James woke up with his alarm. His mood wasn't the same as it had been. He didn't hear back from Meg after she called asking for Susan's number, and for some unexplained reason, found himself lacking the courage to call her and make sure everything was ok. He kept cursing himself for not making the effort. He would explain to Meg, and hoped that she understood. 

His parents, Tom and Debbie, woke up earlier than usual, so one aspect of James' morning routine was interrupted. His mom made breakfast. He never realized exactly how much he enjoyed doing that every morning. As Debbie made the meal, he didn't know what to do with himself. He asked his father more about his upcoming trip, but Tom really couldn't give him exact answers, as he needed to formulate a final plan with Becky.

Meg awoke to the sound of her parents talking in the dining room and tensed up. Her immediate reaction was that her parents were going to have another argument. But then she heard her dad laugh, and muffled giggles from her mom, and the tension faded away. Making her way out to where her parents were, she noticed that they were talking about their youth, and how they met. Meg had never heard about that time in their lives, as her dad always seemed to be busy, and her mom reluctant to bring it up. As far as she knew, her parents got together nine months before she was born. Any information before that had pretty much been buried deep in a hole.

Meg said good morning to both. She noticed that her dad looked relaxed, but she couldn't read the mood of her mom. She thought that her mom looked ok, but she had seen that before. She just didn't know. But Meg and her dad made breakfast. The meal, however, was eaten in silence. Leo kept trying to bring up humorous topics, but Michelle wasn't always in the mood to respond. Meg wondered if the reality of what happened the night before was finally setting in. She remembered the loud arguments, the foul language, the smashing of glass, and tears. She didn't want to bring up anything that would recall the events, as it would probably be best left unsaid. So she got ready for school, said goodbye to her parents, and caught the bus for school.

Leo and Michelle Daniels were finally alone. He held her hand, told her that he loved her, and wanted to know how she was feeling. The good times that they were reminiscing about earlier seemed like a lifetime ago. Michelle could feel her melancholy building, but she didn't know why. It wasn't until Leo uttered those three words that she seemed to find some kind of happiness, although it was hidden deep inside. She replied that she was good. He didn't know whether to believe her or not, but didn't want to press her, and cause her to lose control. 

But Leo did broach the subject of Michelle seeing someone, to help her with any issues that she may have had. She tensed up immediately, which he noticed, and she pulled her hand away from his. Now her anger and bitterness returned, and she told him that she didn't want to discuss it anymore. 

Leo pointed out that if she kept everything inside, she would end up in an early grave. He told her that people needed to vent, to calm themselves down. If she didn't, her blood pressure would rise, and she could suffer a stroke, or worse, a burst blood vessel inside a vital organ, causing her to die. He didn't know if anything he said was true, but he needed to get her to talk to him, and he hoped that this would do the trick.

Michelle became very resistant to the idea of seeing someone that she didn't know and telling them everything that was bothering her. It was none of their business. Leo could tell what she was thinking. He offered her a deal. Two sessions. He would go with her and participate in the first, because he needed to get things off his chest. And maybe if they went together, it would be easier for her. Then she could do a second session, and if nothing came of it, then that would be it. He just pointed out to her what a beautiful girl she was when he met her, how alive her eyes were, how her personality captured his heart, even if she did play hard to get. He just wanted the girl he married to come back. He told her that he loved her again, and gave her the most passionate kiss he could muster. She was initially hesitant, but felt herself get lost in the moment, and returned his passion with her own, and in a moment of clarity, agreed to his deal. Leo made a phone call. The therapist had an opening at 10:00 am. They would be seen.

With his routine thrown off, James ate, then had to remind himself to shower. But once he finished with that, he said goodbye to his parents, grabbed his backpack and headed for the bus. He made his way to Meg, and asked if everything was alright. She patted the seat next to her, and James sat. He didn't know what was going on, but patiently waited for her to explain. Meg told him that she wasn't sure, and recounted the events from the night, but leaving out several parts. When she was finished, she noticed that James had a confused look on his face. She realized that by omitting parts of the story, it wouldn't make any sense to someone who wasn't there. But as much as she loved and trusted him, she just couldn't bring herself to be completely honest in this situation. She hoped that if he did find out that he would understand. He just gently placed his hand on hers, and was silent the rest of the way. He knew that she hadn't been completely honest about things, but he wasn't going to pressure her into telling him something that she didn't want to.

The bus arrived at school. Both Meg and James’ moods were subdued. He could tell that she had some sort of family situation the previous night, and was still on edge from it. But he was a little hurt that she didn't tell him everything, because to James, it let him know that she didn't totally trust him. But that was her choice. 

Tom pulled into the parking lot and saw what had become as normal as apple pie. Becky was waiting by her car, waving to him as he drove past and into an open spot. He got out and got his morning hug. Becky was her usual cheerful self, only this time it was slightly amplified by the upcoming trip they would be making. She had a million ideas running through her mind, but knew the 99% of them were trash. Tom would sort them out. He could always sort them out.  And into the office they went. 

