudly as the twins stepped into the room.
“Why are you two still up?” Khalid asked sitting up in bed, he sat the comic down as Marianna flopped into the bed and smiled.
“Why are you still up?” She asked with a smile as her brother looked around the room, taking in the many books and figurines behind plastic.
“ Touché.” Khalid said as Kabir turned on her side, ignoring the conversation.
“Can I use your phone?” Matéo asked as he lifted a Superman notebook from a cluttered desk and flipped it open.
“Sure.” Khalid yawned as he pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to him.
“You need to make a call?”
“No, we’re looking up names.” Marianna hummed as Matéo sat beside her on the bed.
“Names…for what?” Kabir mumbled sleepily.
“You mean for whom.” Marianna corrected as Matéo handed her the phone.
Kabir sat up, her eyes still closed as she tilted her in Marianna’s direction. “What’s going on?”
“This…pregnancy is just…bringing up a lot of old feelings.” Gonzalo said faintly as he buried his face in Miles’s chest, his sadness trembling through their link.
“I shouldn’t have packed the shoes…” Miles sighed, his arms tightening around his other half.
“I’m sorry.”
“No…it’s-not just that.” Gonzalo exhaled, the comforting scent of Miles washing over him, as he ran concerned fingers through his hair.
“With the twins-I was too worried to think about anything other than them…”
“I remember.” Miles said softly, his mind floating back to the day the Doctor told them both, that Gonzalo would be bed written half the pregnancy.
“But…there’s only one baby and I’m not sick as I was before-Miles…I’m scared.”
“Gonzalo is pregnant?!” Kabir squawked, her eye brows sliding into her hairline.
Khalid’s brows furrowed with confusion.
“Who…well which one is..?” Khalid asked solidly confused as he tried to picture the pair together.
Andrés inhaled sharply, the news catching him off guard as he stood idly in the hallway, his ear near the cracked bedroom door.
“You know eavesdropping is rude, right?” Ignacio asked crossing his arms over his chest, not bothering to hide his disappointment.
“I wasn’t ease dropping.” Andrés lied, his cheeks warming with embarrassment.
He hadn’t meant to ease drop.
He’d been looking for Kabir.
“Right.” Ignacio said skeptically, irritating his bother.
“Fine.” Andrés said curtly, his attention sliding from his brother and onto the door. “I’ll say hi.”
“Be nice Andrés.” Ignacio hissed as his brother’s hand touched the door knob.
“I’ll be nice.” Andrés said rolling his eyes as he pushed the door open and stepped into the room.
Peni stared at the large empty bed, dread climbing up her throat as she closed the door behind her.
She sighed as thoughts of yesterday’s argument resurfaced, the look of betrayal and hurt etched across Gwen’s face haunting her thoughts.
Peni pulled her phone from her pocket, her brows furrowing in confusion as she struggled to pull up Gwen or Margo’s location.
“Why’d you stop sharing your location?” Peni mumbled out loud as her attention slid to her watch, her fingers rapidly flying across the touch screen until a pink and purple silhouette flickered above her wrist.
She checked Margo’s vitals first, her eyes curiously cataloguing the foods she’d consumed in the past twenty four hours.
Overall, she appeared fine.
Her mood stable and her energy levels relatively normal.
Peni selected Gwen’s silhouette and frowned.
Her stress and anxiety levels were high, her food intake low and her sadness consistent.
“Did…I do this to you?” Peni inhaled shakily, Eric’s warning returning to the center of my thoughts as apprehension blossomed in her chest, her body sliding back into the leather chair in his office.
“Do you think you’re solving Gwen’s problems by blaming me?” Eric asked bluntly, shifting forward in his seat, his eyes locked on her.
“Possibly.” Peni said crossing her legs, returning his heated gaze with contempt.
Eric chuckled as he pulled the frames from his face, an insincere smile sliding across his lips as he spoke.
“Removing the things you view as obstacles from her life without her consent will result in her loathing you.”
“You’re just saying that because you’ll miss a paycheck.” Peni said dryly, shoving the man from his pleasant façade, and straight to callous
anger.
“Everything ok?” Pav asked, his eyes sliding from the tv and on to Margo.
“It’s Peni…she keeps calling me.” Margo said dryly as she switched her phone setting to Do not disturb.
“I DON’T want to talk to her.”
“What’d she do?” Hobie asked as he sat Wei in his bouncer.
Rudolph screamed as Noir ripped out his front two teeth, his gaze cold as ice as he watched the man hack up blood.
“Ohhh…I think you might have a lisp now.” Noir said with a smile as he dropped the two teeth into a metal bucket. “My bad.”
“Fuck you!” Rudolph spat, blood and tears running down his chin as he defiantly held Noir’s gaze.
“I can do this all night, but you only have so many teeth.” Noir exhaled wistfully as he shoved his index finger into the man’s nostril and yanked him forward, the legs of the chair harshly scraping the cement floor.
“So.” Noir said as he reached into his bag pulled out a lime and bottle of tequila.
“Let’s play a game.” He said as he crushed the lime open with his free hand.
“After every tooth I pull you’re going to take a shot. And If you finish this bottle before I pull out the rest of your teeth…you win.”
Summer sat idly beside the bed, her foot rapidly bouncing as she watched an iv steadily drip above her father’s head.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and shot a disappointing text to her brothers.
“What do you want?” Khalid asked sharply, his eyes slicing into Andrés.
Andrés met Khalid’s gaze, his upper lip itching for confrontation as Ignacio stepped in front of him, blocking Khalid’s view with a polite smile.
“We just wanted to be around age appropriate people.” Ignacio said brightly, making his bother snort.
“How are you two holding up?” Kabir asked, trying to blink away sleep, her over sized band t-shirt falling down her shoulder as her eyes trailed to Ignacio.
“We’re…not ok-but we’ll be fine.” Ignacio said truthfully as he took a seat in a nearby lawn chair.
“Well…I’m here if you need anything.” Kabir said with a dazzling smile as she climbed out of bed, her hair messily flowing down her shoulders as she rose to her feet.
“If you need to talk…or need a safe space-just let me know.” She said as she stepped past Andrés and pushed the bedroom door wider, her hand on the knob.
“I’ll talk to my Dads in the morning about cleaning out another spare room.” She said as she stepped out of the room, her pleasant scent lingering behind her.
“She’s so nice.” Ignacio said happily, glad he wouldn’t have to deal with any new weirdos.
“How’d you two meet?” He asked, turning his attention toward Khalid.
Andrés’s eyes closed as he inhaled deeply, the lush smell of pomegranates and the faint scent of something else filling his nose as his eyes fluttered open, meeting Khalid’s.
“We met in class.” Khalid said evenly.
“You’re in high school, right?” Andrés asked lightly as he lifted a Wonder Woman figurine from a nearby shelf.
“I am. But I should be asking YOU that.”Khalid said with narrowed eyes, irritation sparking in his chest as Andrés shot him a smile.
“Anddddd we’re done!” Marianna sang happily, cutting the tension in the room, as Matéo held the notebook high above his head triumphantly.
“Withhhhh?” Ignacio asked curiously as he lifted a comic book from the floor and lazily flipped through it, desperate for a distraction.
“Making a list of M names.” Matéo informed.
“How old are you?” Khalid asked, as Kabir stepped back into the room, her hair piled high in a messy bun.
“Old enough.” Andrés said as his eyes trailed up Kabir’s thighs and back onto Khalid.
Ignacio sighed as he squeezed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, the sudden urge to drag his problematic brother out of the room growing. “He’s thirteen.”
“I can tell.” Khalid said dryly as Kabir climbed back in bed, her brow lifting curiously at the hint of animosity floating around the room.
“Still taller than you though.” Andrés said with a chuckle, making the Omega see red.
“Did I miss something?” Kabir asked, her eyes sliding to Khalid curiously.
“Nope.” Khalid said as he turned his attention to Kabir and smiled. “Nothing special.”
Andrés opened his mouth to speak, Marianna’s voice swiftly butting into the conversation.
“That’s nice-now back to the list.” Marianna reminded, clearly annoyed.
Miles wordlessly reached for the remote, turning up the rain sounds as Gonzalo slowly drifted to sleep, his arms locked around Miles’s waist.
“Dad-“ Marianna said with excitement as she pushed opened the room door, her eyes landing on Miles as he pressed his index finger to his lips.
Matéo nudged Marianna forward with his elbow, encouraging her to step deeper into the room as he quietly closed the door.
He took her hand as they tiptoed into the room with excited eyes and an unfamiliar notebook.
“Is Papi…ok?” Marianna whispered, as she approached the side of the bed.
“He’s…just a little tired.” Miles said softly, his eyes on both children as his hand continued to rub comforting circles across Gonzalo’s back.
“What’s this?” Miles asked as Matéo sat the notebook onto the bed, his eyes quickly skimming through the list of names.
“It’s a list of names for the baby.” Matéo explained, pointing his finger at a circled name.
“Oh…you picked this one.” Miles said softly, his voice cracking as he read over the list a second time, a smile sliding to his lips as he studied the selected name.
Noir watched as blood mixed with water in the sink, the temperature scorching as he washed his hands, his foul mood slowly dwindling as Kabir stepped into the kitchen.
“I think Khalid and Andrés hate each other.” Kabir said casually, making her father’s smile drop.
“What? Why?” He asked as he grabbed the dish soap and squeezed a gracious amount into his hand.
“I don’t know…but it’s pretty apparent they won’t be getting along.” She sighed shaking her head.
“That’s unfortunate.” Noir concluded as he watched bubbles slip down the drain.
He’d be having a chat with both boys very soon.
“Pop, why are you still up?” Kabir asked changing the subject with a frown, her eyes on the clock above his head. “You have class in the morning.”
“You sound like me.”
Noir laughed as he grabbed a paper towel.
Kabir rolled her eyes as she grabbed several water bottles from the fridge.
“Why are YOU still up?” Noir asked as he tossed his paper towel into the trash.
“It’s not like I’m suspended for the next four days.” She answered bitterly as she grabbed a bag of chips from the pantry.
Noir opened his mouth to speak, Kabir’s voice beating him to the punch.
“When will Dad and Dada be home?” Kabir asked before her father could respond sympathetically.
Hobie yawned as he stretched on the couch, his eyes sliding to Margo as she stepped into the living room with an armful of blankets.
“I appreciate you coming over and checking on us.” Margo said, dropping the blankets onto the couch. “Sorry our home isn’t very big-“
“Margo please, it’s NO trouble at all.” Pav interrupted as he handed Hobie a dirty diaper.
“We just wanted to make sure you…didn’t need anything.” Pav said gently as he watched Wei grab onto the coffee table and pull himself up on wobbly legs, his small hands reaching for a bowl of pretzels.
“But let us know if you need space.” Hobie said as he rose from the couch in search of a trash can. “Pav can leave.”
Margo laughed as Pav shot Hobie a look.
Gwen groaned as she sat up in bed, her head throbbing as streams of sunlight trickled through the blinds. “It shouldn’t be morning yet.”
“You’re right, it’s not.” Peter chuckled as he pressed a button attached to the bed frame, changing the bright sunlight to dull moon light.
“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t dead.” Peter said brightly as he plopped in bed beside her with the tv remote and a bowl of cereal.
“Why are you STILL here?” Gwen asked annoyed.
“Because you poured out your pain pills and took a bunch of antidepressant medication a few hours ago.” Peter reminded as he settled on Comedy Central, laughter spilling from his lips as Daniel Tosh started to speak.
“I WHAT?! Why would-I…” Gwen trailed off and climbed out of bed, frantically searching the trash for the pill bottle.
“I have no idea.” Peter hummed as a commercial about robotic vacuum cleaners started to play.
“You were a wreck when you came back from therapy.”
Gwen exhaled sharply, a salacious thought, crossing her mind.
“Did you trick me?”
“What?” Peter asked with a dry frown, his eyes bouncing to Gwen. “Why the hell would I trick you?”
“You tricked me last night when you pretended to jump off the balcony.” Gwen hissed.
“You coulda traumatized me!”
“Blah blah blah.” Peter said rudely as he turned up the tv. “I don’t remember you complaining this much when I was alive.”
Gwen’s brows shot into her hairline, surprise swiftly shifting to rage as she marched across the room and snatch the tv cord from the wall.
“Why’d you do that?!” Peter snapped as the tv went black.
“Because I want some fucking answers.” Gwen said calmly, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned against the bar, patiently waiting.
“We’re gonna go check on our Mom.” Ignacio said abruptly, sprouting up from his chair, the casual expression on his face forced as he dragged his brother out of the room.
“What the hell is your problem?!” Ignacio snapped as Andrés yanked out of his grasph.
“You think I’m going to stand there and let him talk about me like that? Like I’m NOT in the same grade as THEM!” Andrés snapped back, his face growing red with anger.
“Why’d you do that?” Kabir asked, her sharp eyes boring into Khalid as she rose from bed.
“Do what?” He asked mid laugh, his amused expression dropping as he met her gaze.
“Come on Kabir.” Khalid pleaded as she snatched her blanket from the bed. “He started it-“
“So?!” Kabir snapped. “You’re like three years OLDER than him.”
“Are you seriously mad about this?” Khalid asked in disbelief.
“YES!” Andrés snapped, making his brother step back in surprise. “Do you know what it’s LIKE being constantly reminded you’re the youngest in the room-when you’re just as smart as everyone else?!”
“Ok…ok…just-calm down.” Ignacio asked defensively lifting his hands in the air.
“Let’s just go…check on Mom.”
“Hey….” Kabir said as she stepped into the conversation, her hand touching Andrés’s arm as she spoke.
Andrés’s cheeks grew rosey with color as he turned and met Kabir’s gaze, her soft scent wrapping around him.
He fought the urge to inhale.
“Look-I don’t know WHY he’s being a dick…but he’s usually NOT like that.” Kabir said with a sigh.
Ignacio’s eyes slid to his brother.
“I know you two are going through a stressful time right now.” Kabir said sincerely, her eyes bouncing between both boys.
Andrés didn’t respond.
He couldn’t respond, his mind overly focused on the warmth radiating from her palm as her fingers slid down his arm and along his wrist.
“We’ve had a rough twenty four hours.” She said gently as she gave his hand an encouraging squeeze, making his heart skip a beat.
“It’s fine.” Andrés said shyly, his voice nearly cracking.
“Thanks for letting us stay here until things are situated.” Ignacio said as he ran a hand through his now fuzzy braids, contemplating if he’d be having a conversation later that night with his brother about hormones.
“Can I go with you?” Kabir asked suddenly, pulling Ignacio from his stress inducing thoughts.
“I’d like to say hello.” She said with a smile.
“Of course.” Andrés nodded, his lips curving upward into a dopey smile as Kabir slowly pulled her hand out of his and linked their arms.
Peni lay awake in bed, her eyes red rimmed and her throat dry with sadness.
She’d been crying off and on the last forty minutes.
She felt brittle.
As if her body would break and crumble into dust at any moment.
The silence grew unnerving as her thoughts grew rampant and lawless.
Practically screaming.
Repeatedly reminding her she was a shit person and an even worse partner.
She shoved her earbuds into her ears, fruitlessly trying to drown out the silence as her insecurities grew aggressively louder, calling her selfish and undeserving.
Peni inhaled shakily, her vision blurring as her last interaction with both her partners spilled across her mind like a forgotten glass of milk.
She’d been careless and inconsiderate…
Often neglecting her partners and parental duties, her mind overly committed to beating deadlines and accepting projects.
Selfish wasn’t even a strong enough adjective to describe her shit behavior and poor communication skills over the last four, nearly five months.
She closed her eyes and snatched a pillow from bed, her neck burning with conflicting emotions as she shoved her face into the pillow and screamed.
Pav continued to snore peacefully, his leg bumping into Hobie as his eyes slowly fluttered closed.
“Let me know if you need anything.” Margo said politely, making Hobie’s eyes immediately open.
“I should be telling YOU that.” Hobie yawned with a smile as he fluffed the pillow under his head.
Margo simply nodded in response as she stepped back into the living room, her eyes sliding to Wei as he comfortably slept wedged between Hobie and his animal plush.
“He’s fine.” Hobie reminded, as Margo hovered nervously. “You can rest.”
“I know…it’s just…hard to.” Margo admitted softly as she slumped into the mess of pillows and blankets, bumping into Pav as she found a comfortable spot between them.
“I’m not used to sleeping alone.” Margo said sheepishly, her eyes closing as she pulled the blanket up to her neck.
“I know what you mean.” Hobie said, well aware of the discomfort felt when going from three to none.
Peni washed her face a third time and tried to avoid her reflection in the mirror, sadness slipping through her fingers as regret and guilt cocooned around her, nearly making her immobile as she struggled back to her room, ready to have her meltdown in private.
“Peni what are you still doing up?” Noir asked as he greeted her in the hallway in a fresh change of clothes.
Peni blinked.
“Doesn’t matter, come on. We have a breakthrough.” Noir said energetically as he dragged the Beta wordlessly down the hall.
“Are you done with the silent treatment?” Peter asked with a bored yawn as Gwen stepped back into the room, her eyes narrowed.
“Guess not.” Peter sighed wistfully as he watched her walk into the bathroom and slam the door.
Gwen wordlessly stared at her reflection, the desire to see Margo tugging at her insides.
She checked the time on her phone and frowned.
Margo would be sleeping now.
Her and Wei neatly tucked into their California king bed, with sounds of the ocean softly playing as Wei’s light snores filled the room.
“I miss Margo.” Gwen admitted out loud, her longing for the Beta growing uncontrollably.
Gwen’s finger hovered above the call button, her eyes closing in despair as she suddenly remembered her declaration for space.
Gwen sighed loudly, growing more annoyed with herself.
“You know sighing like that isn’t good for you.” Peter chimed as he slowly pushed open the bathroom door, a scoff falling from his lips as she slammed the door in his face.
Ignacio shook his head as he listened to Andrés happily chat with Kabir, his cheeks locked in a permanent blush as she praised him.
“Wow! I didn’t know you were a sophomore.” Kabir said in shock , her pretty face twisting pleasantly with surprise. “You’re a genius aren’t you?”
“Yeah- I’m actually preparing for my SAT now.”Andrés said proudly. “Anddddddd I’m also captain of the Robotics club.”
“That’s cool. My school doesn’t have a Robotics club.” Kabir hummed.
“If you like…I could show you the robot I made.”
Andrés suggested casually, making Ignacio roll his eyes behind them.
“You have it with you?” Kabir asked with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she turned toward Andrés.
“I’d love to see it.”
“Cool.” Andrés said breathlessly as he turned away, the tips of his ears turning pink.
“Great.” Ignacio mumbled to himself, well aware of where this crush was going.
He shot a boring text to Summer.
Mom would be sleeping until the rest of the drugs wore off.
Much like Dad, there was no update.
Ignacio watched as a response started to appear, his feet taking him into the den and right into his brother’s subtle attempts of flirting.
“You’re amazing.” Kabir said with a laugh as she watched Andrés’s tiny robot pick up and throw a pencil. “You made this by yourself?!”
“I did.” Andrés said with a proud nod of his head, as he handed her the remote controller, a soft smile sliding across his pink lips.
“I could show you…if you’d like.”
Ignacio shot his brother a look.
Andrés ignored the heated gaze of his brother, his movements considerate as he placed his hands on top of Kabir’s guiding her fingers on the controller.
Khalid huffed as he tossed off the blankets, irritation making him hot as he rose from bed and flipped on the switch for the ceiling fan.
He plopped back in bed, his eyes closing as he begrudgingly drifted off to sleep.
Kabir laughed as the robot lost momentum and fell on its side, wheels wildly spinning.
“Guess I need more practice.”
“Take your time.” Andrés said lightly as he met Kabir’s gaze.
“Andrés can I talk to you a second?” Ignacio asked attempting to pop Andrés’s bubble.
“No.” Andrés said dismissively, his smile unmoving as his fingers guided Kabir’s on the controller.
“What’s going on?” Peni asked with a yawn as she stepped back into the now empty basement.
“Where’s Rudolph?”
“Dont worry about it.” Noir said with a wave as he brushed past her, his gloved fingers moving across the keyboard of Peni’s laptop.
Peni’s brows creased together as she took a seat in front of her laptop.
“No, he’s not dead.” Noir said with an eye roll as he pulled up several saved files.
“What’s this?” Peni asked siting up straight in her seat, her eyes roaming the upsetting words on the screen.
“While you were pretending to sleep-I got Rudolph to unlock a few hidden applications on his phone.”
Peni’s eyes widened. “How’d you do that?”
She hadn’t noticed any hidden apps.
She’d considered it, but had quickly pushed the thought away, her mind plagued with guilt and self doubt.
“I have my ways.” Noir said dryly, not bothering to elaborate
“The Board members were planning to publicly attack Miguel at his next public appearance in the District.”
“WHAT?!” Peni snapped, her eyes going wide as she stared at the screen her fingers quickly pushing away Noir’s as she looked over the information.
“They were going to make it look like extremists.” Peni said in shock, her eyes sliding to Noir.
“How much you wanna bet the person who shot Jessica is in on this?” Noir asked pointedly, his finger tapping the screen.
“I found MORE blue prints of WEAPONS.” Noir added as he clicked a series of buttons on Rudolph’s phone, producing several ominous images across the laptop screen.
“We need to talk to Miguel about this.” Peni said as she read over the prints.
“No can do. He’s in a coma.” Noir informed, sending an unsettling chill crawling up her spine.
“We’ll be back.” Marianna whispered to Miles as her and Matéo stepped out of the room, quickly closing the door behind them.
“Where are we going?” Matéo asked boredly as he bit into an apple.
“Doesn’t matter.” Marianna said with a flick of her wrist. “I’m bored.”
Matéo rolled his eyes unsurprised.
“They really put thought into this.” Miles said softly in awe as he looked over the messily written list a third time.
Each name starting with an M, ranging from traditional Puerto Rican names to everyday American names.
“What are you looking at?” Gonzalo asked, stirring in the blankets, his hair a halo of loose curls.
“Did Tay write that?” Gonzalo asked sitting up, his eyes sliding to the open notebook in Miles’s hands.
“Yeah…him and Mari made a list a baby names for us.” Miles said proudly as he handed the notebook to Gonzalo, watching his expressions.
Happiness, surprise and sadness merged across his face, his bottom lip trembling as he ran his fingers across the page, his eyes landing on a name circled in red.
Gonzalo laughed softly as he read over the name a second time. “They made a list AND picked a name.”
“What do you think? Do you like it?” Miles asked curiously, as he watched the shorter man flip the notebook closed. “I like it.”
“Honestly?” Gonzalo asked as he looked over the name scribbled across the front of the notebook and laughed.
“Honestly.” Miles said with a laugh as he gently tugged the notebook from Gonzalo’s hands and pressed their lips together.
“Fucking cool.” Kabir said with an appreciative head nod as Andrés continued to explain his plans for an impending robot competition.
“It’s…not that cool.” Andrés said with a shy laugh.
“Yes it is and I know for a fact you’re going to win.” Kabir said confidently as she rose to her feet.
“Well…uh…maybe you’d like to come…to the competition?” Andrés suggested.
“Is that an invitation?” Kabir asked lightly, cutting her eyes in his direction, making his stomach flop.
“It is.” Andrés said nervously clearing his throat.
“Really? I’d love to.” Kabir said with a happy laugh as she handed Andrés her phone.
Ignacio’s brows shot into his hairline.
“We’re in different dimensions, so you’ll have to tell me like a week in advance.” Kabir said as Andrés quickly typed his number into her phone.
“Ok.” Andrés said with a smile as he handed the phone back to Kabir. “Text me later?”
“Text you later.” Kabir said with a smile that made Andrés’s heart flutter.
“Cool.” Andrés said as she stepped out of the den, her mind on sleep as she dragged her comforter back into her bedroom.
“Dude what the fuck?” Ignacio snapped as soon as Kabir was out of ear shot.
“Thanks for NOT cock blocking.” Andrés said dryly as he met his brother’s gaze. “This time.”
“Summer he’s out of CONTROL.” Ignacio hissed into the phone, over his baby bother’s hormonal antics.
“You better talk to him.”
“Talk about what?” Gwen asked annoyed as she stepped out of the shower, Peter’s ghostly presence fogging up her mood.
“Why are you STILL here?”
“Because you took enough meds to see me for a week.” Peter said with an apologetic smile as he slid open the patio door.
“You should probably see a Doctor.” He added lightly. “Maybe a Therapist.”
Gwen shot Peter a heated look.
“Or not.” He added lightly as he stepped outside.
“Fuck meeeeee.” Gwen groaned as she quickly dressed and pulled a beanie over her head.
She grabbed her phone from the dresser and selected Margo’s name, quickly shooting her a text and sliding the phone into her back pocket.
She slipped her feet into her crocs and stepped onto the patio, her eyes growing wide as she watched Peter light a cigarette.
“Take a picture or no one will believe you.” He said with an airy laugh as he inhaled.
“Since when do you smoke?” Gwen squawked.
“You don’t smoke.”
“Since before the accident.” He said lightly as a gentle breeze blew by, ruffling his hair and sending his smoke clouds scattering.
“Accident?” Gwen asked with confusion, before it hit her. “You…mean the day you-“
“Yup. An accident.” Peter hummed as Gwen looked at the dark sky unconvinced she wasn’t the one to blame.
“Peter…that wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“I know. That’s why I said it was an accident.” Peter repeated slightly annoyed.
“STOP blaming yourself for something I did.” Peter said evenly, his brown eyes burning with an intensity she couldn’t understand.
Gwen opened her mouth to protest, Peter’s stern voice quickly cutting off room for argument.
“IT WAS AN ACCIDENT GWEN!” Peter snapped. “DID YOU FORGET WHAT I LOOKED LIKE BEFORE I DIED?!”
Gwen didn’t respond, her mind too warped with guilt to offer a reasonable rebuttal.
Accident or not…
Lizard or human.
It would always be here fault.
Gwen cleared her throat uncomfortably and looked away.
She didn’t want to talk about it.
Not now.
Not tomorrow.
Not next month in therapy.
Not ever.
“I know you don’t believe me.” Peter sighed with resignation as he looked over the balcony, taking in the scenery and other small businesses around them. “But…please try.”
“How can I…when your-“ Gwen trailed off abruptly.
“Say it.” Peter encouraged. “It won’t hurt.”
Gwen hesitated.
Discomfort bubbling up throat as the seconds ticked by.
“Just say I died.” Peter said pointedly, making her shake her head no uncomfortably.
Peter sighed as he brought the cigarette back to his lips. “Move on Gwen-it wasn’t your fault.”
“Whose fault was it then?” Gwen asked softly, her voice just above a whisper.
“It was mine.” Peter said evenly as he tossed the cigarette over the balcony, blanketing them in loaded silence.
Noir pulled his phone from his pocket, quickly checking the location of Hobie and Pav, his finger hovering above the call button as Summer stepped into the hall.
“Hey.” Noir said as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. “How is your Dad?”
“No change, huh?” Ignacio asked the Nurse as she changed Miguel’s blankets and shook her head.
Ignacio sighed as the woman stepped out of the room, his eyes roaming the face of his father.
“I hope you wake up soon.” Ignacio said as he grabbed a blanket and took a seat across the room, his mind heavy with concerning thoughts of the future.
“I can’t believe this is happening.” He exhaled shakily as he pulled his phone from his pocket, upset he’d opted to return to the hospital.
“I hope Summer is having better luck than me.” He mused as he shot his sister another text.
Andrés wordlessly brushed the hair from his mother’s face, his concern motivating him to adjust and retuck the blankets around her.
“How’s she doing?” Summer asked as she stepped into the room, she winced as the sad scent of her brother hit her full throttle. “No change, huh?”
“Nope.” Andrés said as he stepped away from the bed, his eyes sliding to the dimly lit fireplace across the room.
“That sucks…but atleast she’ll wake up soon.” Summer sighed.
“Hopefully before Dad.” She added as she watched Andrés toss a piece of wood into the dimming fire.
“Hopefully.” Andrés said solemnly, his eyes boring into the fire as he slid his hands into his pockets.
“If NOT we’re totally orphans.”
Summer’s face dropped. “Don’t even joke like that!”
“I wasn’t joking.” Andrés said as his eyes slid onto his sister.
“Please DON’T.” Summer said evenly, dread crawling up her throat as Andrés held her gaze, his green eyes sharp.
“Don’t what?”
“You know what.” Summer said dryly as she took a seat at the foot of the bed, her arms crossing over her chest. “That thing where you asses the situation like a robot-“
“Dad has NO immediate family and Mom’s parents are too OLD to take care of us.” Andrés pointed out dryly.
“Sorry to always be the bearer of bad news.” He said with an eye roll. “I work better with facts NOT feelings.”
“Ah..that reminds me.” Summer said as she tossed her brother a disapproving look.
“Ugh. What now?” Andrés asked breaking their gaze and turning his attention back to the meager flame, idly poking at the fire, preparing for an unwanted lecture.
“Do I need to have a chat with you about the birds and bees?”
“WHAT?! NO!” Andrés snapped, his eyes on his sister as his cheeks grew red with embarrassment.
“What the fuck did Ignacio tell you?!”
“That your STILL drooling over girls older than you and starting fights.” Summer said, amusement heavy in her voice.
“I didn’t start the fight.” Andrés mumbled guilty.
“But you were drooling?”
Andrés shot his sister an annoyed look.
“I wasn’t drooling.” Andrés hissed, ready to send Ignacio a colorful text for snitching.
“Besides…she GAVE me her number.” Andrés said proudly, catching his sister off guard.
“Why the hell would she do that?” Peter asked in shock as he continued to paint his toenails.
“Look…I don’t know WHY she did it.” Gwen sighed as she collapsed in bed beside Peter, messing up his perfect coat of clear polish.
“But now my Therapist is all like-maybe we need a break. Like what the fuck.”
Peter whistled. “Damn your life is full of drama.”
“You’re NOT helping.” Gwen complained into her pillow, making Peter hum with consideration as a thought crossed his mind.
“Sooooo…your Therapist dumped you?”
“I hate my life.” Peni sighed as she stepped out of the basement, her eyes on her phone.
No new notifications.
No new calls.
Nothing from Gwen or Margo.
“They won’t answer my calls.” Peni said softly, a tear rolling down her cheek as she hesitated in front of the room door.
Did she really want to be alone with her thoughts?
“Absolutely not.” Peni said as she pivoted on her heels and bumped into a half asleep Pav.
“Ouch.” Pav whined rubbing his shoulder as he walked around Peni, the faint scent of cherries clinging to his sweater.
“Were you with Margo?” Peni asked softly, stopping him mid stride.
“I was.” Pav said with a yawn as he turned toward her.
“Is she…ok? “
“She’s fine.” Pav said after a moment, his eyes searching her face as if he wanted to say more.
“Is she-“
“Her and Wei are fine.” Pav interrupted, exhaustion shoving past his usually pleasant demeanor.
“I…tried calling her but…” Peni trailed off fretting with the rings on her finger.
“She’s upset with you.” Pav said evenly, ready to crawl into bed. “I think you should give her some space.”
Peni inhaled sharply. There was that word again.
“Scoot over.” Margo said as she pushed Hobie and Wei into their respective sides of the pullout mattress.
Margo shook her head as she tucked the blankets around Wei, her eyes sliding to Hobie as he happily continued to snore.
“Where did Pav go?” Margo questioned as her eyes roamed the empty living room.
“You NEED to give BOTH of them space and time to process what YOU did.” Pav said point blank.
“Why am I sensing animosity?” Peni asked, starting to grow irritated with his underlined tone.
“That’s just judgement.” Pav said with a smile, immediately pissing the Beta off.
“Excuse me?” Peni snapped.
“You were just having a mental breakdown three minutes ago because Hobie wouldn’t hold your hand.”
Pav’s brows slid into his hairline, shock quickly flickering across his handsome face before rage settled across his shoulders.
“I KNOW you’re upset-but this is YOU’RE fault.”
Pav said evenly. “The CONSEQUENCE of impulsive actions-“
“IMPULSIVE?!” Peni snapped, growing louder with annoyance. “YOU can’t call anyone impulsive.”
“You’re the most impulsive and NEEDY person in this house!” Peni yelled, ready for confrontation, desperately itching for a distraction.
“You do NOT want to do this.” Pav warned dryly.
Noir pulled his gloves from his hands, his ears catching the start of a heated argument in the opposite direction.
He followed the voices, his eyes quickly landing on Pav and Peni, seconds away from a screaming match.
“You got a lot of fucking nerve.” Pav snapped, the bands on his bracelets angrily bumping together.
“Ok guys…let’s just CALM DOWN.” Noir said as he stepped into the argument, unhappy he had to play peace keeper before his classes.
“You tell HIM to CALM DOWN!!” Peni snapped, making Pav narrow his eyes.
“What’s going on?” Noir asked, hoping to quickly de-escalate the situation.
“NOTHING-just watching a friend spiral out of control and disrespect her partners on the way down.” Pav said dryly as he pulled his eyes away from Peni.
“Spiral out of control?!” Peni squawked, her cheeks growing dark with color.
“How fucking dare you.” Peni snapped as she stepped forward, bumping into Noir’s back.
“Well you are-aren’t you?” Pav asked harshly, his dark brown eyes burning.
Noir’s eyes widened, he knew that look all too well.
“Pav wait-“
“You fired Gwen’s therapist without SPEAKING to Gwen about it and then you turn around and be a neglectful parent.”
Noir’s brows shot into his hairline, his eyes bouncing from Pav to Peni.
“When was the last time you watched your baby? The last time you actually spent time with your family and didn’t cause an argument?” Pav continued harshly, rapidly shooting out personal questions.
“Shit.” Noir mumbled as Peni stood rooted in place, her expression blank before she stepped around him, her small frame slipping past him with ease, her arm held high and fingers spread wide as she swung.
Her hand connected with Pav’s cheek, the loud sound echoing throughout the hallway, blanketing two of the three in shock as Pav cupped his burning cheek in surprise.
“YOU HIT ME.”
“DONT you ever fucking talk about things you don’t understand.” Peni said dryly, offering no apology.
“Ok…everyone let’s just breathe. Maybe even count to ten.” Noir encouraged as he took a deep breath, trying to convince the others to join in as his eyes knowingly locked on Pav.
The angry scent floating from the smaller
Alpha’s pores intensified, his rage and amusement floating hand and hand as he spoke, his voice eerily calm and devoid of emotion.
“Get the FUCK OUT my fucking house.”
Chapter 10: Lawless behavior
Notes:
Happy holidays…I guess.
Chapter Text
“Gladly.” Peni said with indifference as she spun on her heels and headed back toward her room, her shoulders and head held high with irritation.
“Can you believe she slapped me?!” Pav asked Noir, still in disbelief.
“I tried to stop you before you got started.” Noir said as he dragged Pav into their shared bedroom, annoyance heavy in his fingers as he snatched the first aid kit from the bathroom.
“But NO-you didn’t listen.” Noir said dryly as he grabbed several items.
“You started an argument and she ended it.”
Kabir laughed as she watched another video of Andrés tinkering with a robot, his face stoic as the machine caught fire.
“This isn’t my fault.” He said evenly making his classmates laugh as the blazing robot started to dance.
“Soooooo many videos.” She hummed amused as she dragged her finger across the screen, skimming through the endless videos and pictures on instagram.
Andrés pulled his phone from his pocket, his cheeks turning pink as his phone vibrated with several notifications, Kabir’s name popping up under multiple liked videos.
He cleared his throat as he clicked on her profile, slowly looking through her few sporadic posts, his interest steady growing as he clicked on a video of her playing piano.
With her eyes closed and her hair piled high in scarf, a blissful smile plastered across her pretty face as her fingers danced across the keys.
He clicked on another video, his eyes sliding to her fingers as she gracefully tugged on the strings of a harp, the same blissful look on her face as the tempo suddenly quickened, laughter spilling from her lips as her oversized sweater slowly slinked down her shoulder, exposing lush brown skin.
“Not enough videos.” He said as dragged his finger down the screen, his attention sliding to a picture of her dressed head to toe in vibrant traditional clothing, her hazel eyes more distracting than the colorful jewelry that wrapped around her neck and hung from her ears and nose.
He took his time looking at her photos, his brows creasing together with annoyance as he began to question why she had an interest in a guy half her height.
Khalid groaned, digging his face into the pillows as his phone rang and rang, the private number persistently pissing him off until he snatched the phone from the nightstand and answered. “Hello?”
“Get up we’re GOING to mosque. You need to beg Allah for forgiveness.”
Khalid sat up, his eyes opening wide as he climbed out of bed, nearly tripping over his shoes as his grand father’s voice grew louder.
“You have five minutes-before I come get you.” He said thickly as he disconnected the line, sparking unease up the teen’s chest as his mother’s ringtone started to play.
“What’s with the face?” Summer asked as she pulled her socks from her feet.
“Nothing.” Andrés lied as he clicked out of Instagram, his thumb flying across the screen as he opened his text messages.
“Liar.” Summer teased as she climbed in bed beside their mother. “It’s a girl, isn’t it? The tall one with pretty eyes?”
Andrés’s thumb stopped moving, his eyes meeting Summer’s.
“I’ve never seen you pay attention to girls until now.” Summer added with a bored yawn.
Andrés cleared his throat and said nothing.
“I was beginning to think…I was the ONLY straight one.” She teased, making Andrés roll his eyes.
“She has a boyfriend AND you STILL asked her out. That’s insane.” Summer added with a laugh.
“She deserves better and better is me.” Andrés casually stated as he locked his phone screen and tossed another log into the fire.
“So confident.” Summer snorted as she turned on her side, her eyes sliding to the clock above the door.
“Wait? WHAT-you’re HERE?!” Khalid asked as he shoved one leg into a pair of jeans, nearly tumbling over as he shoved all his belongings back into his backpack, the phone pressed between his shoulder and ear.
“Just give me a second to get dressed-WHAT do you mean you brought James?” Khalid hissed into the phone as he zipped his pants and grabbed his jacket.
Dread dropped to the pit of his stomach as he rushed down the hallway, his backpack nearly sliding off his arm and onto the floor as he franticly knocked on Kabir’s door.
“What is it?” Kabir asked as she paused the video, her eyes sliding to the door as she rose to her feet and tossed her phone onto the bed.
“Heyyyyyy… “ She trailed off as she pulled open the door, unsure of the vibe as she quickly took in Khalid’s hastily assembled outfit. “Going somewhere…in my Hello Kitty sweater?”
“I should have fucking stayed at Margo’s.” Pav whined as he studied his face in the mirror, ignoring Noir’s offers of assistance.
“Would you like an ice pack?” Noir asked with a tired sigh as he slid the first aid kit back under the bathroom sink, his mind shifting focus to their missing half.
“No I don’t want an ice pack.” Pav said rudely as he turned on the water ready for a new topic.
“How…is he?” Noir asked lightly, his mind floating to the almost empty medicine bottle.
“Mmmh?” Pav asked as he splashed his face with water. “Avoidant as always.”
“Any…more migraines?” Noir asked as he took a seat on the closed toilet seat, his eyes sliding to the mini book shelf packed with his personal favorites.
“If he has…he’s hid it from me.” Pav said as he grabbed a face towel from the cabinet.
“But I’m pretty sure he’s staying with Margo to avoid talks of going to the Doctor.” Pav added with an eye roll as he cleaned his face.
“Of course.” Noir sighed unsurprised as he leaned backward, his eyes closing as he rested his head against the wall.
“Even after all this time-getting him to open up is STILL like pulling teeth.” Noir lamented as he dragged his hands down his thighs and onto his knees.
“Nothing new.” Pav said as he turned to Noir and pressed his lips to his forehead.
“He’s going to the Doctor one way or another.” Pav chimed, his bracelets singing together in agreement as he pulled Noir from the toilet seat and onto his feet.
Noir’s arms instinctively wrapped around Pav’s waist, crotch to crotch, hazel and brown locked together as he crashed their lips together.
Pav melted in the embrace, his arms tighting around Noir as he returned the affection, the kiss making him breathless as the taller man slowly pulled away.
“I missed you.” Noir admitted softly as he held the Alpha’s gaze.
“I’m sorry.” Pav said quickly, his hands sliding to Noir’s chest as his apology continued, the stress of the last few days seeping from his shoulders as Noir patiently listened, not bothering to interrupt as he pressed a series of encouraging kisses along Pav’s inner wrist.
“I accept your apology.” Noir said softly, his eyes closing as he pressed another kiss to Pav’s wrist. “I’m glad you came back to us safe.”
Pav shakily smiled, their link warming with love as Noir slowly trailed his lips up Pav’s inner arm.
“I’m glad YOU came back safe.” Pav hummed as the feverish kisses continued, waking his body with arousal. “Look at you, saving the day.”
“Can’t believe I rescued Miguel today.” Noir groaned as he slowly pulled away, his hand sliding between them and wrapping around Pav’s stiff arousal.
Pav inhaled sharply, biting his bottom lip, his body heating with desire as Noir’s eyes slid to his watch.
“You…are lucky I have class this morning.” Noir exhaled deeply, shoving away his desire to drag the smaller man into the sheets. “I’m running late.”
“I’m confused-SLOW down.” Kabir said as she followed Khalid down the hallway and into the living room.
“What’s going on?” Kabir snapped as his hand touched the door knob.
“My grand father is here…I have to go.” Khalid repeated unhappily as he turned around and met her gaze.
“Will I see you later…orrr..?” Kabir trailed off awkwardly, still not understanding, confusion heavy in her tone.
“I…I don’t know.” Khalid said honestly as he adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
“What?” She asked her brows creasing together.
“With my parents…getting arrested-and me being a minor…” Khalid trailed off looking away, his eyes downcast as he struggled to speak.
“I have to…go live with extended family until everything is handled.” He concluded, reminding her of the looming legal battles their parents would be having.
“Oh…that’s…it’ll be ok.” Kabir fumbled, unsure what to say or do about the situation as a horn started to aggressively blow outside the house.
“I’m sure we can make this work.” She offered, trying to be optimistic.
“I don’t think we can.” He said softly, his voice nearly a whisper.
“What are you saying?” Kabir asked nervously, her eyes roaming his face for answers. “Do you NOT want to be with me?”
“I…that’s not what I’m saying.” He replied weakly, the situation shoving him aggressively into the headspace of helplessness.
He couldn’t do anything.
Couldn’t fix anything.
“Well…we can MAKE it work.” Kabir quickly stated, her certainty unshared as he shook his head no.
Andrés stepped into the living room, his eyes slowly sliding to the couple as they stood in front of the door, engaged in a tense conversation.
Andrés leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, his curiosity turning to irritation as he watched Khalid explode, his voice rising.
“NO it WONT!” Khalid snapped startling Kabir, his optimism nonexistent as she reached for him, her hand bumping into the sleeve of his jacket.
“Calm down.” She said gently as she grabbed his hand. “You’re just upset and-“
“I’m being shipped to my grand father’s and he’s…worse than my mom.” Khalid blurted.
“What do you mean?” Kabir asked taken aback as knuckles connected to the door repeatedly, further upsetting Khalid as he yanked his hand out of her’s.
“I’m apparently grounded for breaking James’s nose.” Khalid filled in, running his hand down his face tiredly.
Kabir frowned.
“That’s stupid.” She stated drying, trying to ignore the pang of hurt that fluttered in her chest as she looked down at her rejected hand.
“Why would HE ground you? James attacked us-“
“Because he’s WORSE than my Mom.” Khalid repeated sharply, holding her gaze.
“He’s going to take my phone, make me change my number and schools then he’s going to force me to recite the Qur'an night and day.” Khalid explained, irritation ripe in his voice.
“Until he’s satisfied.” Khalid spat, refusing to engage the triggering flash back the conversation was unearthing.
“Apparently I’ve fallen for worldly temptations and picked a girl over family-“
“What?!” Kabir interrupted, her eyes watering as the situation continued to escalate toward shit.
“I have to go…I’m late for mosque.” Khalid said stepping away as the beeping continued, his irritation sliding to embarrassment as his eyes met Andrés’s.
His green eyes practically glowing with glee as he watched the break down of their relationship.
Noir frowned as he pulled away from Pav, the loud sound of erratic beeping interrupting the vibe of the bedroom as he stormed into the hallway , brushing past Andrés and ignoring the teens as he yanked open the front door, his eyes landing on James and an elderly man with wrinkled skin and white facial hair.
Andrés wordlessly watched everything unfold, his eyes sliding to the teen at the door with a bandaged nose and back onto Khalid curiously.
He looked smaller than usual, with his fists clenched at his sides and his eyes downcast.
He favored the old man, both of them sharing the same cashew complexion and dark eyes.
“Morning, how can I help you ?” Noir asked, struggling to maintain his composure as his sharp eyes slid onto James distastefully.
“I’m sensing some animosity.” Andrés noted wistfully as he bit into an apple.
“I’m here-Gwen are you ok?” Margo asked breathlessly as soon as the door opened, her hands reaching for the Beta and pulling her into her arms.
“I came as soon as I could.” Margo said as she slowly pulled away, her ember eyes searching Gwen’s face.
“I’m…ok. I think.” Gwen said slowly, her eyes on Margo’s, a soft smile floating to her lips as she wrapped her arms around the other woman, stress unraveling from her body as Margo pressed a slow kiss to her hairline.
Questions slowly falling from her lips as she looked around the room, quickly taking notice of its disastrous state.
“What’s going on?” Margo asked softly, her voice devoid of judgment. “Did…you…have an episode?”
Gwen’s brows slid into her hairline in surprise.
Is that what that was?
An episode?
Her mind raging as her body moved on autopilot, tearing through the room and displacing furniture.
Gwen cleared her throat uncomfortably.
“I spoke to Eric last night and-“
“You did?” Gwen asked in surprise as she took a step back, the situation with Peni still hot on her mind. “Why’d you do that?”
“What?” Margo asked, her brows lifting in surprise. “Because I’m WORRIED about you!”
“Oh…”
“Gwen-I went to see Eric to ASK him what I could I DO to help you? Make you happy? Make you feel safe and not like you have to move out and deal with hard things on your own.” Margo hiccuped, fighting back tears.
“Margo I-“ Guilt sliced through Gwen, making her feel like an idiot for assuming the worst of her partner as her sentence faltered, screeching to a halt as she watch Margo brush away a stray tear.
“Why’d you drop your location?” Margo asked clearing her throat, her eyes sliding to the overflowing suitcase tossed carelessly across the blades of the ceiling fan. “ Do you need to come home-“
“I missed you.” Gwen interrupted softly, not bothering to address the other questions as she cup Margo’s cheeks, attempting to brush away sadness with her thumbs, the comforting scent of cherries wrapping around them.
“I just needed to see you…I feel-like I’m going crazy.” Gwen confessed, her eyes sliding to Peter as he curiously observed from the patio, lit cigarette in hand.
“You aren’t crazy.” Margo said firmly as she pressed her forehead to Gwen’s, softly demanding her attention.
“Yes.You. Are.” Peter mouthed, making Gwen frown.
“You’re the MOST sane person I know.” Margo admitted truthfully, a whisper of a smile sliding to her lips. “Sometimes you just get overwhelmed.”
“Maybe I AM crazy.” Peni contemplated out loud as she stepped through the portal and into her bedroom, the scent of cherries pleasantly filling her nose.
“God I missed being home.” She said as she grabbed the mail from the counter and flipped through it, her suitcase rolling close behind her as she walked through the house.
“Margo? Wei?” She called as she placed the stack of mail onto the dresser and tossed her suitcase on the bed.
The silence seeming to grow louder as she proceeded to check each room of the house.
“Hello?!” She called as she pulled open the bathroom door, the frown on her face deepening as an unsatisfactory thought crossed her mind, sparking her to search faster.
She stepped into the living room, her eyes sliding to the neatly folded blankets stacked on the couch. “Hel-“
“Welcome home.” Hobie yawned lazily as he stepped into the living room and plucked two empty bowls from the table.
“Why are you so loud so early?” He asked, his sock covered feet quickly sliding him back toward the kitchen.
“ Soooo you heard me and didn’t say anything?” Peni asked, her eyes sliding toward the kitchen entrance with annoyance.
“Where’s Margo?” Peni asked not bothering to offer a greeting as she watched Wei crawl into the living room, his face lighting up with joy as she quickly scooped him from the floor.
“Obviously not here.” Hobie said with an eye roll as he peeked his head from the kitchen.
“I missed youuuuuuu.” Peni cooed ignoring him as she kissed Wei’s cheek, her mood lifting as she plopped on the couch beside the blankets.
Gonzalo hummed softly, his fingers parting Miles’s hair into neat sections, his mood in a better place as he listened to the twins argue about sharing a room with a new born.
Marianna held no interest in hearing her new sibling cry through out the night.
“Not all babies cry like that.” Matéo argued, his mind unchanged by his sister’s list of complaints.
Marianna waved a dismissive hand in the air as she responded.
“What if the baby poops and it makes the entire room stank?”
Matéo considered the question, Miles’s laughter swiftly interrupting the argument.
“What if I want the baby in the room with me?” Miles asked lightly, attempting to join the conversation.
Both children frowned before turning back to their argument.
“We could just add an airwhick or something.” Matéo reasoned.
“They totally ignored me.” Miles whined as Gonzalo started to braid his hair.
“Yet you want more.” Gonzalo said shaking his head as his fingers started to move faster.
“How can you not?” Miles asked with a genuine
laugh as he leaned backward, lifting his elbows above Gonzalo’s knees as he planted himself comfortably between his thighs.
“I’ve always wanted a big family.” Miles said lightly, his eyes closing as Gonzalo’s fingers moved through his hair.
“I know.” Gonzalo said as he grabbed the comb.
“You harass me about it every chance you get.”
“I do not!” Miles said with a laugh as Gonzalo shook his head and tried not to laugh, his fingers quickly completing the braid.
“Remember when we told Pav we were having twins and he fainted?” Gonzalo snickered, remembering the look of absolute shock the Alpha held before hitting the floor.
“Good times.” He added, making Miles snort.
“I’m hungry.” Marianna mused as she turned away from the tv, her stomach growling.
“I want cereal.” She added quickly.
“You’re always hungry.” Matéo replied boredly as he rapidly flipped through the channels.
“So rude.” Marianna said with a frown as the opening to Dragon Tales started to play, her
eyes slowly sliding to her brother as his stomach loudly growled.
Gonzalo laughed, the sharp sound of his ringing phone butting into the atmosphere.
“ I got it.” Mariana announced as she snatched the phone from the dresser and tossed it to Miles.
“I really thought she was going to answer.”
Miles laughed as he handed the phone to his other half, repeating his daughter’s actions and making Gonzalo roll his eyes as he answered.
“Hello, my DAUGHTER called and informed me of the situation.” The older man said tensely as James hovered akwardly behind him, refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.
“That’s NOT weird.” Andrés said dryly, quickly piecing together the situation.
“I’ll be TAKING my grand son home-NOW.” The old man added harshly, his accent thick with disappointment.
“Right.” Noir said, his hand squeezing the door knob as he turned his attention toward Khalid.
“Do you have all of your things?”
“I do.” Khalid said evenly, his eyes locked on his grand father, he swallowed nervously, dread making him nauseous as he felt the heat of rage floating from the senior’s pores.
“So THIS is the one at the center of all this?” His grand father asked as he broke their gaze, his eyes burning into Kabir.
“I was expecting something different.” He admitted after a moment, his eyes roaming her face curiously.
“No, James is.” Kabir corrected quickly, her finger pointing at the teen, making him awkwardly shuffle behind the old man.
“I see.” He said with a frown as he took in her casual home attire, her exposed shoulder, and short shorts quickly filling him with disdain.
“Is there ANYTHING else we can help you with?” Noir asked sharply, stepping into his line of sight.
“No.” The man said dryly as he turned away abruptly, James glued to his side as he headed back toward the car.
“Khalid say your goodbyes, you have three minutes.” He called over his shoulder as he avoided patches of black ice, James at his side, his eyes glued to Kabir a moment before turning away.
“Looks like he bailed out your Mom.” Noir pointed out, his eyes meeting Amulya’s as she shot him the finger from the passenger seat of the car.
“Today just keeps getting better and better.” He concluded dryly as he shut the door.
“I’m sorry about all of this.” Khalid said softly as he reached for Kabir’s hands, his eyes on their linked fingers.
“My family is…crazy.” Khalid sighed, fighting back sorrow as an unsettling thought took root in his mind.
“I’m unsure when I’ll get to see you again…or talk to you.” He confessed shakily, his voice cracking with despair.
Kabir inhaled sharply, her eyes sliding to her father.
“Fine. I’ll give you some privacy.” Noir said quickly as he exited the living room, in search of his car keys.
“You are so nosey.” Summer sighed as she stepped beside her brother, a bowl of Frosted Flakes in her hand.
“I know.” Andrés said unbothered as he watched Khalid fumble through his goodbye.
Summer rolled her eyes, unsurprised by his behavior as she scooped a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
“As soon as he leaves-I’m asking her out.”Andrés stated, making his sister choke on her breakfast as they watched the front door fly of a car open, revealing a thin woman with long hair and judgmental dark eyes.
“IN THE CAR NOW!!” The woman spat as she reached for Khalid, her hand finding his ear and firmly yanking him away from Kabir.
“Khalid!!” Kabir yelled, her eyes sliding onto the woman as she dragged him out of the living room and onto the front porch.
“STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY.” The woman hissed at Kabir, daring her to step foot outside the front door. “YOU LITTLE SLUT!!”
“Wha-what?!” Kabir stuttered with wide eyes, her arms dropping to her sides as the woman held her gaze with contempt.
“I WON’T LET YOU AND THOSE ABOMINATIONS YOU CALL PARENTS DESTROY MY FAMILY.”
Kabir blinked taken aback, tears rimming her eyes.
“What the hell is going on?” Summer asked in shock, nearly dropping her bowl as Noir stormed past her, his scent charged with rage as he quickly crossed the living room and protectively pulled Kabir behind him.
“YOU STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY FAMILY AND GET THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY!!” He commanded, his order sending the woman flying backwards as he slammed the front door.
“A break up.” Andrés answered evenly, his eyes on Kabir as she seemed to shrink from the situation, sadness yanking her backward and filling her with hesitance.
“I…I…didn’t do any of those things.” Kabir said blankly, her eyes rapidly bouncing between her father and the locked front door, wondering how a lie could make her skin itch.
“What?!” Summer squawked her eyes on the father daughter pair as Noir locked the door.
“She’s going to need a shoulder to cry on.” Andrés concluded as he pivoted on his heels and walked away, leaving his sister to watch the train wreck unfolding.
“What’s going on?” Miles asked as soon as Gonzalo hung up, a strange look on his face.
“I have to head to the studio for a meeting.”Gonzalo said in a daze as he finished Miles’s last braid and twisted a rubber band on the end.
“What’s going on?” Miles asked as Gonzalo rose to his feet and stepped toward the closet, quickly slipping on a black pair of jeans.
“Can we stay here?” Matéo asked as he poured more cereal into his bowl, indifferent to the fact he wasn’t supposed to be eatting in the room.
“Yeah, can we stay?” Marianna asked as she took the box from her brother and poured a gracious amount into her bowl.
“What? Why would you two be going?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled a sweater over his head and slipped his feet into a pair of shoes.
“Because you and Dad are going. And you always drag us with you.” Matéo said bluntly as he turned his attention back onto the tv.
“What?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled his hair into a low ponytail. “I’m going alone.”
“I’m dressed and ready to go.” Miles said happily ignoring Gonzalo as he tinkered with the watch on his wrist, purposely not returning his gaze.
Gonzalo sighed as a portal rippled to life across the room.
“Be good. We’ll be right back.” Miles said to the twins as he stepped into the portal, dragging a scoffing Gonzalo behind him.
“I’m glad they’re gone.” Marianna said with an eye roll as she turned up the volume and restarted the episode .
“Miles…DON’T BE WEIRD and standoffish.” Gonzalo pleaded as they stepped into the elevator, his brows creasing together with stress as the elevator climbed higher.
“I DON’T KNOW what you’re talking about.” Miles hummed as he watched the elevator panel light up, the corners of his lips lifting upward as Gonzalo shot him a look.
“Look-don’t worry about me.” Miles said lightly as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.
“Worry about your boss.” Miles said as he slid his hands into his pockets, casually.
“Great.” Gonzalo sighed tiredly as he stepped forward, his eyes landing on a set of golden double doors.
“Nice.” Miles whistled as they grew closer, his eyes sliding to the name plate on the door.
Pav yawned as he crawled out of bed, his lower back aching as he slid his feet into his house shoes.
“There’s never enough hours in the day.” He complained as he washed his face, not bothering to look at his reflection as he grabbed his toothbrush, the sound of a slamming door nearly making him drop the brush in the sink.
“What the hell?” He questioned as he spat in the sink.
Kabir sat her inhaler on the dresser, her nerves still frazzled as she untied her hair, wordlessly watching as it trickled down her back in silky waves.
She closed her eyes and inhaled shakily, Amulya’s words prancing through her mind repetitively.
“This…this…wasn’t my fault.” She said weakly as her phone started to rapidly vibrate across the bed.
Kabir watched as Khalid’s name flashed across the screen, filling her with temporary hope and sparking her forward as she snatched the phone from bed and quickly answered, her finger accidentally bumping the speaker button.
“Khalid are you ok-“
“Listen here you little fast ass girl. “ Amulya snapped, shutting Kabir up as she continued her malicious rant from earlier.
“If you think you’re going to come between my boys, YOU WONT.”
Noir zipped up his coat and stepped outside, his eyes quickly sliding to the fast food trash scattered across his front lawn.
Anger trailed up his spine as he continued
toward his motorcycle, annoyed he’d be picking up trash on his lunch break.
Pav strolled down the hallway, fully dressed and ready to teach a lecture, he skimmed through his notes as he fantasized about what to pack himself for lunch.
He was running late.
“I blame Noir.” He said rudely as he closed his notes and rushed toward the kitchen, the sound of an unpleasant voice catching his attention as he stepped past Kabir’s door.
“James told me what you did.” Amulya hissed.
“Scenting his belongings, and following him around school.”
Kabir’s eye brows shot into her hairline at the accusations. “James is LYING.” She countered.
“You went after Khalid because he’s weak-“
“I NEVER scented any of James’s things! I never followed him around and I picked Khalid because I Like him!” Kabir snapped, anger elevating her tone.
“Did you forget HE BROKE into MY room and was smelling MY clothes?!” Kabir quickly reminded.
“Stop fucking lying!!” Amulya shouted into the phone, indifferent to the truth.
“James would NEVER entertain GIRLS THAT LOOK like you.”
“What…are you trying to say?”
“You KNOW exactly what I’m SAYING.”
Pav stood in front of the cracked door, his ears ringing with rage as the familiar voice registered.
He shoved the bedroom door open, crossed the room in three strides and politely lifted the phone from Kabir’s hand.
“LOOK HERE YOU BITCH- I’M NOT SURE WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOUR TALKING TO-“ Pav growled into the phone, his malicious tone sending a chill up Kabir’s spine as he turned on his heels and stepped into the hallway, closing her bedroom door behind him.
“BUT IT’S NOT MY DAUGHTER.” He continued, his anger from the salacious slap of the morning resurfacing as he verbally ripped into the woman, chastising her relentlessly and shoving all the inappropriate things her son had done back into her face.
Ignacio’s head bobbed as he nodded off, the steady beep of the monitor and slow drip of the iv lulling him to sleep.
“Here.” Andrés said as he bumped his brother’s shoulder with a bag of chips, waking him from his short nap.
Ignacio plucked the bag from his brother’s hand and yawned loudly as he rose from his seat, the thin hospital blanket falling to his feet.
“Go check on Mom.” Andrés suggested as he fiddled with the settings of his watch, quickly summoning a portal across the room.
“Gladly.” Ignacio said as he opened the chip bag and stepped into the portal, glad his stay at the hospital was over.
“Hey Dad.” Andrés said softly as he approached the bed, his foot adjusting the height of the bed and sitting him up.
“You look better.” Andrés noted, his eyes roaming his father’s face before sliding to the monitor.
“Mom hasn’t woken up yet….” Andrés said softly as he stepped across the room and opened the curtains, letting warm light quickly fill the space.
“But I need you to wake up…I NEED to tell you about the things happening in the District.”
He said shakily as he rested his hands on the frame of the bed.
“I’m sorry to interrupt-“ Lyla said lightly as she popped into the room, her voice bare of its usual playfulness. “But I need to update you.”
“What’s going on?” Andrés asked, his eyes lingering on his father’s face a moment longer before turning to Lyla.
“The woman who attacked Miguel and burned down your home has gone missing.”
Andrés’s brow lifted quizzically.
“What? Since when?”
“Since the authorities wisked her away in the ambulance.” Lyla said evenly, several images and videos filling the room.
Andrés’s eyes slid to the closest clip and narrowed.
Several officers from the night of the attack appeared, their movements organized and flustered as a fire truck pulled onto the lawn, rapidly moving in tandem around the stagnant officers.
“That’s not weird.” Andrés said pointing out three officers in particular, seemingly standing still in the center of the chaos as if waiting for something.
“I thought so too.” Lyla said in agreement as the clip changed, the angle of the camera completely different. “So I tracked their movements several hours after leaving the scene.”
“What’d you find?” Andrés asked as a new clip started to play, his eyes widening as he watched the three officers tuck Kim into the back of an ambulance, a black SUV following close behind as they pulled away from the scene.
“No.” He said bumping into the bed, his mind rapidly piecing together the information.
“This may go deeper than we thought.” Lyla sighed, as she pulled up the feed from another camera.
“This was the last time anyone saw or heard from Kim.” Lyla said as an ambulance came into the view, the speed of the ambulance unnecessarily fast as it crossed a bridge, the clip immediately stopping.
Andrés’s brows creased together.
“That wasn’t very much information.”
“Someone erased all camera footage within a five mile radius of your home.” Lyla informed, Andrés swiftly arriving at the same conclusion she had.
“Someone from the District.” He sighed, wishing he’d brought his laptop.
“What a creep.” Ignacio said with a frown as he opened Andrés’s laptop, his eyes immediately landing on Kabir’s instagram page.
Summer snorted unsurprised.
“He told me…he’s going to ask her out soon.” Summer informed, nearly making her brother drop the laptop.
“What?! She has a boyfriend!”
“She HAD a boyfriend.” Summer corrected.
“What the hell happened in the few hours I was gone?” Ignacio asked as he closed the laptop and turned toward his sister, committing his full attention.
“Well…let’s just say…Khalid is NO longer in the picture.” Summer hummed, suppressing laughter as Ignacio’s jaw dropped.
“…I wasn’t even sure if he liked girls.” Ignacio said in shock. “He usually IGNORES everyone equally.”
“It’s kinda cute.” Summer said crossing her legs as she lazily scrolled through social media.
“His FIRST crush.”
Hobie stretched as he stepped out of the portal and into his bedroom, a smile sliding to his full lips as he fell into bed, ready to continue his nap.
He slipped off his shoes and pulled the band from his hair, a happy sigh leaving his lips as he reached under the night stand and pulled out a bottle of wine.
“What a wonderful day to be an adult.” He hummed as he pulled the cork from the bottle and brought the bottle to his lips.
“I’VE HAD IT WITH THIS RACIST CRAZY ASS FAMILY.” Pav yelled as he kicked open the bedroom door, nearly making Hobie spit out his liquor in surprise.
“What’s going on?” He asked quickly putting away the bottle.
“Class is cancelled due to a family emergency.” Noir announced to the class as he grabbed his keys.
“I’ll see you next week, same time.” He said with a wave, leaving the building as quick as he’d entered it.
He couldn’t focus on teaching.
“I don’t want THOSE people any where NEAR my family.”
He concluded as he swung his leg across his bike, a pleasant chill ruffling his hair as he grabbed his helmet.
“Those people are fucking insane.” Hobie said dryly as he took a seat beside Pav, shaking his head in disgust.
“Then-Khalid’s mom had the NERVE to call Kabir’s phone blaming her for all the shit James did!”
“Yeahhhhhhh…I don’t want them anywhere near us.” Hobie said quickly. “I know Khalid’s a good kid…but his family is-“ He trailed off not wanting to continue.
“Kabir deserves BETTER.” Pav hissed.
“I completely agree.” Hobie said as he pulled the socks from his feet and tossed them into the clothes hamper.
“I…just hope she isn’t too heart broken over this.” Pav sighed tiredly, glad he’d opted to cancel his morning lecture.
Kabir sat in silence, refusing to cry as she lifted the bookmark Khalid had given her into the air, memorizing each little detail before she shoved it into the bottom of her dresser drawer.
“That…ended as soon as it started.” She sighed as she rose to her feet and stepped into her closet, quickly finding a new distraction.
“I’ll go check on her.” Hobie offered as he rose from bed and exited the room before Pav could respond, the sound of loud somber music catching his attention as he stepped into the hallway.
He knocked lightly on her door before pushing it open. “Everything ok Lovely?”
“Not really. But it will be eventually.” Kabir admitted honestly with a heavy sigh.
“Dada told me what happened.” Hobie said gently as he took a seat beside a pile of clothes thrown across the bed, wordlessly observing as she moved around the room piecing together an outfit.
“I’m all ears if you want to tal-“
“It’s just frustrating.” Kabir huffed, tossing several rings onto the bed.
“I really liked him…but him family is CRAZY. ALL OF THEM.”
“Lovely…I’m so sorry you had to experience this.” Hobie said softly as he pulled a black jewelry box from his pocket. “Your first heart break-“
“I am NOT heart broken.” Kabir clarified quickly as she tossed a pair of striped socks onto the bed.
