- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:

Just a few little bits I wanted to do before the interlude. Hope everyone enjoys.

  Slamming her thumb down onto the red prompt, Claire wanted to throw her phone into low orbit. God, that man had been fucking infuriating. And disgusting. And infuriating. Mostly infuriating.

 

Hearing Richard Sung practically disown his incarcerated daughter over the phone had not been how she wanted to start this morning. He had been a rude, curt little thing, acting as if simply having to acknowledge Naomi was going to be the low point of his week. His utter contempt toward the idea of his daughter being a criminal - not even contempt for what she had done, he had made sure to specify that - had been palpable. He clearly viewed his daughter's actions as a black mark against his name, and had made it clear that he, nor his wife or Naomi's older sister would be exercising any potential chances at visitation or contact. He had also made it clear that she would not be welcomed back within the family once her time had been served.

 

"What a shitty excuse for a dad," she muttered to herself as she reached the entrance to the local Facility, a four story black cube that sat in the middle of the Omega Zone, itself a circular suburb of gigantic homes in the heart of the city. It was no wonder Naomi had such low self-esteem, the girl seemed to be surrounded by people who did nothing but drive a sense of inferiority into her.

 

At least Stephanie's mother had been much more pleasant to talk to, and Claire was going to meet the woman for a talk during her break today.

 

Passing through the sliding door and into the immaculate white interior of the Facility, she was greeted by the steadily more familiar sight of an open, somewhat barren office. Plenty of desks without occupants, but that was normal. Only a few Omegas were ever in the office at a time, after all.

 

Speaking of which, Claire's eyes quickly scanned over the desks to find out who her office mates were for the day.

 

The first she spotted was Kyle, a slim Omega two years her senior. The blonde man gave her a lazy wave upon noticing her, his face focused on his monitor. The man had given the impression of constant lethargy for as long as Claire had known him, an impression that sat in stark contrast to his work ethic. Kyle was consistently absorbed by his work, to the point that he had never really been all that sociable with his peers.

 

The other was Alexis, a pretty, prissy thing whom Claire didn't particularly care for. Her parents had apparently already been extraordinarily affluent when the Fire found them and initiated their ascension into Omegas, and while the family was extraordinarily sweet and compassionate, Claire could never really get over the rather entitled attitudes she felt they exuded.

 

Especially when she remembered her mother's stories.

 

Still, Alexis was nice enough, and Claire gave the girl a smile in response to an excited wave. Ultimately, it was a decent enough pair to be matched up with for the day, and her little assistant would be in after lunch.

 

"Anything going on?" Claire asked as she took a seat at her desk. Her meticulously organized, squeaky-clean desk. She wanted to shudder whenever she looked at the clutter that was always the hallmark of her two companions.

 

"Slow morning, so a good morning" Kyle responded with a level of boredom, his eyes remaining glued to his monitor.

 

"There's an expecting couple coming in to see you in an hour!" Alexis informed her, voice full of pep. Claire pursed her lips, those meetings could vary wildly in their pleasantness.

 

Of course, there was something far happier to think about.

 

"Oh, guess who finally made a move?" she asked with a smile.

 

"Melody," the other two answered simultaneously, not a second spared to think about it.

 

"Well, that was quick" Claire remarked with a pout. That had sucked up the fun of sharing the news.

 

"Well we don't exactly have a large circle of friends," Kyle deadpanned.

 

"And you wouldn't be that happy about anyone else," Alexis added.

 

Claire's immediate response was to stick out her tongue as she began glancing through her email. Fuck them, she had wanted to have fun with this outcome. After her little realization seven years back, she was elated at this development. She had always hoped her brother would partner with an Omega out of a sense of protectiveness toward him, and Melody was the best of the best on that front. She would be there for him through anything, and most importantly, she would respect Corey's decisions. Sure, it meant no super-adorable nieces or nephews, but just adorable would be fine. Not only that...

 

"Oh, this means I'll be getting a little sister soon, too!" she remarked happily.

 

"Are you even older than Melody?" Alexis asked amidst an eruption of giggles.

 

"By three months!" Claire exclaimed smugly.

 

"And she's like a head taller than you, can you even call her little?"

 

"Oh no," Claire snapped in annoyance, "I guess I should stop saying Corey's my big brother if we're being pedantic about things." Mentally, she began to push Alexis down a few spots in her own personal standings. As if sensing this drop in favor, the auburn-haired girl's hands immediately rose into the air as if she were being held up.

 

"No, no, not at all," she frantically stated, and Claire couldn't hold back a smirk.

 

"You...do realize they have to actually get married, right?" Kyle questioned, finally tearing his eyes away from his work to shoot Claire a questioning glance. "Kinda think there's a ways to go before thinking about this stuff."

 

"Please," Claire stated with a huff, "there's not way they aren't getting married. I bet they've tied the knot by the time Corey is able to go back to school, even."

 

"I think you might be overestimating how quickly Melody can move things along," he responded.

 

"And I think you're underestimating what a full year of Melody's doting can do to a man."

 

Kyle looked at her for a moment, seemingly thinking that over. Finally, he nodded a concession before turning back to his work..