Tom got the coffee as Becky placed a folder on his desk. She kept thinking about the trip. Tom could feel her excitement, and asked her to take a deep breath. He reminded her that they would have to come up with a plan together. If they weren't sold on an idea, then it would be useless and unworkable. They needed to take their time and come up with the best possible plan of action. Becky knew he was right. He was always right.

Before Tom sat back down, he hooked his computer up to a projector, and aimed it at a blank wall. He asked Becky to kill the lights. He proceeded to type the name of the gentleman who ran the mine in Brownsville. Jonathan Bean. Tom also typed in the latest profit and loss records produced by the company. He typed in the scheduling situation, as well as other expenses. He noticed something that he thought would have been of interest. It was the total amount paid for consultants to come and teach classes to both management and the workers. He thought that they were spending a lot of money on that aspect. He made sure that Becky made a note, and she would ask Mr Bean about it. 

So began the back and forth between Becky and Tom. Questions were posed, answers were given, and then both were analyzed. Tom had found this to be the most effective way to come up with a strategic plan, because it forced him and Becky to look at all sides of the situation. And they would cover everything, leaving nothing out of the discussion. And then before they knew it, it was time to order lunch. They took an hour break, partaking in another of their rituals, talking about Tom’s family. Becky wanted to know how both Debbie and James were doing. Tom said everything was going well with the both of them. Debbie couldn't wait until they all got together again, while James was still in love with Meg. Becky smiled at that. She knew that James really liked the girl. And they made a cute couple. 

James felt like there was a distance between him and Meg. He was still somewhat bothered by the fact that she hadn't been completely honest with him earlier, and it just caused him to put up an invisible barrier. He didn't know why he was bothered by the situation. He only wanted to make sure that she was doing alright, but now he thought that maybe something more serious happened, and she was ashamed to be open with him. 

But he made sure to always be by her side. Whatever he was feeling inside took a back seat to how she was feeling. And it was his way of letting her know that he would be there for her if she wanted to talk. But to his disappointment, she never did. He finally convinced himself that she just wasn't going to tell him everything about her family situation.

After lunch, Tom and Becky got back to work. He had come up with a couple of ideas, and let her know that he wanted to work on them when he got home, and would present an action plan to her in the morning for her opinion and suggestion. Becky felt really good. She knew he would come up with workable solutions for the Brownsville mine. He told her to be totally honest when assessing the plan. There was to be no holding back. This was going to be their first official assignment. They needed to make sure the plan was not only coherent and easy to understand, but that it offered the best chance at success.

Leo and Michelle felt apprehensive as they entered the building. Neither one knew what to expect. The receptionist gave them forms to fill out, a lot of forms. Leo asked his wife if they were buying another house, because there was so much paperwork. Michelle gave him a little smile. 15 minutes later, the forms were completed, and then it was now a waiting game. 10 minutes later, a young Alpha woman came out of a room and introduced herself as Dr Rose Dawson. She was a licensed clinical psychologist, and she escorted the couple into her room, asking them to just call her Rose. She thought Dr was too formal.

She asked if they wanted something to drink, coffee, tea, water? Leo asked for coffee, black, while Michelle asked if she had any wine. No was the answer, so she said coffee, two sugars and cream. And Rose pressed the button on her intercom and asked for the two coffees. Once they arrived, the session started. Leo did most of the talking. He explained his view of things, how he met his wife, their marriage and children, and how things were presently. He felt that he was to blame for a lot of things because he was always at work, or always too busy, and felt that he neglected the people he loved. 

Rose told him that guilt was a natural reaction to any situation that people felt they lost control of. It was a game of what if, but it was internal, always eating away at a person. She then asked Michelle how she believed things to be. Michelle had listened to what Leo said, and said that while her husband wasn't always home, he was out providing for his family. And that he was pretty accurate in his description of how they met, and their marriage.

Rose asked her about her life and feelings since their marriage. Michelle talked about how beautiful her two daughters were. Leo mentioned that there were issues involving Betas. Michelle’s face turned dark, which Rose noticed. She asked her if she wanted to discuss what her husband had just brought up? Michelle instantly said no. But Leo mentioned a couple of incidents where a Beta boy liked their daughter, Meg, only to be chased off after she had visited the boy’s father. He told Rose that he was guilty of treating Betas like shit, and that he felt that his attitude contributed to his wife's.

Michelle grew quiet, and withdrew from the conversation. Rose gently prodded her to open up about her feelings regarding Betas. Michelle still refused to talk. Rose gently asked her again, with Leo trying to encourage his wife to speak freely. Michelle grumbled about some slight as a kid. 