“I’m just…extremely disappointed.” She corrected sadly, her shoulders slumping.
“Your next love affair will be better.” Hobie promised as Kabir plopped beside him in bed, her eyes sliding to the box in his hand.
Kabir snorted, no longer enthralled at the idea of romance. “What’s this?”
“I was going to wait until midnight tonight…butttttt-I couldn’t wait.” Hobie said with a sincere laugh as he placed the box into Kabir’s hand. “Happy birthday.”
“I must be going crazy.” Peni exhaled as she locked the bedroom door, the sound of tiny hands pulling on the door handle, and tiny feet kicking the door.
She wanted to scream.
She’d never spent this much time alone with Wei before.
No buffers.
No breaks.
No Margo.
No Gwen.
She’d ignored their complaints, filtering out the things she’d deemed important and irrelevant, selfishly lost in her word of tech as the list of complaints morphed into pages of grievances.
Peni exhaled shakily, she needed sleep.
She’d been up twenty four hours straight.
She jumped as Wei’s sharp cries slipped through the door, pulling her from her thoughts of exhaustion and back into the room, she sighed as she unlocked the door and scooped Wei from the floor, his face red with frustration and tears as his cries grew louder.
“I’m sorry…I’m here…I’m here.” Peni said softly trying to comfort the infant, his distress only growing as she attempted to wipe away his tears.
She wanted to cry too.
“Well I’m glad you’re ok.” Margo said as she lay awake in bed chatting with Gwen, their hands linked and legs intertwined.
“I think you just needed space to breathe.” Margo added as Gwen slowly opened her eyes and met her gaze. “You take as much time as you need.”
“I miss you and Wei.” Gwen admitted as she attempted to get closer to Margo, the two inches of space between them unneeded as she pulled her closer, burying her face into her chest.
“We miss you too.” Margo said softly as she pressed a kiss to Gwen’s hairline.
“That’s nice to hear.” Gwen sighed happily.
“Anything new?” Margo asked as her eyes slid to the slow spinning ceiling fan above their heads.
Gwen contemplated telling her about Peter.
“I don’t like my new medication.” She said instead, pushing away the thought.
She didn’t want Margo thinking she crazier than she already was.
“Oh? The one that’s supposed to help regulate your moods or the one for depression?”
Margo asked seeking clarification as she ran her fingers through Gwen’s short hair, tickling her ear.
“I didn’t take the first one.” Gwen mumbled.
Margo frowned. “Gwen-“
“I know…I just didn’t want to take two medications at once.” Gwen admitted, her arms tightening around Margo’s waist.
“Why don’t you like the Depression medicine?” Margo asked, her hand rubbing comforting circles across Gwen’s lower back.
“Yeah, why don’t you LIKE it Gwen?” Peter asked from the couch, his brow lifting curiously as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I…it makes me dizzy.” Gwen filled in, earning an eye roll from Peter.
“What else?” Margo and Peter asked in unison, amused laughter floating from his lips as Gwen didn’t respond.
“Where is Wei?” Gwen asked, avoiding the question.
“He’s with Hobie-now finish your thought.” Margo said evenly, patiently waiting for Gwen’s review of the medication.
“Can we talk about something else?” Gwen mumbled into the fabric of Margo’s shirt, earning an annoyed sound from Peter.
Summer reread the text from her baby brother and rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the edge of the bed beside Ignacio.
“Yeah so anyway-Mom he’s out of control.” Ignacio said casually as he continued to fill their mother in on the drama, her eyes still closed and her breathing steady as he continued.
“There’s also some weirdo shit happening in the District…I don’t know what’s going on but I’ll find out.”
“Do you think she can hear you?” Marianna asked lightly as she stepped into the room, her wide eyes roaming the walls and slowing sliding onto Jessica’s face curiously.
“Is she sleeping?” Matéo asked from the doorway, his eyes on the steady fire across the room.
“So rude.” Ignacio mumbled under his breath annoyed as he turned toward the children.
“Where are your parents?” Summer asked politely with a smile.
“Thank you so much for agreeing to meet after such short notice.” The older woman said with a smile as Gonzalo and Miles stepped into her large office.
“It’s no problem at all.” Gonzalo said with a smile as he shook her hand and took a seat.
Miles’s eyes wordlessly roamed the room, silently judging as he took in the strange and ostentatious decorations that blanketed the walls unattractively.
“You must be Miles.” The woman said with a smile as she extended a hand toward him.
Miles stared at her hand a moment before shaking it.
“You two look SO much alike.” She said in awe as he pulled his hand away.
“Thanks.” Miles responded dryly as he took a seat beside Gonzalo, his aura uninviting.
The woman stared at him a second longer, as if studying the subtle differences in their hair and eye color.
“So Gina, why’d you call?” Gonzalo asked, bringing the conversation back onto him with ease.
“The incident from the other day…could you fill me in on the details?” She asked as she took a seat at her large sleek desk and smiled.
“Dean told me his side…but I’d like to hear yours.”
“Of course she can hear me.” Ignacio scoffed. “She’s sleep NOT dead.”
“Ignacio be nice.” Summer hissed quickly, making her brother roll his eyes with annoyance as he turned away from the twins.
“Where’s your brother?” Marianna asked, already moving on to a new topic as she skipped through the room.
Ignacio opened his mouth to speak, the sudden emergence of a portal halting his words.
“I need to see my laptop.” Andrés said evenly as he stepped through the portal and plucked the device from his brother’s lap and turned back around the portal swiftly closing behind him.
“Guess that answers that question.”Matéo
murmured to his sister and he walked through the room, his eyes glued to Jessica’s face.
“Oh my…that is unfortunate.” Gina said in shock, her hand pressed to her chest in mock shock.
“He didn’t tell me ANYTHING remotely close to what you said.” She sighed tiredly, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb.
“I’m inclined to believe you.” She sighed pulling a cigarette from a desk drawer.
“My nephew has always been a bit of a trouble maker.” She confessed as she pulled a lighter from her bra.
Miles held back a response, his eyes curiously sliding to Gonzalo.
“You also have a paper trail of complaints against my nephew….dating back months.”
“You mean years.” Gonzalo corrected.
Gina’s brown eyes slid onto Gonzalo as she corrected herself. “Years I mean.”
Miles’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward in his seat, his low voice nearly making her drop the lighter. “He’s also pregnant.”
Gonzalo sighed, sinking into his seat.
This was NOT how he wanted to announce the news.
“What?” She asked dropping the cigarette on her desk.
“Is this true?” She asked in disbelief, her voice barely above a whisper as her eyes slid to Gonzalo’s flat stomach.
“How far along are you?”
“Five months. But due to stress-he hasn’t been gaining weight or sleeping enough.” Miles informed quickly, making Gonzalo’s cheeks darken with color.
“Due to stress…” The woman mused as she leaned back into her seat, mentally going over the situation as a whole.
None of this looked good.
Gonzalo’s documented harassment and the room full of people who watched Dean nearly assault him…
The odds of this quietly going away didn’t seem favorable.
This was grounds for a tremendous lawsuit.
“Is the baby-ok?” She asked after a moment, fear running along her insides as she waited for a response.
“Our baby is fine.” Miles said quickly as he reached for Gonzalo’s hand, intertwining their fingers as he held her gaze.
“This situation with Dean ISN’T.” He added, earning a light squeeze from his partner.
“I understand you’re upset Mr.Morales-“
“Upset?” Miles questioned, unhinged laughter bouncing from his chest as he held the woman’s gaze uncomfortably. “We’re PAST upset.”
“You wanted to speak about the future of the show?” Gonzalo asked evenly, breaking the tense and uncomfortable flow of the room.
“I do.” Gina said with a stressed smile as she lifted an iPad from her desk. “I want to show you something.”
“These are your analytics.” She said as she turned the face of the tablet toward him, grateful for a new topic.
“Here’s a breakdown of your weekly viewer watch and the different age demographics-“
“It’s more than children and seniors?” Gonzalo questioned as his eyes slowly browsed through the information, surprise in his voice.
“To be honest I was very surprised about the Seniors.” Gonzalo said with a laugh as he lifted the tablet from her hand, a smile sliding to his face as he clicked through his profile.
“I’m surprised you DON’T ever check this.” Gina said with a laugh. “You signed in once and never again.”
Miles shook his head unsurprised, any time it came to sign into Max or Hulu, Gonzalo avoided the task until he’d get annoyed and just sign in for him.
“Why do you think college student viewership is so high?” Miles asked curiously, his eyes on the screen.
Gina smiled, her red lipstick smearing across her front two teeth as she spoke.
“It’s simple.” Gina said as she rose from her seat and stepped to the window behind her chair, her hand pulling the string to the blinds as she spoke.
“He’s young, gorgeous and people like the way you speak about art-“ She said proudly revealing a billboard with his face outside the studio.
“It also doesn’t hurt your husband is Spider-Man.” She added with a wink.
Gonzalo’s eyebrows shot into his hairline as he rose to his feet in surprise. “Why is there a billboard with my face on it outside the studio?”
Miles’s eyes slid to Gonzalo as he squeezed his hand, discomfort buzzing across their link as Gonzalo stared uncomfortably at the billboard.
So much for privacy.
“Your show is SO popular that when rumors of last week’s incident leaked to press-“
“LEAKED?!” He interrupted, his obsidian eyes flickering from the window and onto his boss.
“NO ONE OUTSIDE OF THE STUDIO KNEW ABOUT THIS-HOW’D IT LEAK?!”
“It’s OK-“ She said unconvincingly, as she continued talking as if his concerns were minor.
“Your fan base heard you were…hurt on set and reached out to the studio with concerns AND donations-“
“You mean attacked.” Gonzalo corrected dryly as Miles stirred unhappily beside him.
“You bought…a billboard with donation money?” Miles asked evenly, stepping back into conversation as he gently tugged Gonzalo back into his seat.
“Doesn’t matter.” Miles said shaking his head, flabbergasted by her limitless audacity .
“WHY did you invite him here?” Miles asked point blank, over her shit presentation.
“To offer you a pay raise.” Gina said as she released the string to the blinds, her demeanor changing as she took her seat in front of them, pulling a check book from her desk.
“I want to renew your contract for three new seasons, with a cash advance and salary increase along with full creative control.”
Miles’s eyes slid to Gonzalo, curiously watching his expression as he processed the offer.
Gonzalo blinked.
Taken aback by the offer, his mind filling with ideas he’d finally have the funding and control to produce.
From traveling to sharing controversial art, he’d be able to do it all.
“How much will it cost for you NOT to press charges on my idiot nephew?” She asked clicking her pen.
“The plot thickens.” Pav hummed as he turned the page of his romance novel, immersing himself in fantasy as he soaked peacefully in the bath, careful not to spill bubbles over the edge of the tub.
“Are you reading weird interracial octopus porn again?” Noir asked as he stepped into the bathroom and grabbed the liquid soap from the sink and quickly lathered his hands.
“It’s NOT weird.” Pav hissed sinking low in the water, his cheeks rosey with embarrassment.
“But it is interracial octopus porn?” Noir asked with amusement as he grabbed a paper towel and dried his hands.
Pav narrowed his eyes as he closed his book and turned toward Noir. “Why aren’t you teaching?”
“I could ask you the same question.” Noir said as he pulled his shirt over his head and quickly unzipped his pants.
“After dealing with Khalid’s crazy ass family-I didn’t have the energy.” Noir admitted as he climbed into the large bathtub, mindful not to spill any water, his legs bumping into the shorter man’s thighs as he got comfortable.
“Those crazy fucks tossed trash all over the lawn this morning.” Noir informed, making Pav frown.
“I know hate is a strong word.” Noir sighed his eyes sliding to the ceiling. “But I really really…REALLY don’t like them.”
“Same.” Pav sighed. “That woman was terrorizing my baby on the phone earlier.”
“What?” Noir asked grabbing his towel from a nearby rack.
“She came to the door screaming with JAMES AND her FATHER this morning.”
“Ugh…WHAT did we DO to deserve this?” Pav whined as he placed a warm towel over his face.
“Well…more importantly me.” Pav hummed as Noir splashed him with water.
Kabir’s eyes watered as she lifted the tennis bracelet from the box, taking in the tiny spider shaped stones as she unclasped the hook of the bracelet.
“I wanted your first web shooter to be cuter than mine.” Hobie said with a chuckle as he pulled the bracelet from her hand.
“This is a web shooter?” Kabir asked as he closed the bracelet around her wrist.
“It is.” Hobie said with a proud laugh, watching the happy expression blossom across his daughter’s face.
“Aunty Maya helped me make it.” He informed before she could ask.
“How does it work?” She asked with excitement, her eyes sliding to the poster of him in his suit, arm extended toward the sky as he glided between skyscrapers.
“I’ll teach you.” Hobie said as he lifted her arm into the air and tilted her wrist slightly at an angle.
“Yellow diamonds in the light-Now we're standing side by side.” Margo sang loudly with a smile, bumping Gwen with her hip as she prepared lunch.
“As your shadow crosses mine-“ She sang as she slipped on an oven mit and opened the oven, her hips swaying with the beat as she pulled a tray of baked fish and asparagus from the oven.
“You’re not gonna sing it with me?” Margo asked with a pout, making Gwen laugh as the Rihanna song continued, floating blissfully loud from the Bluetooth speaker across the room as she sat the food down.
Gwen shook her head no, an easy smile sliding to her lips as Margo reached for her, tossing the over mit carelessly as the chorus of the song grew louder, their bodies moving in sync to the beat.
Peter curiously watched them from the bar, his head tilted as Margo abruptly pulled away, her smile dropping as she reached for her stomach.
“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked, her arm shifting around Margo and supporting her weight, her worried eyes searching the Beta’s face.
“I’m…fine.” Margo said as her hand slid to the left side of her stomach. “I was just surprised.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Gwen asked as the music stopped, her eyes forward as she slowly guided Margo into the nearest chair, pushing Peter out of the way.
“Is she ok?” Peter asked peeking over Gwen’s shoulder.
“The baby…is kicking.” Margo said with a faint laugh, her eyes closing as she continued to rub her stomach.
“She’s PREGNANT?” Peter asked in shock, his jaw dropping as Gwen pressed as hesitant hand to Margo’s stomach, her eyes growing wide as Margo’s fingers guided her lower.
Gwen’s insides fluttered with awe as she felt the strong repetitive kicks across her fingers, the warmth of Margo’s hand radiating up her arm.
“Wh-who’s baby…is it?” Peter asked as Gwen dropped to her knees and pressed her lips to Margo’s stomach, her eyes closing as she answered.
“Mine.”
“No Wei-that is Mommy’s NOT yours.” Peni said as she tried to pull her watch out of the infant’s mouth, his sharp tooth stabbing through the belt of her watch.
“Ahhh! Wei NO!” Peni said with frustration as he started to laugh, amused at the game of tug of war.
“Why do you put EVERYTHING in your mouth?!“ Peni’s laptop beeped loudly, her eyes sliding to the screen as she sat Wei onto the bed and quickly plucked her laptop from the dresser.
“What is this?” She asked as she clicked on the notification, her eye brows shooting into her hairline as she watched a fire consume a luxury apartment building.
She clicked onto the live feed, her eyes roaming the screen for familiar faces, her eyes growing wide as she watched Xiang get tackled by men in uniform, kicking and screaming as the local authorities consumed the scene.
“She…didn’t…” Peni whispered in disbelief as the camera zoomed in on Xiang’s disgruntled face, her teeth clenched together as she fought back, her fist smashing into an officers face.
“She’s definitely going to jail.” Peni concluded as she watched two officers manhandle her into the back of a cruiser.
Wei dragged his tooth through the belt of the watch, stripping it in two, he bit into the face of the watch, watching as the colors of the screens morphed together before turning black.
Wei tossed the watch on the floor his mind quickly conducting a plan
as he clumsily climbed from bed, his unsteady feet taking him into the bathroom.
His eyes slid onto an electric shaver perched high above his head on the bathroom cabinet, his curiosity rapidly growing as he watched a blinking red light appear on the base of the shaver.
“Are…they still alive?” Peni questioned out loud, her eyes sliding to the incoming news coverage of the incident.
The news woman pushed through the crowd, her microphone bumping into the face of a resident.
“Sir-Hello Tara Banks from channel seventeen.” She said abruptly with a smile as she turned toward the camera.
“Just report the news.” Peni said rolling her eyes.
“Can you tell us what happened?” Tara asked, her smile dropping as the orange haired man snatched the microphone from her hand.
“Damn right I can-that crazy b*tch set the f**king building on fire!” The man yelled, spit flying onto the mic and camera as he spoke.
“Sir please don’t use that kind of language-“ Tara said awkwardly, trying to pull her microphone from his hands.
“Naw! Let me finish my story.” The man snapped as he pushed away her hands, his face turning back toward the camera.
“That woman has been coming here EVERYDAY for the last seven days. I KNOW she DID this.” The man added dryly as the camera panned out to Xiang’s angry face pressed to the window of the cruiser.
“How do you know that?” Tara asked as the camera slid back to them, a new microphone now in her hand. “ Do you have any proof?”
The sound of something dropping followed by Wei’s screaming made Peni dropped her laptop, her feet quickly taking her to the bathroom.
“What’s wrong?” Margo asked as Gwen shoved both their phones under a napkin, her attention quickly returning back to lunch.
Gwen bit into a piece of asparagus and didn’t respond.
“Is Peni still calling us?” Margo asked as she bit into her fish.
“I’m not talking to her.” Gwen stated dismissively as she continued to eat, unbothered.
“What if it’s important?” Peter asked, his eyes sliding to the rapidly vibrating phones in the center of the table.
Gonzalo wordlessly stepped out of the building, conflicting emotions merging throughout his chest as he replayed the meeting in his head.
Had he…taken a bribe?
“Watch your step.” Miles said warmly, gently tugging the smaller man closer to him, practically lifting him over a shallow puddle.
“You ok?” Miles asked, his honey brown eyes searching Gonzalo’s face as he placed him back on his feet.
“You’ve been quiet since we left that weird ass building.”
“I’m…just thinking.” Gonzalo admitted honestly, his eyes sliding toward the charcoal colored sky.
“Are you having second thoughts?” Miles asked gently as he took Gonzalo’s hand, quickly ushering him into a nearby cafe as thunder roared above their heads.
“Do you think…I made the right choice?” Gonzalo asked as Miles placed a cup of hot chocolate into his hand, uncertainty corrupting his tone.
“Mmmh…want me to be honest?” Miles asked as he sipped his drink.
“Preferably.” Gonzalo sighed as he watched his marshmallows bump together before sinking into chocolate.
“I thinkkkkk-you COULD have asked for MORE money.”
“Miles…be serious.” Gonzalo said as he took a sip of his drink.
“I am serious.” Miles said quickly, making Gonzalo roll his eyes.
“Your show got renewed, did you NOT want that to happen?” Miles asked as he took a seat at the nearest table, his eyes sliding to the glass window as he watched rain start to fall.
“I did…” Gonzalo said as he took a seat across from the taller man.
“You also got a raise…did you NOT want that?” Miles asked as he lifted the menu from the table.
“I definitely wanted that.” Gonzalo said with a laugh as Miles handed him a menu.
“You’ve been complaining for months about the material they’ve been giving you.” Miles reminded as he waved over a waitress
“Now you have creative control…did you NOT-“
“Ok I get your point.” Gonzalo interrupted dryly as a woman with dark red hair approached their table.
“Then what’s the problem?” Miles asked with a smile as he greeted the woman and quickly placed their order.
“We should bring French toast back for the twins.” He suggested as he sat the menu flat on the table, his eyes sliding to his other half.
“I feel like I was paid off.” Gonzalo sighed, his hand sliding to the hefty check in his jacket pocket.
“That’s because you were.” Miles confirmed quickly as he took a greedy sip of his drink.
“I’ve been having issues with Dean since I started-“
“True.” Miles interrupted as he sat his cup down, earning a sharp look from the smaller man as he continued.
“But you DESERVE this promotion.”
Gonzalo opened his mouth to speak, his words bumping into his teeth and cartwheeling back into his throat as Miles grabbed his hand and pressed a slow kiss to the ring on his finger.
“You are so amazing and hard working-but you’re so overly critical of yourself…you can’t see it.”
The waitress wordlessly appeared, her smile nervous as she placed the food on the table and quickly walked away.
“I’m not overly critical.” Gonzalo mumbled, his cheeks blooming with color as Miles pressed another kiss to his fingers.
“You’ve had the HIGHEST viewership of any show on the network, consistently for two years.” Miles reminded.
“I know I complain about you working so much…but I’d never stand in the way of something that makes you happy.”
Gonzalo inhaled shakily as he held Miles’s gaze, going nonverbal as the words registered.
“You’ve literally won an Emmy for best children’s show…twice.” Miles reminded loudly, making several bystanders turn their way.
“Yet somehow you don’t know how special you are.”
Gonzalo cleared his throat sheepishly, the sincerity in Miles’s eyes making him feel warm all over, from head to toe, their link buzzing as Miles leaned across the table and pressed their foreheads together.
“I’ll gladly spend the rest of our lives reminding you.” Miles said as he pressed their lips together, indifferent to the onlookers of the cafe and the harsh rain hitting the pavement outside.
Summer stretched as she stepped into the hallway, steam spilling out of the bathroom behind her.
“I feel so refreshed.” She hummed as her back popped.
“Duh, you were in there forty five minutes.” Ignacio pointed out rudely, making his sister toss her damp bath towel into his face.
“Any new updates?” Andrés asked as Lyla flickered into the room with a grim expression.
“Just questionable transactions to foreign officials.” Lyla sighed with disappointment.
“I’ve managed to find ALL the money the Board said Miguel pocketed.”
“Of course you did.” Andrés said as he leaned back in his seat. “You find anything interesting?”
“I did actually.” Lyla sighed as she flicked her wrist, several screens appearing around them.
“This is a photo of the original Board members.” Lyla said as two almost identical pictures floated in front of Andrés.
“I’ve never…seen him before.” Andrés said quickly noticing the tall slender man with dull black eyes on the far right of the photo.
“That is Angelo Richards.” She informed zooming in on the man’s face.
Andrés eyes roamed the man’s face, taking in his dark hair, olive skin tone and wrinkle free face.
“He’s…young.”
“He was fired from the District thirteen years ago.” Lyla said as the picture zoomed out and slid to the current list of Board members.
“For what?” Andrés asked with a lifted brow.
He’d found enough unsavory information on the geriatric group to scar him and scare the public for many lifetimes-yet they remained employed.
“Mmmmh…I couldn’t find anything concrete.” Lyla hummed as she pulled up a profile of the man, several notes listed beside his picture.
“Mostly just rumors.” She concluded.
”Where there’s smoke…there’s usually fire.”
Andrés said absently as his attention turned back to his laptop, his fingers already flying across the keys.
“What are you thinking?” Lyla asked as a video replaced the profile, the news coverage partially grabbing at his attention.
“That there has to be some truth to these rumors.” Andrés said as coverage of his family home burning took over the screen.
“Any particular reason WHY we’re watching my house burn to a crisp?” He asked lightly as he dove through Angelo’s records, breezing through bank statements and sprinting past a speeding ticket, his sharp eyes zeroing in on several cash transactions to a nameless business located in the outskirts of the District.
“I found a list of payments to one of the buildings in the outskirts-but I can’t find who owns the business.”
“What if…Kim doing this was coordinated?” Lyla asked, not answering his question as she zoomed in on the crowd of onlookers, several men in black sprinkled throughout the large group.
Andrés’s mind slid to the backyard, his eyes on Kim as she ripped a piece of her shirt and shoved
it into a glass bottle with her fingers, the action setting off alarm bells in his head as she produced a lighter, her crazed eyes locked on his mother.
“I’m unsure if any of THAT was scripted.” Andrés said clearing his throat as he shoved away the memory. “But it is safe to assume the Board members are hiding her.”
Peni nervously waited in the emergency room lobby, her leg rapidly bouncing as she waited for news.
Goosebumps pebbled her arms as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes bouncing across the sterile hospital walls.
“Why the fuck didn’t I take him to HQ?” Peni wheezed, her chest tightening as Margo’s phone went straight voicemail.
She slid her phone into her pocket, her hand sliding to her bare wrist.
“I feel so naked without my watch.” She said shakily as her eyes slid to the muted tv across the waiting room.
She didn’t even know where her watch was.
Her mind had gone blank the moment she stepped into the bathroom and caught sight of the five month old covered in blood.
His face red with pain and fear as he continued to wail, blood graciously dripping from the fingers of his right hand.
Peni’s eyes searched the bathroom frantically for an explanation, her eyes immediately landing on the electric shaver.
She yanked the cord from the wall and tossed the shaver angrily into the bathtub, Wei’s
elevating cries swiftly setting her in panic mode as she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his bleeding hand.
“Mrs. Parker?” A man with purple hair and a kitty face mask asked as he stepped into the waiting room.
“Yes! That’s me.” Peni said quickly as she rushed from her seat and greeted the man.
“Is he ok?”
“Mrs.Parker…your child severed his pinky and ring finger almost completely off.”
Peni’s eye brows slammed into her hairline.
“Oh my God…”
“He lost a lot of blood as well.” The man said tensely as he pulled down his face mask, his eyes burning distrustfully into Peni.
It was a look she’d seen too often since Wei’s arrival, the hateful gaze usually always tossed at Margo and Gwen from strangers who observed them in public, happily running around with a child that looked nothing like them.
“Your son will need a blood transfusion and you aren’t a match. “
Margo grabbed at her phone, her eyes still closed as she reluctantly answered, sleep heavy in her voice.
“Why do you KEEP calling?” Margo asked with a yawn, her hand sliding to her stomach as she blinked tiredly.
“Don’t hang up on me-please!” Peni said desperately, her eyes nervously sliding to the Doctor as he impatiently waited a few feet away.
“You have fifteen seconds.” Margo said reluctantly as she fluffed her pillow.
“She seems nice.” Peter said as he took a seat on the patio railing, exhaling cigarette smoke deeply from his nose as his eyes slid to the slowly setting sun. “I see why you’re with her.”
“She IS nice.” Gwen stiffly corrected as she lazily stretched, lifting her hands high above her head as her lunch settled, sleepiness tugging at her senses.
“She’s…so many amazing things.” Gwen said with a wistful sigh as her arms dropped to her sides. “I…don’t have to hide who I am from her.”
“Just me?” Peter asked gently, as he turned in Gwen’s direction, pulling an uncomfortable look across her face.
“Peter…she’ll think I’m crazy if I…” Gwen trailed off, a troubling thought crossing her mind as she broke their gaze. “…tell her…I see you.”
She confessed, her thoughts sliding to mandatory Solitary confinement, padded white rooms and daily doses of medication shoved down her throat as she gazed longingly out a window of the nut house.
“Right. Because she doesn’t now.” Peter said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he tossed his still burning cigarette into the parking lot .
Gwen didn’t respond, her hand floating to the door as she slid it open, quickly stepping away from the suffocating atmosphere polluting the air.
“WHAT HAPPENED TO WEI?!” Margo asked, sitting up straight, the haze of sleep evaporating from her mind as she kicked off the blankets and climbed out of bed.
“What’s wrong with Wei?” Gwen asked as she watched Margo quickly dress, slipping on a pair of sweat pants and grabbing a jacket, her cellphone pressed between her shoulder and ear.
“WHAT?! WHY?” Margo asked franticly, her voice climbing higher with each question.
Gwen grabbed her shoes and quickly dressed, her eyes slidding back to Margo as she patiently waited for direction, the scent around her souring with worry.
“WHERE are you?” Margo asked thickly, her tone sending an alarming chill up Gwen’s spine as a portal rippled to life behind them.
“What’s going?” Peter asked uncomfortably, his eyes on Margo as she hung up the phone.
“Time to switch.” Summer said as closed the curtains of the hospital room, pulling Andrés’s attention from his laptop.
“What, why?” He asked, his eyes glued on the screen in front of him, until Summer stepped his way and gently closed the laptop
“Because you need to go home and eat. You’ve been here ALL day.” Summer said as she gestured toward the window, the sun long gone.
“Right because we’re NOT homeless.” Andrés said dryly as a portal rippled to life near the door.
“Andrés please-“ Sunmer sighed tiredly as she pointed toward the portal.
“Is Ignacio cooking?” Andrés asked as he rose to his feet and tucked his laptop under his arm.
“Probably.” She said with a shrug, her eyes sadly roaming their father’s face.
Ignacio hummed as he moved about the kitchen, his Bachata playlist booming in his ears, his body on autopilot as he peaked through the cabinets and pantry, his hands quickly piecing together dinner.
“It’s so fucking cold here.” He complained as his eyes slid to the window.
He grabbed a bag of frozen corn from the freezer, his eyes quickly taking inventory of the items.
“Caldo de Res-it IS.” He said out loud as he pulled a large pot from under the stove, humming to the music as he grabbed a handful of spices from the pantry.
“But that’ll take hours.” Marianna complained, her eyes sliding from her coloring book and onto Ignacio’s back unhappily.
“We’ll starve by the time it’s done-“
“Mari-don’t be rude.” Matéo quickly interrupted.
“He can’t hear us anyway.” Marianna pointed out, her green crayon aimed air the tiny pink ear piece shoved in Ignacio’s ear.
“Are you two hungry?” Miles asked as he stepped into the kitchen with Togo boxes.
“Should I be offended I didn’t get an invitation?” Hobie asked with a smile as he watched Pav scrub Noir’s back, bubbles overflowing from the bath.
“Why would you be offended when you can get in?” Noir asked with a wink as Pav dipped his bath towel into the water.
Hobie opened his mouth to speak, the sharp sound of a familiar ringtone interrupting his response.
“Hold that thought.” He said with a laugh as he fished his phone from his pocket and brought it to his ear.
Andrés stepped out of the shower, feeling semi human as he grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist, his mind swirling with conflicting conspiracies of what was brewing in the outskirts.
“What a shit show.” He sighed as he dragged his palm across the mirror, wiping away condensation as he looked over his reflection.
He stared at his reflection, his sharp green eyes taking in his longer hair that spilled across his eyebrows and the subtle height increase he’d seem to acquire overnight.
“God I look like my father.” He sighed tiredly as he ran a hand through his wet hair, a soft smile sliding to his lips as he watched the ends curl.
He dressed in silence, opting to toss different theories around as he stepped into the hallway, the smell of beef and vegetables filling his nostrils.
Andrés followed the tantalizing and nostalgic aroma, his eyes sliding onto Ignacio swaying his hips to silence as he lifted a lid from a pot on the stove, quickly bathing the space with the smell of meat and spices.
“Caldo de Res.” Andrés hummed approvingly as he stepped beside his brother, his eyes immediately sliding into the pot.
“Perfect weather for soup.” Ignacio responded as closed the lid of the pot and turned toward his brother.
“Food will done in fifteen.” Ignacio said setting the timer on the oven.
“What smells so delicious?” Kabir asked as she stepped into the kitchen, dressed head to toe in black, the bracelets on her wrists bumping together happily as her eyes slid to the pot cooking on the stove.
“Andrés will gladly tell you.” Ignacio said as he stepped out of the kitchen with a bored wave.
“I like your outfit.” Andrés said politely, his cheeks growing rosey as Kabir’s eyes slid to him, curiously looking over his black on black ensemble.
“I like yours too.” Kabir hummed, instead of saying thank you, her playful gaze aggressively
warming him from the instead.
Andrés smiled, suddenly feeling fearless.
“My outfit is boring.” He said with a laugh.
“I like the patches on your vest and the rips in your jeans.”
“Really? I didn’t think you’d be into this.” She said with an airy laugh as she shifted in his direction.
“That interesting.” Andrés hummed, his green eyes looking her over.
“How so?” Kabir asked as she fiddled with a bracelet on her arm.
“I like the way you wear your hair. I like your voice…your laugh. I like the way your face lights up when you touch an instrument.…honestly I like everything about you.” Andrés admitted, the corners of his lips lifting as he watched surprise flicker across her pretty face.
Noir slid away from the kitchen entrance, his brows creasing together as he rushed down the hallway.
“That bath was sooooo nice.” Pav moaned as he rolled around in bed, rubbing his moisturized legs across the silky sheets.
“Someone’s in a good mood.” Hobie said as he stepped out of the closet, his robe tightly wrapped around his slender waist.
“I am-now cuddle me.” Pav demanded like a brat as he spread his arms wide and impatiently waited.
“I’m bad at cuddling.” Hobie warned as he crawled into bed, sinking into Pav’s arms, his eyes closing as he continued.
“After five minutes…I take off my pants.”
“We’re NOT wearing pants.” Pav snorted.
Noir kicked open the bedroom door, startling the love birds as he stormed into the room with a tense expression.
“Miguel’s kid is moving in on Kabir.” He announced.
Hobie blinked in confusion, unsure which child the Alpha was speaking about.
“Which one?” Pav asked wrinkling his nose, ready to object.
“Andrés-I…” Kabir blushed, her ankle bumping into the kitchen table as she took a shy step backward.
Andrés stood rooted in place, a pleasant expression on his face as he watched Kabir sheepishly squirm under his gaze.
“You’re not used to getting compliments…are you?” He asked curiously as he turned his attention to the stove, swiftly turning off the flame before the alarm could beep.
“I…not from boys.” Kabir admitted with a sigh, her eyes on Andrés’s back as he asked another question.
“Do…you want me to stop?” Andrés asked lightly, his eyes sliding to the snow softly falling outside the window.
“Aren’t you like thirteen?” Kabir asked abruptly, ignoring his question.
“Because I’m fifteen.” She added sharply, drawing a line in the stand, her arms crossing over her chest as she waited for a response.
Andrés laughed lightly, swiftly ignoring her desire for boundaries as he turned her way and tossed all hesitance out the window.
“My birthday is in three months.”
“WHAT?!” Pav snapped in shock as his arms unwrapped around Hobie.
“Miguel Jr is flirting WITH my baby?!” Pav asked with irritation. “She hasn’t even been broken up with Khalid twenty four hours.”
Hobie whistled as he fell backwards into the pillows, his eyes closing as he lazily yawned, his lackadaisical response swiftly pushing the shorter man over the edge.
“Do you NOT care?!” Pav snapped as he rudely shook Hobie, interrupting his attempt at sleep.
“I care.” Hobie hissed as he yanked his arm away from Pav and turned on his side.
“His Dad’s in a coma….his Mom is drugged out of her mind…his house burned down…oh AND he apparently likes our daughter.”
Hobie listed off dryly.
“What the fuck does that have to DO with ANYTHING?!” Pav snapped with irritation.
“I would like to get to know you…with the intention of a serious relationship.” Andrés said evenly, his green eyes dancing with excitement as he boldly held Kabir’s gaze.
“You want to DATE me? You don’t KNOW me.” Kabir said with narrowed eyes.
“I could be crazy.” She added flippantly.
“True.” Andrés said with a nod.
“Which is why I said, I’d LIKE to get to KNOW you.”
“He’s a pretty confident kid.” Noir said clearing his throat, his eyes on the screen as he dove through Andrés’s online presence.
“I’d be confident too if my Mommy was Jessica Drew and my Daddy was the Mayor.” Pav mumbled begrudgingly as he clicked on a video, his eyes widening as they landed on Andrés, his face and hands covered in oil as he pieced together a robot twice his size.
Miles pulled Gonzalo into his arms as soon as the bedroom door closed behind them, their lips madly crashing together as Gonzalo started to undress the taller man, madly tossing clothes
across the room.
Miles’s hands trailed around Gonzalo’s waist and cupped his ass, lifting him from the floor as their kisses grew more desperate, both competing for control.
Marianna burped loudly, earning an unimpressed look from her brother.
“I can’t wait until we move.” Marianna hummed as she watched her brother toss a log into the fire, his eyes locked on the vibrant flame.
“You think we’ll stay in the same area?”
Matéo snorted.
“What?” Marianna asked popping a skittle into her mouth.
“Same area? You don’t think Dad wants to jump dimensions?” Matéo inquired as he turned toward his sister.
“But we have a new house-“
“An UGLY house that someone drove into almost two weeks ago.” Matéo reminded.
“I just wanted to switch schools.” Marianna sighed with frustration as her eyes slid onto the window, the yard nearly covered completely in freshly fallen snow.
“Yeah…I don’t really like…how cold it is here.” Matéo admitted unhappily as he watched his sister angrily rise to her feet.
“I don’t like snow at all!” Marianna complained as she pivoted on her heels, her brother at her side as they marched down the hallway in search of their parents.
“Fuck…” Miles groaned as Gonzalo slowly bounced in his lap, their lips locked as his pace quickened, pulling a cry out of the taller man.
“I love you.” Miles said breathlessly as Gonzalo slowly pulled away, his back arching and bottom lip trembling as he felt a familiar sensation start to buffer in the pit of his stomach.
Miles’s hand sank into Gonzalo’s hair, fingers gently trailing across scalp and onto the base of his neck, gently pulling him closer.
“Say it back.” Miles softly demanded, pulling a whimsical laugh out of the smaller man as his grip on his neck tightened.
“Make me.” Gonzalo said breathlessly, his obsidian eyes burning as he crashed their lips together again, setting the room ablaze.
Their hands aggressively roaming, teeth bumping together, bodies sweating as they kicked the blankets from bed.
“Say it back.” Miles repeated as he abruptly pulled out of the smaller man and flipped him onto his stomach, biting his bottom lips as he roughly slid back inside him.
“Fuck…fuck…fuck!” Gonzalo cried out, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as Miles shoved
him repeatedly into the mattress, his dick throbbing.
“I…I’m close.” Gonzalo groaned, burying his face into the pillows, his orgasm looming near as Miles pressed his lips to his shoulder.
“Say it.” Miles pleaded breathlessly, his fingers digging painfully into Gonzalo’s hips, a hardy groan leaving his lips as his thighs started to shake.
“I…I…I…love you.” Gonzalo cried, his jaw
dropping as his orgasm slammed into him, making his vision blur.
Miles cursed as his hips wildly bucked, slamming him straight into an orgasm, his eyes lodged in the back of his skull as he spilled deep inside the smaller man,
his body shaking from overstimulation as he kept going, making Gonzalo cry out as he fruitlessly grabbed at the fitted sheets, ripping them off the bed.
“Stop running.” Miles hummed as he flipped Gonzalo over with ease, his dick still buried inside as the Omega’s back hit the mattress.
“I’m NOT running.” Gonzalo groaned defiantly grabbing at Miles, a series of wanton moans falling from his lips as Miles pinned his wrists above his head, hips rocking.
“Fuck! Why are you so hard?” Gonzalo asked with a bubbly laugh, his thighs shaking as Miles held his gaze.
“I’m…sorry what?” Peni asked still in shock, her voice below a whisper as Margo and Gwen walked through the entrance of the emergency room.
“There she is.” Gwen said quickly pointing her out, their hands linked as Margo dragged her through the waiting room, her worried eyes swiftly taking in the situation.
“Ma’am I said…the CPS worker is here and would like to speak with you.” The Nurse repeated, a stoic expression on her face.
“Excuse me?! What’s going on?!” Margo asked stepping into the conversation.
The Nurse’s eyes shifted toward Margo.
“I was just informing her-“
“Can you give us a minute?” Gwen interrupted with a tight lipped smile.
“Of course.” The woman said with a polite nod as she stepped away, leaving the three women to talk.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Margo asked, her hand releasing Gwen’s as she turned toward the shorter woman, looking her over.
“Is…Wei ok?” Gwen asked behind Margo, her eyes roaming the densely packed waiting room, a frown sliding up her lips. “Where is he?”
“Peni…you NEED to TELL us what’s going on NOW.” Margo said evenly, trying to remain calm as her mind began to spiral through horrid conclusions.
“I…I …wasn’t paying attention-and he got hurt.” Peni mumbled, her downcast eyes lingering on the tops of Margo’s shoes as guilt shoved her through the checkered tile floor.
“Hurt? Is he ok?” Gwen asked stepping forward, refusing to look at Peni, her eyes sliding onto the large fish tank behind the security guard’s desk.
“Is this guy…the Doctor?” Peter asked with a lifted brow as he looked the purple haired man up and down.
“He’s in need of a blood transfusion.” The man informed quickly, his eyes bouncing between Gwen and Margo curiously. “Are you family of Wei?”
“Yes we’re his Moms.” Margo informed as she pulled her arms from her jacket and shoved it into Gwen’s hands before she could speak.
“I should be a match.”
Gwen inhaled shakily as she watched Margo and the man disappear behind a set of double doors, anger ridding up her wrists as she adjusted Margo’s jacket in her arms, pulling the fabric closer to her chest as she reluctantly took a seat.
Peni sat beside Gwen, her leg nervously bouncing as she impatiently waited, an uncomfortable air looming around them.
“You’re…not going to ask what happened?” Peni asked softly after a moment, her voice nearly a whisper.
“What’s there to ask?” Gwen asked dry, her eyes sliding to the slowly ticking clock across the room. “You weren’t watching him as USUAL.”
“Ouch.” Peter winced as he sat across from Gwen and crossed his legs, curiously watching the pair interact. “Is she…the other one?”
“Honestly…I don’t even know HOW you ended up watching him.” Gwen said harshly, her eyes on the jacket in her hands.
“Guess that’s a yes.” Peter chimed.
“He was supposed to be with Hobie.” Gwen added, ignoring Peter.
Peni sighed, her eyes closing as she spoke.
“Gwen I-“
“You NEVER watch Wei.” Gwen interrupted sharply, her blue eyes slicing into Peni as she shifted in her seat.
“Why did you PRETEND today?”
Margo bit her bottom lip as the needle broke skin, her eyes closing as the Nurse adjusted the needle in her arm.
“This won’t take very long Dearie.” The woman said with a smile as blood filled the tube.
“Right.” Margo said uncomfortably, resisting the urge to clench her fist.
“No one here is surprised-except YOU.” Gwen spat, her face growing red with anger, the argument between her and the smaller woman growing heated.
“Gwen…chill.” Peter warned as his eyes slid onto the security guard hovering ominously several feet away staring at them.
“I know you’re upset, but you NEED to CALM down.” Peter pleaded as he watched the large man pivot in their direction.
Gwen ignored Peter, anger continuously spilling from her lips uncapped as she regurgitated everything the Beta had done leading up to now.
“You are selfish-you LET Wei get HURT because you DON’T care about ANYONE BUT YOURSELF!!”
Peni blinked, taken aback by the outburst, her eyes watering with guilt as despair ricocheted throughout her ribcage.
“YOU have control issues-AND when you don’t get your way…you RUIN everything around you.” Gwen snapped, dropping the jacket into her lap.
“Do you know how SUFFOCATING you are?!”
Peter winced, uncomfortably rising from his seat.
“Gwen this ISN’T the place to do this.”
“I…I…” Peni’s voice broke as she sank into her seat, unable to summon the energy to respond, her anxiety mounting as Gwen’s nostrils flared with anger.
“Gwen that’s enough.” Peter said firmly as he placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to reel her back in before she could unravel any more.
“Don’t say something you DON’T mean.” Peter warned as she shook his hand off her shoulder, his words falling on clogged ears as Gwen continued.
“You fired my Therapist-WITHOUT talking to me! You start fights with Margo to get out of doing things YOU ALREADY PROMISED TO DO-AND you’re a SHIT parent.” Gwen spat shaking with rage, the situation seemingly worsening by the second as the loud sound of heels clicking against tile barged into their one sided argument.
“Hello, sorry to interrupt but are you the parents of Wei Wei Parker?”
A woman with dark hair and black rimmed glasses asked, her dark eyes bouncing between both women as a police officer twice her size stepped beside her, his expression grim as he wordlessly waited with his arms crossed.
“Yes, WE are.” Gwen answered coldly, her eyes slowly sliding to the paperwork in the woman’s hands and back up to the woman’s face.
“WHO are you?”
The woman reorganized the papers in her hands before speaking.
“I’m Charlene Brooks and I’m with Child Protective Services.” She said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“Nice.” Hobie said as Andrés took a step back, the machine sparking to life in front of him.
“Look at this one.” Hobie said as he clicked another video, his eyes growing wide as Andrés accepted a series of different awards, his head held high as he stepped in front of a microphone.
“Ohh he’s giving a speech.” Hobie said with excitement as he adjusted the volume on the iPad.
“So what.” Pav said rudely, struggling to stomp away the festering optimism spilling throughout the room.
“He’s ALSO a genius.” Noir said with a smile as he dragged his thumb across his phone screen, skimming through several articles written about the preteen.
“Intelligence isn’t a unique trait to MOST Spider people.” Pav snapped as he locked the IPad screen and tossed it across the room, earning a pointed look from Hobie.
“What is your problem?” Hobie snapped as he shifted in bed, his brown eyes digging into the Alpha unimpressed.
Pav pouted and didn’t respond, the frown on his face deepening as he pulled the blankets over his head and screamed. “MY PROBLEM?!”
“YES-YOU’RE PROBLEM.” Hobie confirmed as he harshly yanked down the blankets.
“Guys! He had an internship at MIT last semester.” Noir beamed with excitement as his eyes slid onto both men.
“He also does volunteer work at several animal shelters, he tutors middle schoolers and he’s in a mentor robotics program.” Noir informed gleefully, indifferent to the argument brewing between both men.
“He’s a good kid.” Noir stated, already won over as he shoved his phone into his pocket and laughed with relief.
“He’s from a good family, smart and he’s already getting job offers-“
“I DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ANY OF THAT!!” Pav yelled as he angrily tossed the blanket and sheets from bed, a deranged look on his face.
“His parents NEED to WAKE up now.”
Jessica blinked slowly, her head heavy with fog as she attempted to sit up, confusion overriding her senses as she took in the unfamiliar scenery and strange decorations hanging from the walls.
Her eyes slowly slid onto a pair of identical children, their different colored eyes curiously observing.
“Hello.” The girl said politely with a wave.
“Are you deaf or a zombie?” She asked, earning a sharp elbow from the boy.
Ignacio pulled his earbuds from his ears and slid them into his pocket, his eyes glued to his phone as he stepped into the spare room.
“Wish I had marshmallows.” He said boredly
as he shoved his phone into his back pocket, his eyes casually sliding onto his fully awake mother staring blankly at him.
“M..MOM?!” Ignacio yelled as he ran to the bed, his arms wrapping around her.
“Told you they were related.” Matéo whispered, earning an eyeroll from his sister.
“They have the same forehead.”
Kabir stared at her reflection blankly, unsure how to feel about Andrés’s declared interest.
Did she even…like him?
Kabir pulled her phone from her pocket, her eyes quickly finding Andrés’s profile.
“Well…he’s not ugly.” She mused, as she dragged a lazy finger through his TikTok page.
The soft sound of knuckles against her bedroom door stopping her browsing, she turned toward the door, her eyes falling onto her father.
“What’s up Pop?” Kabir asked locking her phone screen.
“You busy?” Noir asked with a smile as he stepped into her room, his eyes roaming the cluttered walls of posters they’d hung up together last fall.
“Nope.” Kabir said as she sat her phone face down on the dresser, a smile sliding to her lips.
“Did you need something?” She asked politely.
“I uh…wanted to talk to you about something.” Noir said as he took a seat at her vanity, fond memories of her painting his cheeks with blush and incorrectly applying false lashes to his face flickered across his mind.
“Okkkkk?” Kabir said with a lifted brow as she pulled a record from a nearby shelf.
“Everything ok?”
“I’m fine.” Jessica said evenly, her eyes closing as the smell of fabric softener filled her nose, reminding her of home, the events of days prior suddenly slamming into her.
“I’m glad you’re awake.” Andrés said with relief as he sprinted into the room, brushing past his brother and into the bed, his arms locking around her waist.
“How…long was I asleep?” Jessica asked as she brushed the hair away from Andrés’s forehead, her eyes on Ignacio as he squeezed her hand.
“Long enough to make us worry.” Ignacio said softly, his emotions sliding up his chest as he fought back tears, happiness spilling from his pores.
“Long enough to make me think we’d be orphaned.” Andrés admitted, making Ignacio shoot him a pointed look.
“Orphaned? Why would you be-where is Miguel?”Jessica asked softly, concern coloring her tone as Andrés sat up, his green eyes looking her over.
“I uh…heard the conversation between you and Andrés in the kitchen-“
“Oh my God!” Kabir squawked in embarrassment, her cheeks darkening with color as she covered her face with her hands.
“This is so embarrassing.” Kabir groaned, wishing she could freeze time and find a rock to crawl under.
“It’s not.” Noir said with an amused laugh.
“I’m just here to say…I approve of you potentially dating Andrés-“
“What? Where is he?” Jessica asked attempting to get out of bed, a sharp pain suddenly shooting across her head. She winced, her eyes closing as pain merged with the fog lingering in her in mind.
“He’s fine, Summer is with him.” Ignacio informed quickly as he placed a firm hand on Jessica’s shoulder gently pushing her back into bed.
“You need to rest until the medication they gave you wares off.” Andrés said as he shot his sister a quick update, his fingers flying across his phone screen.
“What medication?” Jessica asked unhappily as she pressed her palm to her head and grimaced, sensing an impending headache.
“You attacked a few people at the hospital and they sedated you.” Andrés said with a yawn as he clicked on Kabir’s name, hesitating as his finger hovered above the text button.
“WHAT?!” Margo shrieked, her eyes going wide as her eyes slid to the paperwork in Gwen’s hands. “Just now?!”
“Yes.” Gwen said uncomfortably as she placed the paperwork in Margo’s hands.
“Cps…is investigating US? Why…we never hurt Wei-“ Margo trailed off, her eyes skimming through the paperwork and sliding onto Peni.
“It was…an accident.”
Margo said with shaking hands, as her eyes slid back onto the pack work, the glaring statistic of black children being twice as likely to be remove from their homes, polluting her mind.
“It…was an accident…right?” Margo asked, her voice breaking as Gwen slowly tugged the paperwork from her hands.
“It was an accident.” Peni confirmed ,avoiding her gaze, her eyes everywhere but on her partners, Margo’s fears wildly growing as Gwen tucked the paperwork into her purse.
“Once Wei is home we have a week to prepare for…their visit.” Gwen informed with a sigh.
“I can’t believe this.” Margo confessed, fighting back tears.
“This…is terrible.” She said inhaling shakily, her scent spilling with sadness as she held back tears, her arms wrapping around herself as the chill of the hospital waiting room pebbled her arms with goosebumps.
“I…didn’t mean for any of this to happen.” Peni said weakly as she took a step toward Margo, her eyes meeting Gwen’s as she dropped the jacket around Margo shoulders and pull her backward.
“I know you didn’t.” Margo said brushing away tears, a timid smile flickering across her lips as her voice broke. “It was an accident.”
“The house is pretty much baby proof.” Gwen said quickly, her angry eyes drilling into Peni. “How DID he get hurt?”
“What are you thinking about?” Miles asked as he pressed a slow kiss to Gonzalo shoulder, the two of them nakedly wrapped together in bed.
“That if I wasn’t already knocked up-I’d assume things.” Gonzalo said with a yawn as Miles started to rub soft circles across his lower back.
“You didn’t say stop.” Miles hummed, making Gonzalo cheeks turn rosey with color.
“You had my ankles on the headboard…I was obviously too preoccupied.” Gonzalo said with an eye roll, making the Alpha laugh as he rose from bed, his toned body covered in sweat.
“Come on. “ He said as he extended a hand toward the shorter man, quickly pulling him from bed. “Let’s wash up before the twins come back.”
Gonzalo groaned lazily in response, his lower back aching as he opted to go limp, a sly smile sliding to his lips as Miles scooped him up in his arms without a second thought.
“Fine, you can be lazy.” Miles said with a light laugh as he flicked on the bathroom lights.
“Weren’t we doing something?” Marianna asked as she tossed a crumbled piece of paper into the fire.
“That picture was ugly.” She quickly stated before her brother could complain about her tossing things into the fire.
“We were looking for Dad.” Matéo reminded as he closed the comic book in his hands, his eyes sliding to the den fire.
“I’m glad their Mom woke up.” Marianna said softly as she closed her coloring book.
“Me too. Now they can go home.” Matéo said bluntly, making his sister snort.
“Well…that didn’t go as planned.” Noir mused as Kabir’s room door closed in his face, abruptly ending their conversation.
“Everyone is crazy.” Kabir huffed as she adjusted the needle on the record, somber music quickly filling her room as she collapsed face first into her bed suddenly feeling exhausted.
“You didn’t.” Pav said dryly as Noir stepped back in the bedroom, a strange look on his face as he pulled the door closed behind him.
“Didn’t what?” Noir asked casually as he strolled across the room, swiftly interrupting their game of connect four.
“Tell Kabir to date a complete stranger because you think he’s cool.” Hobie said pointedly as he dropped a yellow chip into an incomplete row.
“Whatttttt?” Noir asked with a laugh.
“Why would you think I’d do tha-she totally likes him.”
“Because you’re a lunatic.” Pav frowned as he dropped a red chip into the middle of Hobie’s row of yellow.
Kabir groaned into her pillow with frustration as knuckles danced across her door, interrupting her thoughts and swiftly annoying her.
“Pop I don’t wanna talk about boys with you.” She hissed as she rose from bed and yanked the bedroom door open, her poor mood swiftly evaporating as her eyes fell onto Andrés.
“Sorry to bother you.” He said politely, his ears picking up the tempo of sad music floating from her room.
Butterflies tickled Kabir’s insides, his soft gaze suddenly making her grow nervous.
“My Mom’s awake…I just wanted to tell you.”
Kabir’s eyes slid to the full lashes that rimmed emerald eyes and along the faint freckles that decorated the bridge of his nose.
“That’s great! I’m glad she’s awake.” Kabir pushed out, forcing herself to look away before she could stare at his lips.
“Come officially meet her?” Andrés suggested softly, his hand extended toward her.
She considered the question, her hand quickly touching his, shock swiftly dancing across both their faces as raw static popped from his finger tips and flickers of pink radiated up her fingers and above her wrist.
“This…is new.” Andrés said as he pulled his hand away, embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he slid his hands into his pockets.
“So much for having control of my powers.” He mumbled.
Kabir stared at her hand, wordlessly watching as pink danced up her fingers, the outline reminiscent to her father whenever he grew flustered or nervous.
“Are you ok?” Andrés asked, concern corroding his voice as he watched the ripples of pink slowly disappear. “I didn’t hurt you…did I?”
“Awww…he’s concerned.” Noir whispered as he shifted a painting higher, poorly concealing their presence.
“Ohhhhh….she might like him.” Hobie whispered, his eyes locked on the pair as he watched Kabir nervously stare at her hand.
“I haven’t seen you turn pink like that in ages.” Noir hummed, fondly strolling down memory lane.
“Psssh…did you see the static popping from his fingers?” Hobie asked knowingly.
“I Can’t believe you two.” Pav hissed, as he yanked both men out of the hallway.
“What?” Noir asked annoyed as Pav shot him a dirty look. “We were just hanging up pictures.”
“You are breathtaking.” Miles sighed breathlessly as he pressed a stream of kisses down Gonzalo’s collar bone, smearing body wash across his chest for the third time.
“I just think you’re obsessed.” Gonzalo sighed closing his eyes as he stepped under the shower nozzle.
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Miles said with a smile as he pulled the shorter man backwards into his chest, his arms quickly wrapping around him.
“You’d just ignore me if I did.” Gonzalo snorted, pulling a laugh out of Miles as he turned around in his arms, his obsidian eyes twinkling with amusement.
“You love it.” Miles hummed as he reached around Gonzalo, his hand turning the knob and ending their shower.
Kabir stared at her hands, her brows creased together in confusion as she struggled to fathom what’d just happened.
“Why…didn’t this happen the first time…I touched you?” Kabir murmured to herself as Andrés’s eyes slid onto her hands curiously.
“I’ve never seen someone turn pink before.”
Kabir sighed, running an anxious hand through her wild hair.
“The people from my Dad’s original dimension…can do this.” She admitted, embarrassment itching up her spine.
“That’s pretty cool.” Andrés said lightly as he pulled his hands from his pockets, her eyes sliding to his cream colored hands.
“I don’t…know where either of my parents are originally from.” He admitted as they rounded the corner.
Kabir’s head tilted in Andrés’s direction.
“You didn’t ask?”
“What’s the point of asking…when I doubt they’ll tell the truth.” He replied casually, making Kabir frown.
“Is everything…ok?” Kabir asked, her hand tugging at his sleeve and stopping his stride.
“You’ll turn pink if you touch me again.” Andrés said without turning around, his eyes closing as her hand shyly slid down his wrist.
“Andrés…are YOU ok?” Kabir asked gently, her eyes roaming his back as her index finger brushed across his palm. “If you need to talk-“
“I think pink is a beautiful color.” Andrés interrupted as he caught her hand, his eyes sliding to their joined hands, the fearless feeling from earlier swiftly returning as he watched static pop from his fingertips and ripples of pink dance from her fingers, up her wrist and arm.
“I think…you should leave.” Gwen said dryly, her blue eyes piercing into Peni a moment longer before she turned away, ignoring Margo’s pleases for peace.
“Gwen-wait.” Margo said weakly her hand sliding to her stomach, the stress of their sudden emergency room visit, making her light headed.
“The Nurse said after a night of observation we can bring him home.” Margo reminded, her eyes bouncing from Gwen and onto Peni.
“We can just talk about this-“
“NO. She NEEDS to go and WE’RE going to deal with this.” Gwen interrupted, frustration coloring her tone, no longer in the mood for talking as she took Margo’s hand.
“You should be resting.” Gwen reminded, her eyes sliding to the medical wrap around Margo’s arm. “The Nurse also said you might be dizzy after the blood transfusion-“
“Don’t you need help baby proofing the house?” Margo interrupted, her eyes sliding to an electrical outlet. “I can help-“
“You need to REST.” Gwen sighed, her eyes sliding to Margo’s small stomach.
“This WHOLE situation has been…stressful enough. I don’t want to worry about you passing out too.” Gwen sighed, exhaustion weighing down her shoulders.
Margo looked away, not bothering to respond.
Peni shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot, words evading her as the case worker’s rigid list of requirements repeatedly flashed across her mind.
This was her fault.
“I…where am I supposed to go?” Peni mumbled, her eyes closing as Pav’s angry face filled her vision.
She’d already burned that bridge.
“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Gwen said sharply as she guided Margo down the hallway, her dismissive tone pulling a frown to the Beta’s face.
“I have to baby proof the house…please LEAVE until you’re ready to talk.” Gwen concluded as she slammed the bedroom door, leaving Peni to stew alone uncomfortably in her thoughts.
Chapter 11: New mayor
Chapter Text
Gwen exhaled shakily as she stood in the bathroom doorway, her eyes roaming the mess of blood that covered the floor, counter and walls.
“So much blood.” She murmured on the verge of tears, the brush in her hand falling to the floor as Peter stepped beside her.
“Gwen breath.” Peter said evenly, refusing to look into the bathroom. “You don’t want Margo to see this.”
Margo’s eyes slid to the hallway as she pulled the paperwork from her purse and unfolded it, her eyes widening as she flipped to the third page.
“I have to hurry up.” Gwen said as she scrubbed the floor, tears blurring her vision as her link started to burn with sadness.
She scrubbed harder and harder, her arms burning as tears rolled down her cheeks, the smell of bleach burning her nose as Peter dropped to his knees beside her, quietly scrubbing.
“I thought blood made you squeamish.” Gwen said as she dumped more water onto the floor, watching the bleach and soap mixture merge with red.
“You should be worried about that-not me.” Peter said, gesturing toward a blood covered electric shaver several feet away.
Peni swiped her keycard and pushed open her room door, a disappointed sigh leaving her lips as she dragged her suitcase into the filthy hotel room.
She locked the door and took a seat at the table, her suitcase rolling behind her and opening as she pulled her damaged watch from her pocket.
She grabbed a handful of tools, her mind swiftly wandering as her fingers moved, thoughts of Wei consuming her mind and stalling her movements.
She exhaled shakily as his haunting screams filled her ears, shoving her back into the bathroom, the floor and cabinets covered in blood as Wei helplessly wailed, crimson oozing down his hand and along his arm.
Her mind had gone blank.
Her body prematurely frozen as the chill of the bathroom floor iced up her bare feet, the loud buzzing filling her ears as her
eyes bounced around the space, trying to piece together what’d transpired.
Wei sniffled, his eyes meeting Peni’s as the crying stopped and he fell backward.
Peni lunged forward her foot connecting into the wildly buzzing shaver and sending it flying as she snatched the nearest bathtowel and wrapped it around his hand, her eyes watering as she scooped him from the floor, panic flooding her senses as she stepped through the bedroom, her eyes falling onto the cracked watch beside the bed.
“Fuck!” Peni snapped, her arms tightening around Wei as he buried his face into her chest, tears and blood drenching her shirt.
She frantically searched for car keys, her vision blurring as she tore through the kitchen, ripping open drawers and flinging open cabinets searching.
“Wei? Wei hold on!” Peni cried as she yanked open the front door, her bare feet slapping the earth as she printed down the sidewalk.
Peni exhaled shakily as she removed the belt of her watch and tossed it to the floor, endless guilt burrowing deep within her chest as sadness ate at her insides.
She disassembled the watch in silence, slowly removing the cracked screen, her sharp eyes taking in the damaged wiring as she reached into her suitcase, struggling to shove away the unpleasant feeling festering in her chest.
“No…no…no.” Margo cried, the papers falling to the floor as she gasped for air, struggling to breathe.
“Glad that’s over.” Peter said as he tossed his brush into the waste basket, a frown sliding to his lips as he sniffed his hands.
“Ugh…this shit is strong.” He said with disgust as Gwen dried her hands with a paper towel.
“…thanks for being here.” Gwen mumbled, her eyes on the floor, searching for stains as she tossed the used towel into the trash.
“It’s…been….” Gwen trailed off, her eyes sliding up from the floor and meeting Peter’s.
“Gwen…you don’t have to thank me for anything.” Peter said with a tired smile.
“No-I do need to.” Gwen protested lightly, the alarming sound of something falling interrupting the moment.
Gonzalo turned to the side, his eyes on his reflection as he looked himself over, his eyes lingering on his flat stomach as he dragged his hand across his chest and down the center of his stomach, imagining how round he’d soon be.
Would he need help doing things…like last time?
Would he be bedridden…again?
Gonzalo exhaled slowly, his hand dropping to his side as his mind began to spiral aimlessly with self fabricated concerns.
“What’s wrong?” Marianna asked stepping into the bathroom, not bothering to knock as her and Matéo barged into the space.
“Do…you want to look different? Matéo asked gently, his eyes sliding onto his father’s reflection, their eyes meeting in the mirror.
Gonzalo sighed as he pulled a shirt over his head.
“I’ll be looking very different in a few weeks.”
“Oh…because of the baby?” Marianna asked poking her father’s side. “You sure it’s one even in there?”
“Mari don’t be rude.” Matéo warned, shooting his sister a pointed look.
“Yet he wants more.” Gonzalo said with a tired sigh of resignation as he flicked off the lights.
“This is insane.” Miles said bleakly as he looked over Noir’s findings, the new information shedding a gross light on the current situation.
“Do you think…the attack on Miguel’s family was premeditated or coincidental?” Miles asked turning away from the computer screen, his eyes meeting Noir’s.
“The running off the road orrrrr…the stabbing?” Noir asked, making Miles’s brows furrow in confusion.
“Didn’t the mistress-“
“I’m NOT sure.” Noir interrupted before Miles could complete the thought, his fingers rapidly dancing across the keys, locking the screen.
“Jessica’s awake…we could ask her.”
Jessica splashed her face with water, her eyes studying her reflection as she looked herself over, her hand slowly sliding to the mark on her neck.
“I can’t feel you…at all.” She said solemnly as she took her time in bathroom, the water wastefully running as she started to cry, flashbacks from that eventful night plaguing every corner of her mind, slithering to the surface and riddling her with guilt as she watched the kitchen knife she’d purchased thoughtlessly years prior, slice into Miguel.
Repeatedly.
His face twisted in agony as he crumbled to the grown.
Jessica inhaled slowly, her hands shaking as she stared at her reflection.
David’s smug face cartwheeled to the surface of her thoughts as she hurriedly turned off the water.
Her eyes closing as Miguel’s pained face consumed her thoughts a second time.
“I…I…I need to see him.” She said breathlessly as she grabbed a towel from the cabinet and dried her face.
“Your Mom seems nice.” Kabir said casually, pulling Andrés from his thoughts, his body on autopilot as they walked back to her room, fading in and out of conversation.
“I’m glad she’s awake.”
“I’m glad too.” Andrés said with a soft smile as they stepped through the kitchen and past the den.
“I no longer have to be the voice of reason.” He jokingly added, all too ready to return to normalcy.
“You look just like her.” Kabir abruptly stated, pulling a surprised sound out of Andrés. “What? Why’d you make that noise?”
“You think so?” He asked with a shy laugh, not bothering to hide his amusement.
“Yeah.” Kabir said mimicking his laugh and making him snort as she ignored the vibrations of her phone in her pocket.
“You have the same lips and eye shape.” Kabir pointed out, surprising him, his legs no longer moving as he stood rooted in place, her words washing over him.
It felt…affirming.
Not having to argue about the paternity of his mother.
Kabir’s face dropped. “What’s wron-“
“No one’s ever told me…I look like my Mom.” Andrés admitted, his cheeks growing rosy with color as he fought the urge to look away.
“Really?” Kabir asked, her right brow lifting as her eyes slid to his hair.
“Your hair even curls like her’s.” Kabir hummed as she reached toward him, her fingers lightly brushing through the ends of his hair.
Andrés cleared his throat and said nothing, the tips of ears now burning as she trailed a finger across his earlobe and onto his gage.
“Andrés?”
“Mmmh?” He asked lightly, his heart thundering in his chest as his eyes slid to the three rings in her bottom lip.
“Thanks for walking me back to my room.” She said with a smile as she pulled away her hand, the bracelets around her wrist chiming as she stepped away.
Andrés simply nodded, shyness pulling at his vocal cords as her hand hovered above the doorknob.
“I meant what I said earlier.” Kabir said as she pushed open her bedroom door, hesitating in the doorway.
“I’m HERE…if you’d like a nonjudgmental ear.”
“I’ll try to remember that.” Andrés said with a nod as he stepped away.
“You two should be ashamed.” Pav said dryly, his arms crossing over his chest disapprovingly as he continued his colorful rant.
“Trying to set MY baby up with a homeless thirteen year old-“
“Pav that’s fucked up.” Noir said sharply.
“His house burned down like two days ago.”
“The literal definition of homeless is- NO home.” Pav informed sharply, upset the conversation was even happening.
Hobie yawned, suddenly remembering his nap had been pushed back multiple times.
“So much excitement.” He said sleepily as he face planted into bed, tuning out the Alpha’s conversation as his eyes closed.
“I think I’m in love.” Andrés announced to the den, earning a strange look from the twins and a sigh from his brother.
“Should…you really be telling us this?” Marianna asked with a frown.
Andrés opened his mouth to speak, Ignacio’s voice swiftly interrupting.
“Can you NOT be weird?” Ignacio asked with a frown as the twins tiptoed out of the room, swiftly exiting the conversation.
“No…listen.” Andrés said as he breezed through the space and took a seat beside his brother.
“Unfortunately I am.” Ignacio said with an eyeroll as Andrés lifted a hand into the air.
“Every time…she touched me…my powers would go haywire.” He said in awe as he gazed mystified at his fingers, as if they held magic.
Ignacio wrinkled his nose with concern.
“Where did she touch you?”
“How long has he been asleep?” Jessica asked softly, her eyes on Miguel as she adjusted the blankets around him, her eyes sliding to the iv bag beside the bed.
“Since surgery…but the Doctor said he’ll wake up when he’s ready.” Summer said as she looked out of the window, her eyes taking in the casual movement of people moving in and out of the building.
“I see.” Jessica said lightly as she took a seat beside the bed. “Could you check on your brothers for me?”
“What?” Summer asked turning away from the window, her eyes quickly taking in the somber expression on her mother’s face.
“Please?” Jessica asked softly, her voice nearly a whisper.
“Of course.” Summer said as her fingers adjusted the settings of her watch, a portal quickly forming across the room.
“Call if you need anything.” She said as she stepped into the portal, forcing her eyes forward.
Her mother needed space.
“I can’t believe…any of this happened.” Jessica said breathlessly as she reached for Miguel’s hand, slowly dragging her thumb across his knuckles as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest.
“Where’d she go?” Miles asked as he stepped into the dimly lit bedroom, his eyes sliding to the empty bed.
Summer yawned as she slumped beside Ignacio, intruding on his personal space as she rested her head on his shoulder.
“Thanks for cooking.” She sang sleepily as her eyes slowly closed.
“How was Dad?” Ignacio asked as he continued to scroll through social media, his finger stopping as a strange article took over the screen.
“Same as yesterday.” Summer sighed as she fell backward on the couch, burying her face into the pillows.
“Figured.” Ignacio said as he clicked on the article and quickly read through it, his brows lifting in shock.
“I think seeing him that way…made Mom upset.” Summer added, remembering the brief flicker of devastation that’d danced across her mother’s face, poorly hidden behind a flimsy smile.
“I’m just glad one parent is awake.” Ignacio said as he checked the date of the article.
“Thank God! Andrés can stop throwing around that word.” Summer said with disgust.
“We’re NOT orphans Summer. You can STOP worrying about that now.” Ignacio gently reminded as if speaking to a small child, earning an eye roll and laugh from his sister.
“There’s a new Mayor.” Ignacio said clearing his throat and changing the subject as he clicked on images of the unfamiliar man.
“What? Since when?” Summer asked sitting up, her eyes nosily sliding to his phone screen.
“Apparently…TODAY.” Ignacio said with frustration as a paywall consumed the screen, blocking him from reading the rest of the article.
Andrés stepped into the music room, his eyes curiously roaming the instruments as he stepped deeper into the space, mindful not to touch anything as he looked at the pictures framed across the walls.
“Wow.” He said in awe as his eyes slid to a large picture of Hobie under the spotlight, a guitar in his arms as he stood in front of a microphone, on stage surrounded by hundreds of people.
“Andrés we have an update.” Lyla said suddenly as she flickered into the room, startling the teen.
“His name is Angelo Richards.” Ignacio said as he scrolled through Google images, his brow lifting as Summer clicked on a recent picture.
“His name sounds made up.” Summer said dryly, her eyes studying the man’s face as an unsettling thought crossed Ignacio’s mind.
“What’s wrong?” Summer asked, her dark eyes quickly noting his discomfort.
“What…if-I’ve seen him before?” Ignacio asked clearing his throat.
Summer’s eyes slowly slid from the phone and onto her brother. “Have you?”
“I’m not sure-but he’s currently presenting his acceptance speech for Mayor.” Lyla informed as the clip started to play, showcasing the eerily calm faced man.
“Why hasn’t he aged?” Andrés asked pointedly, his sharp eyes taking in the lack of wrinkles, straight dark hair and unchanged appearance. “It’s been fifteen years, he shouldn’t LOOK the SAME.”
“This is weird.” Ignacio mumbled as he clicked onto the live speech, a chill running down his spine as Angelo looked into the camera and smiled, his gaze uncomfortably familiar.
“Apparently news of Dad’d hospital visit leaked to press and the Board felt pressured to appoint a new mayor.” Andrés informed dryly as he stepped into the den, his lips unhappily pressed together.
“I think-NO I know I’ve seen him…in person.”Ignacio trailed off, his mind sluggishly sliding to the past as he grabbed several items from the concession stand, his stomach growling as he made his way toward the auditorium, bumping into parents, students and competitors.
“God it’s a lot of people here.” He complained loudly as a middle schooler rudely bumped into him, nearly knocking his drink out his hand.
“Watch where you’re going!” Ignacio snapped, as the boy continued forward not bothering to turn around as he ran away.
“I should have stayed in bed.” Ignacio grumbled with a tired sigh, his phone harshly vibrating in his pocket and snatching his attention as he rushed through the packed crowd, his eyes downcast as he juggled the items in his hand, slowly inching toward his pocket, his shoulder harshly colliding into another.
“Sorry I-“ Ignacio trailed off as his eyes met hostile pitch black eyes.
“Watch where you’re going, ok?” The man asked with a smile that made Ignacio’s skin crawl.
Unnaturally wide, nearly ear to ear showcasing deep wrinkles etched around his mouth, revealing the face of a man three times his age.
“We wouldn’t want anyone getting hurt in an ACCIDENT…now would we?” The man added as he slapped the drink from Ignacio’s hand, the lid flying as Big Red spilled across his shoes.
Rage swiftly replaced Ignacio’s fear, his sharp eyes slicing into the man. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“Consider this a friendly warning.” The man interrupted, a hardy laugh escaping his lips as an announcement floated from the speakers above, informing of the next match.
“Hope he wins.” The man said with a wink as the
crowd shifted around him, splitting and merging as students rushed to the arena, swiftly putting distance between them before Ignacio could speak.
“What the fuck?” Ignacio mumbled uncomfortably, his eyes franticly searching the crowd for the man.
“Ignacio?” Summer called, her voice pulling him from his thoughts and back into the room.
“What’s wrong?”
“I saw him…in person.” Ignacio admitted, his eyes closing as he fell back into the cushions of the couch.
“Wha-WHEN?” Andrés asked as he pulled his laptop from his bag and sat it on the coffee table, his eyes sliding to his brother.
“At your last…competition.” Ignacio sighed, remembering the sensation of the man’s uncomfortably warm hand across his wrist.
“He was in the crowd.”
Summer’s eyes went wide with shock.
“WHY didn’t you SAY anything?”
“I just remembered…” Ignacio trailed off his sentence wavering.
“That wasn’t even three months ago-LYLA pull up Angelo’s movements over the last six months.”
“We did that and nothing was out of the ordinary.” Lyla reminded, earning a head shake.
Andrés as he pivoted in her direction.”
demanded as the ai flickered into the room.
Gwen ran a tired hand through her hair, her eyes sliding to Peter as he lit a cigarette.
“No smoking in the house.” Gwen hissed as she plucked the cigarette from Peter’s lips and tossed it into the kitchen sink.
“Gwen please-NO one can smell it but YOU.” Peter said with an eye roll as he pulled another cigarette from his pocket.
“Why are you even smoking?” Gwen asked as she stepped toward him and yanked the lighter from his hand. “When did you start?”
Peni exhaled with frustration, exhaustion pulling at her eyelids as she continued to research, her fingers flying across the keys as she fought back sleep.
“When was the last time you slept?” Noir asked, his arms crossing as he looked around the suspicious hotel room.
“It’s been over twenty four hours.” Peni said dryly as she took a sip of her lukewarm coffee.
Noir shook his head in disbelief. “You need rest-“
“I NEED to keep myself BUSY.” Peni interrupted sharply, pulling a frown to the Alpha’s face.
“I can’t rest now…I’ll just think about…Wei.” Peni mumbled, her voice nearly as whisper as the case worker’s face slid into her thoughts.
“You didn’t…tell me what happened.” Noir said gently, his eyes sliding onto the newly assembled watch on her wrist.
Peni didn’t respond, her eyes roaming the web and going wide as she browsed through the latest news update.
“Whenever…you’re ready to talk about it-I’ll be here to listen.” Noir said clearing his throat as Peni abruptly spun around in her seat, her eyes meeting his.
“There’s a new District Mayor.” She informed, ignoring their current conversation as she turned her laptop screen toward him.
Noir’s brow lifted quizzically as he leaned forward and looked over the news article, confusion dancing across his face.
“Who is this?”
“Why are you being so nosey?” Peter asked, his eyes sliding to the window and catching strange movement.
“Because I DON’T understand WHY my best friend would pick up the habit that killed my mother.” Gwen exhaled slowly, her shoulders tensing as she fought back sad memories of her mother, a cigarette tucked between her lips night and day leading up to the day she was diagnosed with lung cancer.
“Stress.” Peter admitted softly, his eyes locked on the figure stumbling in the dark.
“I needed an outlet.”
“An outlet for what?” Gwen asked as she stared longingly at a bottle of wine in the fridge.
“My parents… fought and argued everyday but refused to divorce.”
Gwen’s brows creased together in surprise.
“It got to be a bit much.” Peter said as he stepped toward the window, his hand sliding along the wall searching for a light switch.
“Why didn’t you tell me-or talk to me about this?” Gwen asked, her mind struggling to recall anything amiss about the Parker household.
“How could I talk to you when…you were never around?”
Guilt slid up Gwen’s throat, flashbacks of slipping out of class and into her spider suit cycled through her mind.
She’d missed so much.
She grabbed the wine bottle from the fridge and sighed, unsure how to provide an apology.
“Ironically I was offered my first smoke at a party you ditched me at.” Peter confessed with a hollow chuckle as he flicked on the lights, blanketing the yard in light.
“Gwen…who the fuck is that?” Peter asked evenly, his eyes narrowing as two dirt covered men stood awkwardly in the center of the yard.
“What the hell?” Gwen snapped as she stormed out of the kitchen, through the living room and out of the front door, her anger rising as she approached the men.
“What is going on?” Peter wondered out loud as he pulled another cigarette from his pocket and lit it, curiously watching the chaos unfold from the safety of the kitchen.
“I should check on Margo.” He said boredly as he exhaled out his nose, his eyes trained on Gwen, her short bright hair blowing angrily in the wind .
“LEAVE-before I call the police.” Gwen said tiredly, she didn’t have energy or the patience for this bullshit. “Or I’ll change my mind and beat your ass.”
“Please don’t! We come in peace.” Ross said weakly, earning an eye roll from Jericho as he protectively shoved the shorter man behind him.
“Why should I believe you?” Gwen asked crossing her arms over her chest, the strange smell of burnt hair wafting in her direction as her eyes roamed their crispy appearance.
“Because we need your HELP!” Ross admitted truthfully before Jericho could stop him.
“What?” Peter asked with a frown as he dumped the ashes of his cigarette into the sink. “The nerve of gross looking people.”
“We NEED your help.” Jericho said quickly, earning a harsh laugh of disbelief from the pink haired Beta.
Jericho wilted with disappointment as he stood awkwardly in the center of the yard.
“Get the fuck off my property.” Gwen stated sharply, no longer in the mood for casual conversation as she squared her shoulders, her eyes taking in their dirty attire and lack of shoes as second time.
“You’re a HERO-YOU HAVE TO HELP US.” Jericho stated, taking several steps forward, his usually neat hair caked with ash and unruly.
“Have to?” Peter questioned dryly, dropping his cigarette in surprise.
“Help you?” Gwen asked, fighting back laughter, as her shoulders shook with amusement, her fingers tingling with ill intent as she spoke, setting both men on edge.
“I NEED to help you or YOU NEED ME to HELP you?” Gwen asked sarcastically, her blue eyes laced with amusement as she watched Jericho face warm with anger.
“This isn’t funny!” Jericho snapped, his eyes wildly roaming the vegetation around them nervously, fear swiftly replacing his rage.
“That psycho could be here now!!”
Gwen’s brow lifted quizzically as she waited for an explanation her eyes bouncing between both men as Ross yanked a half charred suitcase from the bushes.
“What are you talking about?” Miles asked with a frown, dread stomping up his senses as he looked over the screen a second time.
“You think HE’S tied to the recent break-ins…or the attack on Miguel’s family?” Miles asked his eyes sliding onto Peni.
“Miles we discussed this already.” Noir frowned.
“The mistress attacked Miguel and burned down his house.”
“She also stabbed him.” Noir added before Peni could speak.
“Mmmmh…I meant the attack on the high way.” Miles clarified as he stepped away from the laptop, his eyes sliding to the ac unit across the room.
“That was DEFINITELY someone from the District.” Peni said dryly as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
“I managed to find this-before it was removed.” Peni mumbled as she leaned backward in her seat, grainy footage filling the screen as two cars zoomed down the highway, bumper to license plate.
“This is from the first attack.” Peni informed as the SUV slammed into the car in front of it.
They watched the video in silence, an uncomfortable realization filling the room as the video abruptly stopped seconds after Miguel’s car drove off an incomplete bridge.
“How’d you find this?” Miles asked after a moment, his eyes sliding to Peni as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“Local authorities claimed there were NO cameras in that area.” Miles said evenly.
“I lucked up.” Peni admitted, leaning back in her seat. “It took hours to find this.”
“Why? To cover it up…or make it look like an accident?” Noir questioned, his eyes lingering on the screen.
“Both.” Peni said evenly as she pulled up several articles and images. “This is the new Mayor-“
“NEW?!” Miles squawked in surprise, leaning toward the screen, his eyes narrowing as he looked the unfamiliar man over.
“Who the hell is this?”
“That’s what I said.” Noir sighed as he took a seat at the table, his boots sliding to the center as he leaned back in his seat.
“They found a new Mayor pretty quick.”
“What do we know about him?” Miles asked as his phone vibrated loudly across the table.
“Not much…but I did find a few interesting things.” Peni hummed as she pulled up a dated picture of several old men clumped together in suits.
“What’d you find?” Noir asked, his mind sliding to thoughts of lunch as his stomach started to growl.
“Look at these pictures.” Peni said as she turned her laptop toward Noir, his sharp eyes quickly bouncing between the old and new image.
“Who’s that guy on the end?” Miles asked as he lifted his phone from the table and unlocked it, his eyes sliding to his text messages.
“The NEW Mayor.” Peni informed dryly, earning a strange look from Noir. “He was fired fifteen years ago from the District-“
“And now he’s running the District that fired him.” Noir filled in as he leaned back in his seat, his mind swirling.
“Why was he fired?” Miles asked, locking his phone screen.
“That’s the thing…I can’t find anything solid.” Peni sighed as she turned the laptop back around. “Only weird rumors.”
“Define weird.” Noir said as he reached into his bag and pulled out his lunch.
“He had some suggestions for the District that were deemed too controversial.” Peni informed as she fought the urge to pick up her phone.
Gwen nor Margo had returned her call or texts.
“He had negative views on Non-Omegas.” Peni continued, blinking away sadness as her eyes slid to her phone.
Miles’s brow lifted curiously. “Negative how?”
Noir bit into his sandwich, his eyes closing as spicy chicken and mustard hit his tongue.
“He felt only Omegas should be allowed into the District and…that children can be bred to be Omegas-“
“Excuse me, what?” Miles interrupted, nearly dropping his phone.
“That’s insane.” Noir mumbled between bites, his eyes slowly opening as a slice of tomato slid from his sandwich.
“You CAN’T breed a second gender…it just happens.”
“Don’t forget SOMEONE did manage to change Miguel from an Alpha to an Omega.” Miles reminded, sending an icy chill throughout the room.
That someone had been dormant for nearly two decades.
Noir’s eyes slid to Miles, the two of them skydiving to the same conclusion.
“Why would anyone want to do that?” Miles asked uncomfortably, taking a seat at the table, his eyes on the laptop screen.
“He’s a…Separatist.” Noir reminded as he inhaled the rest of his sandwich.
Miles brows creased together.
“I didn’t think that was a real thing…just rumors.”
“Oh it’s REAL alright.” Peni confirmed with a nod of her head, as her fingers flew across the keys, rapidly pulling up news article after article.
“Real fucking out dated and prejudice.” Noir added as he aggressively ripped open a bag of chips.
“He had EXTREME views that often caused heated arguments amongst the other Board members.”
Peni concluded with a sigh as she closed her laptop. “He didn’t like Betas and he HATED Alphas.”
“This is crazy.” Kabir cried as she struggled to pull her wrist from the dresser, the web winding tighter and tighter with each of her movements.
“I should ask for help.” She mumbled as she yanked her wrist backward, sending her dresser drawer flying into the wall.
Hobie blinked slowly, his eyes sliding from the clock and toward the door.
“What the hell?” He mumbled as he stretched in bed, yawning loudly as he rolled around tangling himself in the sheets, carelessly knocking pillows to the floor.
“What the hell was that noise?” He complained as he snatched his phone from the nightstand and frowned at the screen.
“I need a vacation.” He huffed as he slid his phone under his pillow, ignoring notifications.
“You NEED to WAKE up and get your family OUT of my house.” Pav whispered aggressively to Miguel’s sleeping form, a polite smile sliding to his lips as a Nurse stepped into the room.
“Hello Hun.” The woman said brightly as she breezed through the room, his eyes sliding to the tablet in her hand and back onto Miguel.
“You must be a close friend.” The Nurse hummed as she looked Miguel over, quickly replacing his iv bag, her eyes sliding to the monitors beeping beside the bed. “You’ve been here hours.”
“Yup…so close his children don’t want to leave my home.” Pav said with a tight lipped smile, earning a happy laugh from the woman.
“You two sound like good friends.
Pav bit his inner cheek, holding back a rude remark as the woman adjusted Miguel’s blankets.
“I’m glad he’s surrounded by so many people who care.” The woman said as she stepped away from the bed, her index finger flying across the tablet screen.
“This is the address?” Andrés asked as he pulled several flash drives from his backpack, his eyes narrowing as he looked over the address a third time.
“Are you sure you should be doing this?” Lyla asked, ignoring his question as she flickered in front of him stopping his movements.
“Mmmh…no but I will.” Andrés admitted honestly with a careless shrug.
Lyla frowned, unsurprised and unmoved by his response.
The O’Hara children usually did whatever the hell they wanted.
“Where are YOU going?” Ignacio asked as he stepped into the den, his eyes sliding to the full bag in Andrés’s hands.
“To find answers.” Andrés said calmly as he grabbed his jacket from the couch and quickly slid his arms into it. “By any means necessary.”
“I hate when you say that.” Ignacio sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb unhappily, stress building across his temples.
“You only say that when you’re about to do something stupid or reckless.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Andrés lied as he zipped his jacket up to his throat.
“Mmmh…is it reckless OR stupid THIS time?” Summer asked with a yawn as she stepped back into the den, her hair wet from the shower.
“Both.” Andrés stated evenly. “But I’m getting answers.”
“Fine.” Summer said as she pulled her wet hair into a clip and grabbed her hoodie from the couch. “You’re NOT going alone.”
“Whatever.” Andrés said dismissively as he handed Ignacio a flash drive.
“Uhhh..what exactly do I need this for?” Ignacio asked uncomfortably as Summer plucked the flash drive from his hand and dropped it into her purse.
Andrés didn’t respond, his mind preoccupied with other things as Kabir stepped into the room, her pleasant scent pulling him from his thoughts.
“Are you going somewhere?” She asked casually sliding her hands into her pockets, her eyes bouncing onto Summer as she slipped into her crocs.
“Apparently we are.” Ignacio grumbled as he slid his feet into a pair of slides.
“Cool. Can I come?” Kabir asked with a smile as she stepped toward the nearest closet and pulled out a solid black jacket. “I really wanna get out of the house.”
Ignacio and Summer’s eyes met before sliding to
Andrés.
“Uh…it’s not exactly a safe trip.” Summer said politely, trying to steer the conversation into a different direction before Ignacio could flat out refuse.
“Sure, just stay close to me.” Andrés butted in as he turned toward Kabir, ignoring his sister’s subtle attempt of warning as a soft smile floated to Kabir’s lips.
Ignacio shot Andrés a pointed look.
“What?” Gonzalo asked, licking butter from his fingers as Marianna shot him a dirty look.
“That’s NOT where babies come from.” Marianna said dryly as she slid a biology textbook onto the table, her finger quickly skimming through the table of contents.
“Where did you get that?” Gonzalo asked, biting into a slice of bacon as he watched Marianna rapidly flip through the large text book.
“Kabir.” Marianna said as she turned the book toward her father, his eyes going wide as he read the chapter title.
“Papi I KNOW what the reproductive process is.”
Marianna stated, making her father choke.
“Why did you say babies come from Storks?” Marianna asked with narrowed eyes.
“What ever happened to secrets?” Hobie asked pointedly as he tossed his empty pill bottle into the trash, his temples throbbing as he continued his slow walk down the hallway.
“Where are you going?” Peni asked as Miles’s hand slid to his wrist, his fingers adjusting the settings.
“To speak with the Mayor.” Miles stated, as if it were obvious.
“Alone?” Peni asked with a lifted brow, her eyes sliding to both Alphas as she closed her laptop.
“That might not be safe-“
“Sounds fun.” Noir interrupted with a yawn as he closed his lunchbox.
“Count me out, I have to head back home.”
Peni’s eyes slid to Noir. “For what?”
“Later.” Noir said with a dismissive wave as he leaned back in his seat, falling into the forming portal behind him.
“That rude fuck.” Peni said with annoyance as she shifted in her seat.
“Well Peni-looks like WE’RE going to meet the Mayor.” Miles chimed.
“Fun.” Peni said bleakly as a new portal formed in front of the door.
Peni’s eyes roamed the packed District streets, her grip on her sugar pretzel tightening as a baby nearby started to scream, his cries clogging her ears with distress as she slipped back into the bathroom.
Her hands shaking with questions as Wei’s cries grew louder, blood gushing from his fingers and quickly staining his shirt and tile floors.
Miles’s eyes bounced around the crowd, taking in the large banner that hung above the stage and the hefty amount of security detail lingering close by.
Miles’s eyes narrowed as he watched Angelo step on stage, his ink colored hair framing half his face as trumpets started to play.
Peni inhaled shakily, her heart beat drowning out the world around her as she tripped into the hospital lobby, panic amplifying her voice as she screamed for help.
The judgmental eyes of the case worker swiftly appearing with terms and stipulations to her subscription to motherhood.
Peni blinked away tears, the pretzel slipping from her fingers as the trumpets grew louder,
drowning out conversations and shifting the spot light, the flow of the crowd changing as a pleasantly deep voice floated from several speakers.
Peni exhaled shakily as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, her attention sliding to the stage.
“Everything ok?” Miles asked lightly, his eyes on the podium as he watched the olive toned man smile, his lips nearly pressed to the microphone as he continued to speak.
“Of course…why wouldn’t it be?” Peni asked weakly, her voice cracking as she turned away from the stage.
Miles stared at Peni for a moment, suppressing his concerns behind closed lips, hesitating briefly before asking his next question.
“Are…you and Gwen ok?”
Irritation flickered across Peni’s face.
She didn’t want to do this.
Didn’t want to do ANY of this-let alone discuss the intimate dealings of her love life.
“Why exactly are we in the District…again?” Kabir asked curiously as she bit into her fried pickle, her eyes wildly roaming the packed streets full of celebrating drunks.
“Great…now we have to explain everything to her.” Ignacio mumbled under his breath to Summer, earning an eye roll.
“Like we had to do with you?” Summer asked teasingly with a yggugu g hbu g you. V?ggy. U?? Thug u u uh u u vlaugh, ug her brother’s face dropped. Uh g guy guog.
“V. U. Grigio g h u. G you c by cv vh g g uvghgvvvgguguvy cv guy hug uuguhv cut. U gg guy g? lookingu. V for this address.” Andrés uvuuu I quickly filled in, turning his phone screen toward Kabir.ughuuvuvuvv g u v. U. V
She looked over the map, her eyes zeroing in on they. C ghu. Cv v. Cv. Cv cross streets. “Is this a business…or house?”
V uu 777 ugh bug
“We’re looking for answers and this unmarked building-has them.” Andrés clarified as he pointed to the building on the map.
“Do you hear this?” Ignacio whispered to Summer. “He think he Sherlock Holmes.”
“He has a point.” Summer snickered as her eyes bounced across the street signs and scenery above their heads.
“That abandoned building is our ONLY lead.”
Miles’s eyes narrowed as he watched Angelo step away from the podium, cameras rapidly flashing as excitement buzzed throughout the crowd as women and men screamed their support and admiration.
“He’s pretty popular.” Peni noted as she stepped on her pretzel, her eyes on the cluster of people following unnervingly close, practically glued to Angelo’s sides as they eagerly shot off question after question.
“Of course he is-he’s half the age of all the other Board members.” Miles said with a snort, distrust taking root in his chest as he watched Angelo’s performance, his movements eerily familiar.
From the rehearsed confident smile to his tailored suits and charm, he mirrored Miguel, like a copycat artist attempting to u pass piss off as wine.
“I don’t know who’s worse…the press or paparazzi.” Peni said with irritation as she watched several reporters shove through the crowd, microphones held high.
“This is weird.” Miles said pointedly, as Peni aggressively stomped, crushing her pretzel, her appetite no longer existent.
Peni watched as Angelo waved, the familiar tilt of his wrist and boisterous laugh, making her turn to Miles.
“Why do I feel like I’ve seen this before?” Peni asked as the trumpets roared behind them, making the Beta glare as she fought the urge to cover her ears.
“He’s pretending to be Miguel.” Miles said flatly, his eyes meeting Angelo’s as he abruptly turned his way and smiled.
“This isn’t weird at all.” Kabir said sarcastically crossing her arms over her chest, as she followed the group into a dark alley, the chill of the evening air ruffling her hair.
“It’s about to get worse.” Ignacio said with a sigh, his eyes meeting Kabir’s as he held five fingers in the air and wordlessly counted down, mouthing the numbers until Andrés stopped him at two.
“I found a way in.” Andrés said with excitement as he slid his lock-pick kit into his backpack and kicked the door harshly inward, practically knocking it off the hinges.
“Way to keep a low profile Superman.” Summer snorted she pushed past Andrés and stepped forward, her eyes quickly combing through the darkness.
“You must break into a lot of buildings.” Kabir said casually as Andrés slid his backpack straps up his arms, his lips sliding into a crooked smile.
“I didn’t take you for a bad boy.”
Andrés laughed shyly, his cheeks turning rosey as he met and held her gaze. “Do you like bad boys?”
Kabir’s brows slid into her hairline, surprise dancing across her face as Andrés laughed again.
“I like…to take things apart and put them back together.” Andrés said clearing his throat, his eyes sliding to the rings in her lip, his mind briefly wondering what type of metal the jewelry was comprised of.
“Pretty boring…huh?” He asked as his eyes slowly slid from her lips and met her gaze.
“Not just robots?” Kabir asked curiously as a subtle breeze tossed Andrés’s soft scent into her direction, making her eyelids flutter.
Vanilla and coconut overrode her senses as Andrés stood up straight, his green eyes curiously observing as he pulled his hood over his head nervously.
He’d heard more than enough negative comments about his scent not fitting his appearance.
“I think…that’s the furthest thing from boring.” Kabir chimed, the amusement in her voice warming his insides and yanking him from his thoughts.
“The more I learn about you, the more interesting you become.” Kabir admitted openly, making his mind short circuit as her mischievous eyes roamed his face without shame.
“You think I’m interesting?” Andrés asked, visibly surprised.
“I didn’t think he’d get this far.” Summer whispered to Ignacio, making him roll his eyes at the love birds as he marched forward.
“PLEASE flirt somewhere else.” Ignacio said dryly, over the strange exchange as he rushed away from the group, tossing himself into the darkness, his sharp ears searching for movement.
“It’s empty.” Summer said quickly as she stepped beside Ignacio, her eyes searching for a breaker box.
“Good.” Andrés said as he shoved the door back into place, his watch promptly filling the dark space with light. “We can investigate in peace.”
Hobie hummed as he sat his guitar back in place, his attention sliding to the piano across the room.
“I haven’t played in ages.” He mused lightly as he pivoted on his feet, his movements slurring as his vision suddenly blurred.
“What…the-“ He trailed off as the world went black and he hit the floor.
“I can’t believe I spent that much time at the hospital….stupid Miguel…stupid coma.” Pav mumbled unhappily as he stepped out of the portal and into his study.
“I’ll never know what Jessica sees in him.” Pav said rudely with a dismissive flick of his wrist as he stepped into the hallway, annoyed he spent nearly four hours with the unconscious man.
Noir emptied the contents of his lunchbox into the trash, his eyes sliding to a bowl full of maple syrup in the middle of the sink.
“Which child did this?” He questioned out loud to the empty kitchen as he turned the water on, quickly filling the bowl with water and dish soap . “This is a cavity waiting to happen.”
“Where the hell is everyone?” Pav wondered out loud as he stepped into the empty den.
“Kabir?” Noir asked as he stepped into her bedroom, his eyes taking in the sloppily made bed.
“Where the hell is my child?” Pav asked unhappily as he stormed into the hallway, nearly bumping into Noir.
“Sooooo…what exactly are we looking for?” Kabir asked as she stepped into the black hallway, her eyes searching the dark space as she fell in step with Summer.
“Computers or the control room.” Andrés answered quickly. “We need to gain access to the mainframe.”
“How fun.” Ignacio murmured sarcastically as his hands slid into his pockets.
“I think…there’s a lab hidden in this building.” Andrés said brightly, the glee in voice pulling a frown to his brother’s face.
“That better NOT be what you dragged us here for.” Summer hissed as Andrés tinkered with his watch, a smile sliding to his lips as a map projected from his watch, merging with the light.
“Tell me we didn’t come here to find your fantasy lab.” Ignacio exhaled as he checked the time on his phone, waiting for a response.
Andrés didn’t respond, his attention elsewhere as he continued forward, his eyes straining in the darkness.
“Andrés answer the question.” Summer said sharply, her feet no longer moving.
Kabir’s eyes slowly slid from Andrés and onto Summer curiously.
“You and both know that wasn’t a question.”Andrés said as he adjusted the settings of his watch, submerging the room in light.
“She’s supposed to be studying.” Pav said irate as Noir pulled Kabir’s bedroom door closed.
“She better NOT be with a boy.”
“I’ll check the music room.” Noir suggested as he pivoted on his heels, Pav’s arm bumping into his as they rounded the corner.
“I’m going to check the library first.” Pav informed as he pivoted on his feet and marched into the opposite direction.
“Gwen…WHO are these people?” Peter asked calmly as his eyes lingered on the wild eyed men in burnt clothing.
“Also…why did you let them in the house?” Peter asked in disgust as he stared distrustfully at the men stretched out on the living room couch.
“They look dirty.” He added wrinkling his nose.
“People who roofied Margo and tried to sue Peni.” Gwen said casually, earning a sharp look of disgust from Peter as he shifted unhappily in her direction.
“What the fuck is going on?” Peter whisper hissed at Gwen as she closed the refrigerator door and sighed.
“I honestly have NO idea.” Gwen admitted as she pulled the cork from the wine bottle and brought it to her lips, greedily chugging.
“Well you need to FIND one before Margo wakes up.” Peter said sharply as he stepped backward, his eyes sliding into the living room.
“She’s going to freak.”
Margo winced as she tenderly touched the back of her thigh. “Ouch-“
“Did I hit the table or something?” She questioned, feeling light headed as she crawled out of bed.
Her legs felt like static as her feet touched the floor, a familiar sensation weighing down her bladder as she tiptoed to the bathroom.
“They made their client drop the charges… anddddd she made them homeless.” Gwen informed as she pulled the bottle from her lips, her speech slurring. “Last night.”
“That doesn’t make anything better.” Peter said as he yanked the bottle from Gwen’s hand, his face pinched together in annoyance as he looked her up and down.
Margo blinked as she washed and dried her hands, sleepiness tugging at her senses as she pulled open the bathroom door, the yawn on her lips dying as her eyes slid onto Ross and went wide.
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!”
“Told you.” Peter said shaking his head disapprovingly as Gwen bolted out of the kitchen.
“She never listens.” He added with an eye roll as he brought the wine bottle to his lips and chugged the rest of it.
“Margo!” Gwen shouted as she sprinted down the hallway and past the living room, her eyes landing on Ross mid crouch as Margo tossed a box of tampons, hitting him square in the face.
“GWEN WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!” Margo shouted, rage screaming across their link as Gwen stepped in front of her.
“What are you hiding?” Peni whispered as she slipped into the crowd, watching Angelo’s security split into separate groups, leaving a handful of guards around Angelo and Miles.
“You don’t have to tell me…I’ll find out.” Peni hummed, growing amused as her eyes slid to the sky, quickly locating her drones. “Eventually.”
“Ahhh the amazing Miles Morales, what do I owe this honor?” Angelo asked with a laugh, unsurprised by the young hero’s appearance.
“I’m just here for the celebration.” Miles said lightly, his eyes sliding to the steadily graying sky.
“This is the first time in almost fifteen years the District has had a NEW Mayor.” Miles added lightly, taking notice of circular object zipping rapidly through the sky.
Angelo’s brow lifted quizzically.
“Did you know the previous Mayor?”
“I did.” Miles admitted with a nod.
Angelo simply watched Miles people watch, not bothering to expand the conversation as he attempted to gage the Alpha’s intentions.
“Why are you really here, Mr. Morales?”
“Because this is HOME after all.” Miles stated quickly as hostile thunder struck, illuminating Angelo’s irises as he pushed a strand of hair behind his ear.
“I see.” Angelo hummed as Miles met his gaze, his honey eyes roaming his suit. “You’ve done a wonderful job protecting this dimension.”
“Thank you.” Miles said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Ignacio’s eyes narrowed as he watched the hallway split into four directions, the sound of impending footsteps echoing loudly behind them.
“You said the building would be empty.” Ignacio hissed unhappily growing more anxious.
“Minor miscalculation.” Andrés said as they continued to move deeper into the building.
“Minor?!” Ignacio hissed.
“Which way do we go?” Summer asked uncomfortably, her eyes bouncing between Andrés and the direction of the footsteps.
“Split up.” Andrés said evenly, his eyes sliding to his watch as he glanced between his map and the hallway, irritation riding his brows.
“The map doesn’t match the building layout.” Kabir pointed out quickly, before Andrés could speak, her sharp eyes peering over his shoulder.
“Should we go left or right?” Summer asked as she pulled her hood over her head, preparing to run.
“Doesn’t matter-we need to FIND the control room!” Ignacio said as he bolted down the hallway, Summer on his heels as they hit the corner.
“No one’s supposed to be here.” Andrés huffed as he sprinted into the opposite direction, his eyes locked on the map projection floating above his wrist.
“Right, just like how this hallway isn’t supposed to be here.” Kabir countered as the color of the walls changed, swiftly going from steel gray to burnt rust.
“What the hell?” Kabir snapped, nearly tripping over her feet as the hallway abruptly ended, giving way to a dead end.
“Lyla-WHAT’S going on?” Andrés asked suppressing the urge to panic.
“Why is District security…casing abandoned buildings?” Peni questioned as she creeped behind a hotdog stand, her eyes narrowing with suspicion as the group took their time combing through forgotten buildings of the outskirts.
“What are you looking for?” Peni wondered as she watched two large men smash a series of windows before gaining access to another building.
“Are you in line?” A woman asked loudly, her shrill voice pulling Peni’s attention away from security.
“What?” Peni asked rudely, looking the woman up and down with irritation.
“I SAID ARE YOU IN LINE?!” The woman barked, her tone elevating and immediately pissing Peni off as several eyes turned in their direction.
Andrés brought his finger to his lips, his eyes locked on Kabir’s as the men continued to search, ransacking the space and snatching things from walls.
Kabir flinched, bumping into his arm as something solid slammed into a nearby wall, her anxiety rising as more men stepped into the room, aggressively searching and destroying.
Andrés lightly bumped Kabir forward, pushing her through the duct. “We need to move.”
“Fuck! We got separated.” Ignacio snapped with frustration, his eyes frantically searching the cameras for his brother.
“They’ll be fine.” Summer said evenly as she locked the door, her eyes sliding to multiple cameras in front of them. “They’re smart.”
“Yeah-but HE’s supposed to be in here NOT us.” Ignacio hissed as his eyes slid to the unfamiliar control panel and wall of multiple computer screens.
“Summer this shit is all NEW.” Ignacio sighed as his eyes roamed the various computer screens.
“You know he’s going to find that lab.” Summer snorted, never surprised by their baby brother’s thirst for knowledge.
“I…know.” Ignacio sighed as he dragged a tired hand down his face. “This is…a lot.”
“It’s ok.” Summer said with a reassuring smile as she pulled the flash drive from her purse.
“We planned for this.”
“I won’t let anything happen…to you.” Andrés said calmly, his eyes sliding to the building layout on his watch, his brows furrowing together briefly before his eyes slid back onto the men on the floor beneath them.
“Why are so many of them here? What are they looking for?” Kabir whispered as they crawled past another room full of security.
Andrés didn’t respond, his eyes glued to the backs of the men as they abruptly exited the room, mumbling unhappily in a foreign language as the door slammed closed behind them.
“Where the fuck do we even put this?” Summer asked with a frown, her eyes on the controls as she fruitlessly searched.
“I don’t know…look for a-HERE!!” Ignacio said as he snatched the flash drive from his sister’s hand and shoved it into the largest computer port.
“Did Ignacio and Summer make it to the control room?” Kabir asked as Andrés kicked the vent cover from the wall, sending rusted screws flying as it flew open, slamming into the ceiling.
“Where the fuck is everyone?” Jessica asked scratching her head as she walked through the large empty home, her stomach growling as she searched for the kitchen.
Gonzalo yawned as he slid a bowl into the microwave, heating up left overs as he lazily leaned against the counter.
“The cravings have started.” He announced, his eyes closing as his hand slid to his stomach.
“I WANT something sweet.”
“I DON’T want to move dimensions.” Marianna stated abruptly, startling her father as she stepped into the kitchen.
“What?” Gonzalo asked as the microwave beeped, his hands quickly pulling open the door and removing his dish.
“I don’t like how cold it gets here…and neither does Tay.” Marianna admitted as she sheepishly took a seat at the table, watching as her father drowned his leftovers in syrup.
“I thought you two loved snow.” Gonzalo said lightly probing as he lifted his bowl from the counter and joined Marianna at the table, his prior conversation with Miles about jumping dimensions swiftly resurfacing as he shoved a fork into his food.
“Absolutely not.” Matéo quickly rejected, his obsidian and honey colored eyes sharp with disinterest as he declined Pav’s book suggestion, his eyes narrowing as he looked over the kid friendly title.
“What’s wrong with Doctor Seuss?” Pav asked as Matéo lifted the book from his hand and slid it back onto the shelf.
“I’d rather read this.” Matéo countered as he lifted a parenting book into the air.
“What’s wrong with the cat in the hat?“ Pav asked, ignoring the boy’s desire to read books about child rearing. “I loved this book when I was your age.”
Matéo frowned, his two toned eyes narrowing unamused. “Fine. You can read it-I’ll just leave.”
“Wha-“ Pav trailed off as the young boy pivoted on his heels and marched out of the library before he could offer any more unappealing book recommendations.
“I can’t wait to move.” Matéo grumbled as he turned down the hallway, the overwhelming smell of maple catching his attention as his sister’s voice guided him to the kitchen.
“I thought you said we couldn’t eat that much syrup.” Marianna reminded, her eyes narrowing as they slid onto the fork in her father’s hand, irritation dancing across her face as her eyes slid into the bowl as he greedily shoved several pieces of toast and potatoes into his mouth.
“You said it’d rot our teeth.” Matéo added as he stepped into the kitchen, his eyes sliding to the fork in his father’s hand curiously.
“It’s not for me…it’s for the baby.” Gonzalo countered weakly as he dropped his fork into the bowl and rose from his seat, his attention on the fridge as thoughts of ice cream consumed his mind.
“Rightttttt.” Noir said skeptically as he lifted Hobie from the floor, his hazel eyes searching the taller man’s face with rabid concern.
“I’m fine.” Hobie repeated as he attempted to pull out of the Alpha’s arms.
“No you aren’t.” Noir said evenly, his arms firmly locking around Hobie, earning a disgruntled sound from the taller man.
Hobie responded by crossing his arms over his chest, his lips twisting unhappily together as Noir stepped into the hallway.
“What’s going on?” Pav asked lightly as he stepped out of the library and met the pair halfway, his eyes bouncing from Noir and onto Hobie.
“I’m fine.” Hobie said dryly, attempting to minimize the situation.
He did NOT want to deal with this let alone talk about it.
“No you aren’t.” Noir repeated, an anxious sensation slipping across his link as Pav pressed a concerned hand to Hobie’s cheek, intensely looking him over.
“You fainted?” Pav asked softly, his voice wavering as he ran a timid hand lightly across Hobie’s hairline, his eyes zeroing in on the small knot forming.
“I’m fine.” Hobie grunted stubbornly, his eyes burning a hole into the wall as he continued to avoid the gaze of both men.
“ You hit your head.” Pav stated softly, sadness coloring his tone as he worriedly looked the taller man over a second time.
“It’s NOT a big deal.” Hobie snapped with frustration, his throat suddenly feeling dry as the unease of both his partners continuously overlapped, his neck warming with overwhelmingly conflicting emotions as he pushed away Pav’s hand.
“You fainted and hit your head-that IS a big deal.” Noir quickly corrected as he carefully sat the taller man onto the edge of the bed.
Shock danced across Pav’s face, his eyes going wide as the words registered, his composure slipping. “Why…are you lying about this?!”
Hobie sighed closing his eyes, well aware where the conversation was going.
“WE’RE GOING TO SEE A DOCTOR RIGHT NOW.” Pav said sharply, his hand sliding to the watch on his wrist as he immediately typed in the coordinates for HQ.
Hobie groaned unhappily as he fell deep into the sheets, his eyes closing as the smaller man grew louder.
“Can I just stay home? I feel fine.” Hobie protested weakly, his request falling onto unhappy ears.
“We’re NOT talking about this.” Gonzalo said flatly as he stormed down the hallway, the twins at each side, their faces buried in beginner parenting books.
“Papi …does being pregnant hurt?” Marianna asked curiously, her eyes sliding from the pages of her book and onto her father’s stomach.
“If it hurts we should go to the Doctor immediately.” She added, making her father sigh tiredly.
They’d been asking back to back questions the second they found him in the kitchen.
“No it doesn’t.” Gonzalo sighed as he pushed open the bedroom door.
“Well…sometimes.” He corrected as he flicked on the bathroom light and found his reflection in the mirrior. “Im fine.”
“Dad you need to eat healthier-the baby may not be getting all their nutrients.” Matéo added as he followed his father into the room, his list of questions unending.
“What if the baby is premature?” Marianna asked softly, her tone laced with sadness as she closed the book.
Gonzalo’s eyes shifted in Marianna’s direction. “Premature just means-“
“HOW do we prepare for that?” Matéo asked uncomfortably, suddenly growing anxious as he mirrored his sister’s concerns.
Gonzalo blinked, taken aback by the shift in conversation, his gaze bouncing across the twins as they refused to meet his gaze.
“Why are you two so worried about the baby?” Gonzalo asked softly as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, both children reluctantly following as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, his hand resting comfortably under his full stomach.
Pav scrolled through his texts, his mind sliding back to the hospital room.
“Thank you.” Jessica said softly as she stepped beside Pav, her eyes on Miguel as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, her delicate face etched with sadness.
She look like she’d break at any moment, her hand feverishly brushing away tears.
“No problem.” Pav said clearing his throat, the air of the room chilly yet suffocating as he awkwardly lingered beside the bed.
“Thank you for taking care of my babies.” Jessica said shakily, the smell of citrus shampoo floating from her hair as her red rimmed eyes roamed Miguel’s face.
“So…much has been going on…I haven’t been able to breathe.” Jessica said softly as she reached for Miguel, her hand shaking as she dragged her thumb across a scar that stretched down his eyebrow.
Pav watched as Jessica pressed a gentle kiss to Miguel’s cheek, sadness radiating from her pores and slicing into him as she pulled away, quickly dabbing the sleeve of her shirt under her eyes.
Pav closed his eyes, her despair palpable on his tongue as the desperate need to comfort her bordered on concerning and overbearing.
“You and Miguel take as much time as you need.” He said softly, his eyes slowly opening as his hand slid to his watch.
“You and your family can stay for as long as you need to.”
Pav shook his head, still in disbelief he’d even said that.
Noir slid his hands into his pockets, his mind floating to the man he’d tortured nearly to death in the basement.
His ice blue eyes laced with hate as Noir shoved him through the portal, the vegetation of the island wild and unwelcoming as he landed.
Noir’s callous eyes slid down the hallway, his feet quickly taking him through the house as he sprinted back to the bedroom.
“Thank you so much.” Jericho coughed, brushing debris from his hair as Ross’s eyes curiously roamed the decorated hallway.
“Why does it smell like bleach?” Ross asked curiously as he inhaled deeply, the climate of the room instantly dropping as Gwen’s blue eyes sliced angrily into him.
“Spiderman…tell me.” Angelo started with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Did you come to congratulate me or SPY on me?” Angelo teased with a laugh as he extended a hand toward Miles, the large men around him wordlessly hovering by, stoic expressions plastered on their faces.
“Looks like you caught me.” Miles said with a laugh as he took Angelo’s hand.
“I do hope you enjoy your time in the District.”
Angelo hummed as his grip tightened, his seemingly black eyes politely roaming Miles’s face, quickly cataloguing every little detail.
“While the gates are STILL open.”
“What gates?” Miles asked, returning the same animosity, his hand tightening uncomfortably around the taller man’s wrist.
For a brief second, the temptation to snap the man’s wrist like a toothpick flickered crassly across his mind.
Angelo smiled, unphased by the pressure as he lifted his free hand and pointed toward a blocked off construction site, several feet away.
“After this weekend the District will no longer allow access to non-Omega individuals.“
Miles blinked, caught off guard by the forward and borderline prejudice statement. “What?”
“The District will NO longer be open to the general public.” Angelo informed, mindfully observing the brief flicker of irritation that danced across Miles’s expressive face.
“You can’t do that.” Miles stated, quickly tugging genuine laughter from the taller man.
“Non-Omegas won’t be able to visit family or friends, how will that work?” Miles questioned, ignoring the shift of Angelo’s fingers, as his nails started to dig into his wrist, breaking skin.
“Don’t worry about that.” Angelo said as he abruptly released Miles’s hand.
Miles’s fist tightened, the light cuts on his wrist instantly healing as his eyes narrowed with contempt. “What do you MEAN don’t worry about it?”
Angelo whistled, not bothering to answer the Alpha’s question as he met and held Miles’s gaze, his pleasant expression no where near the whisper of hostility that slipped from his lips and spread between them.
“You worry about keeping those children safe.” Angelo hummed with a smile as his eyes lingered unnaturally long on Miles. “You have such a beautiful family.”
“WHAT?!” Peni squawked, her eyes intensely roaming the paperwork in her hands as she took a seat on an unconscious construction worker.
“This man is fucking crazy.” She mused as she took her phone from her pocket and took several quick pictures of the blueprints.
“Where the fuck is he getting the money to turn the District into a GATED community?” Peni questioned as she stumbled across a notebook, overflowing with receipts and notes.
“Yeah, we have twelve minutes.” Andrés confirmed as he kicked the duct, scattering dust as it hit the floor.
“We gotta jump.” Andrés said softly his grip on Kabir’s hand tightening as they dropped to the floor, entering a completely new room.
“So-sorry.” Andrés mumbled shyly as he slowly released her hand, the tips of his ears growing red as Kabir leaned forward and brushed dust from his hair, a soft smile sliding to her lips.
“You had something on…” Kabir trailed off, a blush blanketing her face as their intimate moment suddenly dawned on her.
“Thank God it’s almost done.” Summer said crossing her arms as she continued to watch the download bar on the screen.
“Yeah this shit is high stress.” Ignacio complained in agreement as he fanned himself with a piece of paper.
“Next time Andrés tells me get dressed-I’m tellin his ass NO.” Ignacio hissed as he watched the cameras.
“Fucking weirdos.” Peni said as her robotic spider exited a building and crawled her way.
“What are you planning-when you OWN all the buildings in the outskirts?” Peni wondered out loud as she scooped the robot from the ground, her fingers quickly accessing the footage.
“Why even sneak around?” Peni questioned as she watched security sprint down a rust colored hallway.
“Why? Because I can.” Angelo said sharply, no longer hiding behind his pleasantly crafted façade, as his eyes roamed the large crowd around them with contempt.
“What’s your problem?” Miles asked heatedly, earning a dirty look from security as he straightened his shoulders.
“You.” Angelo said evenly, surprising Miles.
Most people didn’t usually have the balls to complain to his face.
“What the hell are you talking about-“
“Alphas like you.” Angelo interrupted, his eyes returning to Miles. “ Who think just because of genetics they should CONTROL everything.”
“You DON’T know me.” Miles snapped, irritation bubbling up his chest as he held Angelo’s gaze.
“No…but I know of you Mr.Morales.” Angelo said calmly, his stance unchanged.
“You DON’T know shit about ME.” Miles snapped, making the older man smile pleasantly.
“Wow…I’m sensing some animosity.” The Doctor said clearing his throat, his concerned voice interrupting the quarrel of the threesome.
“No animosity here.” Noir said politely.
“We just wanna know about these headaches-“
“They’ve been constant and HE won’t tell us how long this has been going on.” Pav cut in, his dark eyes sliding to Hobie.
Hobie’s eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms defiantly over his chest, refusing to speak, promptly pissing off the smaller man more.
“Look here you BRAT-“
“Tell the nice man about your headaches, please?” Noir interrupted as he placed a gentle hand ontop of Hobie’s, softly dragging his thumb across knuckles as he patiently waited.
Pav rolled his eyes, his patient nonexistent as he rapidly tapped his foot with irritation.
Hobie exhaled deeply, his eyes closing as he took Noir’s hand, the words uncomfortably spilling from his lips as the room grew silent.
A soft smile settled across the Doctor’s face as Hobie’s eyes open, his cheeks warming as three sets of eyes met his.
“Must we talk about this?” Gonzalo asked with a sigh as Marianna highlighted several passages in her parenting book.
“Yes.” Matéo answered quickly as he pulled several pens from his pencil bag, his eyes sliding to his father. “I’ll make a list of everything the baby will need.”
Gonzalo’s brows shot into his hairline.
Marianna nodded in agreement as she rapidly started to list baby products. “We need bottles, diapers…a swing-“
“Your father ALREADY ORDERED everything we NEED.” Gonzalo said as he pressed a hand to his forehead, suddenly feeling exhausted with the realization his family was truly dramatic.
Matéo tossed Marianna a skeptical look.
“Well…can we plan the baby shower?” Matéo asked curiously.
“I’m not having a baby shower.” Gonzalo sighed as the twins eyes snapped in his direction unhappily.
“I’m telling Dad.” Marianna said sharply as she snatched Matéo’s notebook from the floor and dramatically stormed out of the room.
Wordlessly Matéo gathered his items, his unimpressed eyes sliding to his father.
“What?” Gonzalo reluctantly asked.
“THEY NEED TO LEAVE NOW.” Margo hissed as she yanked Gwen into the bathroom by her sleeve and locked the door. “WHAT THE FUCK?!”
“Told you she’d freak.” Peter hummed as he took a seat on the bathroom counter and crossed his legs, eagerly watching the show.
“Xiang burned down their apartment building.” Gwen exhaled, wishing the wine bottle was still in her hand. “They have NO where else to go-“
“How unfortunate.” Margo said stiffly, annoyance flickering across their link as Gwen shuffled uncomfortably under the heat of her gaze. “THEY NEED TO GO.”
“Good luck de-escalating this.” Peter said with a yawn as he leaned backward until his back rested against the mirror. “I need a nap.”
“Do you think they’ll let us stay?” Ross asked hopeful as he struggled to unzip his half burnt suitcase. “At least…for a night or two?”
“I HOPE so-we gave them almost ALL our money.” Ross added nervously
“Doubt it.” Jericho hummed as he plopped down and spread himself lazily across the couch, knocking several decorative pillows to the floor.
“Pretty sure they hate us.” He added with a tired yawn as he pressed his cheek to a pillow and inhaled, the pleasant scent of cherries filling his nose.
“NO-THEY HATE YOU.” Ross corrected sharply as he tossed his shirt angrily into his suitcase, his mind reeling as rapid thoughts of his luxury apartment burning filled his mind.
The apartment had been suffocating, filled to the brim with heavy smoke as sirens wailed hauntingly throughout the building, waking residents and ensuing panic.
From his bedroom closet to the kitchen, he’d lost everything.
“Nope, you WORK for me.” Jericho reminded, his eyes closing as he continued. “Of COURSE they hate you.”
“Margo I understand you’re upset…but they have nowhere else to go.” Gwen countered softly as she pulled several hundred dollar bills from her pocket and pressed them to Margo’s chest.
“They’re so desperate they even offered to pay.” Gwen added as she watched Margo quickly count the money, surprise sprinting across her face as she tore her gaze from the cash.
“Gwen this is almost five grand…how long are they trying to stay?”
“Yeah…they coulda got a hotel.” Peter yawned tiredly. “I don’t trust them.”
“You look stressed, try to stay optimistic.” Jericho hummed as he watched Ross storm into the backyard with a pack of cigarettes.
“Hey.” Gwen said evenly as she stepped into the living room, her hand knocking Jericho’s feet from the arm of the couch.
“Margo kicking us out?” Jericho asked with a yawn as he reached for the nearest suitcase.
“I’m gonna need all the cash back.”
Gwen rolled her eyes, second guessing her choice of extending an olive branch.
“I’m going to regret this.” Margo whispered to herself as she locked her bedroom door, her feet quickly taking her to the closet, her hands pushing away clothes until her eyes landed on silver.
“I’m kicking them out the minute they piss me off.” She concluded as she unlocked the safe and shoved the large wad of cash inside.
“This is horrible.” Peni said flatly as she watched Angelo walk away, his body quickly disappearing behind a wall of large security guards.
“That man is fucking crazy.” Miles said dryly as he wiped the palm of his hand down the thigh of his pants, aggressively trying to get rid himself of the man’s germs.
“Why does he even need that much security?” Peni questioned as she watched additional guards join the wall of security around Angelo, pushing the elderly and small children out of the way.
“That’s where the District budget is going.” She theorized unimpressed.
“The last Mayor did get run off the road and stabbed.” Miles reminded, earning a dismissive flick of the wrist from the Beta.
“Yeahhhh stabbed by HIS fiancé’s, widowed husband’s MISTRESS.” Peni said clearing her throat. “That was totally unrelated.”
“He threatened me.” Miles informed, his mood simmering closer and closer to rage as the older man’s warning replayed in his mind.
“WHAT?!” Peni squawked, her brows slamming into her hairline in shock.
“Who the fuck threatens Spiderman?”
“Apparently separatists.” Miles said as he fiddled with the dials of his watch.
“Well…this has been eye opening.” Ignacio said as he yanked the usb from the computer and quickly dropped it into Summer’s purse.
“Very horrible experience. Would NOT recommend.”
Summer rolled her eyes, suppressing laughter.
“Negative three stars.” Ignacio concluded, making her snort as his eyes roamed the different cameras. “Where the fuck are they?”
“Where the fuck are we?” Kabir asked uncomfortably as she took a step backward, bumping into Andrés, her eyes wildly roaming the sterile chrome environment, full of strange tools and unsafe contraptions.
“The lab.” Andrés mumbled breathlessly in awe as he stepped forward, his eyes glued on the freakishly large cylinder shaped tank of bright green liquid, that sat welded into the center of the room. “We couldn’t find it because it was UNDER the building.” He added with excitement.
“I don’t…think we should be here.” Kabir stated as her eyes slid away from the strange equipment and back to the air vent they’d dropped out of. “We should go.”
Andrés’s eyes went wide as he watched the silhouette of a person appear in the liquid, their eyes closed with an air mask firmly attached to their face.
“What…are you doing?” Kabir asked as she watched Andrés sprint forward and shove a usb into the computer beside the large container.
“Finding out what the fuck is going on in the District.” Andrés said as he watched the download bar appear on the computer screen.
“Are we supposed to wait here…orrr…?” Summer trailed off, her eyes sliding to her brother as his hand lingered on the doorknob with uncertainty.
“Thank you so much for waiting.” The Doctor said politely as he stepped back into the room, his eyes on the paper in his hands. “I have the results of your MRI.”
Hobie inhaled sharply as the Doctor held a black and white photo into the air, his pleasant smile dropping as he cleared his throat.
“Out with it.” Pav snapped, startling the Doctor and making Noir sigh, unsurprised as he reached for the Alpha’s hand, yanking him backward and nearly into the bed.
“Chill out.” Noir said evenly as Pav snatched his arm away.
“We’ve been waiting for hours.” Pav hissed, his eyes sliding toward the Doctor as he loudly cleared his throat.
Hobie’s fingers nervously dug into the hospital sheets, his eyes locked on the confusing photo.
“Mr.Brown do you see this right here?” The Doctor asked pointing toward a white circular mass on the left side of the photo.
“Yes?” Hobie answered shakily as his eyes slid from the photo and onto the Doctor’s sullen face.
“This is an abnormal growth .” The Doctor informed slowly, his kind eyes searching Hobie’s face, attempting to gage his reaction. “You have a mass forming on the left side of your brain.”
Hobie inhaled sharply, the world around him going mute as his eyes slid from the Doctor and back to the circular mass, wreaking havoc in the left side of his brain.
Noir’s eyes widen in shock as he ripped his eyes away from xray, his mind buffering with conflicting thoughts as he struggled to piece together what’d he’d just heard.
“When you…say mass…you don’t mean-“
“A tumor.” Pav filled in softly, his voice nearly a whisper as he inhaled shakily, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.
The Doctor nodded, his eyes sliding to Hobie as he continued. “I suggest surgery as soon as possible-“
Hobie blinked, sound suddenly filling his ears like water as he shifted awkwardly in bed, fear lashing up his insides as his eyes slid to the door across the room.
He needed to leave.
Needed to be anywhere else but here.
Noir’s grip on Hobie’s hand tightened, his calm voice filling the tense space.”How safe would that be?”
The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, Pav’s words quickly drowning him out.
“Not very. They have to cut open his skull!” Pav snapped, his body growing warm with unease as Hobie’s emotions flickered across his link.
“Stop it!” Noir snapped, on the verge of a break down, his mind reeling as he struggled to hold it all together.
He needed to be strong.
THEY needed to be strong.
Strong enough to get through whatever this was.
“How SOON can you operate and how long will it take?” Pav asked as he reached for Hobie’s other hand, desperately trying to offer comfort as he pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles, his hand shaking.
“It depends on the complexity of the surgery and the location of the tumor.” The Doctor said evenly as he sat the xray onto the counter.
“Could be a few hours…it could be twenty four hours.”
“TWENTY FOUR HOURS?!” Noir squawked, making the Doctor retreat backward.
“We’re going to get this figured out…I promise.” Pav whispered as he pressed a kiss to Hobie’s forehead, his mind chaotically running wild with worse case scenarios.
“How the hell do we get out of here?” Kabir questioned as she jumped a third time, her arms held high above her head as she struggled to reach the vent imbedded into the ceiling.
“The same way we came in.” Andrés hummed as he happily tossed the usb into his bag, his sharp eyes sliding to the vent high above their heads.
“That’s like seven feet in the air.” Kabir pointed out grimly as Andrés casually shoved his sleeves up his arms.
“I can jump.” Andrés informed lightly as he offered his hand to her. “Would you like me to carry you?”
Kabir’s cheeks grew warm, surprising skipping across her face as she stumbled over a response. “I…I…”
“Don’t worry. I won’t drop you.”
Andrés said calmly as he shifted in her direction, his solid arm quickly wrapping around her waist before she could spit out her answer.
“Talk about too close for comfort.” Miles complained as he stepped through the portal, yawning as he stretched, lazily lifting his arms above his head as he walked through the mansion.
“Angelo is going to be a problem.” He mused as he stepped into the hallway, his mind replaying the casual way the older man had mentioned his family, the ominous twinkle in his eye seeming to burn bright as he mentioned the twins.
“Who’s Angelo?”
Miles turned around, a smile sliding to his face as he reached for Marianna and quickly pulled her into his arms.
“Why…are you asking SO many questions?” Gonzalo mumbled into his pillow as he tried to ignore his son’s onslaught of overly intrusive questions.
“For my research.” Matéo answered quickly as he turned the page of his notebook, his eyes sliding onto his father as he grabbed a different color pen.
“Please…just let me sleep.” Gonzalo begged as he pulled the covers over his head.
“But you’ve been sleeping for like forty minutes.” Marianna complained as Miles stepped into the room and quickly closed the door behind him.
“I have NOT.” Gonzalo sighed as he yanked the covers from his head, irritation ridding his brows as Miles sat Marianna on the foot of the bed, his attention sliding to his partner.
“Come on. Let Papi sleep.” Miles said lightly as he tugged the notebook from Matéo’s hands.
“I only had a few more questions.” Matéo frowned as he watched Miles close the notebook and place it on the dresser behind him.
“Tay that page was FULL of questions.” Miles sighed as Matéo looked away, choosing not to comment.
“All he does is SLEEP.” Marianna mumbled under her breath, earning a pointed look from their father.
“No…all he does is eat ALL the syrup.” Matéo corrected, making Marianna snort as Gonzalo groaned unhappily into the blankets.
“That’s ALL he’s supposed to do.” Miles said with a laugh as he ushered both children out of the room and into the hallway.
“Rest is good for the baby.” Miles explained as he pulled the door closed behind him.
“We don’t want Papi to become fatigued or stressed.”
“Duhhhh.” Ignacio said with an eyeroll as he abruptly yanked open the door, his eyes roaming the pitch black hallway.
“Be serious.” Summer hissed as she turned away from the cameras.
“I AM.” Ignacio said as he pulled the door shut.
“If he’s NOT here in FIVE minutes we’re leaving.”
“Don’t you mean…they?” Summer questioned as Ignacio’s eyes slid to the control panel.
“Do you really think he’d LEAVE her HERE?” Ignacio asked evenly as Summer’s eyes followed his onto the control panel.
“Ready?” Andrés asked clearing his throat as Kabir’s arms locked around him, the soft scent of pomegranates filling his nose as she wordlessly nodded, the end of her braid tickling his wrist.
Kabir closed her eyes, not trusting herself to speak as she felt the muscles beneath Andrés’s shirt tense, the air around them shifting as he jumped.
“You can open your eyes now.” Andrés said softly, his arm lingering around her waist as he pulled the vent closed with his free hand.
“That…was fast.” Kabir said with a shy laugh as she slowly pulled her arms away, her cheeks warming as he held her gaze.
“How the fuck is this GOOD?” Ross snapped, his rage palpable as Jericho strode into the room, his hair and shoulders still wet from the shower.
“God I feel refreshed.” Jericho hummed, his good mood waning as his eyes reluctantly slid to his assistant.
“WHAT are you complaining about NOW?” Jericho asked dryly as he tugged the bath towel from his waist and tossed it at the shorter man.
“YOU!!” Ross snapped as he rose to his feet, squaring his shoulders, ready to engage in confrontation as he caught the towel in his hand.
“Here we go AGAIN.” Jericho said rolling his eyes boredly as he watched Ross ball up his bath towel and aggressively toss it into his direction.
“You should have NEVER accepted her as a client and you KNOW it!!”
“Ughhh!!! ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS?!” Jericho snapped, his voice elevating in volume.
“YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS NOW?!”
Ross’s eyes narrowed with anger.
“Yes.” He said sharply, rapidly regurgitating each and every poor choice the man had made over the course of the last six months.
“NEWS FLASH!! You are a fuck up!” Ross concluded, tightly clenching his fists at his sides. “You’ve ONLY gotten this far because of your RICH ASS PARENTS!!”