Rose asked her to describe her childhood. Michelle finally opened up. She said that things were great at the beginning. But once she took the formula, she felt like she had to take a back seat to the Betas. Anything that an Alpha did successfully was always lumped in with a Beta completing a much easier task. Michelle was starting to rant. Even Leo didn't know about these supposed incidents. 

Rose asked Michelle if the incidents that she was describing actually affected her personally. Michelle stopped talking for a moment, not understanding the question. Rose asked her again if any of those incidents personally affected her. Michelle said no, but quickly added that she knew people who were affected. Rose asked her if any Beta had shown her disrespect, to which the answer was no. Did any cause her to lose a job, fail a class, or cause an injury to her? Again the answer was no. Was there any time in her life that she felt so angry that she could hurt someone. Michelle considered the question, then curiously answered that as she grew, and her monthly cycle started, she would feel that she would lose control, and become ultra aggressive, and she didn't know why.

Rose asked Michelle to describe the feeling she would get when she had interactions with Beta males. Michelle said that the feelings were indescribable. The power she felt, seeing the intimidation and fear in their eyes gave her pleasure that she didn't think was possible. And that fact that they would soil themselves was the cherry on top. Leo lowered his head. He never gave a thought to how his wife interacted with Beta males. As long as she was happy, he didn't care. He just never knew how bad it actually was. 

Rose asked Michelle how she thought those poor males felt about what happened to them. Michelle told her that she never gave it any thought. It wasn't her fault that they were so small. And besides, if they couldn't handle a woman like her, why would their sons try to play with the big girls? Rose asked her if those men deserved to be treated the way she treated them? Michelle told her that her children came first, and those Betas were obviously unworthy of being around her daughter. 

Rose asked her what if the situation was reversed? What if her daughter had met a big strong Alpha male that treated her like dirt? That wouldn't make her very happy, would it? Michelle looked like that wouldn't be possible. Rose said that she got the impression that it was more important to Michelle that her daughter be with an Alpha male no matter what, as opposed to being with someone who would treat her right. Michelle dismissed that observation. But Rose pointed out that she had only reacted to a Beta boy expressing interest in her daughter, not an Alpha. That indicated to her that as long as the boy was Alpha, he would be acceptable, even if he treated her terribly. Michelle was going to answer, but thought about what Rose had said, and grew quiet. 

Then Michelle asked her what made her such an expert on Alpha/Beta relationships? Rose replied that she was married to a Beta. 12 years and counting, with twin daughters aged 3. She said her husband treats her like the Queen of the World. And she would rather love someone that loves her back equally.

Rose had listened to Michelle describe her feelings throughout the session, and when it was nearly finished, she opened a drawer in her desk and handed them a piece of paper. Both Michelle and Leo looked at it. They didn't understand what it said. Rose told them that she was finding that there were more women that felt like Michelle, or had almost mirror experiences, and there was a study underway because there were growing suspicions that the formula altered a female’s hormones and mental state to the point of causing them to become ultra aggressive. They suspected that only women were affected. She would like to recommend her for the study. Leo and Michelle told her that they would have to talk it over. 

As they drove back home, both Leo and Michelle were silent. He was happy that she had gone to the appointment, though what she said troubled him a little. He never knew how much she enjoyed intimidating Betas. He never cared. And for that, he was wrong. Michelle kept thinking about what Rose had said. She thought that it couldn't possibly be true. But there was some doubt creeping into her mind. But the two of them also thought about the other thing Rose had said, about the possible effects of the formula on Michelle. Was it true? They had no idea, but as far as Leo was concerned, it would explain a lot. But they would talk and then decide.

Meg never brought up the situation at her house. James was still bothered by that. He wanted to be the one person that she trusted no matter what. It was silly of him to react the way he did. But he also knew that all solid relationships were based on complete trust between the partners. He hoped that it didn't mean that Meg was losing her belief in him.

The school day ended and the bus was on its way to drop him off. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but knew that if she was having issues at home, then he would burden her with his hurt feelings, and that wouldn't be fair to her. So when the bus did stop, they kissed goodbye without any promises of phone calls later. He saw his dad's truck, but not his mom's car. She was probably at the store. 

He went in and saw his dad drinking coffee at the table. James asked him how his day went, and Tom told him that it went well. He and Becky had come up with some ideas, and he was going to work on them after dinner. James smiled at his father. He could tell that he really enjoyed his job, and he was happy for him. 

James went into the kitchen just as Debbie came in the door. She gave her husband a kiss, hugged her son, then scurried into the bathroom. Emerging 10 minutes later, she came up to both of the men in her life, hugged them again, then informed them that she was pregnant. Tom, not usually one to show his emotions, just looked at her, and started crying in disbelief. James could have been knocked over with a feather. 

She just stared at her two big, strong, men standing in front of her looking like a ghost just appeared, and she just smiled at them.