“Oooh tell me how you really feel.” Jericho antagonized dryly as he crossed his arms over his chest, indifferent to his nudity and the uncreative jab he’d heard repeatedly his entire up bringing.
“You NEVER take anything serious.” Ross lamented, his voice wavering with authentic rage.
He wanted to scream.
Wanted to yell and scrutinize each and every impulsively selfish choice the stupid man had made.
“You sound jealous.” Jericho pointed out with a bored yawn. “It’s NOT my fault your parents weren’t rich and didn’t love you.”
Ross blinked.
His rage loading dangerously higher as he crossed the room in three quick strides, cocked his fist and slammed it into the taller man’s jawline, knocking him into the dresser.
Jericho wiped the back of his hand across his bottom lip and stared at it, unsettling laughter spilling from his lips as his eyes landed on blood.
“What…the hell?” Gwen mumbled sleepily as she sat up in bed, her eyes sliding to the locked bedroom door.
“Tell them shut up.” Peter suggested with a yawn as he snuggled into the pillows beside Margo.
“People are trying to sleep here.”
“Gwen…tell your house guests to shut the fuck up.” Margo mumbled as she pulled a pillow over her head and drifted back off.
Gwen frowned as her eyes met Peter’s.
“You heard the woman.” He huffed dismissively as he pulled the blankets over his head, Gwen opened her mouth to speak the sound of something bumping into the wall swiftly silencing her complaint.
Gwen exhaled deeply as she reluctantly slid out of bed, her feet slowly taking her down the hallway and into the direction of the guest bedroom.
“You’ve ALWAYS been like this!!” Ross shouted as Jericho harshly shoved him into the wall, knocking several pictures to the floor.
“You and I both know I’ve ALWAYS been like THIS.” Jericho hissed as Ross stumbled to his feet.
“NEWS FLASH YOU WEAK FUCK!” Jericho spat as he took an offensive stance. “YOU’VE NEVER HAD THE BALLS TO DO WHAT I DO.”
Red filled Ross’s vision as he charged the taller man, the two of them immediately falling to the floor in a fit of angry limbs, punching and kicking .
“I HATE YOU!!” Ross screamed as he slammed his fist into Jericho’s chest.
“I HATE YOU!!” Ross repeated as Jericho caught his fist mid swing, his long slender fingers encasing his entire fist.
“I…I…hate everything about you.” Ross confessed shakily, tears of frustration streaming down his cheeks as he yanked his hand out of Jericho’s. “Don’t touch me.”
“You don’t hate me.” Jericho gently corrected as he pulled the smaller into his arms, ignoring his demands and swiftly enveloping him in warmth, as his arms locked around his waist.
Confusion sprinted across Ross’s senses as Jericho pressed a gentle kiss to his temple.
“Don’t…” Ross mumbled into Jericho’s chest as he started to run considerate fingers through his hair.
“What’s…wrong?” Jericho asked softly as he dragged his finger down Ross’s jawline, gently caressing the same spot he’d punched him.
Sadness erupted throughout Ross’s chest as he closed his eyes, weakly attempting to stop the tears. “Get off me.” He said flatly.
“You’re on top of me.” Jericho reminded with a chuckle.
Silence fills the room for several seconds.
“I’m…sorry any of this happened.” Jericho said clearing his throat, his arms loosening around Ross as all his poor choices galloped across his mind.
“Going forward…I’ll be more considerate.”
Ross’s eyes opened in surprise.
Jericho rarely ever apologized, let alone indulged in guilt.
Ross’s eyes slowly slid up Jericho’s toned chest until their eyes met, butterflies rapidly fluttering in the pit of his stomach as he looked away, his cheeks warming with embarrassment.
A soft smile slid across Jericho’s lips as he pushed the hair from Ross’s forehead, happy the tears had stopped.
“My home…and everything-I EVER owned… is gone.” Ross stated weakly, his eyes closing as acceptance slowly washed over him.
“We CAN always replace material things…but I can’t replace you.” Jericho confessed softly, his voice cracking as his hand slid under Ross’s chin, turning his face back in his direction.
“I….”Ross trailed off looking away, a queer atmosphere blossoming between them in the dimly lit room. “Don’t say things like that.”
“Why not?” Jericho asked curiously as he cupped Ross’s cheek, ignorant to the conflicting emotions brewing in the smaller man’s mind.
“Because anyone would misinterpret that.” Ross stated with narrowed eyes, ignoring Jericho’s amusement as he pushed his hand away.
“That’s fine.” Jericho said evenly, his eyes twinkling as he slowly pressed their lips together.
Gwen’s foot connected with the door, nearly sending it flying from the hinges as she stepped into the room, confusion corrupting her pretty face. “Aren’t you two RELATED?!”
“I DON’T want to KNOW anything else.” Peni sighed tiredly as she stepped into her hotel room, exhaustion weighing down her shoulders as she kicked off her shoes.
“I’m tiredddddddd.” She wined as she fell face first into bed, her body quickly sinking into the mattress as she yawned a fourth time, her eyes closing.
“I can’t sleep.” She sighed as questionable thoughts of the District filled her mind, fueling her never ending quest for knowledge as her eyes slowly opened and slid to her laptop.
“Angelo is a nutcase.” She yawned as she opened her laptop, her fingers lazily flying across the keys as she pulled up live coverage of the Mayor’s recent announcement.
His crisp voice devoid of nonsense as he issued a temporary District curfew, sighting reconstruction and safety concerns as a flimsy excuse to lock people in their homes.
“Wanna be dictator.” Peni mumbled as she combed through the coverage for anything amiss.
“I wouldn’t be fucking surprised if he was experimenting on people.” Peni said dryly as she zoomed in on his security team, her sharp eyes combing across every detail.
“What are you trying to hide?” Peni questioned as she minimized the video and pulled up the District website, her eyes catching sight of a small article written about a missing child.
“What is this..?” She questioned as she clicked on the link, her eyes widening as she was redirected to a private discord.
An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of her stomach as she read through each comment, her discomfort rapidly growing the further back she went.
“This…can’t be a coincidence.” Peni whispered in shock as she clicked through flyer after flyer of missing children.
“Why…isn’t this being reported on the news?”
She asked out loud as she grabbed her phone and quickly dialed Miles’s numbe, her hand shaking as the pieces started to shift and click together.
“The Mayor is covering up reports of missing children.” Peni said as soon as the line answered. “Miles…I think Angelo is kidnapping children.”
Chapter 12: Woe is me
Chapter Text
“Miles…are you there?”
Peni asked, her attention turning back to her laptop as she quickly sent a link to the discord.
“I’m…I’m here.” Miles said after a moment, his mind reeling with the new information as his phone aggressively vibrated in his hand.
“I knew something was off with him when he mentioned my family.” Miles said tensely as he pulled the phone from his ear and placed it on speaker, his thumb quickly opening the link.
“He mentioned the twins?” Peni asked, her fingers no longer flying across the keys.
“I’ll be back.” Gonzalo mumbled to an empty room with a lazy yawn as he stepped into the forming portal, his eyes rolling as he stepped into his hideous home.
“God I hate here.” He complained as he breezed through the house.
He stepped into the hallway and grabbed a suitcase from the closet, his mind on the task at hand as he pushed open the twins bedroom door.
“Miles shouldn’t be allowed to pack.” Gonzalo sighed as he grabbed shirts and pants, quickly tossing them into the suitcase along with underwear, a few plushies and age appropriate books.
“He forgets everything.” Gonzalo complained as he grabbed their toothbrushes and mouthwash, quickly flying through his mental check list of required items.
Gonzalo zipped the suitcase half way and grabbed the handle, his eyes sliding back to the hallway as he rolled the suitcase toward their bedroom.
Miles hung up the phone, an anxious feeling fluttering up his chest as he rushed into the den, his eyes sliding to the twins as they casually chatted, half eaten snacks in front of them.
Miles stood wordlessly in the hallway, his eyes sliding to the fire behind them as Peni’s words screamed across his mind.
“What’s wrong?” Matéo asked, his interest no longer on the conversation as he watched a strange expression flicker across their father’s face.
“Nothing.” Miles lied, as he stepped into the den awkwardly, nearly bumping the futon into the wall.
Marianna’s brow lifted quizzically.
“I just wanted to…check on you two.” Miles admitted with a slow exhale, his shoulders tensing as his eyes roamed the room.
“Rightttttttttt.” Marianna said unimpressed as she turned her attention to her iPad.
“Where’s Papi?” Miles asked, trying and failing to suppress the worry from his voice. “Is he still sleeping?”
“If he’s not in bed…he probably went home.” Marianna informed as she opened Netflix, pretending to be oblivious to the panic looping throughout her father’s being as he quickly exited the den.
“You think we should worry?” Marianna asked lightly, as she sat the iPad beside her feet.
“No, Dad does enough of that.” Matéo said as he offered a coloring book to Marianna.
“That he does.” Marianna sighed in agreement as she accepted the book.
“Especially if he doesn’t see us after five minutes.” Matéo added boredly as he pulled a box of colored pencils from his backpack.
“Minutes?” Marianna scoffed, making her brother laugh as he handed her the box.
“More like seconds.”
Miles sprinted down the hallway and into the spare bedroom, his heart slamming into his chest as his eyes fell onto the empty unmade bed.
“No…no…no.” He repeated on the verge of hysterics as he bolted down the hallway and back into the den, startling the twins as he slid to a stop in front of them, the floor rug bunching beneath his feet.
“How long has Papi been gone?” Miles asked growing frantic.
“That didn’t take long.” Gonzalo said as he stuffed and zipped the suitcase closed, the smile on his lips dropping as he heard a strange sound across the house.
His grip on the suitcase handle tightened as he stepped into the hallway, his sharp eyes sliding into the empty kitchen.
His eyes narrowed as he looked around the space, his attention falling onto a stack of mail neatly placed on the kitchen table.
Gonzalo blinked taken aback as a sinister thought crossed his mind.
That stack hadn’t been there a moment ago.
His grip on the suitcase handle tightened, his feet hurriedly taking him into the hallway half bath, he locked the door behind him, his hand sliding to the watch on his wrist, his anxiety shifting to panic as he heard rapid footsteps and unfamiliar voices.
“Uh…I can explain?” Ross said awkwardly as he clumsily climbed off of Jericho, his face growing redder and redder by the second as Gwen wordlessly held his gaze.
“There’s NOT much to explain.” Jericho said as he grabbed a pillow and covered himself.
“Then explain.” Gwen hissed, her eyes sliding from Ross and onto Jericho.
“We aren’t really…related.” Jericho said clearing his throat as he rose to his feet, firmly holding the pillow in front of his crotch.
Gwen’s brows slid into her hairline, confusion dancing across her face as she opened her mouth to speak, Jericho’s words swiftly interrupting her.
“It was Ross’s idea.”
“It was Ross’s idea to lie?!” Gwen squawked, still weirded out by the situation.
Ross slowly washed the shampoo from his hair, his mind swirling as the look of shock on the Beta’s face flashed across his mind, making him blush uncontrollably.
“So embarrassing.” He mumbled into the water, wishing he could slip down the drain.
“You can turn back around now.” Jericho said with an eyeroll as he buttoned his pants and grabbed a shirt.
“Dude’s a total tool.” Peter said in disgust.
“Please remember to burn that pillow.” He added as Gwen turned back around, ready for answers.
“We need to set some ground rules.” Gwen said firmly, her arms crossing over her chest.
“Ground rules? What am I-like twelve?” Jericho asked crudely as he pulled his shirt over his head.
“With all due respect…I’m a grown ass man.” Jericho stated as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair.
“What a wonderful personality. Peter said sarcastically as Gwen cleared her throat.
“I don’t give a damn how old you are.” Gwen snapped, pulling a frown to his face.
“My house my RULES.”
“Welp…I’m going back to bed.” Peter announced boredly as he slipped through the wall and out of the room before Gwen could glance his way.
Gonzalo exhaled as his bare feet touched plush carpet, his eyes sliding onto Miles as he stood erect in the middle of the hallway, a tense expression pinched across his face.
Gonzalo’s brow lifted with concern. “What’s wro-“
Miles’s arms wrapped around Gonzalo before he could complete the question, relief overriding his senses as he buried his face where the smaller man’s neck and shoulder met.
“Miles…what’s wrong?” Gonzalo asked as Miles’s arms frantically tightened around him, anxiety wavering across their link.
“Talk to me.” Gonzalo pleaded softly as he released the suitcase handle, his arms locking around the taller man’s waist.
“I told you not to go back home.” Miles said shakily, his eyes closing as he struggled to shove down and process overwhelming emotions, his arms locking around the smaller man, as if he were desperately trying to anchor them together as Angelo’s not so subtle warning slid across his mind.
“Yeah but we needed things you didn’t pack.” Gonzalo sighed, as he slowly dragged his hand up the center of Miles’s back, trailing comforting patterns up and down his spine as he spoke.
“Did I do something wrong?”
Miles didn’t respond, his mind and body in two different places as his mind sprinted through the District congested with security guards laced with bad intentions.
The semi complete cement wall an ominous indication of prejudice insanity.
Miles exhaled shakily as a repetitive conclusion bubbled to the surface of his mind, ripping his optimism like weeds from grass.
Their home Dimension was no longer safe.
“If I did something wrong…I won’t know until you tell me.” Gonzalo said slowly, his eyes closing as Miles pressed his lips to the side of his neck and deeply inhaled, the comforting scent of sweet rain filling his nose.
“You…didn’t do anything wrong.” Miles mumbled after a moment as he pulled away slowly, his arms still tightly wrapped around his other half, linking them crotch to crotch.
“Then TELL me what’s wrong.” Gonzalo softly demanded as he held Miles’s gaze, resisting the urge to become lost in pleasantly warm eyes.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you or the twins.” Miles whispered uncomfortably, his eyes closing.
Gonzalo’s brows lifted with apprehension.
“What happen-“
“PROMISE me you WON’T go back home WITHOUT me.” Miles interrupted, his hands sliding down Gonzalo’s waist until their hands touched, his fingers shaking as they intertwined, his eyes slowly opening.
“You’re scaring me.” Gonzalo whispered as Miles’s grip tightened, the intensity of his gaze making goosebumps pebble up his arms.
“I NEED to talk to you about what’s going on.” Miles said as he pulled Gonzalo into the bedroom and quickly shut the door, leaving their suitcase forgotten in the hallway.
Peni’s eyes narrowed as she zoomed in, her sharp eyes quickly picking out several men in the dead of night, breaking into the Morales home.
“What the hell is going on?” She questioned as she watched the recording play out, her eyes curiously sliding to the time stamp in the corner.
“There was…someone in the house.” Gonzalo confessed before Miles could speak.
Shock and concern collided across Miles’s face, his palms itching as he crossed the room in three quick strides, his eyes burning with rage.
A rage Gonzalo hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“Who?” Miles asked calmly, his insides festering with anger as his mind slid to discord, the comments endlessly laced with grievances regarding missing children.
“Did you see anyone?” Miles exhaled, his eyes sliding to Gonzalo’s stomach, his thoughts skydiving to an ugly place.
“No. I didn’t see anyone.” Gonzalo said as he reached for Miles’s hand, their link buzzing wildly with a mix of anger and fear.
“Miles-what’s GOING on?”
Miles blinked, the need to call Peni back rapidly becoming overwhelming as he started to spiral.
“Miles…I left before they could reach me.” Gonzalo said evenly, his soft voice tenderly pulling Miles from his chaotic thoughts.
“They?” Miles asked calmly, his chilly voice devoid of understanding as he gently pressed his hand to Gonzalo’s stomach.
“Oh shit!” Peni said as she bolted from her chair, unsure why she was surprised as her eyes looked over the screen a second then third time.
Her system had found several matches, quickly spitting out the identities of the intruders and their faces.
“This is bad.” Peni said nervously biting her bottom lip as the faces of several District Security guards consumed the screen.
“What took you so long?” Ignacio hissed as Andrés stepped into the control room, excitement etched across face in a lopsided grin.
“Sorry.” Kabir said as she stepped into the conversation. “We ran into a lot of security and ended up hiding in the vents.” Kabir informed with a sleepy yawn, already past the adventure of the day.
She needed a nap, not an interrogation.
“The vents?” Summer asked in surprise, her dark eyes looking over the dust and debris that clung to their clothes. “That explains the dust.”
Andrés opened his mouth to speak, Ignacio pointedly interjecting. “We NEED to go.”
The group hurriedly retracted their steps, the darkness seemingly becoming more and more unnerving the closer they grew to the exit.
Andrés inhaled slowly as he placed his hands on the door handle and tugged hard, the heavy door groaned as it opened, revealing unfavoring weather.
A frown replaced Andrés’s smile as he caught sight of rain, his eyes sliding to the sky as thunder silently struck.
Wordlessly his eyes slid to his watch, the screen completely black and the battery dead.
He didn’t have time for this.
“What’s wrong?” Kabir asked stepping beside him as Ignacio rushed into the rain, loudly cursing as his slides landed in a shallow puddle.
“It’s storming.” Andrés said as he pulled the hood of his jacked down over his eyes, partially concealing his face.
“Of course it is.” Summer said grimly as she pulled the hood of her hoodie over her head and calmly stepped into the rain, unphased by the weather.
“This is what happens HERE.” She reminded with unhinged laughter as she spun around in the rain, facing both teens, her arms extended out at her sides.
“It rains here…how it snows in your Dimension.” Andrés explained as he slowly released the door handle.
“I know. I’ve been here before.” Kabir said lightly, pulling an embarrassed blush to Andrés‘s cheeks.
“Never been to the District though.” She admitted quickly.
“It’s really coming down.” Kabir hummed as she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head, a smile sliding to her face as she extended a hand toward Andrés. “Let’s get the hell out of here.”
“I’d love to…but my watch is dead.” Andrés admitted sheepishly as he lifted his wrist in the air, revealing the black screen.
“WHAT the hell?! Why isn’t she ANSWERING any of OUR calls?!” Pav snapped as the phone went straight to voicemail a third time.
“Her phone’s not even ringing.” Noir said as he pulled his phone from ear, his fingers quickly opening the settings in search of answers.
“My babyyyyyyyy.” Pav whined as he tried Kabir’s cell again, her unfriendly voicemail quickly filling his ears.
“Mmmmh…she might not have service.” Noir commented after a moment, his eyes locked on Kabir’s location.
“What?! Why wouldn’t she?” Pav asked sharply, his eyes curiously sliding to Noir.
“Because she’s IN Miles’s Dimension.” Noir informed, his brows creasing together with confusion.
“Why the hell is she there?!” Pav asked in shock, before Noir could verbalize his thoughts.
Jessica exhaled slowly, exhaustion tugging at her temples in the form of a migraine.
“I need you to wake up.” She mummered softly as she climbed in bed beside Miguel, her hand slowly rubbing his chest as she pulled the blanket up around them.
“I need…you to wake up soon.” She whispered faintly, her voice wavering as she pressed her lips to his.
She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, flashes from the night of the stabbing constantly cycling through her mind each time she closed her eyes, submerging her deeper in guilt.
She opened her eyes, regret threatening to fall from her eyes as her gaze slid to the ring on her finger.
“I should have told you how I felt about marriage.” She admitted, her emotions forcing a confession as her hand slid into his.
“I was…scared.” She said as her fingers slid between his. “Scared…the same things that happened with Dav-would happen with us.”
She inhaled through her nostrils, suddenly feeling light headed as the words continued to spill from her lips.
“What if…after we walked down the aisle…you realize…I’m NOT what you want?”
Jessica inhaled sharply as she struggled to force away unpleasant thoughts, her eyes sliding to his peacefully stoic face as he slept, unmoving and undisturbed by time.
She needed to wake him.
Needed to look into his eyes and hear him speak…laugh…
Needed him to touch her and tell her none of this was real.
That none of this had happened.
“The kids need you-I…NEED you.” She pleaded, resting her head on his chest, her fingers trailing along his knuckles as a ludicrous thought sparked desperately across her mind.
“Lyla, are you here?” Jessica asked, her eyes sliding to the sterile white ceiling as she waited for a response.
“Always.” Lyla said as she flickered into the room, her usual playful shades missing, and her clothes aggressively mono colored.
She looked gloomy and morose as if she were running late to a funeral she didn’t want to attend.
“How are his vitals?” Jessica asked clearing her throat, not bothering to engage in small talk.
Lyla looked the way she felt internally, a fucking wreck.
“His vitals are normal.” Lyla informed as she flickered across the room, her eyes sadly roaming Miguel’s face.
“He’s been stable since he arrived.”
Jessica released a sigh of relief, her eyes sliding to Miguel’s chest as she spoke.
“How’d the surgery go?”
“Very well.” Lyla said, her eyes sliding onto Jessica. “There were NO complications.”
“If there were no complications, why is he in a coma? Jessica asked dryly, her sadness dancing on the entryway to anger.
“I’m unsure.” Lyla admitted uncomfortably.
“Any…idea how long he’ll be…like this?”Jessica questioned, the words lodging uncomfortably in the back of her throat as she struggled to accept the current reality.
“No.” Lyla admitted quickly, not bothering to lie.
“I don’t know when or if he’ll wake.”
“IF? What do you mean if?!” Jessica questioned gradually growing louder.
Lyla’s eyes slowly slid onto Jessica.
“He’s been in a coma for days.” Jessica said fighting back tears, her voice dropping below a whisper as she snuggled closer to Miguel, her eyes closing.
Lyla cleared her throat, her mind on the future as she spoke openly.
“I’d like to start making preparations in the event he doesn’t wake-“
“WHAT?” Jessica squawked, her eyes snapping open as she sat up, her head turning in Lyla’s direction.
“Jessica-SOME people never wake up.” Lyla said softly, returning the Beta’s gaze, sorrow clinging to her features. “We should be preparing for the worse and hoping for the best-“
“But he’s NOT people! He’s my…my-“ Jessica’s words slurred together as she started to cry, no longer able to contain her sadness.
“Jessica…I said IF he doesn’t wake up.” Lyla repeated, unsure how to offer comfort as Jessica began to cry harder, her shoulders shaking as she mumbled ludicrous thoughts, incoherently, spiraling.
“Jessica I need you to calm down and breathe.” Lyla said softly, her eyes growing wide as raw static started to pop from the palms of Jessica’s hands.
“What…are-you doing?” Lyla asked as her eyes slid from Jessica’s sparking hands and onto her face, her eyes growing with shock as Jessica held her gaze, her dark eyes burning with certainty as she pressed her glowing palms to Miguel’s chest, sending wild energy throughout his body.
“Soooo let me get this straight-they’re PRETENDING to be gay cousins?!” Peter giggled scandalously beside Margo, his gaze full of judgement.
Gwen sighed as she collapsed into the gaming chair, her eyes sliding to the tapestry on the ceiling above the bed as she gathered her thoughts.
“Yes and no.” She said after a moment, making Peter shift his entire body in her direction.
“Explain as if I were stupid.” Peter suggested as he stretched out comfortably in bed, taking over Gwen’s spot.
“Apparently they’re childhood friends…but due to Ross’s aggressively religious family-they kept their relationship under wraps.”
“Boringgggggg.” Peter dragged out with a yawn as he turned on his side, over the conversation.
“I would have never guessed they were fags.”
“PETER THAT’S A SLUR.” Gwen sharply corrected, making him toss his arm up into the air apologetically.
“Sorry! Sorry-I’m just saying they DON’T look gay.” He fumbled, earning dirty look from the pink haired woman.
“What does gay LOOK like, Peter?” Gwen asked dryly, her eyes narrowing as her arms crossed over her chest.
“Look-I’m just saying…you said he KIDNAPPED and drugged Margo.” Peter said sitting up.
“That gives straight American psycho-NOT gay.”
“What?” Gwen asked, her arms dropping as Margo stirred in bed, bumping her phone to the floor.
“Gwen, WHY would a GAY man kidnap a pregnant woman?” Peter asked calmly, his question sparking movement in Gwen’s feet as she pivoted on her heels and sprinted down the hallway.
“Gwen?” Margo asked sleepily, her eyes still closed. “Can you bring me a glass of water?”
Gwen’s foot collided with the guest bedroom door, anger floating from her pores as she stormed into the room.
“Geez…do we not knock here?” Jericho asked flippantly with a dejected sigh as he tossed his lit cigarette out the open window.
“WHY THE FUCK DID YOU KIDNAP MARGO?”
Gwen spat as she strode in his direction, her rage becoming glaringly apparent as she dug her hands into his shirt and yanked him from his seat.
Hobie stared blankly at the bedroom wall, too exhausted to sleep or eat as torturous thoughts
of his impending surgery hung in the air.
Only Noir and Pav knew about the tumor.
He’d been walking on eggshells, pretending everything was ok.
Pretending there wasn’t a mass attached to his brain.
He’d held back on telling Kabir.
His eyes glued to the clock as he counted down the hours until he’d have to lay naked on a table.
His eyes slid to the baby photo of Kabir and Noir on the wall, her two front teeth missing as she held a frog proudly in her hands.
“How the fuck am I supposed to tell…HER about this?” He asked out loud, his skin crawling with despair as his daughter’s worried face flickered across his mind.
“I can’t.” He said solemnly, his discomfort spiking as the walls of the room seemingly inched closer and closer, the hands of the clock wailing as it turned rapidly across the room
He inhaled desperately, the air around him suddenly thick and suffocating as his eyes slid to the family portrait hanging on the wall.
“You should be resting.” Noir said gently from the door way, his hazel eyes softly burning with worry.
“How…long have you been standing there?” Hobie asked clearing his throat and awkwardly looking away.
“Long enough to know you should be resting.” Noir repeated, earning an eye roll from the taller man.
“I’m NOT tired.” Hobie mumbled, as he plucked his discharge papers from the bed, his eyes sliding across the photos that decorated the walls.
“You haven’t slept since we left the hospital.”
Noir gently reminded as he stepped into the room.
Hobie didn’t respond, his eyes locked on a family portrait as he slowly let the papers fall from his hands onto the floor.
Noir pressed his lips together and continued forward, wordlessly he lifted the papers from the floor, his chest aching as his eyes met and held Hobie’s, his sadness palpable as he fell backward in bed.
Noir sat the papers on the dresser and started to undress, clearing his throat as he broke the uncomfortable silence permeating the room.
“Bir’s in Miles’s Dimension.”
Hobie’s eyes slowly slid to Noir, watching as he slowly undressed, pulling away his usual black attire. “Why?”
“No idea.” Noir admitted as he started to unbutton his shirt, his gloved hands slowly revealing cream colored skin.
“Her phone doesn’t have signal.” Hobie swiftly ascertained, his mind sliding into the gutter as Noir unzipped his pants.
“Pav went to find her.” Noir said as he stepped out of his pants.
“I’m assuming Miguel’s kids are with her?” Hobie asked as Noir crawled in bed beside him, his brows lifting in surprise.
“They aren’t here?” Noir asked as Hobie pulled the blankets up to his chest and shook his head tiredly.
“You didn’t notice?” Hobie asked as Noir pressed a cool hand to his forehead.
“Soooo how are we getting home?” Ignacio asked calmly as he took a sip of hot coco, his eyes sliding to the heavy rain falling outside the cafe window.
“As soon as the watch is done charging.” Andrés informed as he dug his fork into his chicken fried steak.
“What about the rain?” Ignacio asked, mentally preparing for the cold he would catch within the next few days.
“What about it?” Andrés asked dismissively as he bit into a buttered roll.
“God I hate my life.” Ignacio sighed as he unhappily sat his empty cup onto the table.
“Stop being dramatic.” Andrés said as he harshly stabbed his fork into his food.
“No.” Ignacio said rudely, earning an irritated look from his brother.
“Everything is going to shit and all you can think about is FOOD.”
Andrés dragged his knife through his steak with indifference.
“Dad’s in a coma, Mom can’t remember shit, our house BURNED DOWN and we’re fucking HOMELESS-“
“Are you done?!” Andrés snapped, interrupting his brother’s rant, causing several patrons to turn their way.
Ignacio held his brother’s gaze for a moment.
“Anddddd my socks are wet.” He concluded, swiftly pissing off the younger teen, his knife and fork no longer moving.
“So what do you think of my brother?” Summer asked casually as she washed her hands in the sink beside Kabir.
“What?” Kabir asked, her attention turning to Summer, pulling her out of her day dream.
“I didn’t hear you.” Kabir said as she wiped wet hands along her jeans, making the older girl frown.
“There’s paper towels.” Summer said, her finger pointing to the dispenser behind them.
“Waste of a tree.” Kabir said dismissively with a wave of her hand.
“Do you like Andrés?” Summer asked bluntly, pulling a blush to Kabir’s cheeks.
“OH! I think…he’s -wait…WHY?” Kabir asked, catching herself before she could answer, her palms suddenly feeling clammy.
“I’m asking because you got to spend time with him alone.” Summer teased, growing amused as she watched Kabir shyly fidget with the bands on her wrist.
“Who’s paying for this?” Ignacio asked as the waiter stepped out of ear shot with their empty dishes.
“I got it…obviously.” Andrés said, rolling his eyes as he pulled his wallet from his pocket, surprising his brother.
“Where did you get money?”
Andrés sighed as he leaned back in his seat.
“Dad literally gives us an allowance.”
“You actually save it?” Ignacio asked in fake shock as he pressed his hand to his chest.
“You’re actually ANNOYING…you know that, right?” Andrés asked as he handed the waiter several bills.
“Yes? No-WAIT! That’s not what I meant.” Kabir said awkwardly, her nervous fumbling pulling a laugh out of Summer as she tossed her used paper towels into the trash, her eyes on her reflection in the mirror.
“Well…if you and my brother do end up together-just be patient with him.” Summer encouraged softly as she turned to Kabir, her eyes sparkling with consideration as she looked the younger teen up and down with a hopeful expression.
“You’re different.” Summer hummed as she slipped her hands into the front pocket of her track and field hoodie. “Different is good.”
Kabir’s brows scrunched together with confusion.
“What?
“He’s never had a girlfriend before-but I know he’ll strive to make you happy.” Summer concluded with a smile, her sudden approval throwing Kabir for a loop.
Kabir opened her mouth to speak, surprise etched across her delicate features as Summer’s words sank in, eerily similar to Andrés’s declaration in the kitchen.
“Um…I…“ She trailed off awkwardly, unsure how to respond, embarrassment burning her cheeks as butterflies aggressively fluttered in her stomach, her mind buffering, at a loss of words.
“It’s ok…you don’t have to say anything.”
Summer said with a happy laugh.
“It’s just how he is-how his mind works.”
“How his mind works?” Kabir questioned as Summer pushed open the bathroom door, her dark eyes sliding over her shoulder.
“He’s just more logical than emotional.” Summer explained as she pushed the door open wider.
“If you tell him there’s a problem…he’ll fix.” Summer stated as the door swung closed behind them, her eyes curiously watching Kabir’s facial expression.
“Where the HELL is my child?” Pav snapped as he sprinted through the Dimension, his attention sliding to the horde of construction workers diligently working in the rain.
“What if some weird child is corrupting my baby?” He worried out loud as he bypassed a murky puddle, his eyes sliding to the sky as thunder harshly struck, ripping the clouds open with heavy rain.
“What the hell.” Pav mumbled as he pulled his hood down over his eyes, his feet quickly taking him into the Omega District.
“When did they start building a wall?” He questioned, unease and shock colliding along his shoulders as he looked over the large cement wall that wrapped midway along the District, nearly separating it completely from the city.
“Who the FUCK is building this inconvenient and ugly thing?!” Pav snapped, his irritation growing at the outlandishly wasteful use of tax payer dollars.
He checked Kabir’s location, a sigh of relief leaving his lips as she sat stagnant a few miles away.
Pav slid his phone back into his pocket, his eyes sliding to the wall.
“So ugly.” He complained, his eyes lingering a moment longer before sliding onto the drenched construction workers.
“Who is he trying to keep out?” Peni questioned as she rose from her seat, her feet quickly taking her to the refrigerator as she thought out loud.
“You didn’t start construction on that wall JUST to keep out Alphas and Betas…did you?” She pondered as she grabbed a bottle water from the fridge.
“He’s planning to isolate the Omega population completely.” Miles said, startling Peni from her thoughts as a portal rippled closed behind him.
“WHAT?!” Peni asked nearly dropping her bottle.
“Think about it.” Miles said as he took a seat at the table, his eyes sliding to her laptop screen.
“He’s building a twelve foot WALL out of concrete.” Miles pointed out calmly, leaning backward in his seat.
“WHERE DO YOU USUALLY SEE CONCRETE WALLS?”
“Attack on titan?” Matéo mumbled with a frown as his eyes slid to the iPad by his sister’s foot.
“Why are you watching that?” He asked as the opening started to play. “You know it gives you nightmares.”
Marianna responded by turning up the volume.
“I’m telling Dad.” Matéo threatened as he plopped on the floor beside the iPad.
“No you won’t.” Marianna snorted skipping the opening the credits, her eyes morphing into hearts as Levi stepped on screen.
“This is fucking insane.” Miles said running a stressed hand through his hair, his left leg rapidly bouncing.
“But let’s NOT jump to conclusions without proof.” Peni said quickly. “Without it no one will believe us anyway.”
“We HAVE proof THEY broke into my house.” Miles said quickly. “How soon can you-“
“Post the video on every news outlet in your Dimension?” Peni filled in, her fingers rapidly moving as she pulled up Angelo’s itinerary.
“Can you highlight the face of each security guard, too?” Miles asked his eyes sliding onto the screen as he watched Peni dive through multiple windows at once.
“Of course.” Peni said with an amused laugh.
“I can do that….duringgggg his Humanitarian Award acceptance speech tonight.” Peni hummed.
“Excuse me, what?!” Miles squawked in shock, absolutely in denial the openly prejudice man had been considered anything near humane.
“You heard me.” Peni whistled as she scrolled through pictures of said man, doing charity work and organizing Omega marches for equal rights, the pictures ranging from black and white to full on color.
“Apparently he’s considered a pioneer of his time.” She snorted, remembering the way the strange man had practically stolen and repackaged all of Miguel’s mannerisms and personality.
“A trail blazer- if you will.” She snickered as she twisted the cap from her bottle.
“Great.” Miles said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
“I get to defame a trail blazer.”
“It’s ok.” Peni said as she pulled the bottle from her lips. “He’s fucking crazy.” She added flatly, her voice no longer heavy with amusement.
“Everyday just seems to get a bit more exhausting.” Miles mused, suddenly feeling drained.
“This may be a challenge.” Peni said as she pulled up pictures from the past, Angelo’s handsome face front and center as he stood in the middle of a crowd, his fist held high above his head as he stood defiantly in front of armed officers in riot gear.
“He’s a lot OLDER than he looks.” Peni noted as she rapidly clicked through the time capsule of seemingly endless pictures.
“How old?” Miles asked, his eyes sliding to the window as the sun started to set.
“Old enough to be a problem.” Peni answered quickly, not bothering to beat around the bush as she clicked through photos of Angelo arm and arm with celebrities and politicians alike.
“This doesn’t make any sense.” Miles snapped with frustration, his eyes meeting Peni’s.
“How the fuck is he so popular and established-yet we’ve NEVER heard of him until THIS week?!”
“What?” Matéo asked, the pen in his hand no longer moving as he turned his head toward his sister.
“I saiddddddd-I think we’re stuck in this stupid Dimension.” Marianna whispered a bit louder, her eyes sliding to the entrance of the den.
Matéo’s lips slid downward into a frown.
“It snows too much here AND we told Dad that!”
He hissed unhappily.
“We definitely told him that.” Marianna sighed as she skipped several episodes of the show.
“I can’t believe we’re stuck here.” Gonzalo mused as he turned on the shower, his eyes closing as he pulled his shirt over his head.
“I wanted the twins to have a normal childhood…not whatever the fuck this is.” He sighed tiredly as he stepped into the shower, a groan quickly leaving his lips as the hot water hit his chest and arms, warming him from top to bottom.
“This whole situation is insane.” He huffed as he tugged the band from his hair and stepped under the nozzle.
“We didn’t pack enough clothes for this.” Marianna said unhappily as she combed through the suitcase, tossing items that weren’t hers.
“At least we get to go shopping.” Matéo said bleakly as he watched a stick of deodorant fly over his head.
“Nope.” Marianna said shaking her head unmoved.
“I need more pros.”
“Uhhhh…we get to stay with Tio Hobie and Noir.”
Matéo suggested optimistically with a shrug.
“That is nice-but Tio Pav is gonna make us STUDY everyday for like twenty hours!” Marianna whined, remembering the many sleepovers the man had given both of them strenuous homework assignments.
“Don’t say his name-he might appear with a crappy book suggestion.” Matéo shivered, making his sister snort.
“You have ten seconds to say something before I toss you out the fucking window.” Gwen said between clinched teeth, her grip on the man’s collar tightening.
“We were propositioned to do it.” Ross said evenly as he stepped into the bedroom, his hair dripping wet as he shamefully pulled the door closed behind him, as if trying to keep the secret confined to the room.
Gwen’s blue eyes slid onto Ross, her grip on Jericho unmoving. “I’m listening.”
“Ross-DON’T.” Jericho warned, his hands fruitlessly trying to tug his way out of Gwen’s grasp.
He hissed in pain as Gwen’s fingers sharply dug into his throat, quickly changing his mind. “TELL HER.” He hissed. “TELL HER.”
“I’M LISTENING.”Gwen repeated, her eyes piercing straight through Ross as she released Jericho, tossing him to the floor.
“A man with a lot of money…approached us and asked us to observe Margo.” Ross said nervously as Gwen pivoted in his direction.
Jericho greedily filled his lungs with air, quickly adjusting the collar of his shirt as he pressed his back to the wall, pacing himself as he dragged himself up to his full height.
“He KNEW we had an established relation-FRIENDship.” Jericho swiftly corrected, his eyes closing as his hands trailed to his pockets, searching for his cigarettes and lighter.
Gwen’s eyes narrowed as they slid back onto Jericho, causing his movements to stop as he defensively lifted his hands into the air.
“Observe WHAT about Margo?” Gwen demanded, her eyes picking and pulling apart Jericho until Ross answered.
“He wanted to know… if she was having a regular baby or…a spider baby.” Ross said clearing his throat uncomfortably.
“Gwennnnnn….Gwennnnn” Margo whined as she turned over in bed, her throat and body feeling uncomfortably parched. “Can you please bring me water?”
Peter hesitated in the doorway, the glass of ice water freezing his palm as Margo’s hands slowly roamed the sheets, in search of her phone.
Wordlessly he stepped through the room, nervously he plucked Margo’s phone from the floor, avoiding her half lidded gaze as she gratefully accepted the glass.
Peter slid her phone across the bed, patiently waiting as she chugged her drink.
“WHY?” Gwen growled, demanding an answer as her shoulders tensed, anxiety and dread clashing together in the pit of her stomach as Ross avoided her gaze.
“WHY?!” She repeated louder, making Ross flinch.
“We don’t know.” Jericho admitted as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, his eyes sliding to the open window. “He refused to tell us. Just like he refused to meet us in person.”
Confusion slid across Gwen’s brows.
“What? Then how’d-“
“I don’t know man.” Jericho interrupted, guilt slicing up his spine. “A third party paid and set everything up.”
“Soooo you accepted money from strangers to stalk a childhood friend?” Gwen asked, seeking clarification.
“Pretty much.” Jericho said with a nod as he brought the cigarette to his lips.
“We were only paid to observe and monitor the development of the baby.” Ross said as he messily dried his wet hair with his bath towel, feverishly avoiding Gwen’s gaze.
Gwen slipped into her thoughts, the mental image of a malicious figure prowling through Margo’s medical records flickered across her mind.
“For how long?” Gwen asked, the tone of her voice morphing with inconsolable rage as she started to recount each and every time something had been amiss or felt off.
From stalkers, insensitive fans to overly intrusive paparazzi, they’d known no peace.
Their first pregnancy reveal had sent ripples throughout the Dimension.
Someone had leaked photos of Peni and Wei, instantly sparking chaos.
Headlines of magazines wildly printed lies and fabricated rumors.
The Church had become a constant splinter in their happy life, begrudgingly calling their union an abomination and constantly praying for their salvation.
The beginning of Peni’s pregnancy had been quiet.
Her busy schedule and hermit tendencies usually keeping her out of the public eye up until the moment she gave birth.
Tabloids had exploited the beautiful moment, exposing their family and interrupting their happiness as people sky dived through their bliss, their voices laced with judgment and repetitive homophobic words.
The resurgence of hate speak had an uptick in momentum, the moment photos of Margo’s tiny bump had gone viral.
With racist women and men feeling emboldened to stand behind the Bible, proudly spewing slurs as they aggressively reached out to Margo.
Leaving unwanted gifts at their door and screaming obscurities when she declined to appear thankful.
“Your souls will forever burn in eternal damnation.” Several voicemails from the church had started, like a threatening love letter from a deranged admirer.
Each month the attention seemed to only get worse.
Gwen cleared her throat as she shoved past these thoughts, her eyes sliding back onto Jericho as he impolitely lit a cigarette, his eyes closing as he blew smoke out of the window.
“What did you report back about Margo?”
Jericho’s eyes slowly opened, his gaze locked on the window as he spoke.
“That she is having a normal baby.”
Gwen’s brows creased together in disbelief.
That was an obvious lie.
“You’re not obsessed with Margo?” Gwen asked skeptically as Ross fell face first onto the bed.
“No I’m NOT obsessed with her.” Jericho concluded with an annoyed eye roll as he exhaled from his nostrils, his eyes locked on Gwen.
“I’m a lot of things…but I’m NOT a weirdo who stalks pregnant women.” He snorted.
“But you kidnap and drug them?” Gwen countered harshly, making the man wince.
“I didn’t give her anything that would harm the baby-all I did was run a genetics test.” Jericho said quickly, sensing the Beta’s rising irritation.
“You’re a fucking liar.” Gwen said sharply, her unfriendly tone inspiring a sharp look from Ross.
“You gave her a cocktail of drugs that made her sleep for more than twenty four hours!”
“That wasn’t me.” Jericho softly corrected defensively lifting his hands in the air.
Gwen’s eyes slid onto Ross.
“I may have given her a bit too much…but I didn’t TRUST him to give it to her at all!” Ross said quickly, as he sat up in bed.
“Plus…she kept mentioning having trouble sleeping.” Ross sheepishly added.
“Why run a genetics test and lie?” Gwen asked, her ears burning with curiosity.
“We actually didn’t lie.” Ross sighed, embarrassment skipping across his cream colored cheeks.
“We misread the results.”
“Idiots through and through.” Peter said unsurprised as he lingered nosily in the doorway, his arms crossed as he shook his head and fought back the urge to laugh as Gwen breezed past him.
“This isn’t funny.” Gwen hissed as Peter followed her into the kitchen.
“Then WHAT is it?” Peter asked as he took a seat at the table and waited for an answer.
“I don’t know-fucking stupid.” Gwen fumbled, growing more and more flustered as she ran a hand through her messy hair, the new information polluting her mind with more questions than answers.
“This may be a good thing.” Peter said as he leaned back in his seat, a sly smile sliding to his lips.
“How is them being paid to drug and stalk Margo a good thing?” Gwen hissed trying not to rip the door from the microwave.
“Whoever paid them was DESPERATE to FIND out if Margo is carrying a super child-Gwen THINK about that.”
“I already have.” Gwen said flatly as she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed a number.
Pav groaned as he answered the phone, Noir’s worrisome voice warmly flowing with concern.
“Everything ok? You’ve been gone for a while.”
“I haven’t even been gone twenty minutes.”
Pav stated flatly as he stomped under the nearest roof, already annoyed his sandals were soaked.
“I would have been back sooner if it wasn’t for the stupid concrete wall wrapped around half the District!”
“The what?” Noir asked sitting up in bed.
“Uhhh did you not hear me? The fucking twelve foot wall dividing the damn District!” Pav complained, his eyes narrowing with contempt as he glared at the incomplete mess.
Noir’s brows shot into his hairline, the need to call Miles burning his finger tips as Pav started to rant about the weather.
Kabir yawned as she watched the rain pelt the cafe window, her body relaxing as the conversation at the table continued to flow.
“Are you tired?” Andrés whispered, his green eyes curiously locked on Kabir as he slid closer and wordlessly offered his shoulder.
“You can take a nap if you want.” He offered shyly. “Watch should be done charging in thirty minutes.”
Summer met Ignacio’s gaze and smiled as she rose from the table. “We’ll be right back.”
Ignacio remained in his seat, indifferent to his sister’s scheme.
“I said-WE’LL be back.” Summer repeated sharply as she yanked Ignacio from his seat, and dragged him away from the booth.
Andrés shook his head.
Summer couldn’t be more obvious .
“You said thirty minutes?” Kabir yawned, her eyes slowly closing as she rested her head on his shoulder before he could answer.
“Oh-let me fix my jacket.” He said nervously, attempting to zip his jacket closed.
“Why?” Kabir asked, her hand sliding on top of his and stopping his movements.
Andrés hesitated, unsure if he should tell the truth or lie.
Kabir scooted closer and inhaled deeply, not bothering to be subtle as the soft scent of vanilla and coconut pleasantly filled her nose.
“You smell…like a happy birthday on a Thursday.” She confessed with a breathless laugh, her cheeks warming as he met and held her gaze.
“Why a Thursday?” Andrés asked, a lopsided grin sliding across his lips as his fingers slipped between hers.
“It’s my favorite day of the week.” Kabir hummed, making him laugh.
“Thanks for letting me know.” He said as his eyes slid to their linked hands, cataloguing the way their contrasting complexions differed.
“Andrés,you don’t have to hide who you are around me.” Kabir said softly, her gentle tone pulling his attention to the rings in her bottom lip.
“I wish we could hear them.” Summer whined as she looked over her shoulder toward the table, attempting to be inconspicuous as she tiptoed behind a nearby pillar.
“We COULD have but you made us move.” Ignacio said begrudgingly as he bumped his hip into the pinball machine.
“What? No! I won’t take a picture of the wall.” Pav rejected growing annoyed with the Alpha’s list of questions as he side stepped deeper into the District, his sharp eyes zeroing in on the unnecessarily large amount of men in black, marching in tandem, indifferent to the hostile rain.
“Wha…t the hell?” Pav questioned as he hid behind a parked car, phone pressed to his ear as he observed from a safe distance.
“I think something is going on in the District.”
Pav whispered as he watched an unfamiliar man step through security, his long slender frame akin to a beanstalk with legs.
“What’s happening?” Noir whispered, his eyes sliding to a snoozing Hobie as he slipped out of bed, cradling the phone to his ear as he quickly stepped into a pair of jeans.
“Do you need me to come get you?” Noir asked as he snatched his hat from the dresser and stepped into the hallway.
“NO!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!” Lyla screamed, frustration corroding her voice as she flickered closer to the couple, her eyes glued to Miguel’s unchanging face.
Jessica pressed her ear to Miguel’s chest, her eyes closing as she listened to the steady beat of his heart, tuning out Lyla as she patiently waited.
“Wake up for me…please?” Jessica whispered, her eyes closing as she wrapped her arms tighter around him.
Lyla’s voice faded in and out, her words falling on deaf unconcerned ears as Miguel twitched.
“WHAT IF YOU HURT HIM-OR PERMANENTLY MESSED SOMETHING UP?!” Lyla questioned, as she pulled up his vitals.
“Please…please…please.” Jessica pleaded, her voice below a whisper as tears slowly rolled down her cheeks, soaking the fabric of his hospital gown.
“That’s NOT going to work.” Lyla said sternly, her form rigid with irritation as her eyes slid to the Nurse button across the room.
“J…ess?” Miguel mumbled, his voice horse as his arm tightened around Jessica’s waist.
“Wh…y ar…e you crying?” He whispered, the bright lights above his head making him blink rapidly as confusion set in.
“Because you got hurt.” Jessica said weakly as she buried her face in his chest, her tears spilling freely as all the stress of the last few days unloaded.
“Ple…ase don..t cry….I’m ok.” Miguel mumbled into Jessica’s hair as he pressed chapped lips to her forehead, attempting to offer comfort as a Nurse abruptly entered the room.
Shock danced across the older woman’s face before she smiled and quickly greet Miguel.
“Look who’s finally awake.”
Lyla blinked, still in disbelief as she watched the Nurse check his vitals before she hastily slipped out of the room.
“I’ll give you two a moment.” The Nurse said softly as she offered a tissue to Jessica, her smile unmoving as the door swung closed behind her.
Miguel didn’t respond for a moment, his eyes slowly opening as Jessica’s words tumbled from her lips clumsily and raw as she clung to him, her sadness filling the room as he patiently listened, her manicured nails softly digging into his chest.
His brows creased together in confusion as self doubt and guilt spilled throughout the conversation.
“None of this was your fault.” He interrupted, his eyes closing as the night of the stabbing flickered across his mind, plaguing his thoughts with flashes of steady rain and untamed fire.
“Are the kids ok?” Miguel asked slowly, sadness amplifying in his chest as she turned and met his gaze, sadness overflowing from her eyes.
Hobie tossed and turned, his eyes reluctantly opening as he crawled out of bed and flicked on the ceiling fan, his eyes immediately closing as he fell back into bed.
“Why does Pav keep turning the heat up?” Hobie complained into the thin bedsheets.
“He’s trying to kill me.”
He dragged a hand through his hair, his fingers lingering on the left side of his head as he struggled to fall back asleep, his mind clouded with worrisome thoughts of the future.
Hobie dragged himself out of bed, his body moving on auto pilot as he stepped through the hallway and made his way to the basement.
The floorboards loudly creaking beneath his feet as he took the steps two at a time.
He yawned as he stepped toward the deep freezer, his eyes sliding to a dark stain on the concrete floor.
“Weird.” Hobie said as he turned away from the dark stain and pulled open the freezer, his hand quickly snatching a popsicle.
“I’m turning the fucking heat off.” He announced to the empty room as he stepped past the stain and back up the stairs in search of the thermostat.
Hobie’s eyes narrowed as he read the thermostat, not surprised the Alpha had hiked up the temperature of the house well past eighty six.
His phone started to ring as he turned off the heat, irritation inching up his chest as he pulled his phone from his pocket and stared blankly at the unfamiliar number.
Hobie answered on the third ring, balancing the phone between his ear and shoulder as he pulled the wrapper from his popsicle.
“Hello?” Hobie asked as he stepped into the kitchen and tossed the wrapper into the trash, his eyes widening as a familiar voice boomed through the phone.
“Mr.Brown-this is Officer Hanks.”
“Ohhh! Officer Hanks, how are things?” Hobie asked after a second, remembering the disapproving face the older man had openly worn as Khalid’s parents were shoved into the back of a cruiser, his handle bar mustache tilted downward with disgust.
“Everything is good. I just wanted to know when would you’d be free to come down and make a statement?”
“Oh shit, I totally forgot.” Hobie said pulling up his phone calendar, realizing he’d missed his appointment with the officer hours ago.
“Things have been chaotic lately.” Hobie sighed as he tossed his popsicle stick into the kitchen trash and took a seat at the table.
“I understand completely Mr.Brown, it’s been a real shit show since Clint was detained.”
The man sighed deeply.
“Ohhh Mrs.Clint giving you hell?” Hobie snickered as he pulled a pre rolled joint from his pocket and brought it to his lips, quickly lightly the end.
“Not just from the wife but Clint’s FATHER.”
Hobie exhaled slowly, his brows rising into his hairline. “What?”
“You heard me.” Hanks groaned.
“Mmmmh…a family affair.” Hobie noted as he started to count off each angry relative he’d encountered from the family.
“Sounds…” Hobie trailed off unsure which words were appropriate for the conversation. “Like ass.”
“You have no fucking idea.” Hanks said sharply, as he unprofessionally dove into detail.
“Apparently Clint comes from old money and his family isn’t used to hearing the word no.”
“That explains it.” Hobie said as he slowly exhaled, blowing smoke rings across the table.
“ I had to REMIND that old geezer-doesn’t matter how rich ya are, NO one is above the law.” Hanks stated stiffly, his voice devoid of compromise.
“I see.” Hobie said evenly as he exhaled slowly from his nose, as the man continued, his eyes sliding to the thin sheet of snow freshly falling across the backyard.
“…the Grand Father made an appearance this morning-“
Hobie rose from his seat, half way listening as he pushed open the kitchen window, his eyes sliding to the greenhouse.
At this rate he was beginning to worry about the state of the bell peppers and tomatoes.
Every year it seemed to snow more and more, blanketing the Dimension in chilly silence.
“Mr.Brown, did you hear me?”
Hobie’s eyes slid to the still burning joint between his fingers, more than halfway gone as a line of ash fell onto the windowsill.
He hadn’t been listening.
Hobie cleared his throat, attempting to fib his way out of awkward silence.
“I’m sorry-I’ve been feeling unwell.” He admitted, the truth sprinting past his lie before it could fly from his lips.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Hank said sincerely as he moved around his office, his eyes sliding onto the partially empty lot.
“Something’s been going around lately. Be sure to mask up.” He said grimly as he leaned against his desk, his eyes sliding to the closed file.
“Will do, but I don’t plan on leaving my home anytime soon.” Hobie quickly stated, making the man chuckle.
“Mr. Brown if you aren’t feeling up to it, your mates can make a statement on your behalf.”
Miles frowned as an unfamiliar number repeatedly called him blocked.
Not many people had Spider-Man’s number.
Let alone called him from blocked.
“Aren’t you going to answer?” Marianna asked boredly, interrupting her father’s thoughts as he slid his phone into his pocket and gently lifted Matéo from the floor, his eyes closed as he peacefully slept.
“Nope.” Miles said dismissively as he reached for Marianna’s hand, ushering both children back to the bedroom.
Gonzalo toweled himself dry, his eyes sliding to his unchanged reflection as he quickly dressed and braided his hair, his eyes meeting Miles’s in the mirror as he grabbed a rubberband.
Miles opened his mouth to speak, the sound of his ringing phone quickly derailing the conversation.
Marianna slid in bed beside her brother, her eyes on their parents.
“What’s wrong?” Gonzalo asked, sensing the unease floating from Miles as he stared blankly at his phone screen.
“I’ve been getting calls from an unknown number.” Miles sighed as he sent the call to voicemail, his brow lifting as he watched a voicemail notification slide across his screen.
“For how long?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocked it and showed Miles his matching call log. “I’ve been getting them too.”
“Interesting.” Marianna whispered as her brother stretched, his arm bumping her as he turned on his side, happily ignoring the conversation.
“I don’t like this.” Miles said as Gonzalo sat his phone face down on the dresser.
“Don’t.” Matéo warned sleepily, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Don’t what?” Marianna whispered, her eyes sliding onto the cellphone loudly vibrating on the dresser across the room.
“I’m not answering this.” Miles sighed, his eyes locked on the screen as he watched it ring a second time.
“Atleast turn the ringer off.” Matéo complained as he fluffed his pillow aggressively, annoyed both devices were going off simultaneously.
“I’ve been getting calls…ALL afternoon.” Gonzalo admitted, his eyes sliding to the loudly vibrating cell on the dresser.
“Just breathe.” Gonzalo encouraged as he took Miles’s free hand. “It’s probably just a fan or something.”
“How? Our numbers aren’t public information.”
Miles hissed growing gradually upset, his mind spinning aimlessly with possibilities as to who leaked their information.
Another burglary to add to the list.
“Miles.” Gonzalo warned, pulling him back into the room, his grip on the taller man’s hand tightening.
Miles reluctantly exhaled, his shoulders dropping as he quickly located a solution.
“Fineeeeee. I’ll just reach out to Peni and see-“
“Hello, who’s calling?” Marianna asked as she answered the phone, a strange expression dancing across her face as she stood in front of the dresser.
Gonzalo’s eyes slid to Marianna as Miles pulled the phone from her hand and brought it to his ear.
“WHAT THE FUCK!” Gwen snapped with frustration as she tossed her phone across the room, her mind rapidly spiraling as she repeatedly paced the length of the living room, carelessly uprooting the rug.
“Everything ok?” Peter asked as he stepped into the living room, his eyes sliding from Gwen and onto the rug.
“Hell no!” Gwen wanted to scream.
“I CAN’T get a hold of anyone!”
“Ok breathe.” Peter encouraged, as Margo stepped into the room.
“What’s wrong? I can feel you worrying.” Margo yawned as she pulled the bonnet from her hair and tossed it onto the couch.
“I…-“ Gwen closed her mouth, her emotions unraveling as thoughts of a stalker overtook her mind. “Think-we should go back to Hobie’s.”
“What?” Margo asked rubbing sleep from her eyes, clearly confused. “We just got home.”
“I’ll pack.” Gwen said quickly as she spun on her heels and sprinted down the hallway before Margo could respond.
Margo blinked, a sound of annoyance floating from her lips as she hurriedly stepped toward the hallway, retracing Gwen’s steps.
Gwen exhaled shakily as she grabbed arms full of clothes from the drawer and placed them into the suitcase, her face twisting with frustration as she contemplated reaching out to Peni.
Contemplated reaching out to her about the situation as alarms for Margo’s safety continued to grow.
“Gwen, what’s going on-“ Margo attention slid to her phone as it started to ring.
“We need to go NOW-I’ll explain later.” Gwen stated as she shoved the suitcase closed and yanked the zipper.
“Hello?” Margo answer, clearing her throat and pulling Gwen’s attention away from the overly stuffed suitcase.
“Who is it?” Gwen mouthed as a strange look crossed Margo face.
“Oh, no problem at all.” Margo said nervously, avoiding Gwen’s gaze.
“We’re actually home now if you want to stop by-“ Margo trailed off, her eyes lingering on the wall as the other person spoke.
Gwen pulled the suitcase from bed, her eyes glued to Margo as she moved around the room.
“See you soon. Bye.” Margo said evenly as she disconnected the call, her expression unreadable.
“Margo…is everything ok?” Gwen asked as she abruptly started grabbing and throwing things into the nearest closet, desperately cleaning.
“What are you doing?” Noir whispered, startling Pav.
“Wha-WHEN did you get here?” Pav questioned as he snatched his phone from his ear and shoved it into his pocket.
“WHY are YOU here?” Pav questioned, growing slightly embarrassed he hadn’t heard the taller man approach.
“Because YOU made me worry.” Noir said dismissively, his sharp eyes falling onto the formation of security guards hard pressed to the coattails of the mayor.
“I did not.” Pav huffed.
“Oh you totally did.” Noir said as his eyes slid onto his phone screen. “Kabir’s less than three miles away.”
“I know that.” Pav hissed as his sandal slid into a puddle. “I was obviously on my way to her-“
“The Mayor’s heading to the same cafe.” Noir interrupted, his feet moving before he could elaborate.
Ignacio’s feet stopped moving, his eyes sliding to the dark sky as a strange feeling flickered across his chest.
“What’s wrong?” Andrés asked as he dried his hand with a paper towel, his feet stopping beside the teen as he followed his gaze out the cafe window.
“I…don’t know.” Ignacio admitted uncomfortably, his eyes sliding back to the swinging bathroom door.
“That’s not ominous at all.” Andrés exhaled sarcastically.
“What’s taking them so long?” Summer asked growing annoyed as she attempted to turn on Andrés’s watch a third time, frustration inching up her finger tips as a blinking red x appeared on the screen.
Kabir bobbed her head to the music blaring in her headphones, entranced, her eyes closing as she broke into a passionate drum solo, indifferent to the table of students staring at her.
Noir’s boots slammed into the asphalt as the rain started to fall harder, nearly weighing down the brim of his hat as Pav fell in step beside him.
“There’s a new Mayor? Why are we running?” Pav questioned, his brow lifting quizzically as his eyes slid onto the backs of several large security guards.
“And why the fuck does he have so much security?” Pav asked dryly as thunder struck the sky, momentarily painting the world around them white.
“We NEED to talk!” Lyla said frantically as she flickered in front of Andrés, her form nearly transparent.
“What’s going on?” Andrés asked, his eyes roaming her form with concern. “Why are you flickering?”
Ignacio wordlessly shuffled from foot to foot, silently listening as more concern slid from Andrés.
“When was the last time you had an update? Lyla you look-you shouldn’t be see through.”
“It doesn’t matter!” Lyla snapped, earning a bewildered look from Andrés.
“Your father is awake!”
Ignacio’s brows slammed into his hairline, shock slamming into him as Andrés rapidly spoke.
“He’s awake? How long?! We need to go now!”
Lyla’s responses slipped in and out of Ignacio’s ears, disbelief clinging to his ankles as he followed behind his brother.
“Ladies-it’s time to GO!” Andrés excitedly announced as he slammed his palms into the table, startling both girls.
“Turn this stupid thing on.” Summer demanded as she snatched the watch from the charger and tossed it into his chest.
“What’s going on?” Kabir asked, pulling her headphones from her ears.
“Dad’s awake.” Ignacio informed softly, his eyes meeting Summer’s, his concern apparent.
Andrés’s fingers danced across the watch screen, his excitement mounting as Kabir slid from her seat and dropped her headphones into her bag, her eyes curiously watching the flow of his fingers.
Summer slid out of her seat and stepped beside Ignacio. “What’s wrong?” She whispered pulling him away from the table.
“I DON’T have a good feeling about this.” Ignacio confessed through clinched teeth.
“We should probably go outside.” Kabir lightly suggested as she placed her hand ontop of Andrés’s, stopping the rapid movements of his fingers.
“What do you mean?” Summer asked.
“I completely agree.” Ignacio said sharply, not answering the question as he pivoted on his feet and headed toward the door.
“Why are you being weird?” Summer whisper hissed as she caught up with him.
“Why are you walking so FAST?”
“I don’t know-but Dad shouldn’t be up-yet.” Ignacio exhaled as he reached for the handle on the door.
“What do you mean?” Summer asked confused.
“The Doctors said he’d wake up any day now.”
“Yeah I know, I was there.” Ignacio snapped, making her frown. “Did you forget when the Doctor also said, Dad could possibly be in a coma longer due to to his INJURIES?”
“Yeahhhhh…so?” Summer asked growing uneasy.
“Dad’s NOT supposed to be awake yet-something HAPPENED.” Ignacio said as he shoved open the cafe door, his eyes on Summer as he slammed into the chest of a person.
“Sorry-I didn’t mean to…” Ignacio’s words died in throat as his eyes met Angelo’s.
Disgust flickered across his sharp face, revealing a callously stoic man in a tailored suit.
“You look familiar.” Angelo noted, his sharp eyes digging into Ignacio for an uncomfortable amount of time, until Kabir shifted, stepping past Ignacio and wedging herself between them.
“Sorry- we were just about to leave.” Kabir said politely, her pleasant tone giving way to a sour expression. “Could you move?”
Angelo’s eyes slid curiously onto Kabir, from her sharp haunting eyes, to the beautiful look of defiance that decorated her delicate features.
“My child, have you presented yet?” Angelo asked curiously, his eyes taking notice of her unique features and scent, his interest in Ignacio completely forgotten.
“I-what?” Kabir asked startled by the question, unease burning her cheeks as the older man held her gaze.
“Have you presented YET?” Angelo repeated calmly.
“That’s NONE of your business.” Andrés stated dryly as he stepped in front of Kabir, defensively pushing her behind him, his green eyes burning with animosity.
“Oh my.” Angelo said pleasantly surprised as he took a step back, and curiously looked both teens up and down.
“What a surprise you two are in this day and age.” Angelo said as he pulled a business card from his suit pocket. “So refreshing to see.”
Andrés reached for Kabir’s hand, his eyes locked on the strange man distrustfully.
“Late bloomers are always a rare find.” He concluded as he extended the card toward Andrés.
“I can change that.”
“Why the FUCK do you keep calling me?” Miles snapped as he closed the front door behind him, his anger rising as the person on the other end of the line didn’t respond, the sound of their congested breathing steadily growing louder and louder.
“HOW’D YOU GET THIS NUMBER?” Miles demanded as his foot sank into snow, quickly sending a chill up his ankles and around his toes.
The person on the other end of the line laughed but offered no answer.
“Papi what’s going on?” Marianna asked as Gonzalo frowned at her wild hair.
“Some deranged person keeps calling us.” Gonzalo sighed as he grabbed a hair brush from the suitcase.
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry about it.”
“Should I not have answered?” Marianna mumbled softly, her melancholy tone stopping the flow of the hairbrush.
Hobie stared at his phone, leisurely watching as Pav’s dot moved across the map, his speed increasing the closer he got to Kabir’s location.
“The house is too quiet.” He sighed as he stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room, his eyes falling on Miles pacing angrily in the front yard.
“WHO THE FUCK IS THIS?!” Miles shouted, daring the person on the other end to speak.
“Spoke too soon.” Hobie said blankly as he spun on his heels and headed down the hallway.
“WHAT IS GOING ON?” Gwen asked grabbing Margo’s hand and stopping her movements.
“The case worker…she’s coming NOW.” Margo admitted, her eyes closing as she spoke.
“We need to make sure everything is perfect-“
“I already baby proofed the house and cleaned up.” Gwen interrupted softly, as she guided Margo to the couch.
“I know…I just…want Wei to come back home.”
Margo exhaled as she leaned back into the cushions of the couch, sadness etched across her face as she fought back tears.
“Me too.” Gwen said as she reached for Margo, pulling her into a hug. “And he’ll be home soon.”
Margo’s arms wrapped around Gwen, the soft scent of her shampoo filling the Beta’s nose as she buried her face in Gwen’s hair, her honest thoughts spilling from her lips.
“Peni should be here.”
Peni stared at the computer screen, her eyes on Gwen and Margo’s location.
She pulled her phone from her pocket and hesitated, guilt stalling her movements as sadness and fear crawled across her link.
“I’m a shit parent and partner.” She sighed unlocking her phone.
“Selfish too.” Peni added flatly as she sat her phone on the table and touched the dials of her watch, quickly summoning a portal in the kitchen.
Wordlessly she stepped through the portal, her eyes falling onto the dimly lit hallway as the portal closed behind her.
“I miss her.” Margo cried, brushing away tears.
“I do too.” Gwen confessed as her thumb brushed a stray tear from Margo’s cheek.
“I’m just mad at her.” Gwen added.
Peni stood rooted in place, her ears burning as she listened to the two women speak about her.
“Me too.” Margo laughed, sending more tears down her cheeks. “We should call her.”
“You should call her.” Gwen corrected.
“If I call her…I won’t promise not to yell.”
“It’s ok if you yell.” Peni said clearing her throat as she stepped into the room, surprising both women.
“I’d yell at me.” Peni added shakily, fighting back tears as Gwen rose from the couch and quickly crossed the room.
“I’m not going to yell at you.” Gwen said evenly, her eyes locked on Peni. “But we will be talking about this.”
“Thankssssssssss so muchhhhh.” Summer dragged out as she plucked the card from Angelo’s hand and smiled.
Angelo’s brow lifted. “Who are-“
“We’ll be leaving now. Bye!” Summer stated abruptly as the teens stepped around him and quickly exited the cafe.
“That was weird.” Kabir said uncomfortably as she pulled her hood over her head, her eyes sliding to the cafe window.
“What a fucking creep.” Andrés spat as he zipped his jacket up to his neck angrily.
“Can you fucking believe he asked us that?!”
“Is..that normal for this Dimension?” Kabir asked shoving her hands into her pockets, her eyes sliding to Summer.
“Ignacio…what’s wrong?” Summer asked, tugging the strings of her hood, her eyes on her brother as she watched him wrap his arms around himself.
Ignacio inhaled deeply, his insides churning as he fought the urge to look back at the cafe.
“He remembered me.” Ignacio said shakily turning toward his siblings, his anxiety steadily rising as thunder abruptly slapped the sky, making them jump.
“Who remembered you?” Kabir asked stepping into the conversation, her eyes sliding from Summer and onto Ignacio. “The CREEP from the cafe?!”
Ignacio didn’t respond.
An uncomfortable silence wrapped around the group as no one spoke.
Kabir’s eyes narrowed as she stomped under the nearest roof, her irritation growing as Andrés stepped beside her.
His eyes on the rain as he pulled his hood from his head as Summer and Ignacio rushed in their direction.
“WHAT aren’t you telling me?” Kabir asked, her eyes meeting Andrés’s as thunder ripped across the sky, painting them both in white.
“Keep your family out the fucking District Morales or you’ll end up like the O’Haras.” The voice spat before hanging up.
Miles pulled the phone from his ear, his eyes staring at the screen as the dial tone screamed.
“Let the adults worry about that.” Gonzalo said softly as he pressed a kiss to Marianna’s temple and tucked her into bed.
Marianna frowned as her father quickly fluffed the pillow under her head and turned away.
“Papi but what if-“
“Good night Mari.” Gonzalo said firmly as he turned the room light off and stepped into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind him.
“Kids.” He said shaking his head as Miles stepped into the hallway, the unhappy expression on his face immediately setting him off.
“What’s wrong? Miles-what happened?”
Chapter 13: Bad vibes
Chapter Text
“I know…I’m selfish and a workoholic …and a bitch-andddd the list is apparently endless.” Peni admitted, her shoulders dropping as she held Gwen’s gaze.
“But I’m TRYING to be better.”
Margo’s eyes slid from Peni and onto Gwen wordlessly.
“I want to believe you.” Gwen said stiffly, turning away, her attention suddenly on the fringe of the floor rug.
“You fired my therapist.” Gwen stated softly, her voice breaking as her eyes closed, the sour expression on Eric’s face a combination of shame and disappointment as he seem to shrink in his leather chair.
“I know-and I’m SORRY about that.” Peni said nervously rubbing her arm, remembering the awkward and uncomfortably long phone call with the man.
“You can start back going to your appointments as soon as you’re ready.” Peni explained, hoping Gwen would accept her offer of peace.
“Right.” Gwen said skeptically crossing her arms over her chest, unmoved.
Offer of peace denied. Peni mused to herself as she shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot, her emotions slipping from her lips and across the coffee table and couch.
“I didn’t mean to yell at you either.” Peni sighed, her eyes closing. “I’ve just…been under a lot of stress-but I know that isn’t an excuse.”
“From being a new Mom…and constantly fucking up to being so sad I want to curl up in a ball and die-I’ve been so…” She trailed off, unable to finish her thought.
Gwen’s face dropped, her arms unwrapping and landing at her sides. “What?!”
“How long have you been feeling like this?”Margo asked softly stepping forward, her hand reaching for Peni as she brushed a stray strand of hair from her face.
Peni considered the question and answered truthfully.
“The… month after Wei came home.”
“…why didn’t you say anything?” Gwen whispered, sadness yanking at her throat as she reached for Peni’s hand.
“I…felt ashamed.” Peni admitted breaking their gaze, her attention sliding to the loose assortment of baby toys tossed across the living room.
“You shouldn’t be.” Margo said gently as she slid her fingers between Peni’s. “That sounds like postpartum depression.”
Peni cleared her throat uncomfortably, quickly changing the topic.
“Trying to run a business…when people constantly lie and pull you into stupid public scandals, doesn’t help either.” Peni exhaled shakily, her eyes sliding to her shoes.
Gwen opened her mouth to speak, Peni’s voice quickly cutting her off before she could get started.
“That fucking lawsuit DIDN’T paint any of us in a good light and just brought a bunch of negative and UNWANTED attention to our PERSONAL lives.” Peni said, as Gwen’s eyes roamed her frame, her sadness inking across their link as Gwen fought the urge to console her with words she didn’t want to hear.
Margo squeezed Peni’s hand, encouraging her to take her time.
“I’ve had it-with the fucking church constantly calling and leaving UNWARRANTED advice and Bibles at our fucking door.”
“I blocked them after the first call.” Margo admitted, glad she’d changed her number weeks prior.
Gwen’s eyes slid to Margo, her mouth opening and closing as Peni continued, frustration corroding her voice.
“HOW am I suppose to be PRESENT with you and Wei when mentally I’m NOT even sure I WANT to be HERE?!” Peni questioned with frustration on the verge of tears.
“Please don’t cry.” Margo pleaded softly as she pulled the other woman into a tight hug, her worried eyes meeting Gwen’s as she rubbed comforting circles across Peni’s back.
“I’m trying…not to.” Peni mumbled, her bottom lip trembling as tears started to run down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry…for Wei getting hurt and I’m sorry all I do is work and fuck things up!” She apologized, making the tears fall harder as Margo’s arms tightened around her.
“Oh no…no no.” Margo pleaded as Gwen snatched a box of tissues from the table and stepped into Peni’s bubble.
“Please…don’t cry.” Margo pleaded softly as she plucked several tissues from the box and dabbed Peni’s cheeks.
“If you cry…I’ll cry.” Margo shakily stated on the verge of tears as her vision started to blur.
Gwen sighed as she ran a frazzled hand through her hair, Peni and Margo’s emotions running unchecked across their link as she spoke, grounding them both back into the conversation.
“You can’t just say sorry…and expect everything to go back to normal.”
Peni opened her mouth to speak, the sound of the doorbell overshadowing her voice.
“She’s here.” Margo said nervously as she untangled herself and bolted from the living room, her feet quickly taking her into the foyer.
“Who’s…here?” Peni asked, her eyes sliding in the direction Margo had went as she rubbed her eyes.
“The case worker.” Gwen said as she tossed one final look around the living room.
“Will Wei…be with her?” Peni asked softly, her chest aching as her eyes slid to his assortment of toys weaved throughout the living room.
“I hope so.” Gwen said as she nervously brushed imaginary wrinkles from her shirt.
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this earlier?” Kabir asked, irritation weighing down her voice as she looked away from Andrés, her mind drifting back to the strange grotesque look of joy that’d clung to the Mayor’s face as he’d stared them down.
Like a poacher in the Savanna, he’d found his prize to hunt.
“I didn’t want to tell you anything without evidence.” Andrés admitted, his attention sliding to the street.
“I knew he’d been elected as the new Mayor but nothing else.” Andrés exhaled as he pulled his hood down. “Nothing concrete. Just rumors.”
“You haven’t presented yet?” Kabir asked abruptly shifting the conversation and making Andrés’s heart flutter with surprise.
Andrés slowly cleared his throat, preparing himself for rejection as he rolled his shoulders and spoke. “No.”
“Me either.” Kabir said quickly, her eyes turning back to Andrés, filling him with temporary relief. “How the FUCK did HE know?”
“Because he’s a fucking pervert.” Ignacio said stiffly, his voice ripe with unease as he stomped into the conversation.
“He’s definitely SOMETHING.” Summer said as she pulled the business card from her pocket, her dark eyes roaming the lettering with distain.
“Usually people aren’t able to tell if you’ve presented or not.” Andrés stated.
“But it’s NOT impossible.” He added as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets, becoming lost in thought.
“Wait…” Kabir said, her eyes sliding onto Summer. “Have you two already presented?”
“Yup.” Summer said as she offered the card to Kabir. “Ignacio and I are Betas.”
“Both of you?” Kabir asked surprised, reaching for the card.
“Our Mom’s a Beta.” Ignacio filled in as he snatched the business card from his sister’s hand, crumpled it up and tossed it into the street.
“And your Dad?” Kabir asked softly, her eyes sliding onto Andrés.
“An Omega.” Andrés said, an unsettling thought crossing his mind as Kabir spoke his thoughts out loud.
“I think he’s looking for something specific.” Kabir said, her words like an eerie premonition sending a wayward chill up Andrés’s spine.
“What about your parents?” Ignacio asked as he pulled a vape from his pocket, earning a dirty look from Summer as he brought it to his lips.
“Two of my Dads are Alphas.” Kabir said, that same unsettling chill slithering up her spine as she continued.
“My third Dad is an…Omega.”
“I don’t like this.” Ignacio confessed as a sinister
silence washed over the group as he exhaled, sending cotton candy scented smoke into the chilly air.
“Where the fuck is my child?” Pav hissed as he yanked the hood from his head, his eyes wildly roaming business storefronts.
Noir’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to the cafe, his eyes slipping through the window and onto Angelo.
Surrounded by men in black, with a smile plastered across his face as he made the waitress laugh, her pen rapidly moving as she took his order.
“I don’t like him.” Noir said sharply as he watched the older man observe the patrons around him, the aura around him strangely well crafted.
His true self slowly slipping from beneath his mask of façade as a man walked past his table.
Angelo recoiled backward, his hand covering his nose and mouth as he pressed his back to the window, desperately trying to put distance between them as if the man stank.
Noir’s brow lifted curiously.
“That’s not weird.” He noted out loud as
Pav grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from the window.
“Come on before you get sick.” Pav ordered as he dragged the taller man around the corner, his eyes aggressively searching the street.
“We’re going to the hospital to see Dad.” Andrés said lightly, breaking the spell of silence, his fingers adjusting the settings of his watch.
“He’s awake?” Kabir questioned, her face lighting up with a smile as she held Andrés’s gaze.
“He is.” Andrés said calmly as a crooked smile
slowly slid across his lips. “Did you want to-“
“Kabir?!” Pav interrupted, running through the rain with Noir at his side.
“I guess not.” Ignacio mumbled to Summer as he shoved his vape into his pocket and fanned away lingering smoke.
“Uhhhh…rain check?” Kabir asked with an apologetic smile as a portal started to form behind Summer and Ignacio.
“Rain check.” Andrés said with a nod as he followed behind his siblings, the portal slowly closing behind him as he tossed a parting wave.
“Where did everyone go?” Noir asked as he stepped onto the sidewalk beside Kabir.
“Who cares?” Pav whispered sarcastically as he brushed past Noir, pulling his daughter into his arms.
“Miles-WHAT did they say?” Gonzalo repeated, his patience slipping out the nearest window as he struggled to keep his voice down.
Marianna pressed her ear to the door, her eyes closing as she struggled to ease drop.
“They…threatened our family.” Miles confessed, his discomfort growing as he watched surprise briefly consume Gonzalo’s face before rage took over.
“What the fuck do you mean-they threatened our family?” Gonzalo demanded, clinching his fists so hard his nails nearly broke skin.
“Why are you like this?” Matéo asked with a frown as he sat up in bed, his eyes slowly opening.
“Shut up. I can’t hear.” Marianna whispered dismissively, waving an uninterested hand at her brother.
“So annoying.” Matéo said flatly as he fell backward in bed. “Stop being nosey.”
“You aren’t nosey enough.” Marianna hissed rudely.
Matéo sighed deeply as he pulled the blankets over his head.
“The same thing that happened to the O’Haras?!” Gonzalo questioned, his voice rising with anger.
“Gonzalo calm down.” Miles pleaded, his eyes sliding to the closed bedroom door a few feet away. “You’ll wake up-“
“Call them back NOW!” Gonzalo snapped, indifferent to whatever the hell Miles was talking about.
“They wanna threaten MY family?!” He yelled, his hostile emotions stomping across their link as he progressively grew madder.
“I’m NOT calling them back.” Miles said sharply, as he set his phone to DND and slid it into his pocket.
“I’m going to reach out to Peni later and just have her track the number.” Miles said quickly as Gonzalo’s eyes narrowed.
“Miguel is in a coma and we watched his house burn down on the news the other night.” Gonzalo reminded, his voice heavy with unease.
Miguel ran his fingers through Jessica’s hair as he watched her sleep, her body tightly wrapped around his as she dreamed.
He pressed his lips to her hairline, his eyes slowly closing as he began to drift to sleep, her soft snores lulling him to dreamland.
“Dad?” Summer asked softly as she stepped through the portal, her eyes rimmed with relief.
Andrés sprinted past Summer and jumped straight into bed, wedging himself childishly between both parents.
Ignacio hesitated as the portal closed behind him, his eyes locked on his father in disbelief.
Miguel smiled as he brought his finger to his lips.
“How are you feeling?” Andrés whispered softly as he turned on his side, his eyes curiously roaming his father’s face.
“I feel like…I was hit by a truck.” Miguel admitted, pulling a frown to the teen’s face.
“I’ll get the Nurse.” Summer offered quickly as she flung open the door and disappeared into the hallway before anyone could respond.
“You were shot.” Ignacio stated, stepping forward, his feet quickly taking him half way to the bed.
“You were also stabbed and suffered extreme blood loss.”
Miguel’s brows slammed into his hairline in surprise.
“Yesterday, Doctors weren’t sure if you were even going to wake up-“
“Ignacio!” Andrés loudly hissed, his eyes sliding onto his brother. “He JUST woke up.”
“I know.” Ignacio said evenly, his eyes sliding onto Andrés. “HOW?”
“Your Mother sent volts of electricity straight into him.” Lyla informed flatly as she flickered into the room, her silhouette still transparent.
“She WHAT?” Ignacio asked as his eyes slowly slid onto his mother.
“That explains why she’s tired.” Andrés hummed as he turned toward her, his eyes slowly roaming over her face, curiously searching for changes.
“I thought Mom…never used that ability.” Ignacio said slowly, his eyes on Lyla.
“She’s only ever stated, she didn’t like the way it made her feel afterwards.” Lyla said as Summer rushed back into the room.
“Not that she COULDN’T use it.” Lyla concluded as she abruptly flickered out of the room.
“Someone’s in a shit mood.” Ignacio mumbled, pulling a tired frown to his father’s lips.
“I need you to CALM down.” Miles said softly, as he pulled Gonzalo down the hallway and into the kitchen.
“No.” Gonzalo said stiffly as he took a seat at the table defiantly.
“We’ve literally been running and avoiding whatever the fuck-THIS is.” Gonzalo said as he leaned back in the chair, his eyes obsidian orbs laced with rage.
Miles exhaled deeply as he leaned against the counter, ready to protest. “We haven’t been running-
“WHAT ARE YOU SCARED OF?” Gonzalo snapped, shoving an end to Miles’s lackluster response.
Miles blinked, caught off guard by the question.
“I’m NOT scared of ANYTHING.” Miles said dryly as he pushed away from the counter and stood up straight.
“I HAVE A FAMILY TO PROTECT.” Miles continued, irritation slipping in between his words.
“I DON’T have the luxury of being wreckless.”
Gonzalo opened his mouth and quickly closed it as Miles crossed the kitchen and sat in the chair beside him.
“Look-I know you’re upset..and worried and all of this shit is scary.” Miles admitted, his eyes locked on Gonzalo.
“But I CAN’T afford to be wreckless.” Miles said as he placed his hand on Gonzalo’s stomach.
“Not with you.” He said breathlessly as he felt a series of tiny kicks under his fingers.
“I think they’re fighting.” Marianna announced as she turned on her iPad and signed into Netflix, bumping into her brother as she plopped back in bed.
Matéo wordlessly turned on his side, pretending to sleep as he ignored his sister.
Marianna turned the volume of the iPad all the way up, startling her brother and sending him spiraling off the bed in a tangled mess of sheets and pillows.
“Just because they disagree-doesn’t mean they’re fighting.” Matéo hissed between clinched teeth as he rose to his feet and snatched his pillow from the floor.
“I know people have disagreements…” Marianna started softly as she lowered the volume of her iPad, contemplating her words.
“But…they were yelling.“
“Stay optimistic.” Gwen whispered to Peni as they tensely watched Charlene wordlessly walk throughout their home.
Her face nonexpressive as she rapidly took notes on her work tablet, the frames of her glasses slowly sliding down the bridge of her nose.
Wei giggled happily as Margo peppered his face with kisses, the scent of cherries happily blooming around her.
“I’ve missed you so much.” Margo hummed as she pressed a kiss to Wei’s hairline, his tiny hands reaching for the hoop in her ear.
“I’m glad you’re back home.” Peni said softly as she pressed a toy panda into Wei’s hand.
Charlene stepped back into the living room, silently observing the three women interact, her dark eyes assessing their relationship.
She cleared her throat as she took a seat on the couch, rapidly tapping her tablet as she spoke.
“He’s relieved to see you. That’s good.”
“Ummmm duh.” Peter said dryly from the hallway, earning a pointed look from Gwen.
“Oh come on!” Peter said tossing his arms into the air, deeply annoyed. “That was a dumb statement.”
“We feel the same way.” Gwen said quickly, trying to tune out Peter’s voice.
“Then why be so careless?” Charlene asked pointedly, exciting an unhappy noise from Peter.
Margo’s face dropped, her arms tightening protectively around Wei as he tossed his toy onto the floor and laughed. “We aren’t-“
“We are NOT careless parents.” Gwen stated sharply, her voice rising above Margo’s.
“Well how’d your son end up in the emergency room with an almost severed finger?” Charlene spiked back lightly.
“What a bitch.” Peter pointed out as he stepped completely into the living room.
Gwen held Charlene’s gaze, sparks of animosity popping between them.
“That was my fault.” Peni said quickly, pulling the Case worker’s attention away from her partner.
“I was supposed to be watching him…but I got distracted with work and he…ended up hurting himself in the bathroom.” Peni explained, her palms growing sweaty as she retold what happened, discomfort erupting up her chest as the memory of Wei covered in blood rapidly flashed through her mind.
“You usually work from home?” Charlene asked, her voice splashing across Peni’s thoughts.
“Sometimes. But I’m usually in the office.”
Charlene’s fingers danced across the tablet screen as Peni spoke.
“This being the business involved in a PUBLIC lawsuit?” Charlene asked, not bothering to hide the judgement in her voice as she boldly held Peni’s gaze.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Margo asked as she sat Wei in his playpen, her eyes quickly sliding back to Charlene.
“It’s a yes or no question.” Charlene said as she crossed her legs and patiently waited for an answer.
“That has NOTHING to do with the situation.” Gwen said dryly.
“Ms.Stacey I THINK it has everything to do with the situation.” Charlene stated as she sat the tablet face down on the couch.
“From the outside looking in, it seems your home life and professional life are….” She trailed off, attempting to locate an appropriate or professional word. “Unsatisfactory.”
“Told you she was a bitch.” Peter huffed as he took a seat on the floor beside Wei’s playpin.
“WHAT does any of that have to do with our child?” Peni asked, her irritation with the women swiftly outweighing her confusion.
“I thought this meeting was about the well being of our child-NOT things reported in the media.”
“She’s too busy being judgmental to hear you.” Gwen stated flatly, her eyes scorching with rage.
“Breathe Gwen.” Peter reminded as Wei tossed a toy car into his direction. “I DON’T have bail money.”
“Unfortunately that’s just HOW the world works Ms.Parker.” Charlene hummed as her eyes slid to Wei, curiously watching as he bit into a teething toy.
“That makes absolutely NO sense.” Gwen challenged, plucking the woman’s attention away from the playpin.
“None at alllllll.” Peter sang in agreement as he stretched, a startled noise slipping out of him as another toy flew in his direction.
“Look…I understand you are SUPERS, but your mutations don’t give you more privilege than anyone else.”
Margo’s brows shot into her hairline.
Peni’s eyes narrowed as Gwen shifted in her seat, sending anger across their link as the woman’s prejudice loudly registered.
“Did you just call us mutants?” Margo asked, visibly in shock. “WE AREN’T-“
“But you aren’t a normie either.” Charlene hummed in a condescending tone. “Supers. Mutants-whatever you want to be called these days.”
“Ohhh wow.” Peter said holding back a laugh.
“She’s a bitch and a racist.”
“We weren’t born with these abilities.” Margo hissed.
“Yes-I heard the story about the ‘magical’ spider that bit you and gaslit you into being a hero.” The woman said dismissively as she lifted her tablet from the couch, seemly over the conversation.
Gwen’s brows shot into her hairline, an explicit and crass insult bubbling up her chest as the woman rudely continued.
“I am aware, that you are Supers and as a result you don’t have a traditional household.” She said clearing her throat.
“I don’t like her tone.” Peter said as he turned completely in the case worker’s direction, his eyes narrowing as the woman’s eyes lingered on Wei.
“Just because WeiWei can rapidly heal doesn’t mean you can be thoughtless with his safety.”
“Thoughtless?” Margo parroted, the incessant desire to drag the woman out of the front door growing.
“Yes. Thoughtless.” Charlene said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“That being said- I’m going to recommend he stay in your custody and close your case.” Charlene said as she rose to her feet, tablet in hand as she pulled a folder from her bag.
“Thank God-now make her leave.” Peter said sitting up, glad the woman’s visit would soon be over.
“It’s apparent he isn’t being abused.” Charlene said as she offered the folder to Margo.
“He’s of a healthy weight, happy and all his shots are up to date.” She said as Margo accepted the folder.
“His room is full of necessary items, outlets are covered, your kitchen is fully stocked and he seems happiest around you.” She added, a whisper of a sincere smile briefly flashing across her lips as her attention slid back on Wei.
“But I will recommend you take a 150 hour parenting course.” Charlene added dryly, her eyes sliding onto Peni.
“As well as an anger management course.” She added, her eyes bouncing onto Gwen.
Kabir yawned, her eyes on the falling rain as she took a seat on the bench, patiently waiting as her fathers bickered a few feet away.
“This is…kind of relaxing.” She said as she pulled her headphones from her bag.
“What the HELL are you doing?” Pav hissed as Noir reached forward, grabbed his hood and pulled it over his eyes, swiftly pissing him off.
“I’m observing the enemy-obviously.” Noir said flippantly as he turned back toward the cafe, his eyes narrowing as the Mayor idly chatted with a security guard.
“The enem-WHAT are you TALKING about?” Pav snapped as he yanked his hood from his head, his eyes sliding to the cafe.
“You’re risking us getting sick-to WATCH the creepy Mayor?!”
“You have the option to go home.” Noir said evenly as he stepped away before Pav could curse.
“We’re leaving Pop?” Kabir asked as she pulled her headphones from her ears, her eyes on the forming portal in front of her.
“Yes, he wants to stay here and get sick.” Pav said dryly as he lifted Kabir’s bag from the bench. “So we’ll let him.”
Kabir’s brows scrunched together as she rose from the bench, her eyes sliding to the cafe as her pushed opened the door.
Hobie sighed as he zipped his coat up to his neck and grabbed a beanie, his eyes on the clock as he quickly dressed and plucked the car keys from the dresser.
He locked the front door, his heavy boots sinking deep into the snow with each step.
He slid his hands into his pockets and briskly walked to the car, the heat hitting him full blast as the car started.
He drove in silence, his thoughts wildly screaming louder than the volume button on the radio could go.
In under forty eight hours he’d be placed under anesthesia and cut open.
“I need to talk to Kabir about this tonight.” He said out loud as he pulled to a stop at a red light, his hand adjusting the heat as a car horn wildly honked behind him.
Hobie’s eyes slid to the still red traffic light.
“I hate people.” He mumbled as his eyes slid to the rear view mirror and met tented windows.
The car behind him honked again and again, igniting the flame of irritation as the light turned green.
Hobie hit the gas, the gps informing him of his next turn as turned on his blinker and merged into another lane.
The car behind him merged behind him, the horn repeatedly blowing as he took the exit.
“WHAT. THE. FUCK.” Hobie said as he gripped the steering wheel tighter, his eyes sliding to the rear view mirror and back onto the icy road in front of him.
“I knew I should have took the fucking truck today.” He said annoyed as his eyes slid to the gps in the dashboard signifying his impending arrival to the police station.
The car behind him sped up, hitting the rear of his car and shoving him forward.
Hobie exhaled slowly, attempting to steady his nerves as he focused on the road, he bit his bottom lip as the car hit him again, nearly knocking him off the road.
Hobie’s eyes slid to the thin layer of ice that coated the side of the road leading up to a sharp turn ahead.
“Not doing this.” He stated dryly as he hit the gas and shifted gears, his grip on the steering wheel tightening as he abruptly turned the wheel and hit the clutch, riding the sharp curve of the road, avoiding the ice.
His eyes narrowed as he watched the truck behind him attempt the same thing, the rear tire quickly catching ice.
Hobie watched as the driver lost control and slid off the road.
He shifted gears and hit the gas, his adrenaline pumping as he pulled into the parking lot and turned off his car.
“Did you get the plate?” Hanks asked as he grabbed a phone, his eyes on Hobie as he cradled the phone to his ear and handed him a pen.
“I did.” Hobie said as he took the pen and quickly scribbled the plate number onto a piece of paper.
“I’m sending a cruiser out now.” Hanks said as he lifted the paper from his desk and barked the description of the vehicle and location into the phone.
Hobie shoved his hands into his pockets and took a seat in the nearest chair, his eyes closing as he pulled the beanie from his hair and allowed himself to process what’d just happened.
“I’m going to find out who you are.” Kabir stated, her eyes lingering on the image of the Mayor.
She clicked the article, her brow lifting quizzically as she read through the first paragraph.
“Why the hell are you getting an Humanitarian award?”
The bell above the door chimed as Noir stepped into the cafe, his boots quickly taking him to a booth behind the Mayor.
He lifted a menu from the table and quickly ordered, his eyes sliding out the window and onto the now empty bench across the street.
“So are ya nervous about the speech you’ll be givin tonight?” A waitress with a country accent asked as she refilled his cup with fresh coffee.
Angelo smiled as he lifted his cup from the table and took a sip. “Nervous? No.” He said as he pulled the cup from his lips.
“Surprised I’m FINALLY being honored? Just a bit.” He admitted as he sat his cup down and smiled.
“Why are you surprised?” The woman asked with a laugh. “You’ve been doin community work for this District-since BEFORE it was a District.”
Angelo shrugged lightly as he leaned back in his seat.
“You need to stop being so modest.” The waitress tsked as she slid a slice of pie beside his coffee.
“I didn’t order dessert.” Angelo said as she placed a fork and napkin beside the plate.
“It’s on the house.” She said with a wink.
“Oh.” Angelo said, his eyes sliding to the pie.
“Consider it a gift for being so humane.” She laughed as she strolled away from his table.
Noir watched as Angelo lifted the fork from the table, his eyes closing as the dessert hit his tongue.
A guard to his left leaned toward him and whispered something into his ear.
Noir strained to read the man’s lips, the silhouette of the waitress swiftly blocking his view as she slowly sat his plate onto the table.
“Here’s your BLT with extra tomatos and your basket of waffle fries.”
“Thank you.” He said politely, ready for the woman to leave.
“Let me know if ya NEED anything else.” She said flirtatiously, her red lips tilting into a come-hither smile.
“Thank you, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Noir said as he lifted his hand from under the table and scratched his cheek, revealing a double wedding band on his finger.
“Of course.” She said with a deflated smile as she rushed away from his table visibly embarrassed.
“You’re rather interesting.” Angelo said deeply as he slid in the seat across from Noir. “Why are you eating alone?”
“Not sure what you’re talking about.” Noir said boredly as he lifted the bottle of ketchup from the table and dumped it over his fries.
“Why does it matter if I eat alone or not?” Noir asked, sitting the bottle back on the table and lifting his sandwich from the plate with both hands.
“Because food taste better when you eat it with friends.” Angelo chimed as he gestured toward one of the guards.
Noir bit into his sandwich and made a satisfying crunch, his eyes on Angelo as he quickly chewed.
“Oh we’re friends?” Noir asked skeptically as he bit into his sandwich again, a piece of bacon falling onto his plate as a large man sat a plate of half eaten pie in front of Angelo.
“Why wouldn’t you want to be friends?” Angelo asked lightly as he lifted Noir’s fork from the table.
Noir’s brows slid into his hairline, confusion swiftly morphing into unease, as the corners of Angelo’s lips tilted upward with amusement.
He was flirting.
“Wait…what are you talki-“
“Don’t be alarmed.” Angelo interrupted with a wave of the fork. “I can sense these things.”
“What things?” Noir asked, continuing to be obtuse as he took a sip of his strawberry lemonade.
“Who OUR people are.” Angelo hummed proudly as he shoved his fork into the pie, quickly scooping a large piece into his mouth.
“You caught me.” Noir said with a laugh as he leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the table as he spoke.
“You must come to this place a lot.” He said casually changing the subject.
“Mmmh you mean the District or this diner?”
“Both.” Noir said with a smile.
Angelo swallowed his food and laughed.
“You are correct.” He said dabbing his lips with a napkin. “I come to both the District and diner regularly.”
“I can see why.” Noir nodded in appreciation.
“It’s a beautiful place full of beautiful things.” Noir sighed as he gazed at his half eaten sandwhich.
Angelo’s cheeks warmed at the assumed compliment, nearly tripping over his words as he invited Noir to his acceptance speech.
“Miles-I’ve found where Angelo will be accepting his award.” Peni said as she dropped a dirty diaper into the trash, her eyes sliding to Wei as she lifted him from the changing table and slipped him into the carrier wrap around her chest.
“Let me guess, the District?” Miles asked as he watched Gonzalo climb into Hobie’s truck and back out of the drive way angrily.
“Of course the District.” Peni said rolling her eyes as she took a seat at the table, lightly pushing Wei’s curious hands away from the keys as she spoke.
“But get this-he’s giving the speech in a public diner DOWNTOWN.”
“Downtown?” Miles’s questioned, his brow lifting with disbelief.
“That’s a rough part of town.” He added as he slipped his arms into Gonzalo’s purple Adidas jacket. “Why a diner?”
“Apparently it’s the place he staged his first Omega protest AND the day he presented.”
“Ah, so he’s sentimental and conniving.” Miles noted out loud as he laced up his running shoes.
“He’s going to broadcast live, so I’m sure they’re setting up now.“ Peni said as she checked the weather and snickered.
“What?” Miles asked as he pulled a beanie over his head, quickly tucking his braids under the fabric.
“It’s literally storming and he’s giving a speech OUTSIDE.”
“Stupid fucking Dimension and selfish punk ass politicians.” Gonzalo spat as he parked and quickly jumped out of the large vehicle, his winter boots crushing ice as he briskly walked into Costco, pulling his grocery list from his pocket as he grabbed a basket.
He continued to complain as he filled the cart, quickly checking off items as he pushed the basket into the international aisle.
Hobie wordlessly watched as an elderly handcuffed man with graying hair was shoved through the sliding doors, nearly tripping over the entry rug until one of the officers grabbed his shoulder.
“Do you recognize this man?” The officer asked stiffly, his irritation apparent as he sat the older man into the nearest chair, several feet away from Hobie.
Hobie stared at the man a moment, taking in his features and frame.
The truck that’d hit him had blacked out windows.
He couldn’t confirm nor deny who the old ass man was.
“No. I don’t.” He said lightly as he sipped his hot cocoa, his eyes sliding onto Hanks as he stepped back into the room with a tense expression.
“Well we pulled this fucker from an iced over ditch.” Hanks said crudely as he took a seat on the corner of a desk, his eyes on the hand cuffed man.
“This IS the idiot who tried to run you off the road.” Hanks informed as another officer walked into the room and wordlessly handed him a set of car keys.
“Feel free to make a report on him as well.” Hanks suggested with a smile. “He’ll get to spend the weekend HERE with his SON.”
“Wait-his SON?” Hobie asked, seeking clarification as he tossed his empty cup into the trash.
Margo slowly peeled the bandages from Wei’s fingers, mindful not to wake him from his nap as she tossed the bandages into the trashcan and looked over his fingers, her eyes widening in surprise.
His fingers were immaculate and bare of scars.
“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked as Margo stepped into the kitchen, a strange expression on her face.
“Wei has healing abilities.” Margo said, still in shock. “He doesn’t even have a scar…let alone a scratch.”
Gwen sat her bowl of pasta down on the counter, committing her full attention to the conversation as Margo struggled to verbalize her thoughts.
“I assumed he COULD before any of this happened.” Gwen admitted lightly.
“Is…that how it works? You get hurt and just heal?” Margo asked, her eyes locked on Gwen, as she patiently waited for an answer.
Gwen shrugged. “Not for everyone.”
“She called our baby a mutant.” Margo whispered, her voice laced with lingering sadness as she broke their gaze, tears teetering past her lash line.
Gwen sighed as she lifted her bowl from the cabinet and sat it on the table. “She also called us Supers.”
Margo wrinkled her nose at the term.
“I can’t explain it…but it feels like a slur.”
“That’s because it is.” Peni said peeking her head through the doorway.
“Since when?” Margo asked as she watched the shorter woman rummage through the refrigerator, her stomach loudly growling.
“Uhhhh you remember when Miles banned crime for like fifteen years in his Dimension?” Peni asked as the fridge shut, her hands holding a large plate of leftovers wrapped in foil.
Margo’s brows furrowed together in confusion. “Yeah. But what does that have to do with-“
“Around year three…” Peni started as she pulled the foil from her plate and placed it into the microwave. “People started to feel like their lives were being dictated by people with Super powers.”
“I…don’t…remember that.” Margo said slowly, racking her brain for memories of the past.
“I do.” Gwen said as she finished her pasta and placed yer empty bowl into the sink, her attention sliding onto Margo.
“The UNHINGED Alpha’s here were definitely the catalyst for Heros over policing the Dimension.”
“I didn’t…notice.” Margo said in a daze, rapidly combing through her memories to find the past her partners were painting.
“Of course you didn’t.” Peni said flatly as she pulled her plate from the microwave and took a seat at the table. “You LITERALLY live with Super Heros.”
“That is true.” Margo said in agreement, the realization sinking in that her core group of friends were indeed ALL heros.
“Crazy she’d forget that.” Peter said with a frown as he stepped into the kitchen, earning a tired sigh from Gwen.
Kabir stared at the screen of her phone, a soft smile floating to her lips as Andrés’s name popped across the screen.
“What were you doing in the Omega District and WHY did you go without permission?” Pav asking lightly as he pulled his coat from his arms and hung it in the hallway closet, his eyes slowly sliding to Kabir.
Kabir’s eyes slowly slid up from her phone and met her father’s intrusive gaze.
“I went to help friends.” She said clearing her throat as she stood up straight and handed him her jacket.
“I didn’t think about it…because we went to a Dimension…I’ve been to.” Kabir admitted.
“Well you should think about it.” Angelo said with a hum as he leaned back in his chair and pulled a business card from his pocket, a cheshire smile
spreading across his full lips as he offered the card to Noir.
Noir’s eyes slid to the card. “Why are you giving me this?”
“Because I want you to be a part of a community full of like minded individuals.” Angelo said as he placed the card flat on the table and rose to his feet.
“What makes you think I want to be a part of the community?” Noir challenged as he watched the tall slender man brush invisible lint from the front of his suit.
“Think about it.” Angelo said with a chuckle as he stepped away from the table, his attention on the guards.
Noir slowly lifted the card from the table, Angelo’s offer of friendship caressing his ears as he headed toward the door, his stride stopping as he suddenly turned around and met Noir’s gaze. “I’d love to see you again.”
“Stop being weird.” Summer hissed at Ignacio as she plastered a smile on her face as their father glanced in their direction.
“I’m not being weird. THIS is weird.” Ignacio hissed back, his eyes aggressively roaming their father’s discharge papers.
“He SHOULDN’T be awake.”
“He seems fine.” Andrés said evenly as he stepped into the conversation, his hands deep in his pockets as he watched his mother help his father out of bed.
“Seems and is-are TWO DIFFERENT things.” Ignacio said sharply as he sat the papers harshly on the dresser behind him.
“You worry too much.” Andrés said as Lyla flickered in front of them.
“For once I agree with Ignacio.” Lyla said flatly, her arms crossing over her chest.
“Why?” Andrés asked, his eyes curiously sliding onto Lyla.
“Because your father’s healing factor was non-responsive until she shocked him.”
“How many times did she shock him?” Andrés asked.
“What do you mean WAS?” Ignacio asked.
“You can’t compare it to your current power level.” Lyla said ignoring the teens as her eyes bounced onto the couple. “It wasn’t a series of little pops-it was ONE strong continuous wave of electricity.”
“Little pops?” Andrés asked with a hurt expression, unsure how to take her unflattering description .
“I’m not sure if I should be offended or not.” Noir said as he tossed several bills onto the table and rose from his seat, his feet quickly taking him to the bathroom, his eyes forward as his fingers danced across his watch.
Noir stepped in front of the mirrior, his eyes lingering on the expensive leather jacket with spike detailing.
He’d worn Hobie’s jacket.
Noir wordlessly washed his hands and tossed the card into the trash.
“Atleast it stopped raining.” He said lightly as he stepped out of the cafe, his eyes sliding onto several men in brightly colored vests assembling a stage.
“Ah we meet again.” Angelo said with a pleasant smile as he stepped beside Noir and deeply inhaled the air, his sharp eyes on Noir as a guard stood uncomfortably close holding an open umbrella.
“What’s going on?” Noir asked as he took several steps away from the man, his brow lifting as Angelo let out a muffled chuckle.
“Am I in trouble?” Kabir asked evenly, her eyes on the snow piling up outside the hallway window.
“No.” Pav sighed, tiredly running his hand through his wet tresses. “Just talk to us BEFORE you leave the house next time.”
“Sorry.” Kabir said guiltily, her phone loudly vibrating in her pocket.
“Look I know you’re a teenager now and you’ll want to hang out with your friends.”
Kabir’s brows lifted in surprise.
“I’m trying to be open minded.” Pav offered with a weak smile.
This was unexpected.
“I’ll work on my communication skills going forward.” Kabir said quickly as she pulled her phone from her pocket and excitedly opened her messages.
“Just shameless.” Hanks said wrinkling his nose in disgust as he double checked the paperwork.
“This has been…” Hobie trailed off, sliding his hands into his pockets as he watched the officer press several buttons on the printer.
“A shit show.” Hanks finished for him.
“I can’t believe I’ve had to detain father, son, wife and child all in the same month.”
Hobie simply shook his head as Hanks preceded to make copies, his frown deepening as he pulled the papers from the machine and handed them to Hobie.
“Mr. Brown…I’m sorry you and your family were dragged into this.”
“Me too.” Hobie said as he accepted the papers and pulled his keys from his pocket, ready to retreat back home.
“Get home safe.” Hanks said as he watched the taller man pivot on his heels, his long legs quickly taking him to the exit. “It’s supposed to storm tonight.”
“Of course it is.” Gonzalo said flatly to the cashier, his mood steadily plummeting as the teen started to explain why the item was $6 higher than listed.
“Stupid grocery store prices.” He complained as he angrily tossed his bags into the backseat, his hand slowly sliding to his stomach as he climbed into the driver’s seat.
“I don’t even want to cook anymore.” He sighed as he started the truck and buckled his seatbelt.
“He’s been gone a while.” Miles said worriedly as he stepped outside the front door, his eyes on the snow covered roads.
“Do you think they’re still fighting?” Marianna whispered as she turned around in bed, facing her brother.
“I don’t know…but I do KNOW you won’t let me sleep.“ Matéo said, begrudgingly opening his eyes and meeting his sister’s concerned gaze.
“You worry too much.” He said with a tired yawn, his eyes closing.
Gonzalo pulled to stop at a red light, his eyes on the gps as a strange sensation fluttered across his insides, making him grip the steering wheel in surprise.
“What the hel-“ He abruptly stopped as the sensation turned to pain, making him nearly dry heave as the pain intensified.
He exhaled shakily as he pressed his forehead to the steering wheel, trying to calm his nerves as a horn started to angrily blast behind him, informing him of the light change.
Miles ran his hand across the scar on his throat, his eyes on the sky as he watched the sun set and the world darken.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Gonzalo’s number.
Peni smiled as her fingers flew across her laptop keys, glee slipping from her pores as she pulled up Angelo’s live speech.
His suit immaculate and his smile full of pride as he waited for the cheers and applause to cease.
“Thank you all for being here.” Angelo said into the mic, his eyes sparkling under the camera lighting.
“I’m going to ruin you.” Peni hummed, as she tapped into the server of the networks covering the award speech.
“What are you up to now?” Gwen asked with a laugh as she scooped Wei from the floor before he could crawl up the stairs.
Wei giggled as Gwen blew a raspberry on his cheek, happiness bubbling in her chest as she strolled away from the stairs.
Peni’s eyes narrowed as she watched Angelo lean forward, his lips nearly touching the mic as he spoke, his words comparable to smooth garbage.
“I wonder how you’ll spin this.” Peni said flatly as she patiently watched the live.
“That man is a fucking pervert.” Noir said flatly as he stepped on the patio and sat beside Miles, his eyes on the steadily falling snow.
“What?” Miles asked looking up.
“I SAID that fucking Mayor is pervert.” Noir repeated slightly louder, crossing his arms over his chest, upset he’d gone into town without his mask.
“He’s probably kidnapping kids too and turning them into Omegas.” Miles said off handedly as he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked his messages.
“Excuse me?” Noir asked, slowly turning to Miles, shock and disbelief sketched across his handsome face. “WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?”
“You are witnessing the rebirth of a stronger, better and more efficient District.” Angelo said proudly as he held his award in the air, the giant screen behind him enlarging his face as he gleefully continued.
“I was HERE before the District was established, fighting solely and unequivocally for our rights.” Angelo continued into the mic, the crowd transfixed and overrunning the street with onlookers.
“Stand beside me and we’ll never have to go back to the times of living in the shadows of AGGRESSIVELY UNQUALIFIED ALPHAS and WEAK WILLED BETAS!” He declared, earning a series of loud cheers from the crowd.
“Weak willed Betas.” Gwen repeated with a frown as she looked over Peni’s shoulder, her eyes on the screen as she watched Angelo work the crowd.
“Oh he’s definitely prejudice.” Margo said as she bit into a blue berry muffin, sending crumbs down her chin and onto the table.
Ross stood rooted in the hallway, the hairs on his arms rising as he listened to the speech, an icy feeling slithering up his pine as he pivoted on his heels and rushed into the kitchen, startling Peni.
“That’s him.” Ross said weakly, fear coloring his face as he stood awkwardly in the kitchen.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!” Peni snapped as she rose to her feet, knocking her seat to the floor as she took a defensive stance.
Peter’s brow inched into his hairline as his attention slid to Ross. “What are you doing out of your cage?”
Gwen sighed deeply as she plucked the seat from the floor and reached for Peni’s hand, gently pulling her back into her seat.
“We can talk about this later.” She quickly explained, her eyes sliding to the laptop as it started to ring.
“What do you mean….thats him?” Margo asked, sitting her muffin on the table as Peter hovered curiously beside her, waiting impatiently for the answer.
“You remember how I told you-We never met the man who payed us to monitor you?” Ross asked, his palms growing sweaty as he awkwardly stood in the entry of the kitchen, a tense and cowardly expression pinching at his features.
“WHAT?!” Margo snapped as Peni’s fingers flew across the keys, the footage of the break in abruptly interrupting Angelo’s speech as the monitor started to show members of his security team breaking and entering.
Angelo turned around and faced the large screen, his eyes narrowing as he watched several members of his security team ransack and run through Miles’s home untamed.
“Thank you so much for allowing us to live here until everything is situated.” Jessica said to Hobie as he pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the end of his joint.
“We have enough space.” He said as he brought the joint to his lips and inhaled.
“But still. I want to thank-“
“Don’t mention it.” He exhaled, interrupting her thanks with a smile.
“Take as much time as you need.” He added as he opened the bedroom window and blew smoke out of it.
“God I miss my room.” Ignacio whined on the verge of overstimulation. “We’re practically homeless in a mansion.”
“You mean OUR room? Also how the fuck can you be homeless in a home?” Andrés asked growing annoyed with his brother as Lyla’s words cycled through his mind. “We’re literally in a mansion.”
“Shut up, I don’t need facts right now.” Ignacio said sharply as he stormed in the direction of the den, seeking space.
“I create sparks NOT pops.” Andrés said bitterly, his eyes on his laptop as he aggressively searched for information.
“That’s what you’re upset about-STILL?”Summer asked shaking her head as she plopped down on the futon.
Miguel glanced around the room curiously as he took a seat at the foot of the bed.
“You like it?” Jessica asked, hovering in the doorway.
“It’s not home.” Miguel sighed as he fell backwards into the sheets, his eyes on the ceiling as he spoke. “How long was I out?”
“A few days.” Jessica said clearing her throat as she stepped into the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
“Was she arrested?” Miguel asked thickly, his mind skipping to the face of a deranged and heartbroken woman as she slid the knife into his stomach.
“She’s missing. Has been since…that night.” Jessica informed as she took a seat beside him, their link swirling warmly with a mix of emotions.
“That’s fucked up.” Peter said as he watched the clip continue to play, the men in black quickly leaving as law enforcement arrived.
“Oh wow.” Gwen said in shock as the frame of the men froze, the profiles of them unmasked boldly highlighted beside them before sprinting to a clip of Angelo speaking to several men in the video.
“That’s…pretty fucked up.” Margo said as camera continued to follow Angelo in broad daylight, giving the men strict orders.
“It’s about to get worse.” Peni said dryly as the screen jumped to local news coverage, the Chief of Police’s grim face taking over the screen.
Gonzalo inhaled desperately, the pain in his stomach unrelenting as he curled into himself, the sound of horns growing as he lay paralyzed in pain.
Miles rose from the patio chair, his feet quickly taking him down the steps.
“Where are you going?” Noir asked as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
“To find Gonzalo.” Miles said, turning around and meeting Noir’s gaze as he tossed him the keys.
“Take the bike and be safe.” Noir said pointing toward the garage. “It’s about to storm.”
“Sir..? Are you ok?” A woman asked, tapping on the truck window.
“I think he’s hurt.” The woman said turning to her husband, a pained expression on her face.
“We have to help him.”
“Why is there traffic?” Miles asked growing irritated at the delay, he zipped between cars, his eyes falling onto a small forming crowd under the traffic light.
His stomach dropped as he grew closer to the crowd, his eyes sliding onto a familiar truck.
“What’s up?” Kabir asked as she pulled open her bedroom door, the smile on her face growing as Andrés stepped forward offering snacks and his laptop.
“I wanna show you something.” He said as he stepped into the room and quickly took a seat in her computer chair.
“What do ya wanna show me?” Kabir asked, popping open the bag of chips and taking a seat on the edge of her computer desk.
“Just some unsettling shit we discovered in the slums of the District.” Andrés said as he opened his laptop, his fingers flying across the keys.
“Oh?” Kabir said as she bit into a chip and leaned closer toward the screen.
“You remember the lab we accidentally found?”
“Of course.” Kabir said, remembering the uncomfortably sterile and chrome dipped room.
“I thought it was strange the lab was the ONLY up to date thing in the building.” Andrés said clearing his throat as he slowly tilted the screen
more in her direction.
“More like disturbing-but keep going.” She said closing the chip bag and quickly tucking it into her desk drawer.
“The lab is still active and being used. That test subject we saw floating in the green liquid isn’t very old.”
Kabir inhaled uncomfortably as her eyes took in the images on the screen of a tiny child floating in the strange liquid.
“Do you think…he’s kidnapping children and-“ She trailed off not wanting to continue the statement as she looked away from the screen suddenly feeling nauseous.
“Experimenting on them.” Andrés filled in, his voice a whisper as he pulled up discord.
“This is crazy.” Kabir sighed running a stressed hand through her wild hair, her eyes sliding back to the laptop.
“I uh…also found this.” He said, his eyes closing as he leaned back in his seat and waited for her to read through the discord.
“He’s the one taking children.” Kabir concluded as she scrolled through the thread, sadness tugging at her chest as she looked through the postings about missing children.
Andrés tapped a key, pulling up live footage of the District, his eyes slowly opening as he sat up in his seat. “Look at this.”
“We have been notified on WHO these men are and they will be facing the consequences of the law shortly.” The cheif of police stated as he stepped away from the mic, refusing to take anymore questions as the screen slid to Angelo.
“What the hell?” Kabir asked confused, turning in Andrés’s direction. “What’s going on?”
“Several people from Angelo’s security team broke into and vandalized Miles’s home last night.”
Kabir’s brows shot into her hairline in shock.
“WHAT?! The twins could have been home and-“ She stopped abruptly, the realization hitting her like a bag of bricks.
“He…he’s after the twins.” Kabir said, pulling the room into a tense silence.
“But the twins are here….right?” Andrés questioned, breaking the silence as he closed his laptop.
Wordlessly Kabir pushed open the bedroom door, her eyes sliding to the bed as she tiptoed into the room and slowly pulled back the blankets.
A sigh of relief falling out of her as Marianna grumbled a complaint and sleepily pulled the blanket back over her head.
“I don’t want them in the house.” Peni said sharply as she locked the bedroom door behind her.
“Yeahhh about that.” Gwen said as she spun around in Margo’s gaming chair and quickly explained the situation.
Peni frowned, unmoved by their dilemma.
“I can’t go back to Noir’s-but I want you two too.” Peni said evenly, her eyes sliding from Gwen and onto the cracked bathroom door.
Margo closed the shower curtain, her eyes closing as she stepped under the nozzle, her phone shuffling through her playlist and settling on a love song as she grabbed the soap.
“What happened with Noir?” Gwen asked, her attention sliding to her phone as she spoke.
“Nothing.” Peni said, turning away from the bathroom.
“Pav and I had an argument.” Peni summarized, not bothering going into detail about the heated words exchanged during their argument.
“Nothing more, nothing less.” She concluded flatly, ready to change the topic of conversation.
“Ohhh she’s lying.” Peter hummed as he plopped onto the bed and rolled across the sheets.
“Right.” Gwen said, wanting more details than the Beta would supply.
“Do you think you two can just talk about it?” Gwen asked rising from her seat and sliding her phone into her pocket. “And work it out?”
Peni didn’t respond.
“Looks like she can but won’t.” Peter said resting his elbows on the bed, his eyes curiously attached to Peni as she grabbed her laptop and headed toward the door.
“You won’t even try?” Gwen asked, the disappointment in her voice making the shorter woman flinch with guilt.
“I’m NOT leaving them alone in OUR home.” Peni said evenly as she unlocked the door and stepped into the hallway before Gwen could respond.
“God. She’s intense.” Peter said with a laugh as Gwen pulled the bathroom door closed and grabbed several pieces of clothing from the dresser, quickly sitting them on the bed.
“How do you put up with it?” Peter asked as he lifted a shirt from the pile of clothes, earning a sharp pop on the hand from Gwen.
“Ouch!” He said dropping the shirt, his observations unending. “You have TWO partners-that’s insane.”
“We have to tell my Dads.” Kabir said breathlessly as she sprinted down the hallway, Andrés at her side.
“Does it matter which one we tell first?” Andrés asked, his eyes sliding into the music room as they ran by.
“Ummmm…maybe?” Kabir fumbled as she struggled to pinpoint which parent would be the most rational.
“He’s up to something sinister and I know it.” Noir hissed, mid retelling of what’d happen in the cafe.
“The Mayor?” Hobie asked skeptically as he pulled the beanie from his head and turned toward his other half.
“YES the Mayor. Were you not listening?”Noir asked with growing frustration as he tossed Hobie’s jacket onto the bed, rudely.
“Oh I’ve been listening.” Hobie chimed, his eyes sliding onto his jacket.
“And?” Noir inquired, upset the taller man seemed unphased.
“I noticed, you’ve been leaving out alot of details about what’s been going on.” Hobie said as he snatched his jacket from the bed and turned toward the closet.
“Why?”
Noir cleared his throat uncomfortably.
He hadn’t wanted to involve Hobie in this.
“I…didn’t want to stress you out days before the… surgery.” Noir admitted as he watched Hobie hang the jacket.
“You’ve been keeping me in the dark and pretending to be considerate about it.” Hobie said flatly as he turned toward Noir, his gaze heavy with hurt.
“What a shitty thing to do.” Pav mused as he looked over the pictures he’d snapped before leaving the District, his eyes narrowing with judgement as he zoomed in on the incomplete bridge. “Such an ugly design.”
“And waste of tax payer dollars.” He sighed as he turned away from the picture, his eyes catching the two teens sprinting down the hallway.
“Hey! No running in the hall!” Pav chastised, suddenly feeling old.
“Look-I didn’t mean to make you upset.” Noir said apologetically as Hobie stepped away from the closet, attempting to ignore him.
“Congrats you did.” Hobie replied dryly as he headed toward the door.
“You don’t want to tell me what’s going on…but you want me to listen to you vent, about what’s going on.” Hobie said as he pulled open the room door, Kabir immediately bumping into him.
“Lovely what’s wrong?” Hobie asked, his eyes bouncing worriedly between both teens.
“Stand back! I’m going to smash the window.”
“Don’t.” Miles said quickly, interrupting the man’s actions as he pushed through the crowd, the wind aggressively blowing icy air around them.
“Well we need to do something.” The man said evenly, his eyes on Miles as he lowered the item in his hand. “Whoever’s drivin this Truck isn’t responding and blocking the intersection.”
Miles moved past the man, bitting his bottom lip as he grabbed the door handle and lightly pulled.
“The door is locked that won’t wor-“ The man faltered as the door creaked open, Miles’s body quickly slipping into the vehicle.
His eyes falling onto Gonzalo, facedown on the steering wheel.
“Babe…can you hear me?” Miles pleaded, as he lifted the smaller man’s face and looked him over.
Wordlessly Miles placed his index and middle finger to the side of Gonzalo’s neck, relief flooding his system as he felt a steady pulse.
“M..iles?” Gonzalo mumbled, his eyes slowly opening as Miles unbuckled his seatbelt.
“I’m here.” Miles said reassuringly as he gently slid the man into the passenger’s seat.
“Wha…what happened?”
“I’m not sure.” Miles admitted softly as he pulled the door closed and turned up the heat as he shifted gears and eased onto the gas, quickly pulling out of the intersection.
“I’m going to get you to the hospital…just hold on.” Miles said as he reached for Gonzalo’s hand and gave a gentle squeeze.
“Can we just go home?” Gonzalo asked, his voice raspy with exhaustion.
“Babe…you fainted in the middle of an intersection-“
“Please?” Gonzalo interrupted, their link anxiously itching as his eyes slowly closed.
“It’s stress.” The Doctor said evenly as he looked over Gonzalo a second time.
“Stress?” Miles asked in disbelief as he brushed a strand of hair from Gonzalo’s face.
“He passed out because of stress?”
“Stress can kill you.” The Doctor said sharply as he took a seat in the chair across from Miles, his eyes on the paperwork in his hands.
Miles frowned, his grip on the sleeping man tightening as the Doctor spoke.
“His stress levels are so high…I’m surprised he hasn’t gone into early labor…or at least experienced preeclampsia.”
“ Preeclampsia?” Miles questioned with concern, pulling the man’s eyes away from the paperwork.
“He’s supposed to be on bedrest.” Miles said clearing his throat, as the Doctor eyes met his and narrowed.
“Yet you found him unconscious in the middle of an intersection.”
Miles opened his mouth to speak, the Doctors voice quickly steamrolling through his response.
“He needs REST.”
Miles exhaled deeply as he closed the bedroom door, his grip on Gonzalo tightening as he tiptoed past the twins.
“I told you take me home.” Gonzalo mumbled as Miles tucked him into the blankets, his braid slowly unraveling, sending whispers of dark curls across his pillow.
“Go to sleep.” Miles said firmly as he pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s hairline, he lingered in the bedroom, watching the steady rise and fall of Gonzalo’s chest as the Doctor’s judgemental gaze flickered across his mind.
He’d known what the elder was thinking regardless of if he’d said it or not.
His wrinkled face aged with time and rigid with disapproval.
He’d clearly wanted to say more, his eyes full of judgement as he held Miles’s gaze longer than necessary.
Gonzalo’s thumb bumped his cheek, pulling him from his thoughts and back into the bedroom.
“Everything…ok?” He mumbled, his eyes slowing closing.
“I should be asking you that.” Miles whispered as he took a seat on the bed, his hand pressing Gonzalo’s to his cheek.
“I’m fine.” Gonzalo hummed sleepily as Miles’s free hand slid under the blankets and onto his stomach.
His touches gentle as he rubbed Gonzalo’s stomach, lulling him back to sleep.
Miles wordlessly sat in the dark, his eyes roaming the faces of his sleeping family as concerns of their future started to ice up his ankles.
He needed to do something.
Needed answers to whatever the fuck was going on.
The soft tap of knuckles across the door summoned him from his thoughts and quickly onto his feet, his eyes landing on Hobie as soon as he pulled open the door.
“We need to talk.” Hobie said quickly, his tone foreboding and his expression unreadable as he watched Miles step into the hallway, and pull the door closed behind him.
“What’s up?” Jericho asked as Peni barged into the guest room, not bothering to knock as she canvassed the space, her sharp eyes quickly assessing their belongings.
Peni exhaled from her nostrils as her eyes landed on a partially burnt suitcases, packed to the brim with miscellaneous clothing items and important documents.
“She really did burn down your complex.” Peni said out loud, her eyes curiously sliding onto Ross.
Ross huffed unhappily from the corner, a pair of AirPods in his ears as he continued to read his romance novel begrudgingly from the floor.
“Why the hell WOULD we lie about that?” Jericho rudely scoffed with annoyance as he carelessly tossed a still lit cigarette out the window.
“Because you LIE about everything else.” Peni shot back heatedly demanding his attention, her sharp eyes slicing into him.
“Ah. You’re MAD.” Jericho noted as he rose to his feet and shut the window unhappily, trying to ignore the heated daggers digging into his back and watching his movements.
“Get in line.” He snorted, his head turning in Ross’s direction, a thoughtful expression gracing his face as he longingly waited for Ross to look his way.
Ross wordlessly adjusted the volume of his AirPods, trying to tune out both parties.
He held no desire to be part of an argument.
“You toss another BURNING cigarette out my God damn window-I’ll drag you THROUGH the line.”
Peni hissed, promising violence and promptly yanking his eyes back to her.
“I DON’T give a fuck about your weird incest romance- but you WON’T be here long.” Peni said evenly, her unkind gaze digging straight through him. “DON’T get comfortable.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He said as he rolled his shoulders and stood up straight.
“I’m aware you’re counter suing us.” Jericho said clearing his throat, his light tone laced with animosity as his mood seemed to shift completely.
“She…is?” Ross asked, surprise sprinting across his face, his AirPods no longer in his ears. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to know.” Jericho admitted, looking away guiltily.
“Why?” Ross asked as he placed his book face down, slowly rising from the floor and onto his feet, his body shifting in Jericho’s direction.
“I thought we…told each other…everything.” Ross said weakly, trying to suppress the hurt in his voice as his mind started to dig up and unveil things the man had potentially lied about.
“How do you know this?” Miles asked, his voice low and icy as his eyes jumped from Hobie and onto the teens.
Andrés cleared his throat uncomfortably as he sat his laptop on the kitchen counter and turned it toward Miles. “While digging through the discord we noticed a string of missing children cases.”
“I saw the discord earlier.” Miles said as he dragged his finger down the screen, skimming through the comments.
“Yes…but are you aware the children going missing are ALL children either living in the District or children with an Omega parent…who haven’t presented yet?” Andrés questioned, sending an uncomfortable chill through the room, Miles’s skimming suddenly stopped his eyes locked on the images stretched across the screen.
“You’ve been doing your research.” Noir said proudly, his eyes on the laptop screen as he stepped around Miles and continued through the comments.
“We both have.” Kabir reminded as she stepped into conversation, the charms on her boots wildly swaying as she pulled her phone from her pocket.
“Children in the District started going missing around fifteen years ago.” Kabir informed as she showed her screen to Miles, giving him time to process the information.
“Is this the FIRST child that was reported missing?” Miles asked, as he lifted the phone from her hand and looked at the article and picture.
“Unfortunately.” Andrés confirmed with a nod.
“He was never found.”
“What about ALL the other cases? Someone must have noticed this?” Miles asked growing uneasy as he handed the phone back to Kabir.
Kabir sighed as she shoved her phone back into her pocket, searching for the right words.
“The missing cases stopped being reported a few months after Angelo was removed from the board-“
“Soooo…did the kidnappings actually STOP orrrr…were they just no longer being reported?” Noir interrupted, his eyes lingering on Kabir as Pav nosily stepped into the room.
“Kidnappings? What the hell is going on in here?” Pav asked, his wide eyes bouncing worriedly from Kabir and onto Noir.
“Is this about that creepy man in the cafe?” Pav asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I told you stop making friends with freaks.”
“I didn’t make friends with him.” Noir hissed, slightly offended.
“Well what the HELL is going on?” Pav demanded, ready for an answer.
“A LOT of concerning shit.” Hobie admitted with a sigh of resignation as he pulled a bent joint from his pocket and frowned.
“It just keeps getting worse.”
“Concerning shit like what?” Margo asked, stepping into the kitchen with a snoring Wei in her arms and a heavily medicated Gwen at her side.
“What are we talking about?” Gwen asked as she casually pulled open the refrigerator door, searching for a snack.
“Where are your manners?” Peter asked rudely as Gwen pulled a cupcake from the fridge and bit into it.
“What if I wanted one?” Peter whined as Gwen took another hardy bite, ignoring his complaints.
“Pleaseee don’t keep us waiting.” Margo said with a smile as she took a seat at the table, shifting Wei in her arms, his tiny hands tightly wrapped around the straps of her shirt.
“The new mayor of the District is a perverted Separatist who kidnaps children who haven’t presented.” Hobie deadpan as he lit the end of his joint and inhaled deeply.
A pregnant silence consumed the room.
Miles cleared his throat, reluctantly breaking the silence, his eyes sliding to Gwen as he spoke. “He’s also the one who’s behind the attacks on the O’Haras and us.”
Andrés shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, his mind sliding back to his father and their current situation.
He was no longer comatose but the danger around them had only elevated.
“Wait…you’re serious?” Margo asked, her frown deepening as Peter’s ears burned with recognition, his mind sliding back to the fearful look on Ross’s face as he confessed who his employer was.
“The fucker who payed to stalk Margo.” Gwen said pointedly, her mind sliding the pieces in place as she rose from her seat and tossed the cupcake wrapper into the trash.
“I completely agree.” Peter said with a nod as he watched Gwen linger beside Margo’s chair protectively.
“WHAT?!” Pav asked in disbelief, his confusion morphing into anger as Noir’s eyes slid away from the computer.
“You NEVER mentioned a STALKER.” Noir said gently, his hazel eyes laced with worry as he stepped beside Gwen. “Are you ok-“
“WHY ARE YOU JUST NOW SAYING SOMETHING?!” Pav snapped with frustration, making the Beta sink uncomfortably in her seat.
“Geez-we’re SAYING something NOW.” Peter said with an eye roll.
“Because we weren’t sure who it was until TODAY.” Gwen clarified defensively, sensing Margo’s discomfort.
“He’s also after our baby.” Margo said softly, her hand sliding protectively to her stomach as she continued, pulling all eyes in the room on her.
“He sent people to find out if-we were having a super child.” She confessed, her voice nearly a whisper.
“Is that what they’re calling…people like us?” Andrés asked, his brow lifting into his hairline with irritation.
“Unfortunately THIS just keeps getting more and more sinister.” Peter huffed tiredly as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket, over the excitement.
“Yeah.” Gwen confirmed evenly, her eyes on the teen as she spoke. “It’s a slur for people like us.”
Andrés’s face dropped. “A slur?!”
Hobie shook his head in disgust, unsurprised.
“He uhh…gave us a business card earlier today.” Kabir informed, pulling a look of horror to Pav’s face.
“NO, we didn’t keep it.” Kabir sighed before anyone could ask.
“We wouldn’t dare.” Andrés said with distain, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the way the old man had stared at Kabir.
Seemingly captivated.
Andrés exhaled slowly, his thoughts shoving him back into the cafe, his arms spread as he demanded the space between Kabir and the door.
Andrés inhaled sharply as he remembered the way the Mayor’s eyes shifted from Kabir and rolled onto him.
His eyes cold and curiously calculating,
pinching and picking for more as he’d wordlessly held Andrés’s gaze, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand.
“Why’d he give you a card?” Pav asked fanning away smoke as Hobie turned toward the open kitchen window and exhaled.
Pav’s eyes slid from Kabir and onto Andrés, the intensity of his gaze gradually increasing until Andrés answered.
“He took one look at us and knew we hadn’t presented yet.” Andrés said, his attention returning to his laptop.
“He KNEW?!” Pav squawked, his brows shooting into his hairline in disbelief.
“Yeah.” Kabir said uncomfortably, her arms wrapping around herself as goosebumps pebbled her arms. “It’s like he could see right through me.”
“LOCK HIM UP-NOW!” Pav snapped.
“He gave me one too.” Noir frowned, recalling the way the taller man had practically ogled him, not bothering to know shame as he wildly flirted, ignoring the bands on his finger.
Miles eyes slid to Noir slowly, the question falling from his lips before anyone else could ask.
“How did he NOT know you’re an Alpha but can detect when people haven’t presented?”
“I accidentally wore Hobie’s jacket today and he assumed I was an Omega.” Noir admitted with a casual shrug.
“That reminds me.” Hobie said as he abruptly shoved his jointed into the ashtray, putting out the flame as he turned toward Noir.
“STAY OUT OF MY SHIT.” He said stiffly as he walked out of the kitchen before the Alpha could speak.
Gonzalo turned on his side, his eyes slowly opening as his hand slid to his stomach, relief flooding his system as he felt the tiny tickle of a kick.
“Papi are you ok?” Marianna asked sitting up, her eyes closed as her head turned in his direction. “You were gone a long time.”
“I don’t feel well.” Gonzalo admitted softly, his eyes closing as he felt sadness tugging at his eyelids.
“Oh...are you tired?” Marianna yawned as she climbed out of bed, purposely bumping her brother awake before her feet touched the floor.
“I know I am.” Matéo said bitterly as he pulled the blankets from around him and unhappily sat up, his eyes sliding to Marianna as he watched her climb in bed with their father.
“Shhhh.” Marianna said sharply, pulling a frown to her brother’s face. “You’ll wake the baby.”
“You irritate me.” Matéo concluded as he climbed out of bed, dragging the blanket behind him.
“Stop fighting.” Gonzalo sighed, as Matéo climbed in bed, swatting at his sister as she pressed cold feet into his calfs.
“Tell that to her.” Matéo scowled as he wrapped his blanket tightly around himself, his eyes closing.
“We’re NOT fighting, we’re communicating.” Marianna clarified, making her brother snicker as she repeated Miles’s usual excuse.
“This is bullshit.” Miles snapped as he angrily stormed down the hallway, his thoughts on the Mayor.
“How the fuck does he have access to other dimensions?” Miles asked with frustration, the revelation of Margo’s stalker swiftly toppling the ever growing list of problems.
“How the fuck am I supposed to deal with this?” He asked out loud to the empty hallway as he pulled his phone from his pocket, his eyes going wide at the notifications.
“Oh shit.” He said as he clicked on a viral news video, his eyes locked on Angelo as he hurriedly rushed through a crowd with security, ignoring reporters and protestors.
“NO COMMENT.” Angelo said sharply, attempting to hide his livid expression behind an open umbrella as reporters rapidly shot off questions.
“Mayor, can you tell us why you’re building an ugly bridge through the heart of the district?”
Angelo scoffed, infuriated his award speech had been derailed, casting him in an unfavorable light.
“Mr. Mayor care to make a statement on, why more than half your security team BROKE into the Morales home?”
Angelo gripped his collar, attempting to channel his rage as he was guided through the crowd, relief temporarily kissing his ass as his eyes fell onto the car.
“Mayor over here! Over here!! Do you hate Spiderman?”
“Angelo! Look over here!! Nod if you hate Miles Morales and feel he should be punished harshly for his vigilante antics!”
“Vigilan-WHAT the fuck?” Miles snapped with irritation as Peni’s name slid across the screen.
“You see the news?” Peni asked as she bit into an apple. “People are protesting outside his office-as we speak.” She smacked proudly.
“NO, but I saw the part where reporters were asking Angelo to BLINK if he hates Spiderman.” Miles said with irritation, causing Peni to laugh and choke at once.
“Hold on…what?” She asked with a laugh, attempting to smother her amusement as she opened her laptop.
“Why are you two like this?” Gonzalo asked tiredly as Marianna turned on her tablet, filling the room with unwanted light as she pressed cold toes into her father’s calf, making him groan unhappily.
“Like you Papi?” Marianna asked as she clicked onto YouTube and lazily scrolled.
“Me?” Gonzalo asked closing is eyes in disbelief.
“More like your FATHER.” He corrected, making her giggle.
“When will the baby be here?” Matéo asked curiously, his eyes sliding to the ceiling as an add for Girl Scout cookies started to play.
“A few months.” Gonzalo yawned, swatting away Marianna’s cold feet. “Why?”
“Well…I’m unsure why those reporters hate you, butttttt there are people outside the police station demanding Angelo be arrested.” Peni informed as she skimmed through several videos, her eyes narrowing as a camera panned to the controversial bridge nearly dividing the District.
“Yeah yeah.” Miles said unenthusiasticly as he clicked on another video, his eyes narrowing as Angelo’s profile slid across the screen, his eyes sharp with malice as a reporter eagerly spoke.
“This will definitely spark an investigation.” Peni hummed, as she watched the Cheif of Police’s flustered face fill the screen via press conference.
“Cool, they can find out why the streets HATE Spiderman.” Miles said sarcastically, making the Beta roll her eyes.
“Look. I know you’re going through a lot right now..the situation with your home, the stress from the pregnancy-and all this bullshit with the District AND Miguel.” Peni started, her grip on the phone tightening as she heard him inhale sharply.
“But you need to rest.” She sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb.
“So you can think clearly to protect yourself and your family’s peace.” She said sternly, her eyes sliding onto Jericho as he stepped into the living room with a stuffed suitcase and melancholy
expression.
“Let the police do their jobs-let the investigation happen and STOP worrying about what other people think about you.” Peni concluded as she leaned back into the pillows of the couch, her eyes sliding to Ross as he awkwardly stepped beside Jericho.
“They don’t even know you.” She added sharply, before ending the call, her attention sliding to both men.
“How do we know…he’s not a clone?” Ignacio whispered to his sister, pulling a frown to her face as they watched their father stir in his sleep.
“Why are you like this?” Summer asked flatly, her eyes lingering on the steady rise and fall of their father’s chest.
“It was a serious question.” Ignacio said with narrowed eyes, as he contemplated reaching out to Lyla.
The thought instantly filling him with dread.
“I know it was.” Summer hissed. “Stop being stupid.”
“It’s disappointing you don’t question any of this.” Ignacio said dryly, gesturing toward the room as he turned toward Summer.
“You literally question everything.” Summer said tensely, forcing a smile as their mother stepped into the room with a box of pizza.
“Hey…are you ok?” Kabir asked, stopping Andrés in the hallway, the bands on her wrist singing as she reached for his hand.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He asked, his eyes locked on their linked hands, curiously watching as purple shifted to pink around her fingers.
“Are you serious?” Kabir snapped, pulling his attention away from the colors and onto her face.
“Usually.” Andrés admitted, meeting her gaze.
“Look, if you need to vent about ANY of this shit going on…I’m here.” She said as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, sending warmth up his chest and across his cheeks.
Andrés opened his mouth to speak, the harsh sound of glass breaking startling them out of conversation.
“What the hell was that?!” Pav demanded as he stepped into the hallway, his eyes worriedly roaming the windows that lined the hallway.
“Did you HEAR that?” He asked, his eyes slowly sliding to their linked hands.
“Of course they HEARD it.” Noir said brushing past the shorter man as he stormed down the hallway in search of a broken window.
“What the hell…” Hobie said with confusion as he pushed open Kabir’s door, his eyes landing on a brick with a piece of paper sloppily secured with a dark rubber band around it.
Glass crunched beneath his house shoes as he stepped through the room and snatched the brick from the floor.
He unrolled the paper, his eyes growing wide as he read the message and looked up, meeting the hostile gaze of another.
Chapter 14: Who the bird, who the bee?
Notes:
The plot thickens
Chapter Text
“I wouldn’t do that-If I were you.”
Hobie warned, colorful rage sparking wildly from his fingertips as his eyes locked on the young man inching midway through his daughter’s bedroom window.
“What’s going o-“ Noir’s sentence halted on his lips as his eyes fell onto the familiar and unwelcomed silhouette of James.
“What’s taking you so long?” A woman’s voice angrily asked stepping into frame, her dark eyes bouncing from her step son and onto the couple.
“It sounded pretty close.” Andrés said, his eyes sliding from Pav and down the hallway in the direction Noir had disappeared.
“Let’s check it out.” Kabir said pivoting on her heels and earning a sharp look from her father.
“No ma’am.” He said with the shake of his head as he ushered the reluctant teens in the opposite direction.
“You two wait in HERE where it’s SAFE.” He ordered as he dumped them into the den without a second glance.
“What’s going on?” Summer asked startled awake, turning sleepily in their direction as she lifted her oversized bonnet from her eyes.
“These idiots smashed the window with a brick.” Hobie informed as soon as Pav stepped into the room, his eyes sliding to the two intruders tied together with a series of Kabir’s belts.
“I’m calling the police.” Pav deadpan as he pulled his phone from his pocket, his eyes burning into James and his mother with disgust.
“His Grand Dad and Dad are already in jail.” Hobie informed shaking his head, relighting his joint, suddenly feeling exhausted.
“You PUT them there!” Amulya spat angrily.
“If it weren’t for you-my father would be home!”
Pav’s eyes slid to Hobie curiously.
“He attempted to run me off the road earlier today on the way to the station.” Hobie informed.
“You’re a fucking liar.” Amulya screamed, wildly thrashing in protest. “My father is a GOOD man!”
“Good, it’ll be a family affair.” Noir chimed unsympathetically as he stepped back into the room with a broom and dustpan.
“WHAT the HELL are you DOING IN MY DAUGHTER’S ROOM?” Pav hissed angrily, fighting back the urge to yell.
Wordlessly James’s eyes slid to Kabir’s open closet, his gaze seemingly locked on her favorite school scarf.
“Answer the question.” Noir said, his eyes narrowing as he dropped the dustpan to the floor, his eyes blazing knowingly into James.
Hobie pushed Kabir’s closet door closed, his disapproving gaze shared by Pav as he watched the teen’s eyes linger on the closed closet door.
“I’m sure you know.” James stated dryly, his eyes closing.
“Don’t say anything else.” Amulya whispered to James.
“YOU SNUCK INTO MY BABY’S ROOM…TO BE A PERVERT?!” Pav asked angrily crushing his cellphone between his fingers.
“It’s NOT what it looks like.” Marianna whined, as Miles plucked the tablet from her hands.
“It LOOKS like you’re the ONLY person NOT sleeping.” Miles hummed, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.
“I can’t sleep.” Marianna yawned, earning a skeptical look from her father.
“Of course not.” Miles said as he turned on the rain sounds, pulling a series of yawns from the sleepy child.
Matéo snored peacefully, with his head pressed to Gonzalo’s stomach and his personal blanket tightly tucked around him.
“Scoot over Mari.” Miles said softly, as he slid into bed, his eyes on the ceiling as he listened to his family sleep, his mind spiraling with thoughts of the future.
“Daddy close your eyes.” Marianna whispered, making him laugh.
Miguel blinked slowly, his eyes falling onto Jessica’s sleeping face.
A soft smile spread across his lips as he brushed hair from her face, the sweet moment swiftly interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.
Miguel’s eyes slid onto Lyla, his right brow quizzically lifting as he looked over her pixilated form.
“Why haven’t you updated?” Miguel asked, sitting up in bed, mindful not to wake the sleeping woman at his side, as his eyes slid to Ignacio peacefully snoozing in the chair across the room.
“Because YOU have to manually do it.” Lyla reminded flatly, her tone sparking instant concern.
“Lyla-WHY didn’t you have Andrés override-“
“Welcome back to the living.” She interrupted sharply, her desire to avoid conversation about herself glaringly apparent.
“I never left.” Miguel corrected crossing his arms, irritation sparking in the back of his throat.
“What’s your problem?”
“Guess the voltage and current level she used to resuscitate you.” Lyla said evenly, her eyes sliding onto Jessica.
“What?” Miguel asked, confusion corrupting his tone as she sharply turned his way, her dark hair swaying around her serious face.
“GUESS-how high the voltage and current level she SENT through you was.” Lyla clarified, her heart shaped glasses disappearing from her face, revealing black unhappy eyes.
“Uh…why does it matter?” Miguel exhaled, his irritation morphing into a headache as his arms dropped. “I’m awake and-“
“Because she could have KILLED you.” Lyla snapped, rousing Ignacio from his slumber.
“She sent enough electricity through you to take out a fucking bear.” Lyla explained, making Ignacio shift in his seat, his right eye slowly opening.
“Lyla WHAT is THIS really about?” Miguel asked evenly, his voice devoid of patience.
“As you see-I was framed by someone I made the mistake of trusting.” Angelo exhaled shakily, a stray tear rolling down his cheek as the talk show host handed him several tissues.
“I…I…need a moment.” He admitted sadly as he loudly blew his nose into the tissues.
“It’s ok…take your time.” The host said sweetly, her sympathetic face turning back toward the camera.
“That conniving little bitch.” Peni said dropping her yogurt in shock, her eyes glued to the tv screen as she watched Angelo spin a completely different narrative.
The faces of several security guards flashed across the screen, Angelo’s words illustrating a questionable picture.
“All…seven of them CONFESSED this morning.” Angelo said, as he dabbed under his eyes with a tissue.
“Choosing to turn themselves in and confess their INDEPENDENT crimes.”
“She better NOT believe this bull shit.” Peni said between clenched teeth, her eyes digging into the overly compassionate host.
“What about the footage of you directing them hours prior to the break in?” The host asked politely, pulling a brief frown to Angelo’s lips.
“Even though we can’t hear the audio.” The host said leaning forward in her seat, her elbow resting on her knee.
“You looked very upset.”
Angelo’s eyes narrowed as the woman continued, her cheery tone dipped in curiosity at the possibility of a scandal.
“Angelo, WHAT was going on?”
Angelo resisted the urge to curse the woman out, quickly stomping away the sarcastic rage filled response on his lips before he hurriedly responded with a soft smile.
“Yes, I was directing them to prepare for my acceptance speech.” Angelo clarified, his blatant annoyance tipping off Peni as she took a seat on the couch.
“I was explaining the layout and where I wanted them to go-but the poor weather made everything complicated.” Angelo added, clearly put off he had to elaborate.
“He’s…NOT what I expected.” Ross said softly, his eyes glued to the screen as he eased onto the opposite end of the couch.
“I plan to fully support law enforcement in their investigation.” Angelo stated firmly, the crowd quickly providing claps of approval.
“Is this taped in front of a live audience?” Ross asked curiously as he crossed his legs, his eyes glued to the screen as the Chief of Police’s face begrudgingly filled the screen.
Peni’s eyes slowly slid onto her unwanted guest.
“Explain or LEAVE the living room.” Peni suggested with narrowed eyes. “Now.”
“No he’s not.” Jericho said evenly as he stepped out of the hallway, his slanted eyes quickly accessing the situation. “He’s pretending to be whatever people here view as safe.”
“What do you mean?” Peni asked, her brows lifting high into her hairline.
“He’s a snake.” Jericho concluded as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and pivoted on his bare feet, leaving the two to their conversation.
“How are you watching this?” Ross asked suddenly, leaning forward, his attention on the talk show.
“I couldn’t find this on any of the networks.”
Peni responded by turning up the volume and ignoring his question.
Miles’s eyes slowly opened as he felt warm considerate hands caress his face and roam his chest.
“Mmmmh? Mari get your COLD feet off of me.” He hummed as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.
“Why don’t you have on socks?”
“She refuses to wear socks.” Gonzalo sighed as he met Miles’s sleepy gaze.
“She gets that from you.” Miles yawned as he pulled Gonzalo into his arms, ignoring his protests.
“You aren’t even wearing socks now.” Gonzalo pointed out as he melted into the embrace.
“Where are the twins?” Miles yawned, ignoring the sock comment.
“In their bed.” Gonzalo answered as he rested his head on Miles’s chest, his eyes closing.
“That’s nice…I can stretch in peace.” Miles said as he pressed his lips to Gonzalo’s forehead, his hands slowly sliding down his back and onto his waist.
Gonzalo didn’t respond, his mind on the rhythmic beating of Miles’s heart as he tuned out the world around them, his hand slowly sliding to his stomach as he organized his thoughts.
“The twins keep asking me when the baby will arrive.” Gonzalo said softly, his eyes slowly opening as Miles’s large hands started to rub comforting circles across his lower back.
“I’ve noticed, they’ve ONLY been READING parenting books.” He said with a sleepy laugh as he pulled the comforter up around them.
“I’m excited for the baby too.” Miles hummed,sinking into his pillow.
“You think it’ll be a boy or girl?” Gonzalo asked, his eyes closing as the sound of falling rain grew louder.
“I don’t care.” Miles admitted, causing Gonzalo to open his eyes and look up at him.
“Just as long as their healthy.” He hummed lightly, his eyes closing as Gonzalo pressed their lips together.
“And happy.” Miles added as Gonzalo pulled away, his eyes locked on the other man.
“Welcome to my space.” Kabir announced as she flicked on the lights of the attic, bathing the room in pink fluorescent light.
Andrés stepped beside her, his eyes roaming the large modified space, band posters littered the walls, along with stickers and anime buttons.
A diverse mix of shounen
and shojo mangas filled the shelves that lined her walls.
A large rug resembling the British flag took up more than half the room, leading up to a large red canopy covered bed overruled with pokemon plushies.
“Looks like your room.” Andrés said with a laugh, his eyes sliding to the ceiling as the lights of the room flickered before turning white.
“I modified the lights.” She said as she strolled through the room and dived onto the bed, a smile sliding across her lips as she attempted to wrap her arms around each Pokemon.
A frown swiftly replacing her smile as a Squirtle slipped past her fingers and dived onto the floor. “My babyyyyyy.”
“You are such a nerd.” Andrés said with a soft laugh as he quickly lifted the plush from the floor and brushed away imaginary dust.
“I know robot boy ISN’T calling me a nerd.” Kabir teased playfully, pulling a soft blush to his cheeks as he plopped down on the edge of the bed.
“Why are they ALL blue?” Andrés asked with a laugh as he looked at monocolored selection practically taking over her bed.
“They aren’t all blue.” Kabir protested with an eye roll as Andrés looked at the plush in his hands a second time, her explanation making
more sense.
“They’re ALL water types.” She informed proudly.
“Of course.” Andrés said with a quick nod.
“Please excuse my poor manners.” He added quickly, making her snort as she reached for the plush.
Their fingers brushed, her eyes curiously sliding to the soft pops of electricity sparking from his fingertips.
“Does it hurt?” She asked softly, sitting up in bed, her eyes slowly sliding from their hands and onto his face.
“No.” He exhaled, dragging his thumb across her knuckles, his eyes on the pink color that ricocheted along her fingers. “Does that hurt?”
“No.” Kabir said quickly, her heart skipping a beat as he met and held her gaze, his eyes reminiscent of polished emeralds.
“Your eyes are captivating.” He confessed quickly, his blush creeping down his cheeks, across his neck and disappearing beneath the collar of his shirt.
Andrés exhaled shakily, his breathing suddenly seeming overly loud, a wave of unfamiliar emotion zinging through his chest as Kabir’s hazel and grey eyes flickered with interest.
The scent around him blossomed with nervousness, his throat suddenly feeling dry as Kabir scooted toward him, the tips of her ears pink with shared shyness.
The feeling was mutual.
Kabir smiled shyly as she pulled the plush from his hand and sat it back into the pile.
“Thank you…for protecting me earlier.” She said softly, her eyes lingering on her plush, as the Mayor’s creepish gaze riddled her mind.
“I’ll protect you whenever-WHEREVER you need me to.” Andrés stated firmly without hesitation, his confident tone strikingly similar to the declaration he’d made in the kitchen days prior.
“I…meant what I said.” Andrés gently reminded, his green eyes sparkling as the space between them seem to evaporate.
“Can you believe this shit?” Pav asked bitterly as he watched James attempt to run from an officer, quickly slipping on a patch of ice and tumbling down the driveway.
“Unfortunately.” Peter hummed, as he watched James kick and scream on the way to the cruiser. “What a shit show.”
“This is crazy.” Margo huffed still in disbelief as she zipped her jacket all the way up and shoved her hands into her pockets. “I forgot my gloves.”
“WHY is the ENTIRE family obsessed?” Peter asked curiously, his eyes sliding onto Gwen.
Gwen silently watched the cruisers pull away, her thoughts clearly somewhere else.
“No, what’s crazy is having a busted window in the middle of winter.” Noir hissed angrily as he stepped through the snow with his box of tools.
“Fuck! The department stores won’t be open until late tomorrow.” Pav realized out loud, panic consuming his face as he frantically followed behind the taller man.
“Looks like it’s just you and me.” Hobie said as he scooped Wei from the floor, a smile sliding across his face as the baby reached for the ring in his bottom lip.
“I wonder if your mums are still outside.” He wondered out loud, a soft laugh escaping his lips as Wei babbled happily, quickly offering him a response.
“I can’t believe this.” Noir huffed with annoyance as he placed a piece of wood across the broken window, his hand searching for nails along the dresser.
“None of us can.” Pav corrected as he pressed several nails into the palm of Noir’s hand and grabbed the hammer.
“We don’t even have enough bedrooms for this.” Noir said as he placed a nail through the wood and lifted the hammer from Pav’s hands.
“We are down to one room.” Noir realized out loud as he hit the head of the nail with the hammer.
“Not anymore.” Pav sighed as he handed Noir another nail. “The girls are here.”
“Right.” Noir said quickly accepting the nail.
“Well except Peni.“ Noir added, sensing his partner’s sudden shift in mood.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you…” Andrés started, his words trailing off as he brought his hand under her chin, his touches feather light as he ran a curious thumb across her lip rings.
“What kind of metal is this?” He filled in, his eyes lingering on her lips a second longer before flickering up toward her eyes.
Kabir exhaled a shy laugh. “You are such a nerd.”
“What?” Andrés asked with a laugh, his hand slowly trailing along her jawline.
“Out of all the things to be curious about-“
“There are other things…I’m curious about.” He interrupted honestly, his eyes sparkling as her fingers touched the back of his hand, halting his movements.
“Things like…what?” Kabir asked, her bracelets singing as he pulled her close.
“What it’d be like to kiss you.” He stated softly, holding her gaze a moment before he slowly leaned in and pressed their lips together.
“Have you seen Andrés-I need his laptop.” Ignacio stated, barging in on his sister’s nap.
“What? No.” She grumbled pulling her pillow over her head.
Ignacio marched into the den and rudely snatched the pillow from his sister’s head, instantly pissing her off.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?!” She hissed, sitting up angrily on the futon.
“WHERE is Andrés?” Ignacio repeated with an eye roll.
“I don’t fucking know!” She snapped yanking the pillow from his hand. “Go ASK Kabir!”
“What do you think?” Noir asked as he took a step back, admiring his handy work.
“It’s hideous.” Pav said quickly, making the taller man deflate. “But it’ll do until the storm passes.”
The room door creaked open behind them, Ignacio’s voice quickly invading their conversation.
“Hey Andrés-“ Ignacio stopped, a frown quickly sliding to his lips, as he fruitlessly searched past the adults in the room.
“Where the hell is he?” Ignacio snapped, storming off before either adult could speak.
“I wonder what’s gotten into him.” Noir said offhandedly as he turned toward Pav.
“Ugh…probably the desire to demand another room.” Pav said flatly, making Noir shake his head.
Fireworks danced behind Andrés’s eyelids, accompanied by an unfamiliar sensation that blossomed throughout his chest and dropped to his stomach, making him breathless as she slowly pulled away.
Andrés eyes slowly opened, the warmth in chest only amplifying as he caught the look on her face.
She’d felt it too.
The strange and foreign sensation.
“I…” Kabir blinked, unable to verbalize her thoughts, her fingers touching her lips as the sensation of awe receded.
“I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She whispered, her cheeks darkening as her eyes held his.
“I’ve…never…kissed anyone before.” Andrés confessed softly, as he pulled her hand from her face, the desire to press their lips together again blooming across his cheeks.
Kabir’s brows lifted in surprise. “I’m your first-“
“Yeah.” Andrés breathlessly interrupted as he crashed their lips together again and again, desperately chasing the euphoric sensation.
Hobie shifted through the closet, looking for a change of clothes as Gwen stepped into the room, not bothering to knock.
“Hello Gwen.” Hobie greeted, rolling his eyes as he pulled a graphic t-shirt from a hanger, and pulled it over his head.
“Wei is with Margo.” Hobie informed as he pulled a ring from his finger and tucked it into his jewelry box.
“I know.” Gwen said as she stepped deeper into the room, her eyes landing on her reflection in the dresser mirror.
She looked exhausted and high.
“I’m just checking on you.” Gwen said clearing her throat and looking away from the mirror.
“How nice.” Hobie hummed as he unbuckled his belt and pulled it from his pants. “Be out in a sec.”
“Take your time.” Gwen said casually as her eyes slid onto Peter.
Peter browsed through the room, his eyes landing on a stack of papers.
He nosily combed through the papers, a pamphlet
catching his attention as he slowly tugged it from the bottom, his brows shooting into his hairline as he flipped it open.
“What are you doing?” Gwen whisper hissed as she snatched the pamphlet from Peter’s hands.
“Don’t go through people’s things.” She faltered as her eyes slid onto the pamphlet.
“Almost done.” Hobie called from the closet as he grabbed a pair of sweatpants.
Gwen’s hands started to shake as the words on the page registered, her eyes locked on the picture of a man with a large unfamiliar growth on his brain.
She inhaled uncomfortably as she feverishly flipped through the pamphlet, her unease morphing into panic.
Hobie placed his boots along the wall of the closet and stepped out, the yawn on his lips evaporating as Gwen abruptly turned his way, her face twisted with disbelief and panic.
“You-you have a… tumor?” She asked weakly, her voice breaking as her vision began to blur.
“Yes.” Peter answered quickly, his eyes glued to the medical paperwork across the room.
“His name is on these discharge papers.”
“Please tell me-THIS isn’t true.” Gwen pleaded softly, her bottom lip trembling.
“Gwen…he’s scheduled for surgery…later today.” Peter filled in, his eyes glued to the paper work.
Hobie opened his mouth to speak and quickly closed it, the subject he’d been trying to avoid had reared its ugly head, aggressively clawing its way to the surface.
“Hobie…why aren’t you said anything?” Gwen asked, the pamphlet falling from her hand and onto the floor, the scent of sunflower seeds souring around her as she held his gaze, demanding an answer.
Hobie bit his bottom lip and hesitated.
He didn’t want to talk about this…
Wasn’t ready to accept that the information in the pamphlet was his future.
Let alone his present.
WHY AREN’T YOU SAYING ANYTHING?!”She asked hysterically on the verge of tears, her blue eyes piercing through him as she impatiently waited for an answer, her leg rapidly bouncing as she struggled to stand rooted in place.
“So many secrets.” Peni mumbled to herself, her fingers flying across the keys of her laptop as more and more unsavory information about Angelo appeared.
She’d managed to slither her way onto a private network, her sharp eyes quickly dissecting and uprooting information unavailable to the public.
“He has connections with Alchemax.” Peni inhaled sharply, her fingers no longer moving.
“That explains the dimension crossing phone calls.” She concluded as she leaned back into the pillows of the bed, the comforting scent of cherries and sunflower seeds filling her nose.
She melted into the sheets, greedily inhaling as she pulled the comforter over her head, her body quickly unwinding as she buried her face into the pillows and allowed her mind to float freely.
She fell into her thoughts, cycling through and rearranging the information she’d stumbled upon, the bitter sensation of sadness sharply burning across her link and halting her train of thought.
“Gwen…?” She questioned, her hand sliding to the mark the Beta had given her.
Peni grabbed her phone and dialed Margo, gradually growing anxious as the line continued to ring.
“G…wen.” Margo said uncomfortably, dropping her phone to the floor as she pressed her hand to the side of her neck, wincing as bitter sadness burned across her link.
“What’s wrong?” Margo inhaled as her eyes started to water and her vision blurred, making her stumble as her shin bumped into the corner of the bed.
“Let’s go check on mommy.” Margo said shakily as she lifted Wei from the bed and quickly stepped into the hallway in search of Gwen.
“Why isn’t she picking up?” Peni asked growing more and more concerned as the phone went to voicemail.
“WH-WHY WOULD YOU KEEP THIS FROM US?!” Gwen screamed, burying her hands in her hair, her body weighted with despair as her mind cycled through all the things that could go wrong.
“Gwen-breathe.” Peter reminded calmly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Didn’t your therapist say yelling isn’t helpful…or some shit?” Peter questioned, trying to help.
“What if there are complications? What if the surgery doesn’t go well? What if-“
“YOU THINK I HAVEN’T THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THAT ALREADY?!” Hobie snapped, his voice overweight with frustration.
“You THINK I want to tell ANY of you that I HAVE to get my fucking head cut open and a tumor removed?!” Hobie questioned, fighting back his wayward emotions as he took a step toward her.
“You THINK I haven’t thought about EVERYTHING that could go WRONG during AND after the fucking surgery?!”
“What?” Margo asked weakly from the doorway, her face the same as Gwen’s as she brushed tears from her cheeks, her dark eyes locked on Hobie.
“What did you say?” Margo asked stepping into the room, her grip on Wei tightening as her worried eyes searched Hobie’s face, pleading for an answer.
“I’ve been thinking about… enrolling the kids in school here-until everything is settled.” Miguel exhaled deeply as he ran a tired hand through his hair.
“This dimension is a lot safer than yours.” Noir said, as he placed his tool box on the cabinet, his eyes on Miguel, wordlessly looking him over.
He appeared well rested, but stressed.
“What did Jessica say about this ?” Noir asked as he pulled open the back door, his eyes closing as a shiesty breeze shoved past him and into the kitchen.
“She’s still sleeping. So we haven’t discussed any thing yet.”
Miguel said, wrapping his arms around himself, fruitlessly trying to ignore the cold as he followed the Alpha out into the snow.
“God it’s cold here.” He shivered as he watched Noir step into the garage, unbothered by the bitter breeze and steadily falling snow.
“Always is.” He said as he sat down his toolbox, he lifted his hat from his head and sighed, his thoughts wildly colliding.
Hobie’s surgery was hours away and…
They still hadn’t told Kabir.
Noir inhaled and exhaled, unsure how this would turn out.
Miguel looked around the garage, his eyes bouncing past a suburban and onto a sleek motorcycle.
“How the fuck do you tell your child…you have a fucking tumor?” Noir questioned out loud startling Miguel.
“I’m sorry-what?” Miguel asked turning toward Noir with concerned eyes. “I don’t think I heard you.”
“You did.” Noir said evenly, his eyes on the back wheel of his motorcycle, hyper focusing on a tiny pebble stuck in the tread as he repeated his question.
Pav took one final look at the window and rolled his eyes, his mind on the time as he pulled the room door shut and headed down the hallway, his ears ringing as he caught the start of an argument.
He sprinted down the hallway, his bracelets chiming with worry as Hobie’s voice rose with a mix of frustration and anger.
“WE’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS!”
Gwen took a hesitant step backward, her mouth opening and closing as Margo stepped beside her, Wei stirring unhappily in her arms.
“GET OUT OF MY ROOM OR GO HOME.” Hobie snapped, as Pav stepped into the doorway, his eyes wide as he looked between both parties, his bare feet quickly taking him to Hobie’s side.
“Hobie…please-we’re just worried about you.” Margo said weakly, her voice trembling with unease. “We didn’t mean to upset you.”
“What’s going on?” Pav asked gently as he grabbed Hobie’s hand, pulling his attention away from the women.
“You should be resting NOT this.” He reminded as he guided Hobie to bed, his eyes sliding onto Gwen and Margo as he gestured for them both to leave.
“We’re suing the school board.” Noir stated as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and quickly lit it, his eyes closing as he brought it to his lips and inhaled.
“Why’d you change the subject?” Miguel asked with a frown as he took a seat in an ugly lawn chair, his eyes on the Alpha as he watched him blow smoke rings into the air.
“Also…why are you sueing the school board?” He questioned sitting up in the chair. “You’re making me second guess my choices.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Noir replied with a snort as he leaned against the garage wall.
Miguel opened his mouth to protest, Noir’s wayward and icy tone instantly killing the vibe of the garage.
“My daughter was assaulted on campus, I WASN’T notified.” Noir said heatedly as he hit the cigarette again.
“I went to the school, reasonably upset and they informed me she’d be suspended for a week.” Noir said dryly as he exhaled from his nose, the expression on the useless principle’s face reigniting his rage.
“When does she go back to school?” Miguel asked curiously as Noir aggressively ashed his cigarette.
“After the storm clears.” Noir said, gesturing toward the falling snow steadily piling up in his yard.
Andrés floated down stairs from the attic, still in awe as thoughts of the rings in Kabir’s lips consumed his mind and took up permanent residency.
Miguel closed the kitchen door and walked through the living room and into the hallway, his eyes sliding onto Andrés.
“Good. I can ask him about going to school here.” Miguel mumbled under his breath as he mustered up a weak smile.
“Andrés-what do you think about going to school in this dimension?”
“I think…I love her.” Andrés stated in a daze, not bothering to answer his father’s question as he continued toward the den.
“What?” Miguel asked, his eyes going wide as he pivoted on his heels and worriedly followed after the teen.
“There you are.” Ignacio said impatiently rising from the couch with Andrés’s locked laptop in hand.
“Unlock this.” He demanded flatly. “Now.”
“Will y’all shut up?” Summer snapped, pulling her bonnet down over her ears in disgust.
“I just want to SLEEP.” She huffed angrily as she fluffed her pillow.
“Andrés-WHAT are you talking about?” Miguel asked with rabid concern, his green eyes shifting onto Andrés as he joyously levitated across the room, his eyes closing as he landed beside the fireplace.
“What’s going on NOW?” Summer hissed sitting up, her eyes shooting daggers into their father’s direction.
“I think Dad is feeling ignored.” Ignacio said with an eye roll as he plopped back down on the couch, his eyes narrowing as he guessed the password incorrectly.
“I wish I could ignore ALL of you.” Summer huffed rising to her feet and snatching her blanket from the futon.
“I’m pretty sure she’s the one.” Andrés said out loud to no one in particular, his mind on the future as he contemplated date ideas.
Miguel’s steps faltered, his eye brows skyrocketing into his hair line as his youngest child’s words registered. “What…the hell?”
“Summer wait.” Ignacio called after her, turning around and resting his elbow on the top of the couch as a serious expression blanketed his face.
Summer slowly turned around, her right brow twitching with irritation as she met her brother’s gaze.
“What has gotten into you?” Miguel demanded as he stepped beside Andrés, worriedly looking him over.
Last he’d checked Andrés held no interest in anything that wasn’t robotics related, his piercing gaze willfully obtuse to the girls and boys that held romantic interest.
Every Valentine’s Day since pre-k had been a shit show, starting with Andrés refusing to pass out cards to his classmates each year.
His ears happy clogged to the noise of protesting girls, angrily filling his bag with chocolates and cards.
Full disclosure, he’d assumed Andrés was asexual.
His gaze heavy with disinterest each and every time the subject of crushes and romance came about.
Miguel cleared his throat nervously, his eyes sliding to the fire as he watched Andrés cheerfully toss another log into the harsh embers.
“What’s a seven letter word for anger?” Ignacio hummed, bouncing his brows and making his sister see red.
“Fuck you.” She spat, stomping out of the room before their father could correct her langue.
“Well…that happened.” Kabir exhaled as she stepped out of the shower.
She pressed her hand to the mirror and brushed away condensation, wordlessly looking herself over, her mind sliding back to the shy and clumsy way Andrés’s hands had roamed her body.
Hesitant yet polite as he pulled her close, his eyes intensely burning, requesting permission as his hand nervously touched her lower back, shooting her forward and eliminating the space between them.
“Can I touch you?” He asked softly, his right hand cupping her cheek, his eyes locked on the rings in her bottom lip.
Kabir cleared her throat and toweled herself dry, her cheeks darkening as she struggled to pull her mind off of Andrés.
That had been surprising.
The warmth of his lips and hands.
She inhaled shakily, her body suddenly feeling overly warm as she stepped into the hallway, her wet hair plastered to her back as she briskly walked to her bedroom.
“What the fuck?” She asked the empty room as she took in the boarded window above her bed and the freshly changed bedsheets.
“Scoot over please.” Summer whispered to Jessica, as she slid in bed beside her, her eyes quickly closing as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Jessica lay awake in bed, the sound of Summer’s soft snores bringing a temporary distraction to her chaotic thoughts as Lyla’s harsh complaints cycled through her mind.
“I could have killed him.” She whispered under her breath, halfheartedly attempting to shove her guilt into her pillow as she turned on her side.
“I can’t believe he didn’t say anything.” Gwen said unhappily as Margo closed the bedroom door, a pained expression on her face as she met Gwen’s gaze.
“We need to give him time-to come to us…about this.” Margo offered weakly, her mind flying through the list of things that could go wrong.
“TIME?!” Peter squawked, his eyes on Margo in disbelief. “His SURGERY is TODAY.”
“What TIME? We DON’T have time.” Gwen said unhappily, her voice unsteadily rising as she ran a stressed hand through her colored hair.
“He….He didn’t even want to tell us he HAS a tumor. Let alone-the day and time his surgery IS.”
Margo dropped onto the bed and sighed deeply.
This was exhausting.
Everyday there seemed to be a new fucking problem.
“We just have to let him know we’re here and be supportive.” Margo reminded, her eyes closing as she placed a tired hand to her stomach.
“He’s probably scared, the LAST thing we should be doing is stressing him out.”
“Please shut the fuck up.” Peni said flatly, her eyes narrowing as she struggled to make out the audio of Angelo speaking, over Jericho and Ross’s stupid argument.
“Not UNTIL you tell me WHY you’re on a dating app.” Ross snapped, ignoring Peni , his eyes on Jericho’s phone as he continued to scroll through the messages.
Peni’s judgmental eyes wordlessly bounced from Ross and onto Jericho.
“You’re LITERALLY messaging WOMEN and men bullshit.” Ross stated weakly, his voice breaking.
The hurt is loud and apparent.
“Can you two talk about Jericho’s cheating…in the bedroom, with the door closed?” Peni asked dryly, over their nonsensical bickering.
Jericho’s face went red with anger.
“I’m NOT cheating-“
“Then WHY are you hiding the fact you’re on dating APPS and flirting with random people?” Peni asked dryly, her eyes on her headset as she contemplated plugging them into her laptop and turning the volume up higher.
She didn’t want to hear their shit.
The argument seemed stupid and unnecessary anyway.
The anger drained from Jericho’s face,his eyes going wide as he struggled to piece together an acceptable explanation that didn’t sound like horse shit.
“I’m trying to gain information on Angelo.” Jericho countered angrily, his knuckles clinched so tightly at his sides they turn white.
“I…I…cant believe you think I’d…” Jericho trailed off, the hurt in voice splashing violently across the room as he turned toward Ross.
“You really think I’d DO that…to you?”
Ross didn’t respond, his eyes locked on the phone screen as he purposefully avoided the taller man’s gaze.
Jericho took a step toward Ross, his face etched uncomfortably with despair.
“Ross…I would never-“
“How?” Peni asked, forcing her way back into the conversation as she turned toward Jericho, seeking an explanation. “Angelo is GAY-yet you’re pretending to be a woman?”
“Duh!” Jericho snapped, earning a dirty look from Peni. “HIS body guards aren’t and they’re chronically ONLINE.”
Peni rose from the couch and plucked the phone from Ross’s nosey hands, her sharp eyes quickly dissecting the profile and app.
“Soooo you’re pretending to be a straight woman-to get information on Angelo?” Peni repeated skeptically as she tossed the phone back to Jericho. “What’d you learn?”
Gonzalo turned on his side and grimaced, his eyes on the window as he watched snow steadily fall.
“It’s fucking freezing.” He complained as he crawled out of bed, mumbling several complaints as his toe bumped into Miles’s Wakanda crocs.
Gonzalo yawned as he stepped into the hallway in search of the thermostat.
Hobie ran sweaty palms down his shirt, his eyes on the clock as Noir and Pav bickered, both demanding to be present for the surgery.
“Someone NEEDS to stay home and keep an eye on Kabir and the house.” Pav stated, his eyes narrowing as Noir brazenly flicked his wrist with disinterest, unmoved by his reasoning.
“YOU can STAY home and DO that.” Noir suggested as he grabbed his jacket.
“You and your control issues can stay HOME.” Noir added rudely as he shoved his arms into the sleeves.
“Here we go.” Hobie sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb tiredly, well aware Noir’s words would excite an argument.
Like gas to an open flame, Pav explodes.
“I DON’T HAVE CONTROL ISSUES.” Pav snapped , his stance becoming defensive as his bracelets angrily clashed together in protest.
“I’m NOT even controlling!” He growled, pulling a belly aching laugh out of Noir as he zipped his jacket.
“You AREN’T controlling?” Noir asked mockingly, his amusement swiftly shoving the smaller man higher up the escalator of anger.
“Could have fool me, Mr. EVERYTHING NEEDS to be PERFECT.” Noir hummed.
Hobie shook his head.
Several curse words floated to the tip of Pav’s tongue, his irritation wildly morphing into rage.
“TAKE IT BACK.” He demanded, his eyes narrowing as a smile slid across Noir’s lips.
“DON’T antagonize him.” Hobie warned, interrupting the conversation as he grabbed his watch, his fingers flying across the screen.
He’d seen and heard enough.
“I wasn’t.” Noir snickered, earning a sharp elbow jab from the smaller man.
A portal rippled to life in front of them, Hobie’s mind made up as he turned around and met the gaze of both men.
“I don’t want either of you coming.”
Noir’s face dropped, his hazel eyes filling with melancholy, his protest desperately slipping from his lips.
“You can’t go to a major surgery ALONE.”
“Yes I can.” Hobie said flatly as he stepped forward, startling Pav into movement.
“You can…but you don’t have to.” Pav said softly, his fingers digging into the fabric of Hobie’s jacket.
“I know.” Hobie said calmly as he gently untangled Pav’s fingers from his jacket and pulled away.
“Are you-upset with us?” Noir asked stepping forward, his eyes jumping from Hobie and to the portal behind him. “Did…we do something wrong?”
“This stupid thing is broken.” Gonzalo scoffed, his finger flicking the dial from high to low repeatedly without change.
“What’s wrong?” Miles grumbled sleepily, his hand sliding across the empty space beside him in bed.
He sat up, his eyes roaming the dimly lit room.
“How the FUCK is their central heating NOT working in this ice dungeon of a dimension?” Gonzalo snapped slapping the thermostat.
“It’s not broken.” Kabir laughed, as she stepped beside her uncle, her eyes on the thermostat.
“Baba just…doesn’t like people adjusting the temperature.” She informed boredly as she lifted the face and popped open the panel of the thermostat, her fingers quickly making adjustments.
“That man has control issues.” Gonzalo frowned, rubbing his arms as the heat kicked on full blast above their heads.
“Yeah well-some parts of the house tend to heat up faster than others.” Kabir said with a shrug, her eyes sliding past her uncle and down the hallway.
Miles pressed a quick kiss to Matéo’s forehead, lulling the child back to sleep as he
grabbed his hoodie, his eyes on the hallway as he pulled the door closed behind him.
“Where are my socks?” He questioned as he stepped barefoot into the hallway, thankful for soft carpet.
“God it’s cold.” He complained pulling the hood over his head,his movements stopping as he turned toward the kitchen window, his disapproval with the dimension deepening as he watched snow endlessly fall.
“Yeahhhh…I see why the twins don’t want to live here.” He grimaced, turning away from the window as the vent above his head hummed to life, quickly filling the chilly hallway with heat.
“Mari-GET your FEET OFF me.” Matéo
demanded pushing her toes away, his eyes reluctantly opening as she stirred awake beside him.
“But I’m coldddddd.” She whined in response, pressing the soles of her feet to the back of her brother’s kneecaps, making him squirm.
“I’m telling Dad-if you don’t stop.” Matéo threatened, earning an unbothered smile from his sister.
“Which one?” She asked sarcastically fluffing her pillow, her cold feet unmoving.
Pav cleared his throat uncomfortably as the portal closed, leaving him and Noir alone encased in an awkward silence.
Noir shuffled inward, his eyes on Pav as he spoke. “This is your fault.”
“EXCUSE ME?!” Pav snapped incredulous, his dark eyes burning into the taller man attempting to unskillfully shift blame.
“So, after going over this with a few other Surgeons, I feel the best route is to make a small incision here…” The doctor said lightly, his finger tracing along Hobie’s hairline.
“Then we’ll open you up-get that growth removed as quick as possible and close you back up.” The man concluded with a patient smile.
Hobie opened his mouth to speak, his voice dry with unease as he looked around the sterile white room.
“Will the surgery take long?” He asked curiously as the man handed him a change of clothes, his smile unwavering.
“I DON’T know who you’re talking to like that-but it AIN’T me.” Pav hissed aggressively as he shoved past Noir, in desperate need of space.
“You CAN’T just run away from things you don’t agree with.” Noir called after him, wincing as the smaller man slammed the door, making the walls shake.
“He WANTS me to be the bad guy-sooo bad.”
Noir concluded with an eye roll as he pulled his his jacket from his arms and carelessly tossed it into the closet.
“The surgery may take less time than we thought.” The Doctor hummed, as he stepped toward the door.
“I’ll have the assistance of two other surgeons, ALONG with your healing ability.”
Hobie’s right brow lifted quizzically.
“Don’t worry Mr. Brown, HQ will provide you with nothing but the best.” The older man reassured as he stepped out of the room.
“I’m pretty sure THEY threatened staff.” Hobie sighed knowingly as he pulled his shirt over his head.
“I can’t believe he said that shit.” Pav huffed, his mood sliding lower and lower to hell as the vent above his head groaned before heat filled the hallway.
“Who the hell touched my thermostat?”
“I’m sure it was Kabir.” Noir answered quickly, making Pav turn in his direction.
“Are you following me?” Pav asked with disgust, his eyes narrowing as he squared his shoulders defensively.
“The heat feels nice.” Margo hummed from under the vent, her arms spread wide as warm air traveled across her face and down her chest.
“I’m surprised the heat is on.” Peter mumbled looking out the window in sheer disgust.
“Can you believe they only have TWO fireplaces?” He asked hatefully as he pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and attempted to zip his face into the fabric.
Gwen sat in silence, her knees pulled to her chest, the scent around anxious with sadness.
She exhaled shakily, the frown on her lips deepening as she fought back tears at the fact Hobie was keeping secrets.
Again.
“I know you’re worried.” Margo said, quickly stepping away from the vent and finding her place beside Margo on the bed.
“But all we can do is…wait.” Margo gently reminded as her arms wrapped around Gwen.
“Is she like the voice of reason in y’all three way?” Peter asked softly, his eyes on the pair as he watched Gwen press her face to Margo’s stomach, her body visibly relaxing as her arms wrapped around the Beta’s waist.
Mo
“I can’t wait until this pregnancy is over.” Gonzalo stated flatly as he looked through the pantry, judgement quickly slithering up his spine as he looked over an alarmingly large selection of vegan snacks.
“Who the FUCK in the house is VEGAN?!” He snapped, snatching a box of strangely packaged chocolate chip cookies from the nearest shelf.
“Why are you yelling?” Matéo asked, startling his father with a yawn as the pantry door closed.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Gonzalo asked as he pulled a chair from the table.
“Tio Hobie made Tio Noir go on a healthier diet.” Matéo informed, instead of answering the question.
“Only the snacks are vegan.” Gonzalo pointed out with a frown as he hesitantly opened the package.
“Why are you awake?” Gonzalo asked lightly as he looked over the ingredients.
“Mari won’t keep her cold feet off me.” Matéo tacked on flatly, as he fought back another yawn, his eyes closing as the sound of exhaustion filled the kitchen.
“She wakes me up every time she presses her toes into the back of my knees.” He quickly complained.
“I should have put on socks.” Miles concluded as he stepped out of the bathroom, his ears picking up a nearby conversation.
Gonzalo sighed, unsurprised as he leaned backward into his seat, his expression unreadable as he looked over his son, his eyes sliding to the thick green tube socks on his feet.
“Your father NEVER wears socks and your sister is the same way.”
“You have on socks?” Matéo asked with a laugh as he watched his father bite into a cookie and frown.
Gonzalo lifted his leg into the air, revealing thick mint green socks.
“I DO wear socks!” Miles informed as he stomped into the kitchen, interrupting the conversation.
Matéo’s eyes sharply slid to Miles’s bare feet.
“Stop lying to my child.” Gonzalo chimed as he bit into another cookie, his unhappy expression returning as he swallowed.
“These cookies need milk and eggs.” He complained, pulling another laugh from his son.
“That’s what Tio Noir said too.” Matéo informed as he lifted the cookie box from the table, his eyes quickly skimming through the ingredients.
“No thank you.” Matéo said flatly as he closed and slid the box across the table.
“I’d rather not.” He added.
“Did you really get out of bed for snacks?” Miles asked lightly, as he watched Gonzalo encourage Matéo to taste a cookie.
“No! I should be there.” Pav ranted rising from his chair, his eyes roaming his cluttered desk, his attempts at distracting himself null and void.
Nothing had worked.
His worry only amplifying as he looked over the crooked clock across the study.
“No-WE should be there.” Noir corrected from the doorway, his head held high as he strolled into the room and took a seat in Pav’s chair.
“That’s your problem.” Noir said with an eye roll as he crossed one leg over the other.
Pav glared at him in response, his worry subsiding as Noir’s list of complaints continued, a welcomed distraction.
Hobie blinked slowly, the room around him chilly and full of warm light.
He shifted in bed, searching for the Doctor as he sat up, his hand curiously floating to the wrap around his head.
He pressed his index finger to the spot above his ear and winced, his eyes scrunching closed in pain.
“Please don’t do that.” A nurse said unhappily as she stepped into the room, startling him.
“Even with your healing-the spot will be tender for a few days.”
“I see.” Hobie said as the woman grabbed his chart and quickly looked it over.
“Everything went well.” The nurse informed with a smile. “Would you like me to inform your family?”
“Where are you going?” Noir asked as he watched Pav snatch his watch from the dresser.
“You mean, WHERE are WE going?” Pav corrected as he set the coordinates for a HQ, a serious expression consuming his face as a portal formed in front of him.
“The surgery’s already over?” Noir questioned, grabbing his hat from the closet and rushing behind Pav, as the shorter man stepped into the portal.
“Mind your business.” Gonzalo said dismissively as he dipped a cookie into his milk, earning an eye roll from Miles as he pulled a chair from the table and took a seat.
“I could have just gotten you snacks.” Miles offered softly, interrupting Gonzalo midchew and earning a skeptical look.
“You were asleep.” Gonzalo quickly pointed out.
“So.” Miles said leaning back in his seat, indifferent to the details as he held Gonzalo’s gaze.
Matéo’s eyes bounced between both men, as a semi back and fort started.
“That’s so stupid.” Gonzalo said bitting into another cookie. “You’d be up for NO reason.”
“Look where I am now.” Miles snorted.
“Awake in the kitchen…watching you eat cookies. That’s REASON enough.”
Gonzalo swallowed his cookie, preparing for a protest as Matéo spoke.
“Dad when are we going back to school?”
Miles’s eyes slid onto Matéo. “You miss your old school?
“Yesss!!” Marianna chanted triumphantly as she pulled her iPad from the highest shelf of the closet.
“I can finish my show in peace.” She said happily as she pushed opened the door, her eyes glued to her iPad as she bumped into another person.
“Oh…it’s just you.” She said boredly as she stepped around Ignacio, not bothering with an apology as the opening credits started.
Ignacio shook his head as he continued forward in the opposite direction.
“Kids are so rude these days.” He complained as turned down the hallway, his attention sliding onto a cracked bedroom door.
“Mommmmm you’re awake.” Ignacio said happily as he stepped into the room, pulling her from her thoughts.
“I am.” Jessica said, forcing a smile as she met his gaze. “Don’t wake your sister.” She added quickly, making him roll his eyes as he gently shut the door.
“She needs rest.” Jessica said as she pressed her hand to Summer’s cheek, watching her sleep.
“Everything going on…has stressed everyone out.” Jessica sighed, her eyes sliding to the ceiling fan as Ignacio took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Mom…Andrés won’t let me use his laptop.” Ignacio whined like a small child, ready to rat out a sibling.
Jessica’s brows creased together, her coffee colored eyes sliding onto Ignacio in confusion.
“Andrés we need to TALK.” Miguel said firmly as he followed on the heel’s of his youngest child, stopping him before he could reach the bathroom door.
“Talk about what?” He asked, not bothering to turn around, his hand gripping the door knob.
“Why are you being so weird? Did something happen?” Miguel asked evenly.
“I kissed a girl.” Andrés admitted evenly, his cheeks warming.
Miguel’s brows shot into his hairline in surprise.
Out of all of children, Andrés seemed the least likely to develop an interest in crushes and romantic things in general.
His face usually stoic as he listened to requests of love, his brows heavy with uninterest as he bluntly rejected the other party.
Miguel cleared his throat. “Your first kiss?”
“Yup.” Andrés said with a nod, as he slowly turned toward his father with a bashful look in his eyes.
“You kissed…someone in the house?” Miguel asked, grasping at straws, desperately seeking more details.
“I did.” Andrés confirmed.
“Well…how did it go?” Miguel asked, preparing himself mentally to have a mature chat with the teen.
“I think…I love her.” Andrés admitted breathlessly, nearly making his father faint in the middle of the hall way.
“What a creep.” Ignacio stated dryly as he looked over the background of Andrés’s laptop.
“He’s fucking obsessed.” Ignacio said with irritation as his eyes moved from the picture of Kabir, mid performance.
“Let’s get an update on that fucking Major.” Ignacio hummed as his fingers danced across the keys, shock quickly corrupting his senses as his eyes landed on Angelo fake crying on a pink couch.
“HOW IS HE NOT UNDER JAIL?!” Ignacio squawked, earning a disapproving noise from his mother as Summer harshly tossed a pillow at him.
“I wonder what strings he pulled.” Peni mumbled under her breath as she pulled up the list of people who’d donated handsomely to his campaign.
“Enough illegal ones to finance a stage performance, sell merch and buy a hot tub.” Jericho sighed, his eyes dragging through the information a third time.
“His connections to Alchemex are INSANE.” Ross said uncomfortably, as he turned his laptop screen toward Peni.
“His older brother was over the ‘Developmental’ department.” Ross informed.
“That’s pretty vague.” Peni said, her brow lifting.
“Any idea what they were developing and where his brother is now?”
Ross opened his mouth to speak, Jericho swiftly responding.
“Nope.”
Peni’s brows furrowed together. “That’s it?”
“He mysteriously died-after a major break through…which resulted in the shut down of the department.” Jericho regurgitated as he quickly skimmed through the information.
“Look at paragraph eight.” Ross encouraged, his eyes expectantly sliding onto Peni.
Peni leaned forward, her sharp eyes rapidly jumping through the information until a strange sentence caught her attention.
“He was pushing for controversial and arguably inhumane testing.” Peni read out loud, her eyes continually jumping through the article, her mind cycling back to her earlier assumption.
“They were trying to home grow Omegas.” Jericho said uncomfortably, a chill rolling up his spine as Ross clicked a button, filling the screen with pictures of an outdated chrome coated lab.
“Why…would they do that?” Jericho asked uncomfortably leaning back in his seat, rubbing his arms lightly as fresh goosebumps pebbled up his arms.
“Because for a few years…there were no Omegas presenting.” Peni filled in, aggressively looking over the dated black and white photos.
“Some dimensions experienced a drop in Omegas so significant…Pharmaceutical companies were pressured by the Government to create counter measures.” Peni said clearing her throat as she leaned forward, her fingers dancing across the keyboard.
Ross’s eyes watched the frantic movement of Peni’s fingers, quickly taking note of her shift in mood.
“What’s wrong?” Ross asked, as Peni’s fingers abruptly stopped moving, an unreadable expression consuming her face.
“What are you thinking? Jericho asked as he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked his notifications.
“Angelo’s original dimension NEVER had a shortage or decline in Omegas.” Peni exhaled deeply, her eyes closing as she leaned back in her seat and tiredly rubbed her temples.
“Then why are there whispers of him having an underground lab there?” Jericho asked uncomfortably, his eyes sliding onto Peni as he turned his phone screen around.
“One of his bodyguard’s is pissed and leaked all his information online.”
“How unfortunate.” Ignacio said with a tired sigh as he watched the Amazon driver struggle up the iced over walkway.
“WHY is he working in this?” Summer asked with a yawn as she watched the man slip and slide down the driveway and onto the lawn.
“Because selfish people keep ordering shit.” Ignacio glared as they watched their baby sibling open the front door.
A pleasant expression on his face as he patiently waited for the man to climb up ice a third time.
“What are you two looking at?” Jessica asked with a laugh as she stepped into the room with a large bowl of popcorn.
“What’s with the faces?” She asked genuinely amused as she took a seat in a chair across the room and grabbed the remote.
“Are we still having the movie marathon?” She asked with excitement as she signed into Hulu, quickly pulling up the Alien vs. predator movie list.
“What the hell did you order?” Ignacio asked rudely as soon as his brother stepped into the room with an unopened package.
“Language!” Jessica warned from across the room as she scrolled through the movies, contemplating on which one to start first.
“Mom let’s watch the first Alien movie.” Summer suggested with excitement as she sat up in bed and tossed her bonnet at Ignacio.
“None of your business.” Andrés said flatly with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, as he took a seat beside their mother.
“Eighties it is.” Jessica hummed as she hit play and leaned backward in her seat, her eyes sliding to the door as Miguel stepped into the room.
“Has the movie started? I made s’mores.” Miguel said happily as he strolled across the room and took a seat on the floor, quickly getting comfortable between Jessic’s thighs as he sat between her legs.
Andrés’s brow lifted at the exchange.
“How’d you make s’mores?” Andrés asked slowly as he pulled away the packaging of his item. “All the snacks here are grossly healthy.”
Ignacio plopped down on the edge of the bed.
“Oh yeah.” He agreed, hoping into the conversation.
“The pantry is full of vegan bull sh-“ He quickly stopped as he felt the gaze of both parents.
Andrés exhaled slowly as he pulled the plush from the packaging and looked it over, his sharp eyes searching for imperfections, as he ran curious fingertips along the spine.
He turned it over in his hands, taking in the uniquely strange design, a soft smile sliding to his lips.
“She doesn’t have this one.” He said out loud to the room, not bothering to elaborate on what was in his hands or what the hell he was talking about.
“Great he’s ordering weird shit again.” Ignacio mumbled under his breath.
“Uhhhh…what is that?” Miguel asked evenly as he shifted his upper body, his attention on Andrés as Ignacio plucked several s’mores from the plate in his hands.
Kabir peacefully snored as the ending song of Inuyasha blared from her tv, her army of water Pokemon plushies tightly wrapped around her.
“Kabir? Are you awake?” Marianna whispered as she pushed open the bedroom door, her eyes quickly landing on the ugly piece of wood nailed across the window.
Marianna tiptoed into the room and quickly grabbed a knitted blanket out of the closet.
She turned down her iPad and crawled into bed beside Kabir, mindful not to wake her as she draped the large blanket around them.
“Mari?” Matéo whispered softly as he stepped onto the room, his eyes lingering on Kabir’s broken window a second before finding his sister in bed.
“What are you doing?” He whispered as he stepped beside her, his eyes on the iPad.
“I’m going home.” Hobie said blankly, unsure why the woman in scrubs was making such a big deal of things.
“You CAN’T leave HQ alone after having your skull cut open.” The nurse deadpan an angry expression blanketing her face as Noir and Pav stepped into the room, with the lead surgeon hot on their trail.
“You should have heard the conversation we had about him arriving here, alone.” Noir said evenly, his eyes on his other half as he watched him dress, quickly shoving his socked foot into a boot.
“It sounded exactly the same.” Noir added, making Hobie roll his eyes.
“Right.” Hobie said casually as he jumped to his feet, sending the room on high alert.
“Mr.Brown you should be RESTING.” The Doctor hissed, making Pav frown as he worriedly took several steps forward.
“Are you ready to go home?” He inquired softly, hesitant as he kept his hands to himself, his body just an inhale away.
“Wait, I dont think you heard me.” Gonzalo said as he rose unhappily from his seat, his obsidian eyes fiercely burning with disapproval.
“I’m NOT having a home birth.”
Miles rose from his seat, his hand wrapping around Gonzalo’s waist, supporting his weight.
“We had the twins at home…just fine.” Miles reminded, making the smaller man grimace at the memory.
“Yeah cuz my water broke and I immediately went into labor.” Gonzalo unhappily reminded, remembering how he’d practically lost his balance on the way to the bathroom, his stomach aching as his contractions started.
The twins had been a week early.
“Besides you can’t just volunteer me to give birth in someone else’s house.” Gonzalo added, fighting back irritation as Miles lifted him in his arms.
“I can walk.” Gonzalo said begrudgingly as Miles continued forward, happily carrying the smaller man back to bed.
“I’m aware.” Peter said evenly as his eyes bounced onto Gwen. “But are you aware these aren’t candies?” He questioned as he watched her toss another pill into her mouth.
Gwen responded by downing her water, her eyes on Peter as she consumed half the bottle.
“You’re going to make Margo…worry.” Peter said softly, making Gwen toss the bottle across the room, guilt heavy in her aim.
“She’s going to worry regardless.” Gwen said sharply after a moment, her arms crossing as she prepared for an argument.
Desperately needing a distraction.
“True.” Peter said sharply, his eyes narrowing.
“That’s NO excuse to be irresponsible with your medications.”
Margo stood in the hallway, her eyes on Gwen as she watched the pink haired woman have an angry one sided conversation, her emotions rapidly shifting as the conversation continued, further tossing Margo into a barrel of concern.
“Look at you using big words.” Gwen said sarcastically, making Peter see red.
“I think it’s funny you’re allowed to ruin your life-and I’m NOT.” Gwen chuckled, making Peter shake his head.
“You don’t get to throw yourself a fucking pity party.” Peter reminded, making her smile drop. “You have a family who NEEDS you.” He snapped.
“Not whatever the fuck this is.” He concluded harshly as he gestured toward the pill bottle on the floor at his feet.
Gwen’s face dropped, her wall of bravado and anger swiftly crumbling as tears trailed down her cheeks.
Margo took several steps backward and pulled her phone from her pocket, her eyes quickly finding a familiar name.
She nervously waited as the line rang, her eyes occasionally sliding to the hallway as the sound of Gwen’s frustrations slipped beyond the door.
“This is Eric?” Eric answered sleepily into the phone, his eyes sliding to the clock in his office as he hastily sat up, embarrassed he’d fumbled a greeting.
“Hi Eric-this is Margo.”
“Wonderful, how are things? How is Gwen?” He asked with a yawn as he straightened up in his seat, his eyes sliding to the empty shot glasses on his desk.
“Not great…IthinkGwenishavingabreakdown.” Margo said breathlessly all at once, her frazzled nerves jumping as Gwen started to go back and forth with herself, her voice rising with anger.
“Or an episode. I DON’T know-but she NEEDS HELP.” Margo pleaded, her grip on the phone tightening as the line dropped.
“This is insane.” Ross said as he checked the coordinates of Angelo’s alleged lab a third time, a frown consuming his features as he looked over the rough and unwelcoming neighborhood.
“You really think it’s here? In the outskirts?” Jericho asked rolling his shoulders as he pulled his mask down over his eyes.
“What’s the best place to hide something?” Peni asked stepping forward, excitement splashing across her face as she pulled her mask down over her eyes.
“In plain sight.” Ross sighed as he reluctantly pulled his mask down, his eyes sliding to Peni as he watched her slip into the shadows of the night.
“I hate the weather here.” Jericho complained, wishing he’d grabbed an umbrella as he watched Peni quickly scale the side of a building.
“She’s a fucking Ninja.” Jericho stated in awe, earning a colorful look from Ross.
“I’m sorry…can you repeat that?” Summer asked with a giggle, as she watched the look of shock cling to her parent’s faces.
“I said…it’s for my girlfriend.” Andrés repeated firmly as he abruptly rose to his feet, a soft and considerate expression blanketing his features.
“She told me today…she only collects the water ones.”
“I was in a coma THREE days.” Miguel whined his hand gripping Jessica’s thigh in disbelief, making her toss him a look.
“My baby is growing up.” Miguel mumbled sadly into her inner thigh.
“Please DON’T cry.” Ignacio pleaded, his eyes sliding to his sister annoyed she’d started this.
“I won’t cry.” Miguel said unconvincingly as he sat the plate of s’mores onto the coffee table in front of the tv.
“You did last time.” Andrés mumbled as he headed toward the door, remembering the way his father had teared up whenever his older siblings mentioned dating.
The whole ordeal had always seemed…tiresome.
“Shhhh…” Jessica said as she turned up the volume, annoyed this conversation was happening during her favorite scene.
“Do we need to have a chat about the birds and bees?” Miguel asked lightly, earning a snicker from Summer and another eye roll from Ignacio.
“Depends.” Andrés said evenly as he grabbed the doorknob.
“On?” Miguel asked as Jessica’s eyes curiously floated in their child’s direction.
“On who she wants to be the bird or bee.” Andrés said dismissively as he stepped out of the room, indifferent to his father’s ramblings.
“I guess the twins ditched us…again.” Miles hummed with amusement as he noticed the missing iPad.
“Of course.” Gonzalo said with a nod as he looked around the dimly lit room and quickly locked the bedroom door, arousal and longing floating across their link as he pulled the band from his hair.
“Looks like we’re finally alone.” He said out loud as he ran a hand through his hair.
Miles’s eyes curiously slid onto Gonzalo.
“Stop staring.” Hobie said flatly as he stepped into their bedroom, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he quickly approached the closet, attempting to steady his nerves.
“We are going to watch him like a fucking hawk.” Noir whispered, the second Hobie stepped out of ear shot.
“Pretty sure you weren’t listening.” Pav said as he stepped out of his crocs, unsurprised.
“Oh I listened.” Noir quickly reassured, making Pav turn his way.
“But I’m NOT doing any of that shit he mentioned.”
“And there it goes.” Pav said rolling his eyes so hard they nearly fell out of his skull.
Hobie stood in the center of the closet, his jacket in his hand as he blankly stared at the endless assortment of clothes, lined from wall to wall.
“What…was I doing?”
“Need some help?” Pav asked gently as he stepped barefoot into the closet, his hands warm as he gently lifted the jacket from Hobie’s hand.
Noir flipped through the tumor pamphlet a second time, wondering if he’d missed anything as he flipped to the table of contents.
“Let’s see how long this recovery process is.” He hummed as he quickly flipped through the pages, his eyes quickly skimming through the information.
“Oh shit.” He said in shock, his eyes growing wide as he combed through potential side effects.
“Uh…Pav?”
Hobie’s eyes trailed to Pav’s toes, his gaze curious as he looked over the funky nail art and vibrant colors that complemented his complexion.
“I like your toes.” Hobie hummed in appreciation, a lopsided grin tugging at his lips.
“Of course you do.” Pav said with a laugh as he hung the jacket. “You painted them.”
Hobie’s brows lifted in surprise, the expression on his face, filling Pav with unease.
“You don’t remember…do you?” Pav asked gently as Noir stormed into the closet, startling both men as he shoved the open pamphlet into the smaller man’s face.
“Be careful…we don’t know what’s in any of these buildings.” Peni said evenly as she held open the door, her masked face turning up toward the sky as thunder struck, eerily painting the rundown neighborhood in white.
“Aye Ross… it’s adventure time.” Jericho joked, making Peni reconsider his attendance as she watched the door slowly close behind them.
“What exactly are we looking for?” Ross asked nervously as he pulled at the finger of his glove, his eyes rapidly searching the dark endless space.
“Anything that seems out of place.” Peni said vaguely as she stepped past Ross and flicked a button on her suit, bathing the room in soft light.
“Wait? Are we splitting up?” Ross asked uncomfortably as he watched Peni step further away in the opposite direction.
“Ummm…maybe we shouldn’t….” Miles trailed off awkwardly as he inched out of Gonzalo’s reach, quickly putting a reasonable distance between them.
Confusion pranced across Gonzalo’s face.
“Do you not-“
“NO! That’s not it.” Miles quickly interrupted, embarrassment burning his cheeks.
“I definitely want to.” Miles admitted as he broke their gaze.
“Then WHY aren’t we?” Gonzalo asked clearing his throat, suddenly feeling self conscious and silly as he wrapped himself in the nearest blanket.
“Because you should be resting.” Miles said evenly as he rose from the bed, his mind sliding back to the way he’d found the smaller in the middle of the intersection.
Tightly tucked into himself as the world around him grew colder and horns screamed louder and louder.
Miles cleared his throat, guiltily trying to
force away the look of disapproval the Doctor in the emergency room had worn like a second skin.
He needed to DO better.
Needed to BE better.
His mind repeatedly screamed, as he quickly unlocked the bedroom door, his body swiftly taking him back to bed as he stepped toward Gonzalo, ready to tuck him back under the sheets.
He needed to touch basis with Peni.
Needed to find out why she hadn’t texted him back in over six hours.
Obviously she’d found something.
“What’s the real reason?” Gonzalo asked dryly, barging in on Miles’s chaotic thoughts, his obsidian eyes locked on him as he brushed away intrusive hands.
Miles held his gaze, his arms dropping to his sides as his fears and the truth slipped from his lips and splashed across the room, nearly drowning them both in unease.
“I…don’t…want to hurt you.”
Chapter 15: Absolutely not
Notes:
The drama continues
Chapter Text
“What?” Gonzalo croaked, shock overriding his tone as he reached for Miles, his palms growing sweaty with nerves as he held the Alpha’s gaze.
“I…don’t want to…hurt you.” Miles repeated softly, his honey colored eyes overrun with apprehension.
“Miles…you would never-“
“NEVER intentionally.” Miles interrupted quickly, his eyes closing as his mind cartwheeled to the day before, his optimism non existent as he found himself stepping through the crowd, the air crisp and freezing with anticipation as the sky shifted to white.
His arms at his sides as the cold ate through his jacket, straight to the bone making him feel silly for packing such flimsy clothes.
His shoes crushed ice as he continued forward, his eyes quickly catching sight of a large man hovering aggressively near the driver’s side window.
His unfamiliar hands poking and prodding as he yanked fruitlessly on the door handle.
Rage wildly bubbled up his throat, as his anxiety spiked, the chilly evening breeze quickly giving way to more falling snow.
It had taken everything in him, not to shove the man away as his pace quickened, his breathing growing unsteady and his hands shaking as he eased open the truck door, his eyes immediately falling onto Gonzalo.
His body tightly tucked in a fetal position away from the steering wheel.
He had looked…so small.
Nowhere near what a person six months pregnant should be.
The sight had been unbearable.
Why hadn’t he felt it?
Why hadn’t he FELT him suffering?
“Miles?” Gonzalo asked softly, tugging him from his thoughts. “Where did you go?”
“Eww…I can’t believe she ditched us in this dump.” Jericho complained as he stomped out of the building and into the harsh rain, his eyes searching the streets for the Beta.
“How do you know she ditched us?” Ross asked as he hovered halfway in the doorway, his eyes on the dark sky.
“This rain is horrible. Why would anyone want to live here?”
“Because we looped the building twice and haven’t seen her OR the lab.” Jericho said annoyed, as he took several steps backward until his back rested comfortably against old brick.
“That could just mean she found something.”
Ross weakly countered, as the sound of something falling close by caught his attention.
“Whatever.” Jericho said, completely over the conversation as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
“We’ve searched nearly every building in the outskirts. It HAS to be here.” Peni said firmly as she continued forward, her light catching a half open vent, awkwardly high up on the wall.
Without a second thought she climbed the wall and yanked the vent free, sending rusted screws across the floor as she climbed into the duct, quickly losing her balance and slipping.
She landed on her feet in another room, her eyes quickly adjusting to the chrome and reflective surfaces around her.
“Oh shit.” She said as she pulled her phone from her pocket and hit record.
She’d found the lab.
“Miles HAS to see this.” She said nearly dropping her phone as her eyes slid onto a large object in the center of the room, spiraling ominously with green liquid.
“What’s the fucking point in even having security?!” Angelo shouted angrily as he barged into his home, aggressively rubbing makeup along his jacket sleeve.
“Now I have to fucking start over-and some idiot is leaking classified information!!” Angelo snapped as he browsed through his email alerts, his brows creasing with irritation as a familiar number popped across the screen.
“I DON’T want to hear it.” Angelo said stiffly after the first ring, his grip on the phone tightening as the voice on the other end laughed.
“Well you NEED to.” The man laughed again, the sound quickly morphing into a dry cough, the noise a tired indicator of his deteriorating age.
“You should have never hired that trash ass security company.”
“Don’t call me to say, I told you so!!” Angelo shouted, as he stormed down the hallway into the bathroom, his eyes narrowing as he caught his horrid reflection.
He was starting to age.
Starting to look like the man on the other end of the line.
He cursed under his breath, mentally making a note to head to the basement.
He needed another injection.
“SHUT THE HELL UP!” The older man ordered, his voice booming with unnecessary authority.
“I TOLD your YOUNG ASS NOT to HIRE that shit company.”
Angelo exhaled deeply, his temples throbbing, the stress of the day mounting as he dragged his eyes away from his haggard reflection.
“Look I messed up-“
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT THE LEAKS ANGELO?!” The man interrupted flatly, in no mood to hear insincere apologies.
“Absolutely nothing.” Marianna said dryly, making her brother frown as he turned up the volume on the side of the gameboy, quickly tuning out his sister’s silly riddle.
“Tay…do you think… the baby will like us?” Marianna asked softly, the tone of her voice pulling at her brother’s attention.
Matéo’s eyes slowly slid onto his sister, his voice warm, and laced with humor.
“That baby better LOVE us-otherwise we’re NOT sharing our room.”
“I’m being serious.” Marianna warned as she tossed a pillow at him, a shallow laugh slipping past her lips.
“I am too.” Matéo snorted as he sat up on the floor, digging his sock covered heels into Kabir’s floor rug.
“I’m…just…scared.” Marianna admitted, her voice nearly a whisper.
Kabir stirred under the blanket of plushies, her leg bumping into Marianna as she turned on her side and spoke.
“Shhhh…my assignment isn’t due until next week. “ She mumbled as she buried her face in her pillow, her dark hair messily spread around her.
“Anyway…you worry too much.” Matéo concluded as he turned his attention back to the game.
“Tay you literally worry about EVERYTHING.” Marianna pointed out, earning a bored huff from her brother.
“We can take turns…if that’s easier.” He suggested sarcastically, making her roll her eyes.
“Did…you hear what he said?” Miguel whisper hissed to Jessica, his voice cracking in shock as his mind began to countlessly wander to strange and unusual places.
“I did.” Jessica confirmed with a nod, turning away from the action on the screen, a soft expression consuming her face. “He’s of that age-“
“He’s thirteen!” Miguel reminded, blatantly appalled.
Jessica rolled her eyes at his dramatics.
“Miguel-his birthday is literally in two months.” She reminded with an eye roll, making his face drop.
“Or did you forget his birthday this year-like you did LAST year?” She asked sharply as she abruptly pushed him from between her legs and rose from her seat.
Summer wordlessly watched the interaction, her eyes slowly bouncing between each parent, watching the impending match.
“The peace lasted three minutes.” She mumbled under her breath to Ignacio.
“Jess I didn’t forget-“
“You DIDN’T remember either.” Jessica interrupted as she headed toward the door, her eyes bouncing over her shoulder onto Miguel darkly.
“That I do remember.” She concluded,
the door quickly closing behind her.
“You DID forget our birthdays the last few years.” Summer quickly reminded, her manicured hand rapidly gesturing between her and Ignacio.
“I-what?” Miguel asked dumbly, slowly turning toward his daughter in disbelief.
“I would never…” He protested weakly, his mind struggling to recall the last time he’d seen any of his offspring blow out candles, let alone a celebration
“You totally WOULD and you HAVE.” Ignacio snorted, stomping over Miguel’s incomplete calculations.
“You haven’t helped Mom do anything in years.” Summer said as she lifted the remote from the floor and pressed play, her eyes glued to the screen as the second movie started.
“No cake. Late gifts…missed parties.” She added, her voice devoid of emotion as Ignacio shook his head in disgust.
Miguel blinked.
“After a while Ignacio and I stopped caring.” She said with a shrug as the opening credits ended.
“Andrés didn’t.” She added sharply, making his chest ache.
“Now that you’re unemployed…maybe take the time and be a better father.” Ignacio suggested casually as he rose from his seat and exited the room.
Andrés’s knuckles hesitated above the door, his nerves suddenly going haywire as he struggled to knock on Kabir’s door.
“Just knock and give it to her.” He whispered under his breath, trying to hype himself up, his eyes going wide as the door suddenly opened.
He cleared his throat expectantly, his brow slowly lifting in surprise as the twins stepped out of the room, mid argument.
They pushed past him, uninterested in his presence as the opening of Hunter x Hunter blared loudly from an IPad.
Kabir turned on her side, glad the bed was back to being fully her’s as she stretched.
Several plushies fell to the floor as she moved her legs, her body happily engaging in a deeper slumber as she buried herself deeper into the blankets.
Andrés wordlessly watched as the twins disappeared down the hall.
“Weird kids.” He said as his eyes slid to the open bedroom door.
“Uh…Kabir?” He asked softly as he stepped into her room, his eyes quickly locking onto the large piece of wood nailed across her window, his brows furrowed as his toe bumped into several plushies.
He quickly scooped them in his arms, looking them over as he gently placed them back onto the bed, mindful not to disturb her sleep as he placed her gift in her open hand.
He lifted and adjusted her blanket, tucking her tightly into bed, the smile on his lips slowly growing as he pulled the door closed behind him, his heart beating wildly in chest as he lingered outside her door.
“It says here, that it’s NORMAL to experience TEMPORARY memory loss…afterwards.”
Noir whispered to Pav as he pulled him out of the closet and into the hallway.
“I knew something like this would happen.” Noir said shakily, his emotions spiking with worry as he looked over the pamphlet a third time.
“I need a drink.” He added hastily.
“Noir-breath.” Pav encouraged gently as he tugged the pamphlet from his hand.
“The last thing he needs is to feel this.” Pav reminded as he reached for Noir’s hand and gave a reassuring squeeze.
“He’s going to be ok. We’re going to be ok.”
Noir inhaled and exhaled, trying to calm his nerves, his thoughts going haywire as their link started to warm with melancholy.
“We’ll make sure of that.” Pav promised as he pressed his lips to Noir’s knuckle.
Hobie stood awkwardly in the large closet, a lazy yawn leaving his lips as he stepped into the bedroom and kicked off his boots.
He contemplated removing his pants, his eyes swiftly falling onto both men as they returned
with anxious smiles.
“Are you tired?” Pav asked as he pulled his shirt over his head, revealing a chiseled chest and six pack dipped in bronze and adorned with soft curly black hair.
Hobie blinked, his arousal buffering in the pit of his stomach as he looked the shorter man up and down, his attention glued to the happy trail that disappeared into oversized sweats that hung dangerously low on his hips.
“Just a bit.” He admitted clearing his throat, his eyes sliding from Pav’s crotch and onto the large bed.
“You should rest.” Noir encouraged, his cream colored fingers swiftly unbuttoning his dress shirt, revealing an equally impressive physique.
Hobie’s eyes lingered on his solid chest and greedily dropped to abs that dipped into strong toned thighs.
“You’ve had an eventful day.” Noir added with a smile as he pulled his shirt from his arms and tossed it into the hamper across the room, the muscles in his back flexing as he moved.
“An eventful day.” Hobie repeated, seemingly in a daze.
Pav blinked as their link warmed with arousal, his eyes worriedly sliding to Noir.
This wasn’t the response he’d been expecting.
Hobie’s eyes wordlessly slid to the pamphlet in Pav’s hands, the strange energy around his partners seemingly growing.
“What do you mean an episode?” Eric asked sitting straight up in his seat, his fingers rapidly searching for the file on Gwen.
“Is she angry? Is she breaking things?” He questioned, digging through Gwen’s notes, searching for similar signs.
“Yes…no-she’s more upset than anything.” Margo stumbled, trying to properly verbalize what she’d just seen.
“Eric she’s having arguments with herself.”
“What?” Eric asked, no longer searching through Gwen’s file.
“I saw her-Eric I WATCHED her have a ONE sided argument.” Margo whispered into the phone, making Eric abruptly rise to his feet.
“Is she taking any new medications?” He asked trying to mute the concern in his voice.
“I-yes! She is.” Margo said quickly, shifting from foot to foot anxiously. “But I CAN’T remember the names.”
“That’s ok.” Eric sighed, his pen flying across paper as he added new notes.
“Do you think you can get a hold of the medication bottles?”
“Uhhh…I’ll try.” Margo said breathlessly as she spun on her heels, her eyes immediately meeting Gwen’s.
“Hey-“ Margo said nervously, as Gwen casually returned her gaze and said nothing for a moment, her blue eyes piercing as she finally spoke.
“Who are you talking to?”
Panic slipped across Margo’s spine, the urge to lie aggressively swimming up her throat as she disconnected the line and forced a smile, quickly changing the subject.
“Are you having trouble sleeping, like I am?” Margo asked, her eyes sliding to the phone screen as Eric’s name popped up.
“It’s just a debt collector.” Margo lied, as she slid her phone into her back pocket.
Kabir groaned as her phone vibrated loudly, the sounds seemingly growing louder in the quiet room as it vibrated off the side of her bed and hit the floor before she could catch it, her eyes sliding to the item in her hand.
“Well hello.” She said sitting up in bed, a slow smile sliding across her lips as she stared at the Pokemon plush in surprise.
“You…are new.” She quickly concluded as she turned the Dratini over in her hands, butterflies fluttering up her stomach as her phone vibrated again, propelling her halfway off the bed as she plucked it from the floor, her smile growing as Andrés’s name slid across the screen.
Andrés’s cheeks warmed as texting bubbles appeared by her name, filling him with jitters as he waited for a response.
“Andrés honey…I NEED you to stop stressing out your father.” Jessica said softly as she stepped into the den, her eyes on the steadily burning fire.
“What?” He asked looking away from the phone screen, surprised to see his mother.
“That joke you made about being the bird or the bee…made him anxious.” Jessica snorted as she picked up a nearby log and slowly fed it into the fire.
“What exactly….did you mean by that?” Jessica asked curiously.
“Why are you making that face?” Pav asked, his eyes sliding from the pamphlet in his hands and onto Noir, awkwardly pacing the length of their closet.
Noir’s brow lifted, his voice chilly with worry, his movements stopping as he looked in the direction Hobie had disappeared in and whispered harshly.
“Did we NOT read the same thing?!”
“No we definitely did.” Pav confirmed as Noir snatched the pamphlet and turned it over in his hands, shoving the open pages into his face.
“Right HERE-it says ‘temporary memory loss’.”
He repeated, pointing at the words on the page, his concern shifting to irritation as he waited for a response.
“You haven’t noticed he SEEMS a little off?” Noir hissed, bringing the argument back to life.
“You don’t seem very worried.” Noir noted with narrowed eyes as he snatched the pamphlet out Pav’s face.
“Why would I, when ALL we have to do is keep an eye on him?” Pav asked pivoting on his heels out of the room, Noir on his heels as he stepped into the hallway.
“He’s literally at home.” Pav said with an eye roll as he turned away from the taller man .
“What’s the worse that could happ-“ He trailed off, his eyes frantically searching the empty bathroom.
“Well where is he?” Noir asked lightly, crossing his arms over his chest.
Hobie hummed as he pulled a bag of chips from the cabinet, he leaned against the counter and popped open the bag, his eyes quickly falling onto pair of children with the same face.
Hobie blinked, his eyes bouncing from left to right as he returned the children’s gaze, their Heterochromia eyes sprinkled with mischief.
“Uhhhh….can I help you?” He asked nervously as their eyes locked onto the bag in his hand.
“I don’t know.” Andrés admitted with a halfhearted shrug, as he took a seat on the futon, his eyes pinned to his phone screen.
“Who’s supposed to be the bird?” Andrés asked softly, his eyes lingering on the screen as his cheeks reddened. “And who’s the bee?”
Jessica’s brows lifted, her eyes on Andrés as the weight of his question sank in.
“Have you had your first kiss…yet?” Jessica asked curiously, wondering how they’d skipped over that and hopped straight to sex.
“Feral ass kids.” Hobie huffed as he exited the kitchen with a half eaten bag of chips,
he dug his hand into the bag and tossed several chips into his mouth, his eyes sliding down the hall.
Pav frantically slid down the hallway, nearly tripping over the rug, desperately searching for the taller man.
“Why are you SO worried-if he’s homeeee?” Noir asked coyly, swiftly pissing the smaller man off.
“What’s the worse that could happen?” He mimicked childishly.
Pav shifted his upper body in Noir’s direction.
“We DON’T have time for this.” Pav said between clinched teeth.
“We never do.” Noir sadly deflated.
“He’s going to run into Kabir.” Pav promptly reminded, his words sending Noir rapidly down the hallway in the direction of the teen’s room.
“Oh…did you want to have this talk with me, instead of your father?” Jessica asked a little surprised, her eyes still on the fire as she grabbed a nearby tool and poked at the burning wood, watching as the embers wildly danced.
“I’d prefer to.” Andrés admitted, his eyes sliding from his phone and onto the fire as he spoke.
“I overheard Dad give Ignacio the talk…andddd I’m pretty sure he was more confused then when the conversation started.”
Jessica snorted, unsurprised.
Miguel had cried about having these first moments but would often freeze when they happened.
“That would explain why Ignacio never brought anyone home.” Jessica sighed, shaking her head.
“Nooo…I’m pretty sure he gave Ignacio the WRONG talk.”
“What?” Jessica asked, poking the wood a bit harder.
“Me and Summer…get the birds and bees talk.” Andrés said clearing his throat.
“Ignacio asked about other bees-and Dad wasn’t prepared for that.”
Jessica blinked, the topic of sexuality sprinting to the forefront of her mind.
“He also ran off Summer’s LAST boyfriend…and they weren’t even-doing anything.” Andrés mumbled, not bothering to answer the question and making his mother frown.
“Summer had a boyfriend?” She asked in surprise.
“Had.” Andrés confirmed as his phone loudly vibrated in his hand.
Jessica’s eyes curiously slid to Andrés’s face, silently studying his happy expression and the goofy smile that blossomed across his lips as his thumbs flew across the keys.
“Are you texting her?” Jessica asked lightly as she took a seat beside him on the futon.
“Her?” Andrés echoed as another message populated, briefly distracting him from the conversation.
“The girl you kissed?” She questioned suppressing a laugh, quickly rerouting the conversation back onto him.
Andrés’s fingers stuttered.
“I’ve never seen you smile like that before.” She added, a soft laugh bubbling up her chest as Andrés turned her way, seemingly embarrassed with rose colored cheeks.
Margo sent Eric to voicemail a third time and forced a smile.
“Peni called to check on us.” She filled in quickly, showing Gwen the missed calls.
Technically it wasn’t a lie.
Gwen shook her head, uninterested in the call log as she wordlessly took Margo’s hand, her unhappy expression receding as their fingers locked.
“I’m sorry about earlier.” Gwen said faintly, her eyes straight ahead as she ignored Peter’s gaze, her feet guiding them through the bedroom.
“Gwen you don’t have to apologize.” Margo said quickly, her free hand rubbing a comforting patterned across Gwen’s upper arm.
“That was a LOT.” Margo sighed, her eyes closing. “And…it made me want to cry.” She admitted, her words making Gwen turn her way.
“BUT-we need to be strong for Hobie.” Margo said quickly before Gwen could offer comfort.
“Us breaking down wouldn’t solve anything.”
“Look at that-“ Peter said rudely as he bumped past Gwen and headed toward the door.
“Margo’s the ONLY person with common sense.”
He concluded bitterly as he stormed out of the room, still seething from their argument.
“I can’t believe she said that shit.” He said dryly as he stepped through the kitchen, pulling a cigarette from his pocket, searching for a lighter as he stepped into the backyard.
“My head hurts.” Gwen admitted breathlessly, her temples harshly throbbing as she fell into bed, her eyes tightly squeezed shut as she tried to push away the remnants of a stupid argument she’d just had with a ghost.
“I’m pretty sure that’s stress.” Margo hummed as she crawled into bed beside Gwen, her eyes closing as Gwen’s warm hands reached for her, pulling her close and wrapping them both under a blanket.
“It’s so cold in this dimension.” Gwen complained, her eyes slowly opening and sliding to the silent vent above their heads.
“Pav needs to turn the damn heat on.” Margo mumbled into Gwen’s chest, frowning as she clung to the other woman. “Cheap ass.”
Gwen snorted, her arms tightening around Margo as her eyes slid to the clock high on the wall, her mind sliding to the fact she’d had a screaming match with a dead hallucination.
“I need to schedule an appointment…with Eric…soon.” Gwen confessed with a heavy exhale.
“You…think you’re ready to see him again…so soon?” Margo asked gently, her eyes slowly opening. “After…you yelled at him?” She reminded.
“Peni yelled at him.” Gwen said flatly.
“And so did you.” Margo reminded, tossing the Beta a look.
“I love you.” Gwen said after a moment, not answering the question as she pressed a quick kiss to Margo’s forehead, filling her with even more unease.
Kabir’s fingers danced across the keys of the piano, sweat beading her brows as she grew lost, her mind and chest full of conflicting emotions.
Khalid had entered her life and exited as soon as he’d arrived, ungracefully dragging his personal baggage through her heart and into her parent’s front yard.
But the sheer disgust and irritation of dealing with his aggressive family-would forever make her itch with shame.
She shook her head, the flow of her fingers rapidly changing as her mind shifted to Andrés.
His sharp emerald eyes reflective pools of potential and awe.
He’d made her breathless.
Made her felt weightless.
Her chaotic and distrusting mind quickly flipping at a moment’s notice, no longer viciously swirling.
His calm and collected demeanor swiftly overriding her senses.
She exhaled shakily, her arms pebbling with goosebumps where he’d touched her.
Hobie followed the sound of music down the hallway and into the music room, his eyes sliding to Kabir.
He stood transfixed in the doorway, watching as purple and pink vibrantly danced around her.
With her eyes closed and her head held high, her emotions screamed through each note, telling a story he hadn’t heard.
Kabir’s mind drifted to the way Andrés had held her gaze before touching her.
His bottom lip trembling as he pressed their lips together, chasing the fireworks she’d felt, nearly making her breathless as she felt the warm sparks of his fingertips.
“Who inspired you?” Hobie asked softly, as the song ended, his arms crossed as he stood in the doorway.
“What?” Kabir asked startled, her eyes snapping open and onto her father.
“It’s a love song, isn’t it?” Hobie asked curiously as he strolled into the room and took a seat beside her, his long fingers quickly replaying the ending of her melody.
Kabir’s cheeks grew warm as she listened to the notes being played back, embarrassment yanking her lower and lower into her seat.
“Don’t be like that lovely.” Hobie said with a chuckle, the movement of his hands abruptly changing, shifting the tempo of the song completely.
“Music is a safe space.” He said lightly, his attention sliding to her hands as she joined him on the keys.
“Be as honest and open as you want.”
He encouraged.
“I felt fireworks when she kissed me.” Andrés admitted in a rushed breath, his eyes on his phone as he patiently waited for a response.
“I thought-I was imagining it…so I kissed her again.”
“She kissed you first?” Jessica’s asked, her brows slamming into her hairline in surprise.
“No-I kissed her…first…both times.” Andrés corrected, growing more flustered.
“Oh.” She said leaning back into the cushions, encouraging him to continue.
“I…in my biology book-“
Jessica inhaled sharply, semi aware where the conversation was going.
“That feeling-that spark…is described in the chapter about…finding…a compatible mate.” He concluded shakily as he slid his phone into his pocket.
“Is that what you think she is?” Jessica asked lightly as she turned completely in his direction, her dark eyes curiously looking him over.
“Yes.” Andrés answered as soon as she completed the question.
“Andrés I don’t think you understand-“
“No Mom, let me explain.” He quickly interrupted, his eyes on his backpack as he pulled out a biology textbook book, a serious expression covering his face.
Jessica watched as he fingered through the chapters, her eyes taking note of the different colored sticky notes throughout the pages.
“What was it like for you and Dad?” Andrés asked his fingers no longer searching.
“It-“ She trailed off, her mind sliding to the night Miguel had kissed her in the control room.
It’d been mid argument, her anger steadily rising as they refused to see eye to eye on a mission, sparks of animosity rapidly flying as he stepped into her personal space.
His green eyes seemingly sparkling as he kissed her mid rant, his large hands pulling her firmly into him as his tongue dipped behind her teeth and sparks of lust blossomed under her skin as the sensation of wholeness consumed her chest.
She’d never felt anything like that in her life.
Not even with her husband.
“Mom?” Andrés mumbled, his eyes burning into the pages of his biology book.
“Did you feel the sparks…with Dad?”
Miguel exhaled deeply as he turned the temperature of the water higher, the overwhelming desire to burn himself growing as he grabbed a bath towel and stepped into the shower.
“I almost forgot I’m a SHIT parent.” He sighed loudly as he turned the water higher, ignoring the sting he felt across his toes.
He hissed loudly as the water scorched into his lower and upper back, making him flinch as he grabbed the soap.
“My fiancée hates me…all three of my children-ALSO hate me and I’m unemployed.” Miguel screamed into the water.
If he hadn’t been so hoped up on pain meds he’d probably be crying.
Nothing had changed.
He’d awoken from his coma in exactly the same spot he’d left off.
“I haven’t fixed anything.” He sighed, his shoulders tensing as he placed his palms flat to the cool tile wall.
“I’ve…probably made it all worse.” He whispered into the water shakily as he reached for the nozzle, pulling it above his head.
Gonzalo bit his bottom as Miles swallowed him from tip to base, making his thighs shake as he felt his orgasm buffering in the pit of his stomach.
“Fuck…fuck…fuck!” Gonzalo started to chant, his hands digging into Miles’s hair as he shoved himself down the taller man’s throat, making his eyes water as he fucked his face.
Miles grabbed Gonzalo’s thighs, steadying himself as his moans grew desperate, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as his legs started to shake.
“I’m-I’m…” Gonzalo trailed off as his orgasm railroaded through him, making him see white as Miles hollowed his cheeks and continued to bob his head, sucking him dry.
Miles rose to his feet, a satisfied smirk sliding to his lips as he watched his other half fall sleepily into the sheets, with his arms spread wide and a blissed out expression on his face.
“Be right back.” Miles said as he turned on his heels and headed toward the bathroom.
Gonzalo mumbled a response into the pillow as he grabbed the blanket, his eyes closing as the twins tiptoed into the room.
Marianna’s eyes roamed the room in search of a charger, her brows slamming together as she watched the screen of her iPad go black.
“Papi probably hid it.” Matéo whispered, his eyes sliding onto the sleeping man across the room.
“Of course he did.” Marianna huffed, her eyes sliding to the closed closet door beside their parent’s bed. “I bet it’s on the highest shelf.”
“Probably wayyyyy in the back too.” Matéo sighed in agreement as his sister placed the dead IPad on the foot of the bed. “Where we CAN’T reach it.”
“If Spiderman can do it-so CAN we.” Marianna challenged, making her brother frown.
“We AREN’T Spiderman.” Matéo said flatly, his face twisting at his sister’s words.
“No, you two AREN’T.” Miles hummed lightly, startling the twins mid conversation.
“What are you two up to now?”
“Nothing bad.” Matéo said quickly, earning a sharp look from his sister.
“Right.” Miles said with a skeptical nod as he gestured toward bed.
“We’re NOT even sleepy!” Marianna complained as her father plucked the iPad from bed and frowned.
“All we do here is sleep.” Matéo added evenly, his eyes drifting to Gonzalo peacefully snoring.
“Dad NEEDS to sleep…but-“ Matéo trailed off unsure of his words.
“We don’t.” Marianna filled in with a bitter hiss as Miles shoved the iPad to the back of the closet shelf and fought back a laugh.
“We’ve already discussed this.” Miles said as he slowly closed the closet door, his honey colored eyes sliding onto the twins.
“Time moves slower here.” He gently reminded as he ushered both children back to bed.
“Besides you two barely took a nap.”
“I want to go back home.” Marianna protested into the blankets as she unhappily turned on her side, snatching the fabric hallway across the bed.
“We’ve been over this…our home dimension isn’t safe right now.” Miles repeated tiredly as he adjusted the blanket.
“It’s not safe?” Marianna snorted joylessly, her brother’s eyes knowingly sliding to her back.
“Don’t Mari.” He warned, his sister’s irritation swiftly shoving past his words of caution.
“I know we’re NOT -but aren’t YOU Spiderman?” Marianna challenged, abruptly sitting up in bed, her usually playful eyes corrupt with something Miles couldn’t detect.
Miles opened his mouth to speak, the sound of his ringing phone quickly interrupting the conversation.
“You NEED to get HERE now.” Peni said as soon as Miles answered, her excited tone pulling the Alpha out of the room and into the hallway.
“Where are you?” Miles asked as the bedroom door closed behind him.
“Investigating the outskirts-“
“WHAT?!” Miles snapped. “Are you alone? You know the outskirts isn’t safe at night.”
“Why’d you say that?” Matéo asked as he sat up in bed and shot his sister a colorful look as he yanked the blanket off of her, demanding her attention.
Marianna ignored the heat of his gaze, her hand slowly searching for the blanket behind her.
“You KNOW we aren’t going back home anytime soon, right?” He asked quickly, wanting to confirm they were on the same page.
Marianna ignored the question and crawled out of bed, a sour expression on her face as she slid in bed beside Gonzalo, pressing her cold feet into the back of his legs.
“I’m NOT here alone.” Peni explained with an eye roll, her attention sliding to the live feed of Jericho and Ross complaining about her in the rain.
“Right.” Miles said, still in disbelief as he waited for her to continue.
“Dropping the coordinates now.” Peni said as she pulled the phone from her ear and hung up before he could respond.
“Reinforcements?” Ross asked casually, his eyes on Peni.
“All it does is fuckin rain here.“ Jericho complained as he stomped out his still burning cigarette and headed back into the dingy building.
“Spiderman will be here soon.” Peni proudly announced.
“Uh…it’s a guy here?” Ross asked slightly confused, his mind timidly sliding back to an angry pink haired woman who’d beat Jericho with several cans of cat food.
“What are you talking about?” Peni asked slightly annoyed at the question.
“SpiderMAN isn’t very gender neutral.”
Ross’s face twisted with embarrassment.
“I’m just used to-never mind.” He trailed off feeling silly.
“Don’t let her make you feel stupid.” Jericho said stiffly as he stepped into the lab, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
“I’m guessing he’s THIS dimension’s super.” Jericho added as he looked around the chrome room unimpressed.
Gonzalo stirred in his sleep as he felt cold toes press into the back of his shins.
He mumbled a tired complaint as he pushed the feet away.
Several seconds float by, the loud clash of an argument quickly snatching the sand from his eyes.
He sat up, his eyes still closed as he turned toward the twins mid argument.
“WHY are you fighting?” He snapped, his hand quickly snatching the blanket from ontop of Marianna. “Get your COLD feet off me.”
“Mari was being mean to Dad.” Matéo quickly stated as his sister grabbed at the blanket, embarrassed she’d awoken the sleepy grump.
Gonzalo’s head tilted in Marianna’s direction, his eyes reluctantly opening. “Marianna…you have until the count of three-“
Marianna hopped out of bed before her father could utter the first number, his threat loud and clear as he held her gaze.
“She made him feel bad…about us not being able to go back home.” Matéo said evenly, ignoring the heated looks from his sister.
“It can only get worse from here.” Peter said bitterly as he watched more snow fall across the backyard, slowly piling up across lawn furniture.
Margo slowly sat up in bed, her eyes sliding across Gwen’s face as she watched her sleep, her short pink hair messily falling across her forehead as she turned on her side.
Margo crawled out of bed and grabbed her house shoes, she tiptoed out of the bedroom and into the hallway, her eyes sliding into the kitchen.
“She’s fucking crazy.” Peter huffed, watching the thick puffs of air spill from his lips and into the air as he spoke.
Margo stood rooted in the kitchen, her eyes locked on the window.
“She’s going to send me to another early grave.” Peter exhaled deeply as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, his eyes closing as he inhaled.
Margo’s brows shot into her hairline, surprise stamped across her face as she watched a cigarette float in mid air.
“What the fuck?” She whispered uncomfortably, her mind trying to piece together
what exactly she was seeing.
Her mind sharply sliding back to the one sided argument Gwen held earlier, her frustration palpable as she ran a flustered hand through her cropped pink hair.
“Oh…shit.” Margo said as she bolted out of the kitchen, past Miles and back into her bedroom, her eyes feverishly roaming the room until her toe bumped into something.
Wordlessly Margo lifted the pill bottle from the floor and pulled her phone from her pocket and quickly shot Eric a picture.
She sat the bottle back on the floor and searched for the other bottle, her eyes sliding to Gwen periodically as she searched, her mind swiftly fabricating stories as seconds turned to minutes.
Peter reached into his pocket and pulled out the pill bottle, slowly running his finger across the label.
“I’ve been here too long.” He stated sullenly
as he twisted open the bottle and dumped the remaining pills into the snow.
Hobie laughed as he leaned back from the keys, his eyes proudly on Kabir as he watched her continue to strum her bass guitar.
“We haven’t played together in ages.” He said softly as Kabir’s fingers slid up the neck of the guitar, changing the sound.
“Yeah…we used to play every day.” Kabir hummed.
Hobie’s smile slipped from his face, his unhappy thought quickly slipping from his lips.
“Why’d we stop?”
“I don’t know.” Kabir shrugged, her head bobbing as she continued to play. “I guess…you got busy with super hero stuff.”
Noir hesitated at the door, his ears slowly filling from their conversation as it continued.
“Lovely…why didn’t…you say something?” Hobie asked softly, sadness spilling across his tone as he shifted in his seat, turning her way.
“Because you’re Spiderman.” Kabir snorted.
“Kabir-“
“It’s not like I could just ask you…to stop saving the world.” Kabir interrupted, her fingers no longer creating carefree music.
“That would have been selfish.” She added, harshly strumming her bass, dragging out a distorted note.
“No lovely, it would have been human.” Hobie softly corrected.
Noir’s finger slid to his lips as Pav approached his side.
“Wha?” Pav whispered faintly, his eyes curiously sliding into the music room.
“What’s with the wrap?” Kabir asked, changing the subject.
“Mmh?” Hobie asked as he watched her sit the guitar down and head his way.
“Here.” She said lightly, pointing toward his forehead, her eyes curiously ghostly along the medical wrap neatly tucked behind his ear.
“Oh shit.” Pav said shifting on his feet, ready to stop the conversation.
Noir’s hand firmly wrapped around Pav’s wrist, holding him in place.
“She needs to find out from him.” Noir said clearing his throat as he released Pav’s wrist.
“I had surgery.” Hobie admitted truthfully, clearing his throat as his fingers nervously floated above the piano.
“Surgery?” Kabir asked visibly confused as she looked him over a second time.
“I had…a tumor removed.”
Kabir was silent for a moment, her face stoic as she absorbed his words.
“You weren’t going to tell me…were you?” She asked after the silence became uncomfortable, a sad expression pulling at her delicate features.
Hobie inhaled sharply, his eyes sliding back to the piano as his fingers touched the keys.
“I was AFTER the surgery.” He said lightly as he started to play a hopeful tune.
Pav frowned, the urge to rescue both parties from the uncomfortable conversation only growing as Noir shook his head.
Patiently waiting for the conversation to continue.
“I’m going in there.” Pav whispered, his brow lifting with annoyance as Noir’s hand slammed into his chest, knocking him back first into the wall and holding him in place.
“No.” He said thickly, the warmth of his hand burning through Pav’s shirt and straight into his chest. “Let THEM have this.”
Kabir hesitated, unable to find words as she plopped down on the piano bench beside him, her arms wrapping around him as she struggled to decipher through her emotions.
“Thanks…for not hiding this from me.” She exhaled, her eyes closing as she rested her head against his shoulder.
“Dada and Pop…would have never told me.” She admitted shakily as she fought back tears, sadness spilling from her pores as the color around her changed to sadness.
“They treat me like a baby and think I-“ Kabir trailed off, her tears freely staining through Hobie’s shirt as he continued to play, letting her process her emotions.
“They think what?” Hobie asked softly.
Pav’s hands dropped, his eyes closing as their daughter’s words washed over them, steam rolling him in guilt.
She was right.
He would have never told her.
“I’ll be there in fifteen.” Miles said before disconnecting the line, his eyes meeting Gonzalo’s as he turned around.
“Where are you going?” Gonzalo asked lightly, his hand lingering on the door knob behind him.
“Peni called, she needs help.” He said as he slid the phone into his back pocket. “Why are you awake?”
“Same reason you’re awake.” Gonzalo said evenly, his eyes roaming Miles’s silhouette.
Miles opened his mouth to protest, Gonzalo’s words quickly stopping him.
“The twin’s are fighting.”
Miles’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“What? They were just getting along.” He sighed, growing tired of their antics.
“They’re arguing about you.” Gonzalo filled in, crossing his arms over his chest as he lazily leaned against the door frame, his round belly looking more pronounced than it had an hour prior. “They’re arguing about the fact we CAN’T go home.”
Miles’s eyes lingered on the bump under Gonzalo’s shirt, his mind temporarily distracted until the shorter man cleared his throat.
“Wha-why?” Miles asked, his cheeks growing warm as he dragged his eyes up the shorter man’s chest and onto his face.
“I know you miss home-but that was rude.” Matéo said calmly calling his sister out, his eyes sharp with disapproval as she met his gaze with narrowed eyes.
“I don’t care if it was RUDE-it’s the TRUTH.” Marianna hissed, making her brother shake his head.
“How is questioning Dad’s reputation going to get us HOME?” Matéo spat angrily, upset he’d sat through the entire interaction.
“Dad’s a SUPERHERO-he needs to act like it.” Marianna pointed out rudely.
“Tay we where suspended from school and then
ran out of town.” Marianna reminded as she sat up in bed, her gaze piercing into her brother.
“Did you forget a car DROVE through our house?!”
“What?” Gonzalo asked, searching Miles’s honest face for any falsehoods.
“You don’t even know if it’s STORMING there, YET you want to ditch your family and play in abandoned buildings.”
Miles’s brows shot into his hairline at the shorter man’s confrontational tone.
“Woah…I-“
“Don’t want to hear it.” Gonzalo interrupted flatly, his obsidian eyes flickering with irritation.
“We ALL would LOVE to go home.” Gonzalo said, his eyes sliding up and down Miles’s apparel as he rested his arms on his stomach.
“What are you doing?” Matéo asked with unease as he watched his sister crawl out of bed, her eyes on the watch neatly placed on the edge of the dresser.
“What do you THINK?” Marianna asked with irritation as she snatched up the watch, her eyes widening as she watched the lights around it light up. “I’m going home.”
“You don’t even know how to use that.” Matéo said as he rose from bed, his eyes on his sister as he attempted to reach for the watch.
“Dad will be upset.” Matéo reminded as Marianna snatched her wrist away, her eyes on the watch as she struggled to adjust the settings, she gasped as the face of the watch twisted in a new direction.
“I think…you broke it.” Matéo whispered as the watch started to glow unnaturally.
“Can we NOT do this…right now?” Miles asked with a deep sigh, his eyes sliding to his phone as it vibrated loudly in his hand.
Gonzalo’s eyes narrowed with irritation as he wordlessly held Miles’s gaze, his bitter emotions festering across their link as he pivoted on his heels, and grabbed the door knob.
“Whatever Miles.” He said dismissively as he twisted the door knob, the dejected sound of his voice filling the taller man with unease.
Miles shoved his phone into his back pocket as he rushed forward, his arm wrapping around Gonzalo’s waist as he pressed his free hand flat to the door before he could open it.
“Look-I know you’re upset and want me here…but I NEED to find out what’s going on in OUR dimension.”
Gonzalo stood rooted in place, the heat of Miles’s body gently seeping into him as he continued.
“Peni found a lab downtown in the District…we think it’s linked to all the children that have gone missing over the last two decades.” Miles exhaled, the words filling Gonzalo’s insides with an insidious sensation.
“Missing…kids?” Gonzalo asked softly, his voice nearly a whisper as Miles’s arm tightened around him, supporting his weight and holding him close.
“I can’t-bring you and the twins back home UNTIL I’ve dealth with this.”
“You’re going to end up in the wrong dimension.”
Matéo warned, his eyes burning into his sister as he watched her fingers fiddle with the watch settings a third time.
“Yeahhhhh….we’re screwed.” Summer said bitterly, her expressive face openly filled with distain.
“That’s what I heard Dad trying to talk to Andrés about earlier.” Ignacio sighed, disappointed he’d once again been assigned the bearer of bad news.
“And what did Andrés say?” Summer asked turning toward her brother with several bottles of nail polish in her hands.
“He wasn’t really responding. He seemed…distracted…almost uninterested.” Ignacio said as he plucked a bottle of pea green polish from her hands.
Andrés blinked, unsure if he should ask his mother any additional questions.
She’d been…uncomfortably honest.
He leaned back into the cushions of the futon, his eyes on the fire as he shyly fiddled with a stray sting unraveling from the sleeve of his sweater.
Jessica’s eyes slid to the ceiling as she patiently waited for Andrés to ask follow questions.
“Mom?”
“Mmh?” Jessica asked, her eyes slowly sliding from the ceiling.
“Are we-do we LIVE here?” He asked, completely changing the topic and surprising her.
“Absolutely NOT.” Ross said sharply, shaking his head no, as Peni rolled her eyes.
“Just help me open this.” Jericho repeated, his eyes roaming the strange designs imprinted on the bottom of the large cylinder item in the middle of the room.
“Stop being a bitch.” Peni said dryly as she turned her attention back to the computer system.
She’d never seen anything like it.
Outdated tech attached to an advanced ai program with an aggressive firewall and several security systems.
Any other time she would have marveled at the sight.
Her trigger fingers itching to infiltrate and take apart the program and tech, her sharp eyes gleefully studying the unique contraption.
“This is going to take a while.” She announced to the room as she cracked her knuckles, her fingers flying across the dust free keys with ease.
Peni’s eyes curiously roamed across the lab, taking in the sterile and chrome colored walls and equipment.
“Someone was here not too long ago.” Peni stated out loud, her eyes lingering on the glass cylinder, watching as the murky green liquid behind the glass spiraled erratically.
“Whatever-HOW long will it take?” Jericho asked rudely, stepping into Peni’ s line of sight, his expression tense as he kept a noticeable distance from the glass.
“Not sure.” Peni admitted, her eyes back on the blurry screen as her fingers picked at the keys, her mind worriedly sliding to Gwen.
“Everything ok?” Miguel asked lightly as Gwen stepped into the hallway with disheveled hair in search of Margo and the bathroom.
“Fucking peachy.” Gwen said dryly as she turned in the direction of the bathroom, her arms swaying calmly at her sides.
“Eric…I can’t find the other bottle.” Margo whispered into the line, her words sending lawless unease throughout the other man.
Eric blinked, his mind whirling as he bit his bottom lip, an unprofessional thought crossing his mind.
“I’m going to reach out to her Psychiatrist.”
Apprehension slowly shoved a hesitant protest from Margo’s lips. “Eric…I’m not sure if that’s-“
“We won’t know the side effects until we know what she’s been taking.” Eric said evenly as he lifted his keys from the desk, his eyes sliding to the door.
“Not like she needed these anyway.” Peter said softly, his eyes on the pills as he watched them become lost in snow.
“Maybe…seeing me is making everything worse.” He added weakly, his eyes watering as he pulled another cigarette from his pocket, his hands shaking with despair.
He lit the cigarette, quickly inhaling and exhaling melancholy air, his mind laced with thoughts of Gwen.
“Her fucking life is falling apart.” He whispered to the falling snow, his eyes closing as he felt tears roll down his cheeks.
“Everything ok?” Miguel repeated as he offered Gwen a bottle of water, his eyes worriedly roaming her face.
“I’m fine.” Gwen said dismissively as she bypassed Miguel, paying him no mind as she exited the kitchen.
“I’ve become my father.” He lamented grimly as he tossed the water bottle into the back of the fridge and proceeded to search every cabinet.
He needed a drink.
A STRONG drink.
Miguel frowned, his emotions sliding to a dark place as his insecurities festered higher and higher, Gwen’s response a mirror of his family’s, when it came to interactions.
Jessica and Lyla seemed at odds with one another, no longer close and carefree with one another.
He’d noticed the tension months ago, the two of them seemly bumping heads when it came to anything family related.
From disciplining the kids to poor mission execution.
It’d started with Ignacio.
His slick mouth and cocky demeanor swiftly pissing off teachers, coaches and students alike as he skated through puberty and straight into sports.
Miguel inhaled sharply as he pulled a bottle of bourbon from the highest shelf of the pantry.
He located a shot glass and pulled the cork from the bottle, the powerfully rich aroma tickling his senses as he inhaled.
He quickly poured himself a shot and drank it.
He poured another shot, drank it.
Then poured another and another until the room began to spin.
Miguel slammed the shot glass onto the granite countertop, his eyes bouncing drunkenly across the kitchen as he heard the sound of a knob turning.
“Wha the fuc-k?” He slurred as his eyes landed on Peter pulling open the door and stepping into the kitchen.
Angelo closed and locked the basement door behind him, his eyes sliding onto the large glass tank that sat in the heart of the room.
He loosened his tie and tossed it carelessly across the room, his eyes locked on the green spiraling liquid that filled the tank and threaten to overflow.
“Oh no no no…it’s going to be ok.” Angelo hummed lightly, as he pressed his hand to the glass, meeting the eyes of another.
“This will only hurt a bit.” Angelo promised as he slipped on a pair of latex gloves.
Angelo took a step backward as green water angrily sloshed in his direction, drenching his shoes completely in rebuttal.
“Fine.” Angelo said dryly as he grabbed a syringe from a nearby table. “I’ll make it hurt.”
“This is CRAZY!” Ross snapped, earning an irritated noise from Jericho.
“It’s obvious the last person here TOOK everything that wasn’t bolted to the floor!!” Ross continued, wanting to pull the hair from his scalp.
Jericho sighed as he slid his hands into his pockets, his eyes bouncing sharply across the chrome walls as his he quickly took inventory of the room.
The walls had been stripped bare and the cabinets devoid of any lab equipment.
“He’s right.” Miles said as he stepped into the room, his eyes locked on Jericho.
“Someone was expecting us.”
“Who exactly is US?” Jericho asked dryly shifting his body completely, staring Miles down as Ross nervously shuffled behind him.
“Obviously the people in this room.” Miles said with an eye roll, his attention sliding to Peni as he stepped in her direction, completely dismissing the two men.
“Peni, please tell me you have an update.” Miles said lightly as he stepped beside her, his eyes sliding to the large cylinder shaped mechanism wedged in the center of the room.
“What the fuck was in that?” He asked with unease his eyes sliding to the computer screen Peni had been wordlessly staring at.
“Was?” Ross squawked uncomfortably, his eyes going wide with fear as he turned toward Miles, pleading for answers.
“It was definitely a person.” Peni sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose between her index finger and thumb, exhaustion weighing down her shoulders.
“Angelo cleaned the hard drive earlier today…probably a few hours before we got here.”
Miles frowned, his eyes on the screen as rapidly changing numbers consumed the screen.
“I’m trying to recover everything that was deleted within the last forty eight hours.”
Peni confessed as a spider suddenly appeared on screen.
Miles’s eyes roamed the computer and everything around it and quickly spoke his thoughts. “This shit looks old. You think you can recover anything?”
Peni snorted as a second spider appeared on screen. “Duh. I engineered a virus JUST for this.”
“A virus?” Ross asked in shock, his brows hitting his hairline. “How?”
“Who are you and WHY are you asking questions?” Miles asked before Peni could speak, his irritation apparent as his eyes bounced from Ross and onto Jericho.
Jericho squared his shoulders as he defensively took a step in front of Ross, shielding him from the Alpha’s judgmental gaze.
Ross opened his mouth to speak, Peni’s voice quickly beating him to the punch.
“The guys that kidnapped and drugged Margo for Angelo.” She informed flippantly, her words exciting violence as Miles flew across the room, his fists flying into the chest of each man, sending them spiraling across the room and into a wall.
“Don’t destroy the building-until I’m DONE packing the computer.” Peni hummed, as she proceeded to unplug and pack the computer into a large bag, piece by piece.
“My God-“ Ross coughed, as he sat up, struggling to breathe as Miles pivoted in his direction, sending fear straight through him as he rose on shaky feet. “He’s strong.”
“Definitely NOT human.” Jericho deuced harshly, as he spit blood, returning Miles’s heated gaze.
“How much?” Miles asked lightly as he started to pop the knuckles of his right hand.
“What?” Ross blurted out nervously, unsure how the situation could get worse.
“How much MONEY did Angelo PAY you?” Miles reiterated, the aura around him spiking with malice.
“Why?” Jericho snapped, growing annoyed with the dynamics at play. “We DID it.”
“Because I want you to know, how much money you got both your arms and legs BROKEN for.”
Miles quickly answered, his eyes reminiscent of obsidian as he rolled his shoulders, his body moving like lightening as he sparked the fire of confrontation, the walls around them shaking.
“Idiots.” Peni mumbled under her breath as she adjusted the settings of her watch, her eyes sliding onto the impending fight as she opened a portal home.
Gwen inhaled deeply, her chest burning as cold air filled her lungs.
“So cold.” She mumbled wrapping her arms around herself, her eyes looking over the ivory colored yard.
“I don’t understand why anyone would willingly live here.” Gwen complained out loud.
“Time moves slower here…it’s always snowing and people here impulse buy hours before storms.”
“Geez…tell me how you really feel.” Noir burped, his mask covering majority of his face as he took a sip from the large can in his hand.
“Is that beer?” Gwen asked in disgust, her arms unwrapping as she turned toward Noir in shock.
“Since when do you-“
“Gwen…I’m older than you.” Noir gently reminded, earning an annoyed huff from the Beta.
“Age has NOTHING to do with it.” She quickly protested as she took a seat beside him, shivering as she pulled the knitted blanket from around him.
“Sure Gwen, why don’t you join me?” Noir asked sarcastically as he leaned back in his seat, watching as more snow started to fall.
“You can totally use my blanket. I don’t need it.” He mumbled into his drink as he chugged it before she could speak.
“Why are you out here?” Gwen asked as soon as he pulled the can from his lips.
“Same reason you are.” He said lightly with a burp.
“And what reason is that?” She asked wrapping the blanket around her shoulders.
“Needed fresh air.” He said slowly, his eyes closing as puffs of smoke carried his words further into the cold, across the lawn, covering them both in silence.
Pav paced the length of his study, his mind on Kabir and her unfortunately accurate depiction of him.
He sighed tiredly as he took a seat at his desk, his eyes going wide as his door suddenly opened.
“This isn’t the bathroom.” Miguel hiccuped, an unserious giggle leaving his lips as his eyes met Pav’s.
“Can I help you?” Pav asked rising from his seat, surprised to see the taller man up and out of bed already.
“Not unless you can make my family love me, you can’t.”
Pav’s brows slammed into his hairline.
How the FUCK was he supposed to respond to that?
“I..what?” Pav asked, visibly lost and seeking clarification on the absurd and overly personal request.
“Exactly. You can’t.” Miguel hiccuped drunkenly.
Jessica stepped into the room as the ending credits started to play, her eyes falling onto her children.
“Where’s your father?” She asked lightly, earning an eye roll from Ignacio as he disapprovingly blew on his freshly painted finger nails.
“He left a few minutes after you.” Ignacio reluctantly informed.
Jessica opened her mouth to ask another question, her daughter swiftly beating her to the punch.
“Mom…do we really have to go to school here?”
Jessica’s brows furrowed in surprise.
She hadn’t even thought about that-let alone living in this dimension.
“Why would you think that?” Jessica asked, her attention on Summer as she handed the remote to Ignacio.
“Dad.” Ignacio said pointedly.
“We overheard him trying to talk to Andrés about starting school here.”
Rager flickered across Summer’s face, her expression twisting as she turned toward her mother. “WHY wouldn’t he ASK us?!”
The bedroom door suddenly opened revealing Andrés.
“Because we’re NOT Dad’s favorite.” Ignacio said evenly, as he added a coat of clear to his nails, numb to the truth and over the conversation.
“Alright alright…let me take you back to your family.” Pav said uncomfortably as he gently ushered the taller man out of his personal space and into the hallway.
“You can ask them ALL the questions you asked me.” Pav muttered under his breath as he guided Miguel down the hallway and back toward his designated room.
Miguel exhaled deeply, his eyes sliding onto Pav and reminding him of his drunken constitution.
“Can you talk to them for me?”
“What?” Pav asked, appalled by the question.
“No I won’t-“
“Pleaseeeeee?” Miguel pleaded, stopping just shy of the bedroom door, his green eyes locked on Pav. “They’ve been upset with me…for a while now.” He hiccuped.
“I bet you have a great relationship with your daughter”
Pav hesitated, unsure what to say.
“Can you help me…be more like you?” Miguel asked on the verge of tears.
“Absolutely not.” Gwen said dryly, quickly rejecting Noir’s offer of a drink.
“Why not?” Noir asked shifting in his seat and turning her way. “I brewed this myself.”
“Eww…that makes me want it less.” Gwen snorted.
“More for me .” Noir chuckled, his eyes falling back onto the falling snow in the front yard.
Gwen stirred beside him as he adjusted the blanket, evenly distributing it across their shoulders.
“It’s so cold.” Gwen shivered, a frown sliding across her lips as she watched the cold air cling to her words in puffs. “Why the fuck are you out here?
“To think.” Noir said clearing his throat as he tilted his beanie down over his eyes.
“I grew up here…the cold is what I’m used to.” Noir hummed as Gwen tossed him a look of disbelief.
Gwen looked him over, taking in the black sweat pants and steel gray hoodie he wore.
The most casual she’d ever seen him.
“You’re going to catch a cold.” Gwen sighed as her eyes slid to Noir’s bare feet in Adidas slides.
“Doubt it.” Noir yawned boredly, his eyes opening as an unhappy neighbor attempted to shovel snow from his driveway.
“I never get sick andddd I shovel snow during storms.”
“How is Hobie?” Gwen asked, quickly changing the topic and filling the air with heavy silence, her worried blue eyes piercing straight through him.
“I promise I’m fine lovely.” Hobie repeated with a tired smile as he walked Kabir to her bedroom, his eyes going wide as he stepped into her chilly bedroom.
“Dad if you aren’t feeling well…please TELL me.” Kabir asked softly, her eyes following his line of sight onto her broken window.
“Yeahhhh…that just happened-“
“You’re NOT sleeping in here.” Hobie said sharply, bypassing his daughter’s nonchalance, his eyes locked on the ugly piece of wood nailed across her window.
“Dad you aren’t listening.” Kabir sighed with an eye roll as she started to rearrange the plushies across her bed.
“I was listening.” Hobie mumbled as he grabbed a spare blanket from her closet and ushered her out of the bedroom, quickly closing the door behind them.
“You can sleep with us tonight.” Hobie yawned as he linked arms with Kabir, her long legs matching his stride as they continued down the hallway.
“Dad-I can just sleep in the attic.” She gently reminded. “Remember-Pop and I painted the walls last summer?”
“I do.” Hobie confirmed wrinkling his nose with disinterest.
“You know it takes a long time for the attic to warm up-even with the heat on full blast.” Hobie sharply replied, quickly reminding her of the first night she’d slept in the attic and nearly froze to death.
“Dad I have a heater and I’m old enough to sleep alone.” She hissed, her cheeks growing warm with embarrassment at the realization he was treating her like a baby.
“We can build a fort and watch Princess and the frog.” He suggested.
“Are you serious?” She asked with an amused laugh, her mind fondly filling with nostalgic memories of her childhood.
“Why…do you think I’m Dad’s favorite?” Andrés asked uncomfortably as he slowly met the gaze of his older siblings.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room.
“I DON’T know what’s going on-but that ISN’T true.” Andrés stated, anger rolling across his shoulders and dropping into his chest
“YES you are!” Summer snapped, stepping forward before Jessica could defuse the situation that was brewing.
“Dad literally goes out of his way to show you!” She protested, rapidly shooting off her grievances. “Why’d he give you that key card? Why’d he give you a limitless credit card OVER us? WHY would he ASK you about switching schools and NOT us?!”
Andrés’s eyes narrowed. “You two think I LIKE all the extra stress Dad GIVES me?!”
Jessica’s eyes widened, she’d never heard Andrés raise his voice let alone yell at anyone.
“Andrés baby calm down.” She encouraged, her words falling on deaf ears as Ignacio tagged himself into the argument.
“STRESS?” Ignacio asked in sarcastic disbelief.
“HOW are you stressed with a LIMITLESS credit card?” He asked dryly as he tossed his head back and laughed.
“You LITERALLY do whatever you want.”
He pointed out as he twisted the nail polish bottle closed, his eyes on his baby brother as he rose to his feet.
“Did you forget you STOLE a computer from a government building-and NOTHING happened?”
“He did WHAT?!” Jessica snapped, making Andrés look away.
“You didn’t get in trouble for shocking Dad at the hospital either.” Ignacio reminded as he stood his ground. “Dad didn’t even bat an eye.”
“Let me “accidentally” lose control of my powers and INJURE Dad-it’s fucking world war three!”
“WATCH YOUR MOUTH.” Jessica warned sharply, her motherly tone asserting order.
“Sorry Mom-but it’s TRUE.” Ignacio hissed, his eyes burning into Andrés as he continued.
“If you aren’t the FAVORITE-WHAT ARE YOU?”
“I REALLY think you should talk to Jessica about this.” Pav interrupted, attempting to avoid Miguel’s current tale of woe.
“I don’t…know how to even bring it up.” Miguel admitted weakly, his eyes closing as he fought back insecure frustration.
“YES YOU DO.” Pav said sternly as he placed an encouraging hand on Miguel’s shoulder.
“THIS IS STUPID.” Andrés shot back as he pulled his wallet from his pocket and ripped two shinny cards from the pockets.
“Out of all of us…” He trailed off as he tossed the credit card and key card onto the floor.
“I’m the only one GOOD with money.” Andrés concluded harshly, his eyes bouncing from Ignacio and onto Summer.
“You seem JEALOUS of the fact I’m RESPONSIBLE.”Andrés assessed.
“JEALOUS?!” Ignacio squawked, quickly bringing his brother back to earth.
“New’s flash Mr.Responsible, he FORGOT your birthdays too!!”
“Yeah, so I saw a random guy in the kitchen.” Miguel remembered out loud as he stepped in front of the door.
“What? I didn’t see anyone in the kitchen.” Pav said, his eyes bouncing down the hallway briefly before returning to Miguel.
“Stop trying to distract me.” Pav said dryly as he knocked on the bedroom door and shoved Miguel into the middle of an argument.
“Wh…y is everyone yelling?” Miguel asked unhappily as he drunkenly covered his ears.
Jessica heart dropped into his stomach as her eyes fell onto Miguel.
“We’ll just ASK him. Since he’s here.” Summer said casually, her attention sliding to her father as she dismissed her brothers bickering.
“Dad, who’s your favorite?” Summer asked sharply, her eyes digging through their father as he squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze.
“Why does that matter?” Ross asked timidly as he watched Jericho slowly rise on shaky legs, his left eye bruised completely shut.
“Because it does-now go find a first aid kit.” Miles ordered, his eyes still on Jericho.
“I’m done. We can go now.” Peni said lightly as she stepped beside Miles, her fingers adjusting the settings of her watch.
“Thank God.” Ross murmured under his breath as he slid Jericho’s arm across his shoulder, politely supporting his weight.
“I need a shower and a bed-NOW.”
“Oh you two aren’t coming with me.” Peni hummed, ignoring the panic seeping out of both men as they squawked in disbelief.
“Where are we supposed to go?!” Jericho snapped, his tone dropping as Miles shot him a dirty look. “All our things…are at your house.
He added softly.
“I’ll drop them off later.” Peni said with a dismissive wave as she stepped toward the forming portal.
“Buttttttt I do have an idea.” Peni said with a mischievous smile, her eyes bouncing onto Miles.
“You gave our house to the people who KIDNAPPED Margo?” Gonzalo asked in disbelief, unsure if he should yell or curse out his other half.
“Let me explain.” Miles said evenly as he stepped away from Peni, his eyes curiously roaming her lab equipment as he pressed earbuds into his ears.
“Please do.” Gonzalo sighed tiredly as he took a seat at the kitchen table, his eyes on Pav as he offered him a graciously large cup of chai.
“Nope, I’m not.” Gwen said dryly as she watched her phone go to voicemail, her eyes on Peni’s name as a voicemail notification slid across the screen.
“You STILL seem upset to me.” Noir pointed out as he pulled a fourth beer from the cooler under his chair, his eyes marveling at the soft white sheet of ice that blanketed his yard, untouched.
“Why are you out here again?” Gwen asked with a frown, unable to see the beauty beyond the frigid weather and aggressive windchill of a breeze.
“Let me guess…to catch pneumonia?” She asked sarcastically, her attention sliding onto Pav as he stepped onto the front porch in an oversized sweater that hung off one of his shoulders.
“Get in the house before you catch pneumonia.” Pav shivered, his dark eyes on Noir as he tossed the Alpha a warning look.
“I’m fine.” Noir said dismissively with an eye roll, his attention sliding back to the ice covered road just past the front yard.
“Hobie just got out of the hospital-I’m NOT rushing YOU back into it.” Pav snapped as he reached for Noir’s hand and pulled him to his feet.
Gwen shifted in her seat, ready to tell off the smaller man, her concern swiftly evaporating in the breeze as a happy smile slid across Noir’s lips.
“Awww you’re worried about me.” Noir teased playfully, making the shorter man’s cheeks warm as he leaned forward, gleefully holding Pav’s gaze as he spoke.
“You’ve been drinking.” Pav quickly noted.
“I think it’s cute when you’re bossy.” Noir teased flirtatiously, his arm wrapping around Pav’s waist and lifting him off his feet, pressing them crotch to crotch.
“You smell like…” Noir trailed off as he pressed his lips along Pav’s throat and deeply inhaled.
“Citrus and honey.”
“I-Noir please….Gwen’s right there.” Pav mumbled, his cheeks burning red as Noir placed a series of heated kisses along his adam’s apple and exposed shoulder.
Gwen cleared her throat loudly, reminding him of her presence a few inches away.
“Oh she is.” Noir said with a laugh, his kisses stopping as he slightly pulled away.
“How much have you had to drink?” Pav questioned knowingly as he pressed a sober hand to Noir’s chest, hints of worry wrapped around his tone.
“Not enough.” Noir lied as Pav’s feet touched the deck.
“Too much.” Pav said softly, bunching the fabric of the Alpha’s hoodie in his hand.
“Just a little.” Noir confessed breathlessly as he pressed Pav’s hand flat to his chest, their link warming with vivid arousal.
“WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?” Gonzalo yelled as he walked in on Marianna and Matéo
mid argument, their voices growing louder as the disagreement grew heated.
“Stop it Mari!” Matéo yelled as his grip on the right strap of the watch tightened, his eyes burning into his sister. “You don’t even know what you’re doing!”
“Yes I do!” Marianna snapped, her fingers frantically adjusting the different watch settings as she yanked the left strap of the watch harshly.
Gonzalo’s brows slammed together as he watched the children continue to fight and bicker, quickly tuning him out.
“WHAT’S gotten into you two-you know you aren’t allowed to play with that.” Gonzalo reminded as he attempted to defuse the situation, his efforts quickly falling onto indifferent ears as the argument continued.
“Mari you NEED to accept there’s NOTHING there for us!” Matéo rebuffed as he wound the strap of the watch around the palm of his hand and yanked hard, readjusting the settings.
“Nothing for WHO?!” Marianna yelled as she slammed her hand into the face of the watch, bathing the room in white as an unstable portal rippled around them. “I’m GOING home!!”
Chapter 16: Favorite?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
“Ouch.” Marianna groaned sitting up as she rubbed the arm she’d landed on in her rush to salvation.
“Thank God it’s NOT snowing.” She sighed with relief, making her brother accelerate up the scale of irritation.
“I hope you’re happy.” Matéo said stiffly as his eyes distrustfully roamed their new surroundings.
“We’re stranded because you’re selfish.”
“What?!” Marianna snapped, rising tall on unsteady legs. “You changed the coordinates when you grabbed the watch!”
“You DON’T even know HOW to use the watch!” Matéo snapped with narrowed eyes.
“If anything THIS is your fault!” Marianna quickly shot back.
“Oh.” Matéo said lightly turning his full attention onto his sister.
“So it’s MY fault we’re trapped here?” He asked, gearing up for an argument.
“Oh shit.” Gonzalo said still in disbelief, his hand shaking as he dialed Peni’s number.
“I’m just not returning her calls.” Gwen said defensively, growing annoyed at all the questions being thrown her way.
“That sounds like…you’re mad.” Pav stated gently, his eyes sliding from Gwen and onto the frozen lawn in front of them.
“You’ve been sending Peni to voicemail for the past twenty four hours BUT you want us to believe you’re NOT mad?” Noir asked as he opened a new beer, his eyes on Gwen as he chugged the beverage.
“Sounds mad to me.” He added with a burp.
“No it doesn’t and no I don’t.” Gwen argued, attempting to keep the anger from highlighting her feelings on the subject.
Maybe if she ignored everything-it would all stop.
The fighting.
The arguing.
The judgmental look that Peter wore every time she did something he didn’t agree with.
“YES it does AND yes you ARE!” Pav interrupted, yanking her out of her silly thoughts and back onto the porch.
“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Hobie asked as Margo bumped into him, her eyes glued to her phone, her thumbs rapidly flying across the keys.
“Can’t sleep…looking for Gwen.” Margo yawned, resisting the urge to call Peni as she watched several text bubbles appear and disappear on screen.
“She’s on the porch.” Kabir hummed as she stepped into the hallway with a large bowl of popcorn.
“Is everything alright…?” Hobie trailed off, his eyes sliding to Margo’s silhouette as she bolted down the hallway and past the kitchen.
“Whose chocolate strawberries are those?” Kabir inquired, her stomach loudly growling.
Noir closed his eyes, allowing himself to drunkenly drift through his thoughts as Gwen and Pav argued.
Totally ruining his buzz.
“You should go home and talk to Peni.” Pav suggested dryly. “Sitting here avoiding her calls obviously WON’T solve anything.”
“Thanks, but NO thanks. I don’t need ANY relationship advice from YOU.” Gwen dismissed sharply with disinterest, causing him to shift angrily in his seat.
“Excuse me?” Pav shot back appalled.
“If you have something to say-SAY IT.” He challenged, his voice dropping an octave.
Gwen blinked, wordlessly weighing her options.
Noir cleared his throat and took a sip of his beer, unsure if he wanted to hear an explanation or be a distraction.
“Nothing.” Gwen lied, as she turned away, her eyes falling onto the iced over walkway. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“No, you MEANT something.” Pav stated evenly, his brows creasing together with irritation.
“Otherwise you wouldn’t have said it.”
“Pav…” Noir pleaded gently, attempting to interrupt the flow of conversation. “I think-“
“WHAT DID YOU MEAN GWEN?” Pav snapped, ignoring his partner.
Wordlessly Noir moved in his seat, concerned hazel eyes on Pav as he placed his hand on his upper thigh and gave a supportive squeeze, silently encouraging him to breath.
Gwen turned toward Pav, her expression blank as she contemplated ripping off the bandaid and airing out her grievances.
“Well?” Pav asked impatiently.
Noir’s eyes slowly slid to Gwen.
“Since you have the BEST relationship and you’re so perfect, tell me WHAT I’m doing WRONG.” Pav demanded.
“I…I don’t-“ Miguel hesitated, his drunken mind sluggish in speed as he struggled to process what was happening.
“Who is your FAVORITE?” Summer repeated unphased by his discomfort, her pretty face pinched with rage as she dived into conformation.
“He’s just going to lie.” Ignacio stated dryly as he stood up straight beside his sister, his dark eyes devoid of patience. “Like usual.”
“I don’t have a favorite.” Miguel said evenly, his eyes on Summer. “I love you all the same.”
“Bullshit.” Ignacio snorted under his breath, earning an unhappy look from his mother.
“If you love us all the same…why do you treat us differently?” Andrés asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he uncomfortably shared his thoughts, his eyes sliding from the cards on the floor and onto his father.
Miguel’s eyes went wide with shock.
“What?! I don’t-“
“Yes. You. Do.” Andrés said firmly, his voice slightly elevating in volume as he clinched his fists at his sides, his irritation with the situation steadily growing as he felt light pops of static warm his fingertips.
He didn’t want to be having this conversation.
Didn’t want to hear his older siblings yell at him about things he couldn’t control.
It was all so…exhausting.
“I DON’T have favorites.” Miguel repeated a bit louder, his eyes on his children as the scent of despair floated from his pours and seeped into the air.
The accusations hurt.
His father had done that.
Had made his children fight tooth and nail for a slither of attention.
Miguel inhaled deeply.
He’d never do that bullshit.
“You sure?” Ignacio asked, his right brow lifting as he leaned against the bedroom dresser, his dark eyes sizing his father up.
“Because it seems like every time something important comes up-you ONLY talk to Andrés.”
Miguel opened his mouth to protest, his palms growing sweaty as Summer loudly cleared her throat.
“Why is that?” She asked evenly, before her father could respond, her lashes growing heavy with tears of frustration.
“Because you and Ignacio…don’t like me.”Miguel admitted after a moment, his confession sending an uncomfortable silence throughout the room.
“You barely tolerate me.” He added.
“Oh Miguel…”Jessica said softly, the admission making her insides itch with sadness as her mind rapidly shifted back to the rainy night he’d collapsed in the yard, the knife still wedged inside of him, his eyes locked on her as he passed out, the haunting cries of their children forever engraved in her mind.
“That isn’t true.” Jessica said slowly, shoving away the unpleasant memory.
“I just don’t want any of you to hate me.” Miguel hiccuped uncomfortably, refusing to meet her gaze as he ran a shaky hand through his hair
“What?” Summer questioned, caught off guard by the weight of his words. “Dad that’s not true.”
“I meannnnn… you’re pretty lame-but I don’t hate you.” Ignacio shrugged, earning a jab from his sister.
“Every time I came home….I-I could feel a SHIFT in the house…” Miguel trailed off, his attention sliding to a painting across the room as he faught back his emotions, the expression on his face tense with sadness.
Jessica shifted in his direction, her eyes heavy with apprehension as she snatched a tissue box from the night stand and hurriedly stepped his way.
“After constantly being spread thin-managing the District…I’d RUN home to see you.” Miguel confessed with a soft smile, his voice wavering.
“Excited to spend time with EACH of you-only to be ignored and avoided.”
Ignacio bit his bottom lip, fighting back the inkling of guilt he felt.
That had been true.
He’d gone out of his way to avoid their father, often times using sports, school or friends as an excuse to ditch the old man.
“Anytime I’d try to start a conversation with either of you or ask you about school….you’d go out of your way NOT to answer my questions, let alone talk to me.”
Summer’s brows inched into her hairline with guilt, she’d done that on more occasions than she’d like to admit.
She usually locked her bedroom door and stayed in her room with her headphones tightly pressed over her ears, silencing the world around her for hours, happily bypassing family dynamics.
Her father’s sporadic visits and nonsensical conversations had quickly grown annoying, swiftly motivating her to complete a chore across the house and out of his vicinity.
Summer’s eyes slid to her noise canceling headphones.
Had…she intentionally been doing that?
Purposely AVOIDING her father?
“I feel like-you DON’T want me to KNOW anything about either of you.” Miguel concluded, yanking Summer from her musings and making one of his children see red.
Disgust skipped across Ignacio’s face as he stood up straight, his rage sprinting past Summer and hoping over Andrés, straight onto their father.
“Are you trying to blame US for you NOT being a present father and NOT knowing anything about us?” Ignacio asked in disbelief, his eyes shooting daggers into Miguel so harshly he stumbled backward.
Miguel bumped into the door, his expression pained as he struggled to speak. “No that’s not-“
“Then WHAT is it?” Ignacio demanded, shoving the room into chaos.
Andrés inhaled shakily, the air around him suddenly growing suffocating, damn near unbearable as his siblings and father started to argue, heatedly going back and forth, ignoring the sensible words of his mother.
“I-I…I can’t do this.” Andrés stuttered uncomfortably his palms growing sweaty as he bolted out of the bedroom, quickly exiting the family argument.
Hobie yawned as he stretched in bed, a smile sliding to his lips as he plopped a chocolate covered strawberry into his mouth, his eyes closing as the opening of the movie started.
“Kabirrrrr you’re missing the movie!” He called lazily as he fluffed his pillow under his head, exhaustion gently tugging at his senses as he dug into the popcorn bowl.
“I’ve had enough of your shit.” Pav announced as he rose from his seat, his eyes viscously rolling as he pulled open the front door.
“Between YOU and Peni I’m not sure who’s worse.” He stated darkly, his words nearly sparking the flame to violence.
“I’m sorry-“ Gwen stated heatedly as she sprang from the chair and to her feet. “WHAT did you say?”
“I SAIDDD, you’re probably STRESSING out Margo and the BABY.” Pav hissed, as Noir quickly stood up and stepped between them.
Gwen’s eyes narrowed, a malicious comeback lingering on the tip of her lips as his words bounced around her already congested mind, making her taste a mix of anger and guilt, she didn’t like.
“You DON’T know what the fuck you’re talking about.” She snapped defensively standing her ground, the chilly night air breezing through her hair wildly.
“Yes the FUCK I do.” Pav challenged.
“Pav…don’t.” Noir pleaded gently as his arm quickly lifted between the pair like an unwanted draw bridge.
“First Peni and now you.” Pav said evenly, his sharp eyes bouncing past Noir and onto the Beta.
“KEEP this up and you WON’T be WELCOME in my home either.”
Gwen’s expression didn’t change, her irritation spiking as she leaned toward him.
“Was that a threat?”
“No.” Pav said heatedly as Noir’s eyes slowly slid onto him. “It’s a promise.”
“Gwen!” Margo huffed as she pulled open the front door and smiled, relief flooding her system as their eyes met.
“What did you just say?” Peni asked evenly, attempting to remain calm as she sprinted toward her laptop, her fingers franticly searching.
“How long have they been gone?”
“Under two minutes.” Gonzalo said nervously as he started to pace the length of the bedroom, his anxiety steadily mounting.
“Give me a second-I’ll find them.” Peni said as she combed through dimensions searching for the watch’s signal.
“I’m trying not to panic…but they were fighting when they fell through the portal.” Gonzalo said softly, tears starting to cloud his vision.
“I should have been paying more attention.” He inhaled sharply, trying to fight back tears of exhaustion streaming past his lower last line.
“It’s ok.” Peni said softly, attempting to offer comfort. “You want me to send the coordinates to Miles or-should I just get them?”
“Could you get them? I don’t want to add anything else to Miles’s plate.” Gonzalo said brushing away tears. “Where are they?”
“Mmmmh…they’ve managed to find their way to me.” She shared with relief as she leaned back in her seat, her eyes sliding to the watch on her wrist.
“What? They made it to your dimension? How?” Gonzalo asked as he grabbed a sweater from the closet.
“I’m guessing my dimension was the closest location to whatever was typed in.” Peni yawned as she grabbed a light jacket and quickly zipped it, the watch on her wrist glowing as a map of the city pixelated in front of her.
“Seems like the most realistic explanation.” Peni hummed, her eyes quickly picking through the map and landing on the twin’s location.
“I wish he did a better job putting things up.” Gonzalo sighed halfheartedly as he took a seat on the foot of the bed, his hand sliding to his stomach. “Where are th-“
“A pizzeria downtown.” Peni quickly answered before he could finish, she twisted her house key into the lock, her eyes nervously roaming the streets for reporters.
“If I go by foot…I can get there in seven minutes.” She said with a smile as she ended the call, her eyes on the flickering streetlights as she bolted down the street, bypassing cars and dog walkers.
“Great.” Matéo said unimpressed as he looked around their unfamiliar surroundings and grimaced.
“We’re starving and lost-thanks to you.”
“Stop being dramatic.” Marianna said boredly, her eyes glued to a nearby restaurant window as she watched an older man toss raw dough into the air, his flour covered apron twisting around him as he flipped the dough into a new shape.
“We needed to get out of the house, anyway.” She said dismissively as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a hellokitty wallet.
“What are you even talking about?” Matéo snapped his eyes slicing into his sister as he watched her pull a fifty dollar bill from her wallet, unbothered by his display.
“How many pizzas you want?” Marianna asked impulsively changing the subject, her hand already pushing open the glass door to the pizzeria as she shoved her wallet back into her pocket.
“Where did you get that?” He asked rushing to her side and catching the door, his eyes closing as the rich aroma of spices and cheese filled his nose.
“Allowance, duhhh.” Marianna said with an eye roll as she took a seat at the nearest empty table and picked up a menu.
“We DON’T get an allowance.” Matéo said flatly as he took a seat across from her and rudely plucked the menu from her hands.
“No Tay. YOU don’t get an allowance.” She corrected with a hiss, making his brows slide into his hairline in surprise as she leaned across the table and snatched the menu from his hand.
“You can have free rein of the house, just keep it clean.” Miles said as he dropped two crispy suitcases harshly onto the living room floor.
“What’s the catch?” Jericho asked clutching his side, his rib cage aching as he slowly looked over the large space distrustfully.
Unimpressed by the hideous art and strange wallpaper choices.
“No catch. Just house sit and call me if anything happens.” Miles said evenly, his eyes sliding to the window as he watched thunder strike, painting the neighborhood houses white.
He grimaced as he looked around the empty living room, the desire to get back to his family rapidly mounting.
Jericho followed his gaze and frowned.
“Whose ugly house is this?” He asked stiffly, earning a dirty look from Miles.
“And WHY are we WATCHING it?
“Jericho…we’re homeless.” Ross weakly reminded, his voice breaking as Miles’s cold obsidian eyes met his.
“We should be thankful.” Ross said clearing his throat as he strode across the room and lifted his suitcase from the floor.
“No.” Jericho disagreed quickly, his eyes burning into Miles. “What are you expecting to happen?”
Miles adjusted the settings of his watch, indifferent to Jericho’s question as a portal rippled to life behind him.
“Like I said.” Miles said sharply as he met Jericho’s gaze and smiled, sending a wayward chill up his spine.
“Call me if anything happens.” Miles repeated as he turned around and stepped into the portal.
“Finally done.” Kabir sang greedily as she pulled a pan of brownies from the oven, her smile dropping as she turned around, the pan nearly slipping from her fingers as sad green eyes met hers.
“Andrés are you ok?” She asked softly as she sat the pan down on the counter and hurriedly pulled off her oven mitts.
“I-had a fight with my family.” He said solemnly, his eyes closing as feelings of melancholy floated from his pores, forcing Kabir in his direction.
“We don’t have to talk about it.” She said calmly, her arms quickly wrapping around him and pulling him close, as she spoke comforting words into the air.
“We can stand here like this…until you’re ready to let go.”
Wordlessly Andrés buried his face in her chest, his eyes closing as he deeply inhaled the comforting scent of fabric softener that clung to her clothes.
“I can’t believe I let those idiots into my home.” Miles said grimly as he stepped into Peni’s empty room, the frown on his face deepening as he looked around.
“Where the hell is she?” He asked the dimly lit space, his eyes seeking out her laptop, brightly glowing across the room.
“Why is she..at a pizzeria…?” He trailed off, his eyes locked on the coordinates on the screen as he pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed the Beta’s number.
Peni unzipped her jacket as she pushed open the door, her eyes searching the semi packed restaurant.
She strolled pass the hostess on her phone, her eyes immediately landing on the twins at a table near a window.
The two of them deeply involved in conversation as they fed their faces, pasta sauce and cheese rolling down their chins.
Wordlessly she pulled a chair from the table and took a seat, startling the children mid argument.
“So we’re NOT lost.” Matéo said with relief as he sat his slice of pizza down and grabbed a napkin.
“Are we in trouble?” He asked seriously as he dabbed the corner of his lips, making Peni snort.
“Shut up Tay.” Marianna hissed as she bit into a garlic knot.
“WHY would you be in trouble?” Peni asked curiously as she pulled her phone from her bag, her eyes sliding onto Miles’s contact picture.
“Probably because we gave Dad a heart attack.”
Matéo sighed leaning back in his seat, his eyes sliding onto his sister.
Marianna opened her mouth to argue, quickly supplying a rebuttal. “Dad’s just dramatic-“
“We’re definitely in trouble.” He added, quickly cutting her off.
“Where the hell is Kabir?” Hobie yawned tiredly as he pulled the blanket over his shoulder.
“Kabirrrrrr…she’s a frog now.” He yawned as he fluffed his pillow.
“You’re missing the movie.” He mumbled as his head hit the pillow and his eyes closed.
Kabir watched as Andrés stood idly in her room, his eyes curiously roaming the posters that decorated the attic walls as if he’d missed something.
As if he weren’t just in her room the day before.
In her bed, touching and kissing her.
She cleared her throat and lifted a discarded plush from the floor.
Andrés stood shyly in place, as if he were too nervous to touch anything as he watched her move about the space.
“It’s a little chilly up here…but I can turn my heater on.” She said awkwardly as the room heater purred to life, her body instantly relaxing as the machine started to hum and huff out heat.
“Thanks.” Andrés mumbled, his eyes lingering on an Incubus poster.
“I just needed…to get away from everyone.” He admitted, his eyes sliding to Kabir as she stepped beside him.
“You wanna talk about it over brownies?” She asked as she offered him a heated blanket.
“What’s that smell?” Noir wondered out loud, his interest no longer on the argument brewing on the porch.
“Kabir made brownies.” Margo quickly supplied as she took Gwen’s hand and yanked her out of Pav’s face and into the house.
“WHAT’S wrong with you?” Margo asked heatedly as the door swung closed behind them, her irritation louder than the smell of brownies.
“Nothing.” Gwen lied, annoyed she’d been pulled out of one argument and into another.
“Yes something.” Margo snapped, making the Beta cross her arms over her chest and look away.
“I go to sleep for twenty minutes and you’re FIGHTING with Pav?!”
“It wasn’t a fight.” Gwen mumbled weakly.
“Just a disagreement.”
A disagreement she’d started.
“About what?” Margo asked, a lecture about compassion loading on her the tip of her tongue as her hands slid onto her hips in disapproval.
Gwen didn’t respond.
Margo inhaled and exhaled deeply, quickly gathering her thoughts.
“Gwen…” She started softly, her ember eyes dim with exhaustion. “Peni and Pav just got into it NOT even three days ago.”
Gwen huffed as the thought briefly flickered across her mind.
“WHY are YOU starting fights with Pav?!” Margo snapped, her irritation blatantly slashed across her pretty face.
Embarrassment floated across Gwen’s face.
Had she done that on purpose?
“You do KNOW we can’t go home until this media storm STOPS, right?”
“Why did you do that?” Jessica asked dryly, her voice cutting through the sterile silence of the room. “I can’t believe this argument even happened.”
“Well Mom it did-and it did because it NEEDED to happen.” Ignacio deadpanned.
“Your father DOESN’T have a favorite.” She informed flatly, disappointed the conversation was still being dragged out.
“Sure feels like it.” Ignacio mumbled under his breath.
Jessica’s eyes snapped in Ignacio’s direction.
“You AND Summer are BAD with money. That’s WHY Andrés had the credit card.”
“You KNEW?!” Summer asked unhappily.
“I KNOW you two SPEND your allowance the moment you get it.” Jessica promptly reminded.
“Hell sometimes it’s SPENT before it even touches your hands.” She snorted, her eyes burning into Ignacio.
“Mom…we went over this.” Ignacio whined, earning a dirty look from his sister. “It was Beyoncé.”
“Stop proving her point.” Summer whisper hissed.
“Last time WE gave you TWO access to an emergency FUND-you spent it, REMEMBER?” Jessica asked crossing her arms over her chest.
“But Mom that wasn’t me!” Summer protested, ready to toss her brother under the bus.
“Hey!” Ignacio squawked turning toward his sister, his eyes going wide as she spoke.
“Ignacio bought those tickets-“
“You didn’t stop him either.” Jessica snapped, vividly remembering the look of elation that had consumed her children’s faces on the jumbo screen.
“Mom let me explain.” Summer franticly pleaded, her desire to keep her allowance intact obvious.
“It doesn’t matter. “Jessica exhaled with a tired shake of her head. “It ONLY proved you two weren’t ready for financial responsibility.”
“Andrés was the most rational choice.” Miguel stated clearing his throat as he eyed the cards tossed across the floor.
“I didn’t mean to make you two upset.” He added, his eyes sliding to his children. “I’m sorry.”
“Your Dad said that?” Kabir asked, visibly in shock as she leaned backward in bed and made an overly animated face.
“Yeah he did.” Andrés snorted as he snatched a second brownie from the bowl between them.
“That’s a lot.” Kabir whistled.
“Always is.” Andrés agreed as he polished off the rest of his brownie.
“Soooo out of your siblings….you have the MOST self control?” She asked with a smile as she leaned into several plushies, her body physically relaxing as a leisurely expression crossed her face.
Andrés laughed at the suggestive tone, his cheeks warming with color as he held her gaze, suddenly remembering the way her lips had felt pressed against his.
“Glad I could make you laugh.” She said proudly as she snatched a brownie from the bowl, pushing him out of his lusty thoughts.
“Thanks for…listening.” Andrés said with a shy smile as he grabbed another brownie.
“Any time, any place.” Kabir hummed, as she polished off her brownie and licked her fingers, making him laugh again.
“I’m envious of your bed.” Andrés confessed as he fell backwards into the silk sheets and mountain of plushies, his eyes closing as he spread his arms wide.
“God it’s comfortable.” He said as he deeply inhaled the sheets and smiled. “Like fresh laundry.”
“Did you want to sleep in here tonight?” She offered as she rose to her feet and yawned loudly, lazily stretching her long limbs above her head.
“Really?” Andrés asked, quickly sitting up, mindful not to knock anything to the floor.
“But aren’t you sleeping here?”
“Not tonight.” She said with a dismissive wave as she plucked the brownie bowl from the bed and smiled. “I’ll be with my parents tonight.”
“I smell brownie-but don’t see brownie.” Noir complained as he fruitlessly searched the kitchen, his lackluster search taking him into the dishwasher to investigate.
Pav wordlessly stood beside Noir, the frown on his face unmoving as the Alpha bumped into him.
“Will you stop being upset if I give you a brownie?” Noir asked sweetly, earning a heated look from the smaller man.
“You DON’T have a brownie.” Pav pointed out.
“So NO.”
“I said if.” Noir whined as their daughter appeared.
“Brownie?” Kabir offered as she stepped into the kitchen and handed Pav the bowl as she headed toward the refrigerator, in search of a drink.
“Now you have one.” Noir sang as he plucked two brownies from the bowl. “Stop being upset.”
“No.” Pav huffed in response as he pivoted on his heels and exited the kitchen, bowl in hand.
“Awww…he took all MY brownies.” Noir sighed sadly as Kabir poured herself a glass of almond milk.
“Dada’s upset?” She asked as she brought the cup to her lips and took several sips, patiently waiting for a response.
Peni shook her head as she brushed away Marianna’s hand and payed with a card.
“So why are you two in THIS Dimension?” She asked curiously as the server took her card and disappeared.
“This wasn’t on purpose.” Matéo quickly admitted, earning a harsh look from his sister.
“But we did need space.” He added with a tired sigh, his eyes sliding to the server as he reappeared with the receipt and two togo boxes.
“What’s wrong?” Peni asked lightly as she started to pack up their food.
“What isn’t?!” Marianna snapped abruptly, startling both Peni and Matéo.
“Everything is wrong.” Marianna continued evenly as she snatched a cloth napkin from the table and rung it anxiously with her hands, her eyes downcast as she spoke.
“We can’t go home. Can’t go to school-or play outside.” She huffed angrily.
“We also hate the snow.” Matéo added dryly.
Sadness skipped across Peni’s brows, empathy quickly lifting her from her seat, as she rushed through her task and turned her attention toward Marianna.
“Mari…this-everything going on is temporary and you’ll be able to go home soon.” Peni promised as the girl burst into tears.
“Mari…please don’t cry.” Matéo pleaded softly as he took his sister’s hand and gently squeezed.
“We’ll go home soon.”
“You don’t know that.” Marianna protested weakly as she snatched her hand away and rubbed her eyes.
“You’ll be home soon, I promise.” Peni said softly as she pulled the two children into a hug, her arms locking around them as she recited words of encouragement.
“Why the fuck do you think he gave us access to this house?” Jericho asked distrustfully, his eyes bouncing across the bedroom walls as he slid under the blankets, quickly pressing his cold fingers into Ross’s arm.
“Don’t know…don’t care.” Ross mumbled into his pillow, on the verge of sleep, his eyes slowly closing as he felt his freshly showered body relax, the stress of the day slowly evaporating.
“Of course you don’t.” Jericho harshly hissed with an eye roll. “As long as you get to sleep.”
Ross sat up abruptly, his eyes angrily burning into Jericho. “Did you forget-YOU got MY LUXURY apartment BURNED DOWN?!”
“Me?!” Jericho snapped, taken aback by the accusation. “I didn’t do that shit-“
“No. But you ENTERTAINED the bitch who did.” Ross sharply reminded as he yanked a pillow from the head of the bed and tossed it harshly into Jericho’s direction.
“You took on a CRAZY client then YOU enrolled us into a horribly public media circus and then turned around and KIDNAPPED a PREGNANT woman for money!!”
Jericho winched, his hands quickly covering his ears, as he tried to ignore Ross’s words.
“You’re lucky they DID’NT press charges and COUNTER sue us into oblivion!!” Ross erupted, his cream complexion swiftly turning red with frustration.
“We’d be more than just fucking HOMELESS.” He snapped making Jericho awkwardly shift across the bed, quickly putting distance between them.
“I’ve been nothing BUT patient with you.” Ross said clearing his throat as he smoothed out the blankets on the other side of the bed.
“But it’s just been one bad decision after another-“
“Ross I-“
“I’d like to sleep ALONE tonight.” Ross cut in sternly, ignoring Jericho’s heartfelt lies.
“This is what I needed.” Angelo moaned breathlessly as he jabbed himself again with a needle, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as he stumbled backward into his desk, knocking papers and pens to the floor, the euphoric sensation making him see endless color.
“This never gets old.” He groaned as he fell to the floor, his body suddenly becoming overly warm as the liquid traveled throughout his bloodstream, making him feel weak and exhausted.
He crawled to the window, and pulled himself up, taking shallow breaths as he watched the rain continue to fall harder, quickly soaking the world outside his window.
He exhaled slowly, his body buzzing wildly with jitters as he felt the change start, the sensation akin to having drank twelve espresso shots back to back.
“In a few more days…I’m showing this to the board.” Angelo slurred, a wavering smile sliding cross his lips as he watched his appearance change in the window.
He giggled as wrinkles rapidly receded into smooth skin, he hummed with glee as the sensation dipped into tired limbs and wrapped around aged joints.
“Ageing has potential to be such a beautiful thing…” He trailed off, his index finger sliding along his jawline as he watched his features sharpen.
“Just not right now-I have too many things to do.” He stated proudly, his lips itching as he spit out his retainer and watched it bounce across the floor.
Angelo abruptly pivoted, his attention no longer on his appearance as he stormed across his home lab in search of his journal.
“I need to figure out how to make this permanent.” He said rolling his shoulders forward, his eyes closing as his back popped.
“And less…painful.”
“What the FUCK was that?” Lyla asked sharply as Miguel’s eyes met her’s in the bathroom mirror.
“A disaster…obviously.” Miguel mumbled as he scrubbed his hands with soap, not bothering to hold the gaze of another disappointed person.
“Miguel-I…” She trailed off, unsure how to offer support or give advice on the strange dynamic of human relationships.
“What?” He sharply snapped.
Lyla looked him over, taking in his graying complexion and the beads of sweat that hung above his thick brows. “You’ve been drinking.”
“Lyla DON’T.” He warned, turning off the hot water.
“Are you…drunk?” She asked clearing her throat.
“No.” Miguel sighed, looking away and grabbing a paper towel. “But I wish I was.”
“I DON’T believe you.” She huffed as she floated around him, forcing him to look at her.
“No one believes politicians.” He joked inappropriately as he tossed his paper towel into the trash.
“It almost took THREE years to pull yourself out of that hole.” Lyla reminded, her eyes sharp with pain.
“I was there-please don’t remind me.” He said weakly, his mind sliding back to past.
Back to the lowest point of his life.
He exhaled shakily, shoving away the thought before the memories could unravel and strip him bare.
He didn’t want to cry anymore.
“Why would you….take so many steps backwards-when your family NEEDS you?”
Lyla asked, her voice devoid of judgement and laced with pity.
Miguel opened his mouth to object, a tense expression blanketing his handsome face as his words stubbornly wedged themselves into the back of his throat.
Lyla held his gaze, taking in the conflicting emotions that clung to his features.
“Miguel…I NEED you to tell me what’s going on.”
“Where’s Dad?” Ignacio asked as he toweled his hair dry, his mind on food as he met his sister and mother’s gaze.
“Probably somewhere avoiding an uncomfortable conversation.” Summer said bitterly as she rose to her feet and rushed out of the room before their mother could correct her.
“I have no idea.” Jessica sighed, tiredly squeezing the bridge of her nose between her fingers.
“Where is your brother?”
“I have no idea.” Ignacio shrugged as he stepped past his mother in search of lotion.
“I think it’s time I get you two home.” Peni said clearing her throat as she ushered both children from the table.
“Home? What home?” Marianna snorted as she grabbed her Togo box, her eyes on Peni as they stepped outside of the restaurant.
Peni’s eyes slowly slid onto Marianna.
“Stop it Mari.” Matéo warned, over her mood.
“We can’t even go home because a bunch of creeps KNOW where we LIVE.” She hissed angrily, making Peni’s brows lift into her hairline.
“There’s probably some creep in our living room now!”
Jericho grimaced at the oddly colored wallpaper that spilled throughout the living room, the need to sneeze suddenly becoming overwhelming.
“Marianna Rio Marie Morles.” Miles said sharply, startling them out of conversation, his eyes on both children as he stepped out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk.
“You’re in trouble Mari.” Matéo whispered as their father grew closer.
“Let me guess…you TOOK my watch WITHOUT permission?” Miles asked knowingly, his eyes locked on the watch loosely wrapped around his daughter’s wrist.
“HOW do you KNOW it was ME and NOT Tay?” She scoffed offended.
Matéo tossed his sister a dirty look.
“Really?” He asked, his brows creasing together in irritation.
Gonzalo exhaled deeply as he searched the kitchen for a snack, his mind lingering on his conversation with Miles.
The need to hear his other half’s voice quickly pushing him to call and confess, the warmth of his nonjudgmental voice instantly filling him with dopamine.
The phone call had been short.
The Alpha’s surprise palpable but silent as he listened without interruption.
“Don’t worry about it. Love you.” He’d said quickly before ending the call.
“Please…don’t stress me out like your siblings.” Gonzalo pleaded softly as he tenderly touched his stomach, a soft smile sliding to his lips as he felt a tiny kick.
Gonzalo’s eyes closed as he tiredly leaned forward, resting his weight against the counter.
“Everything ok?” Miguel asked rushing into the kitchen and away from his depressing conversation with Lyla.
Gonzalo slowly turned toward Miguel and fought the urge to throw up.
“Yes.” He said flatly, embarrassment screeching across his face as his stomach loudly growled.
Miguel’s brows slowly lifted, his eyes locked on the smaller man’s round stomach, strangely in awe.
“I can make you something.” Miguel offered politely, eager for the distraction, his green eyes roaming the smaller man’s frame.
Gonzalo’s brow lifted quizzically, surprised by the offer. “No thanks.”
“Are you sure?” Miguel asked as he stepped deeper into the kitchen, his eyes thoughtfully sliding to the pantry. “I don’t mind.”
“Jess would get crazy cravings in the middle of the night too.” He recalled fondly.
“I’m fine.” Gonzalo said firmly, his irritation sparking to life as the Omega shifted in his direction, ignoring his desire to be alone.
“How…far along are you?”
“Why?” Gonzalo asked not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.
“Are you past five months?” Miguel asked, awkwardly shuffling back and forth, the alcohol in his veins making him grow chatty and curious.
Gonzalo held his gaze and didn’t respond.
“You look under weight.” Miguel quickly noted, making the smaller man’s face grow hot with embarrassment. “Have you been taking your prenatals and eating enough?”
“WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?” Gonzalo loudly asked, making the bigger man inwardly wilt.
Gonzalo turned toward the cabinet, his eyes bouncing onto a jar of creamy peanut butter.
Miguel silently watched as Gonzalo leaned forward on the tips of his toes and grabbed the jar, the fabric across his belly slowly rising, revealing soft brown skin.
“Can I touch your stomach?”
“EXCUSE ME?” Gonzalo snapped, nearly dropping the jar as he turned around, his obsidian eyes burning at the man’s audacity.
“I just…I didn’t get to see you with the twins.” He admitted sheepishly, his eyes lingering on the protruding tummy no longer hidden by Gonzalo’s sleeping shirt.
“Congratulations on your upcoming seasons.” He added quickly, suddenly feeling stupid and awkward.
Disgust danced along Gonzalo’s brows, fueling him with enough motivation to swing as he pulled his shirt down.
“I keep my PERSONAL life private.” Gonzalo stated as he twisted open the jar and inhaled the contents deeply.
“I see.” Miguel drunkenly nodded, already aware of the slippery slope.
Public figures didn’t GET to keep their private lives private.
“Privacy is important. Well…the little bit you can manage to get.” Miguel shrugged.
Gonzalo turned completely around, his attention no longer on the jar, his obsidian eyes narrowing as he held Miguel’s gaze.
“I meannnnn-you’re married to Spiderman and have a popular tv show.” Miguel said with a nervous laugh. “EVERYONE knows who you are before you even enter a room.”
“WHY are you talking to me?” Gonzalo repeated, crossing his arms over his chest, annoyed he’d bothered to leave the comfort of his bedroom.
“We’re going to talk about this later.” Miles said softly as he pressed a kiss to Marianna’s forehead and gently pulled the watch from her wrist.
“What you did wasn’t ok and you scared Papi.” Miles added softly, making her frown.
“We can talk about ALL of this…over hot cocoa.” He sighed evenly as he took Marianna’s hand, a portal swiftly forming around them.
Miguel took a step forward, the liquid courage in his veins encouraging him to speak, as his dated guilt quickly slid into the conversation.
“Look…I know I can’t say it enough, but I’m SORRY for what I did to you that night.”
“Stay the FUCK away from me.” Gonzalo growled, his warning laced with aged hatred.
“You DON’T get to do this.” He deadpanned, his rage growing as he begrudgingly held the bigger man’s gaze.
“We DON’T talk about married life.” He spat.
Miguel’s face dropped, an apology immediately spilling out of him. “Gonzalo I-“
“YOU DON’T GET TO TOUCH ME.” Gonzalo growled, his hand protectively sliding to his stomach.
“I’ve apologized…countless times for what I did…and I’ve tried to make amends with you for years.” Miguel countered gently, sadness coloring his tone and facial expression.
“You apologized for assaulting me…and thought WHAT?! We’d suddenly-BE BEST FRIENDS?!”
Miguel winched and looked away, unable to conjure a response.
This was outlandish and he KNEW it.
They BOTH knew it.
“You’re fucking ridiculous.” Gonzalo sighed, his appetite nonexistent as brushed past the bigger man, his feet quickly taking him toward the exit.
“Wait-I…” Miguel trailed off, his body moving before he could complete his thought as he reached for Gonzalo, his large hand engulfing his small wrist.
“I know it’ll never be enough…but I’m NOT that person anymore.” Miguel stated, tears of shame blurring his vision.
“I spent alot of time in therapy-“
Gonzalo ears folded inward, tuning out the man’s heartfelt ramblings as his eyes slid onto Miguel’s hand locked around his wrist, his body moving on autopilot as he swung with an open hand.
“With extra marshmallows?” Matéo asked as they stepped into the hallway, his excitement growing as their father nodded.
“We can make Dad one too.” Matéo suggested happily as they neared the kitchen, his good vibe swiftly deteriorating as the scent in the kitchen hit his nose.
Rage and resentment clogged his nostrils, making him stumble backward in surprise as Miles shifted beside him, his body a blur as he sprinted across the kitchen.
His hand viciously locking around Miguel’s throat as he harshly yanked him away from Gonzalo and off his feet, a low growl leaving his lips as he slammed the bigger man into the kitchen wall, cracking tile.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Miles asked slowly, attempting to stifle his rage, his honey colored eyes glowing with animosity as he counted down the seconds, impatiently waiting for a reason to snap the man’s neck.
“Papi are you ok?” Marianna asked as she reached for Gonzalo’s hand, frantically looking him over.
“You look sick.”
“Dad are you ok?” Matéo worriedly asked as he stepped beside his sister, his eyes rapidly looking over his father’s appearance.
“I’m fine.” Gonzalo said weakly as he brushed sweat from his forehead and grimaced.
“Are you hungry? We have food.” Marianna said unconvinced.
“Tay give me the box.” She quickly ordered.
“I’m ok.” Gonzalo sighed, taking a seat at the table, suddenly feeling light headed.
Marianna sat the Togo box on the table in front of him, her skepticism mounting as he stared at the closed box and said nothing.
“Is the baby hungry?” Matéo asked softly as he pushed the Togo box closer.
“It’s ok…they can eat my slice.” He offered sweetly.
“Stop it Miles.” Gonzalo warned lightly, his sharp eyes lining the second box as his stomach suddenly growled.
“I was-trying to help.” Miguel said defensively, his fingers fruitlessly pulling at the iron clad grip around his throat.
“HELP?!” Miles snapped, the viscousness of his tone making the children turn his way in surprise.
“YOU WERE HOVERING.”
“I-I WASN’T HOVERING.” Miguel shot back, his left fist shoving into the left side of the Alpha’s chest, forcing him a step backward.
Miles inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring as he caught a whiff of alcohol.
“You’ve been DRINKING.”
Gonzalo bit into a slice of still warm pizza, his eyes quickly closing as the cheese and sauce hit his tongue.
Matéo took a protective stanch in front of him, his eyes on Miles’s solid back as he watched the two men verbally go back and forth, the rage of his father steadily rising.
“Miles STOP.” Gonzalo repeated as he opened Marianna’s Togo box, his growling stomach seemingly growing louder as the two men bitterly stared each other down.
“We have garlic knots too.” Marianna hummed as she snatched one out of the box.
“I noticed.” Gonzalo said lightly as he bit into the pizza a second and third time.
“Why’s your face red?” Miles asked, ignoring his other half, his grip on the other man unmoving as his eyes locked on the red hand print that stretched across the right side of his face.
Gonzalo stopped chewing, his eyes slowly sliding onto an impending altercation.
“This isn’t good.” Peni exhaled, her eyes locked on the computer screen in disbelief.
She reread the information a fourth time, her hands starting to shake as she scrolled down, rapid sadness stomping across her chest as she stumbled across profile after profile of the missing Omega District children.
Wordlessly she dove deeper into the recovered files, quickly skimming through the downloads and documents, her brows crashing together as a file titled O’Hara opened.
“Ohhhhh….shit.” She said uncomfortably scooting forward in her seat, her sharp eyes skimming through an outlined plan of getting him removed from the District.
From A to Z curated steps had been created with the intent of ruining his image and shoving his family’s dirty secrets into the limelight, aggressively swaying public opinion of him.
“They LEAKED Jessica’s video to make him resign.” Peni said in shock as she watched concrete slam into the Beta’s husband in slow motion, sending blood and guts across the pavement.
She exhaled slowly as she leaned away from the screen, her eyes closing as she struggled to accept the overwhelmingly large amount of information that sat in front of her.
“He’s fucking crazy.” Peni said out loud, her eyes sliding to the tv as news of Angelo’s piss poor security detail broke.
Highlighting corrupt staff and horribly carried out skeems.
“This CAN’T be it.” Peni said as she leaned forward in her chair, her fingers once again flying across the keys as she dug through disposed and locked files.
“You ran Miguel off the bridge and out of town.”She concluded after a moment , her voice dropping to a whisper as she pulled up dash cam footage of the premeditated incident.
An uncomfortable silence quickly engulfing the bedroom as she processed her thoughts, the unsavory information burning at her fingertips as she frantically unlocked her phone.
“I…I…need to call Noir.” She stuttered as she dialed the Alpha’s number.
“I never really liked Jeepers Creepers.” Noir said evenly, his face twisting in disapproval as he encouraged Pav to find another movie for the fifth time.
“Let’s watch something scary.” Kabir suggested as she tucked her feet underneath Hobie’s leg, waking him in the process as she cocooned herself into the blankets.
“Get those toesicles off of meeee.” Hobie whined sleepily into his pillow, fruitlessly swatting at Kabir’s ankles, making her laugh.
“Scary?” Pav questioned with a skeptically raised brow as he turned toward his daughter.
“You’ll have nightmares.”
“DaDa please-I’m fifteen now.” Kabir countered, quickly trying to shove away her embarrassment.
“It’s ok if YOU get scared.” She added, rolling her eyes and swiftly annoying her father.
“You’re STILL fourteen.” Pav sharply reminded. “Don’t you roll those eyes at me young lady-“
Noir’s ringing phone interrupted Pav, temporarily filling the room with silence as he searched his pockets.
“Pick up…pick up…” Peni chanted, her leg rapidly bouncing with unease as her mind started to piece together all the suspicious occurrences throughout the District in the last thirty days.
Angelo had set out to overthrow the Board and turn the District into something new.
He’d swiftly managed to shove away the only inconvenience that stood in his way.
Miguel.
“Why aren’t you answering?” Peni snapped as she hung up and redialed the number, bitting her bottom lip anxiously as listened to the phone ring.
She’d stumbled across a manifesto, quickly
uncovering multiple documents that oozed with the deranged and petty musings of a spiteful madman.
His one sided feud with Miguel had been longstanding, the desire to replace him a constant insert in his notes.
The perfect Omega candidate.
His large stature, superb leadership skills and good looks had swiftly swayed the minds of others, his commercially appealing family were no different.
The four of them aggressively and carelessly shoved into the chaos, forcing them to participate in a game they weren’t privy to.
“Dad’s phone is ringing.” Ignacio yawned, his eyes slowly opening and sliding to the phone on the dresser across the room.
“I should change that ugly ringtone.” Summer stated sharply as she grabbed the phone, her eyes nosily looking over the screen.
“Who is it?” Ignacio curiously asked as he rose to his feet and stretched.
“The number isn’t saved.” Summer said as she turned the screen toward him.
“Mmmh…you think it’s his mistress?” Ignacio teased, the salacious inquiry catching her off guard.
“What?” Ignacio asked as Summer sent the call to voicemail, the frown on her lips deepening as the number popped across the screen again.
“You remember when Mom thought Dad was having an affair with someone from the District?” Ignacio whispered as he grabbed his backpack from the floor.
Summer’s eyes slowly slid onto her brother.
“Dad WOULDN’T do that.” She said defensively.
“You have to be MARRIED to have an affair.”
Ignacio said in response nearly sending her into orbit.
“DON’T TALK ABOUT THAT.” Summer snapped, not wanting to hear the details of an illicit rumor.
“What are you two talking about?” Jessica asked as she stepped through the bedroom door with a bottled water in her right hand and a bag of Cheetos in the other.
“Have you been in the kitchen this entire time?” Summer asked curiously as she watched her mother plop down on the edge of the bed.
“No” Jessica said as she tore open the chip bag, a frown sliding to her face as Miguel’s phone started to ring.
“Has his phone been ringing a lot?” She asked curiously as she bit into a chip.
“This UNSAVED number has been blowing up Dad’s phone.” Ignacio said flatly, his eyes lingering on his mother as he studied her face, waiting for an inkling of a clue.
“We think it might be an emergency…or something.” He said curtly as he offered her the phone.
Summer shot him a heated look.
“Mute the ringer please?” Jessica asked dismissively, her eyes bouncing from son to daughter as she grabbed the heating pad from the floor and turned it on.
“It’s probably someone from the District.” She added off handily as she slipped out of her house shoes, her facial expression unchanging.
“Let GO of me Morales.” Miguel warned, his voice heavy with anger as he shifted forward on his feet, his offensive stance pushing back on Miles as his elbow connected into his jawline.
Margo’s eyes slid to her phone, her mood swiftly plummeting as her phone started to wildly vibrate, she unlocked her phone her eyes growing wide as Eric’s number slid across the screen.
“Yeah so…I kind of miss my bed.” Gwen admitted randomly out loud, her mind shifting to the California king that sat in the middle of their bedroom.
“Me too.” Margo said with an anxious laugh as Peni’s contact photo slid across the screen.
“I’ll be glad when all this craziness is over.” Margo muttered as the two numbers repeatedly called her back, dueling for an answer.
Gwen stretched lazily as she listened, her eyes closing as she slowed her breathing, her sharp ears singling out her and Wei’s heartbeat.
Wei burrowed deeper into the sheets, peacefully dreaming as he loudly farted.
“Gwen I have a question.” Margo said softly, as if not wanting to break the comforting spell wrapped around them.
Pav’s eyes slid to the closed bedroom door and narrowed.
“You’re saying…you have PROOF Angelo is behind the missing children?” Noir asked in disbelief.
“Unfortunately.” Peni sighed deeply, her attention sliding to another file.
“What is he doing with them?” Noir asked shakily as he sat down his drink on the nearest shelf.
“I can’t…make out the language half these documents are written in.” Peni confessed, her frustration fizzling higher as she watched her spider continuously spin across the screen.
“What?” Noir asked, confusion coloring his tone.
“I’ve been trying to decipher half of these documents for the last thirty minutes.” Peni confessed.
“I thought you were able to recover the information on Angelo’s computer-“
“Yeah I did, I just can’t do anything with it.” Peni snapped.
Margo’s eyes slid from Gwen as she stomped away from the Beta, annoyed she’d caught her in another unnecessary lie.
“Margo..wait.” Gwen whined as she quickened her pace, her eyes sliding into the kitchen as she stepped into the hallway, her eyes quickly locking onto the two male figures pressed aggressively into one another.
“What’s going on?” Margo asked as she stepped into the altercation, her eyes on Miles as she spoke.
“Everything ok?”
Miguel’s eyes slid onto Margo, his sarcastic response dying on his lips as his eyes landed onto her stomach and went wide, making her take a cautious step backwards, awkwardly knocking a water bottle from the kitchen cabinet.
Gwen caught the bottle before it could hit the floor, her free hand protectively sliding around Margo’s waist as she met Miguel’s gaze.
“Miles.” Gwen said evenly, her eyes burning distrustfully into the large Omega as she spoke.
“The Twins shouldn’t be a part of this.”
“We aren’t.” Marianna said dryly as she grabbed her father’s hand and lifted her food from the table.
“Tay let’s go.” She quickly added, practically dragging their father out of the kitchen before he could protest.
Matéo lingered a few seconds longer in the kitchen before quickly following behind his sister.
Miguel’s elbow connected with Miles’s ribcage, breaking his grip and putting distance between them.
“Don’t fucking touch me.” Miguel spat as he rubbed the front of neck, his skin already turning red beneath his fingers.
“I HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING WRONG.” He added harshly, as Miles rose to his full height and straightened his shoulders, a tense expression blanketing his handsome face.
“Yet.” Miles said, his voice callous with disgust.
“I saw the way you LOOKED at him.”
“I didn’t know he was…” Miguel trailed off, his mind sliding back to the precious round belly under Gonzalo’s shirt, his soft brown skin practically glowing as he’d searched the kitchen for food.
His mind had gone blank at the sight, shoving him back into a hyper fixation he’d long struggled to get away from.
He’d latched onto the news coverage with glee, quickly becoming obsessed with the first pregnancy announcement.
His mind swiftly and repeatedly short circuiting at the thought of Miles procreating with himself.
Procreating with the half of him he’d openly pursued.
Openly wanted.
“I was just surprised and wanted to help.” Miguel admitted, clearing his throat and suddenly feeling guilty at the direction his thoughts were heading in.
“You didn’t know he was pregnant?” Margo asked, confusion coloring her tone as Gwen tossed the water bottle carelessly into the sink.
Miguel swallowed the lump forming in his throat, his anxiety steadily rising at the thought of being another problem. “No I didn’t-“
“Why does that matter and WHY were you staring at her like that?” Gwen interrupted evenly, her voice laced with ice as she stared him down.
“What the hell is going on?” Gonzalo groaned unhappily as he closed the bathroom door and turned the water on, attempting to conceal the sound of his spiraling emotions.
“I’ve never seen Dad that mad before.” Marianna whispered to her brother as she turned on the tv, her eyes sliding to the closed bathroom door.
“I wasn’t expecting to see the Mayor in the kitchen.” Matéo admitted as a commercial for lucky charms started.
“I know!” Marianna said turning to her brother.
“WHY IS HE IN TIO’S HOUSE?!”
“I don’t know…but Tio Pav and Tio Noir don’t really…like people.” Matéo said with narrowed eyes, his suspicions growing as he rapidly pieced together the tiny bits of information.
“So he’s NOT a stranger…but Dad definitely HATES that man.” Matéo added stiffly, goosebumps lightly pebbling his arms as he remembered the wave of hate radiating from his father’s pores, his back seemingly twice its usual size.
The most unsettling thing had been his eyes.
The usual honey brown replaced with something harsh and devoid of tolerance.
“What? You think something happened between Daddy and the Mayor?” Marianna whisper hissed with wide eyes.
“Judging by Dad’s reaction…it’s the other way around.” Matéo whispered, his eyes bouncing from his sister and onto the bathroom door knowingly.
“Do you think Miguel knows about any of this?” Noir asked as he stepped onto the patio, his right hand searching for his lighter as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
He cradled the phone between his ear and shoulder, his eyes sliding from left to right before he lit his cigarette and deeply inhaled, his eyes closing as Peni spoke.
“If he didn’t-why fire and try to destroy his reputation?” Peni asked flatly as she stared at the computer screen, her temples lightly throbbing as she felt an incoming headache.
“Sounds like they DIDN’T want him AROUND or WORKING.” Noir exhaled, his eyes slowly opening and sliding onto the dark night sky.
“They’re trying to blackball him.” Noir stated flatly as he watched smoke float into the crisp night air.
“Yeah, I assumed that after they ran him and Jessica off a bridge.” Peni snorted as her fingers flew across the screen, an unrelated comment falling from her lips.
“Are you smoking?”
“What? No.” Noir lied.
“You told me you quit last year.” Peni sighed, squeezing the bridge of her nose.
“I don’t recall.” Noir tsked as he exhaled deeply, a late realization about Miguel crossing his mind.
“I don’t even think he asked to stay in my house.”
“Yeah…Gonzalo told me Miguel’s kids sorta just showed up at his doorstep needing help.” Peni informed as she watched another spider appear on screen.
“Oh yeah…this was after the stabbing but before the second break in…right?” Noir asked, nearly loosing count of how many times the Morales home had been burglarized.
“Just about.” Peni confirmed, a sinister realization suddenly making her skin crawl.
“What’s wrong?” Noir asked, reading through her silence.
“I think the reason I can’t decipher any of these documents is because the language isn’t…real.”
“It’s made up?” Noir questioned, his brows shooting into his hairline in shock.
“It has to be.” Peni sighed as she pulled an aspirin from her bag, her temples throbbing harder as she fought back frustration.
“You think Miguel can read it?” Noir asked sarcastically, making the Beta roll her eyes.
“Ask him.” Peni demanded quickly, nearly making him drop his drink in surprise.
“I don’t know.” Jericho said stiffly with a hateful shrug as he watched the pizza man shuffle uncomfortably across the welcome mat.
“Well WHO ordered these pizzas?” The man rudely asked as thunder struck the graying sky, sending heavy drops of rain aggressively across the grass and world outside the front door.
“I didn’t order those pizzas.” Jericho repeated, annoyed he was starting to sound like a broken record, the conversation between him and pimpled face teen quickly putting more of a damper to his already foul mood.
“Well someone from THIS address did.” The young man snapped, growing frustrated as the rain started to fall harder, quickly drenching
his shoulders and shoes.
“I don’t give a fuck where it was ordered-GET the fuck OFF my lawn.” Jericho spat.
The pizza man blinked, his pale face overheating with rage as he pulled a crumbled half wet receipt from his pocket and aggressively read off the address.
Ross rolled on his side, his eyes slowly opening as the unhappy sound of Jericho’s voice suddenly rose with frustration.
Ross sat up, his eyes sliding to the locked window across the room, his brows furrowing sleepily together as he struggled to make out a silhouette in the pouring rain.
“Maybe…I’m seeing things.” He mumbled as his eyes slid onto the cracked bedroom door.
“What’s going on?” Ross asked with a yawn as he stepped into the living room, the cool night breeze slipping graciously into the house in unwelcomed huffs.
“I’m telling you I DIDN’T order ANY pizza!” Jericho repeated, quickly falling into a screaming match with the young man.
“PLEASE STOP YELLING.” Ross requested firmly as he dragged a tired hand down the front of his face. “I just want to sleep.” He complained loudly, his eyes burning into the pizza man.
“You two…don’t live here.” The man stated abruptly, turning his nose upward toward the pair, his nosey eyes sliding past Ross’s shoulder and into the dimly lit living room.
“So, we DIDN’T order that pizza either.” Jericho hissed grabbing the doorknob and pulling the door slightly closed, obscuring the man’s view into the house.
The pizza man opened his mouth to speak, Ross’s words quickly trampling on his response.
“The pizza is already paid for, right?”
“What?” The man asked, momentarily caught off guard by huskiness of Ross’s voice.
“Yes it’s already paid for.”
Ross blinked, the words registering as he pulled the door wider, stepped past Jericho and grabbed the pizza boxes from the man’s hands, a pleasant smile crossing his face as he shut the door with his foot.
Jericho quickly locked the door, a laugh bubbling up his chest as the man kicked the door and cursed, mad he didn’t receive a tip of thanks.
“Guess we have dinner.” Jericho mused as Ross sat the boxes on the coffee table and plopped down on the couch.
“Guess so.” Ross hummed as he opened a box, his stomach growling as the aroma of German sausage hit his nose.
“Great.” Jericho said as he briskly walked around the table and sat beside Ross, his fingers itching as he quickly grabbed a slice.
“I didn’t feel like cooking.” He admitted.
“You don’t cook.” Ross reminded, earning a snort from the other man as he pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed a number, his eyes sliding onto Jericho as he spoke.
“Someone paid for and ordered pizza…to see who was here.”
“WHAT’S going on?” Noir asked, his phone slipping from his hand and into his pocket as he stepped into the kitchen, his eyes bouncing between Miles and Miguel.
“Nothing.” Miguel said quickly, his defensive stance firmly in place as he held Miles’s gaze.
“Nothing…like the award dinner, huh?” Miles asked sharply, his words immediately shoving Noir fifteen years into the past.
“I TOLD you, I didn’t do anything!!” Miguel screamed, the stress and frustration of the week shoving him to spiral.
“Miguel you need to LEAVE.” Noir said evenly, his body growing warm with dated rage.
“And go where?” Summer asked as she stepped into the kitchen, her sad eyes bouncing from Noir and onto her father.
“That’s not my place to say.” Noir said evenly as his phone started to vibrate in his pocket.
“WHAT DID YOU DO NOW?” Summer snapped, startling her father back to his senses.
“Wha-I DIDN’T do anything!” Miguel stammered defensively as Miles rolled his shoulders forward, resisting the urge to swing on the man in front of his child.
“YET.” Miles hissed, making Summer’s eyes go wide as they slid onto Miles, picking apart his tense expression.
“What the hell is going on?” Peni huffed as she pulled her phone from her ear and groaned with irritation.
No one was answering.
She exhaled shakily as her watch started to glow, her fingers quickly typing in her destination as she breezed through the house, assembling a bag.
“I’ll just avoid Pav.” She said dismissively as she stepped into the portal, clutching the strap of her bag to her chest as she took a final look around her bedroom.
Pav’s eyes slid to Kabir and Hobie’s sleeping forms, the two often the first to fall asleep mid movie.
Pav pressed a slow kiss to Hobie’s forehead, mindful not to disturb his sleep as he slid the empty bowl from his hands.
“You two only fall asleep after eatting all the snacks.” Pav hummed softly as he pressed a quick his to Kabir’s forehead, the sound of growing voices quickly pulling his attention out of the room.
Pav closed the door, his eyes forward and his ears open as he briskly stepped barefoot down the hallway, following the growing voices.
“Where are you going?” Gwen asked faintly in surprise, her eyes on Margo as she watched the Beta struggle to zip her suitcase closed.
“Home.” Margo said as she yanked at the zipper and huffed, quickly growing outta breath, her belly the main inconvenience slowing her down.
Wei rolled around the bed with a toy, happily ignoring the conversation.
“Why are you going home?” Gwen asked as she placed her hands on top of Margo’s, stopping her movements. “We just got here…I thought we were…waiting.”
Margo exhaled deeply,her eyes lingering on Gwen’s purple nail polish as she spoke, her shoulders slowly dropping.
“I miss home.” She admitted breathlessly, the urge to cry blossoming in the center of her chest.
“I miss Peni.” She hiccuped, fighting back tears as melancholy waves rolled across their link, filling Gwen with dread.
“Please don’t cry.” Gwen pleaded anxiously.
Wei turned toward them, dropping his toy as Margo took a seat at the foot of the bed.
“I don’t give a damn about paparazzi hanging outside OUR house.”
Peni stepped into the hallway, her feet taking her toward the lawless commotion brewing in the kitchen.
She adjusted the strap of her bag across her shoulder and stepped forward, quickly confronting the voices.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Summer asked again, her eyes burning into Miguel as she tuned the world out around them, indifferent to Noir and Pav.
“I didn’t do anything.” Miguel repeated through clenched teeth, wanting the interaction to end.
“WHAT do you THINK he did?” Miles asked curiously, his eyes bouncing from Miguel and onto Summer.
Summer didn’t respond, she bit her bottom lips as her mind cycled through the video of her father flying across several banquet tables.
“Sounds like you already know.” Miles stated flatly as he rose to his full height, the air of the kitchen uncomfortably shifting around them, shoving painful mistakes across the tile walls.
Lyla flickered into the room, her face going pale as she caught sight of the kitchen layout, her eyes quickly zeroing in on Summer’s angry face.
Miguel took a step forward, his hands extended forward in defeat. “Summer I didn’t-“
“Obviously you DID.” She interrupted sharply, her eyes sliding onto Miles expectantly as she spoke, her question instantly overwhelming her father with dread.
“Did he attack his mate…again?”
Miguel’s eyebrows slammed into his hairline in shock, his body awkwardly pivoting in Summer’s direction.
“HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?”
“We ALL know about it.” Ignacio said evenly as he stepped into the kitchen, his hands deeply shoved in his pockets.
“Andrés did enough digging on you, Mom and the District to last a lifetime.” Ignacio added before their father could ask.
“No…” Miguel whispered, his hands clutched tightly at his sides, the desire to explain himself pinched at his insides, rendering him mute as his eyes slid from his children and to the floor in shame.
“How’d you manage to keep it from Mom?” Ignacio asked evenly, his dark judgmental eyes picking and pulling apart his father.
Miguel hesitated.
This wasn’t the time nor place for this conversation.
Pav stepped forward and politely cleared his throat, shifting the attention of the room.
Peni stepped into the kitchen, her eyes instantly meeting Pav’s.
“I’d like EVERYONE who isn’t WELCOME here to LEAVE.” He stated dryly, his attention sliding from Peni and back onto Miguel.
“NOW.” He growled, the aura around him spiking with rabid hostility.
“We can leave.” Gwen said in agreement as she scoped up Wei and lifted Margo’s suitcase from the bed.
“I miss…her too.” Gwen finally admitted with a deep sigh, her eyes closing as Peni’s pouting face filled her mind, making her long for the Beta more.
“Hopefully the peace lasts.” Margo hummed.
“Margo!” Gwen said with a laugh as she pulled Margo from bed and into her arms, Wei hands instantly reaching for Margo’s necklace as they merged space.
“What? I’m being honest.” Margo said with an airy laugh, trying to ignore the fact she hadn’t returned any of Eric’s calls.
“I’m going to call and tell her.”
“What?” Margo asked, stepping out of her thoughts, her attention returning to Gwen as Wei’s cold fingers wrapped around her locket.
“Should…I not call her?” Gwen asked softly as she guided Margo to the door, her eyes slidding down the hallway as the scent of Peni’s conditioner hit her nose.
“I meannnn I’m sure it’ll be fine if we don’t.” Margo said with a shrug as she gently pulled Wei from Gwen.
“She’s here now.” Gwen informed as she took Margo’s hand and quickly followed the sweet familiar smell.
“That saves time.” Margo said as they stepped back into the kitchen, her eyes going wide as chaos erupted around them.
Summer bolted out of the kitchen, Ignacio right behind her as Miles’s fist connected with Miguel’s jaw, sending him through the wall and into the hallway.
“Wha…t the fu…ck is happening?” Andrés wheezed uncomfortably as he inched across the bed, his body drenched in sweat as he struggled to yank away his clothes.
“Fuck it’s hot!” He cried kicking the blanket to the floor.
“I feel like I’m on fire.” He exhaled shakily, as he snatched his bottle of water from the floor and brought it to his lips, greedily chugging.
His eyes widened as an unfamiliar sensation blossomed in the seat of his pants, making him drop his drink in surprise.
“No….no…no.” He repeated frantically as he sat up and anxiously unzipped his pants.
“Not right now…please.” He pleaded as he felt himself grow wetter and wetter.
“Have you two seen Andrés?” Jessica asked as Ignacio stumbled into the room behind his sister, both of them wearing the same unhappy expression.
“What’s wrong?” Jessica asked quickly as she looked them over, her concern mounting.
“What’s going on?”
“GET THE FUCK OUT.” Miles growled as he went blow for blow with Miguel, sending table and chairs flying as they rampaged through the kitchen.
“GUYS STOP FIGHTING!” Noir yelled as he dived into the altercation, attempting to pull them apart as they smashed into the refrigerator.
“My wall…my kitchen.” Pav cried weakly in disbelief as he stood in front of the wreckage, his eyes quickly assessing the damage that plagued his half destroyed dinning area.
Miguel ate Miles’s punch, a sinister smile crossing his lips as he swung the weight of his body into Miles, sending him past the over turned table and chairs and into a wall.
“What was that?” Marianna asked, her eyes bouncing from the tv and onto the closed bed room door.
“A talk with the Mayor probably.” Matéo informed flatly as he bit into a garlic knot uninterested in the drama.
Notes:
Sorry this update took so long😭
Please enjoy
quqn (Guest) on Chapter 5 Thu 05 Sep 2024 03:55AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 6 Fri 18 Oct 2024 03:41PM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 7 Tue 05 Nov 2024 11:03AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 7 Tue 05 Nov 2024 11:06AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 9 Thu 19 Dec 2024 04:14AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 10 Tue 21 Jan 2025 11:00AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 12 Thu 06 Mar 2025 02:30PM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 13 Mon 07 Apr 2025 10:13AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 14 Thu 24 Apr 2025 08:04AM UTC
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quqn (Guest) on Chapter 15 Sat 31 May 2025 09:41PM UTC
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DogGGG on Chapter 15 Fri 11 Jul 2025 05:07PM UTC
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DogGGG on Chapter 16 Mon 21 Jul 2025 12:20PM UTC
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