 

"So do you think she'll pick you or Ashley as her maid of honor?" Alexis inquired, the perkiness back in her voice.

 

Claire immediately scoffed.

 

"Please, I'm going to be Best Woman."

 

****

 

Claire had a good feeling about this couple the moment she approached the platform outside the visitor's elevator to retrieve them. Connected to an independent subway system built and operated without cost by Aegis, it served as the principal means for people in the city to reach the Facility.

 

Allowing the two Alphas to step onto her hand before caging her fingers around them protectively and heading back to her desk, she was thankful for that feeling. When an expecting couple showed up and the father and mother were both Alphas, it meant that the child was going to be a Beta. Reactions to this were variable between couples, and Claire had seen and heard of some extremely awful ones from parents who were less than pleased by the news.

 

Taking her seat again and allowing her guests to disembark onto her desk, though, this couple seemed to be all smiles about being there and that usually meant they were fine with the prospect of their child being a bit on the smaller side.

 

"So, Mr. and and Mrs. Daniels," she started - they had shared introductions upon meeting outside the elevator - ,"I hope I'm not being presumptuous in congratulating the two of you?"

 

It was to her relief that the couple had a small laugh over that.

 

"No," Jason Daniels replied with a shake of his head, "not in the least. Thank you, ma'am."

 

"So what are we expecting?" Claire asked, a wide smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

 

"A little girl," Erica Daniels replied affectionately. A smile to match Claire's own was plastered across her face, and the young woman brought a hand to rest on her stomach, gently caressing it through the fabric of her red dress.

 

"Well, my thoughts are certainly with you going forward. So what can I help you two with today?"

 

"We sort of have a few things, "Jason replied sheepishly.

 

"That's fine," Claire responded with a soft chuckle as she reached across her desk to wrap her fingers around a padded bench she kept. Placing it gently behind the couple with some amusement as their eyes intently followed her hand during the retrieval, she welcomed them to take a seat and they happily obliged. "So what's first on the agenda?"

 

"First," Jason began," was uh...we wanted to go ahead and submit the floor plan for our house. We want to get it fitted for Beta traversal sooner rather than later."

 

"Very well," Claire said with a nod, "you can just place it on my assistant's desk after we're done with everything else. He'll take care of getting it processed when he comes in later today. Next?"

 

"He needs handling lessons," Erica replied flatly, "as remedial as you can get. I just need the more advanced classes, for the more involved handling."

 

"And the discrepancy between what you two need is because...?" Claire asked, though she already had an idea. A Beta child between two Alphas meant either unfaithfulness or...

 

"My Daddy is a Beta," Erica informed with pride in her voice. "I've been handling him since I was a little girl, so it's generally not an issue. An infant is just going to require a bit more."

 

"Understandable," Claire said as she began to set things up, spending the next several minutes collecting information from the two and clacking away at her keyboard.

 

"Alright, what's next?" she inquired with one last press.

 

They were not immediately forthcoming, and she noted that both of them had immediately sighed, breaking eye contact with her. She had an idea about this, too.

 

"Insurance?" she asked, her tone sympathetic. Both of them nodded.

 

"Our insurance doesn't...it doesn't cover Beta pregnancy," Jason answered dejectedly. Claire's face soured in response, though she softened once more as they faced her again. She didn't want them to think she was disgusted with them, as she wasn't. Not in the least. This was a disgustingly common occurrence with these pregnancies. It was yet another problem they had to fix.

 

"We'll help you out however we can," Claire soothed, giving them a reassuring smile. "I'll see what doctors we have volunteering for us in the area, and I'll forward the list to the email addresses you provided. Pick one you like, and we'll take care of everything."

 

"And when the time comes," she continued, "just send us the hospital bill, and we'll take care of that, too. You'll get everything you need, I promise."

 

It warmed her heart to see the relief washing over their faces at that, and she almost cooed at watching their little hands intertwine.

 

"Thank you, Ms. Lindon," Erica said. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate all of this. I just hope we aren't being a drain..."

 

"Not in the least," Claire assured. "Do you see that woman over there?" she asked, pointing toward Alexis. Her guests followed the direction of her finger, and as typical of Alexis she caught on and gave them a happy wave.

 

"That's Alexis Banner. Her father is Simon Banner, and her mother is Carrie Banner," she informed.

 

"The shipping and banking magnates?" Jason questioned after a moment.

 

"Right. Both of which provide an extraordinary amount of funding to us, to handle matters exactly like yours. And they aren't alone; we receive contributions from many others, both large and small donors, from all over the world. We even have our own sources of profit. So believe me, your costs aren't an issue."

 

"Thank you," Erica said again, giving Claire a grateful smile.

 

"Now, was there anything else?" Claire asked.

 

"I believe that was all today," Jason answered, and Erica confirmed.

 

"Alright, then. We'll get to work on all of this, so watch your email over the next few days. We'll likely give your a phone call, as well."

 

"There is one more matter, though," Claire stated with an element of resignation. They really seemed like a nice couple, but...she had to be sure of both of them.

 

"Jason," she said, focusing her gaze on him. This act didn't go unnoticed, and he recoiled slightly. "What are Betas to you?"

 

He stared at her for a moment, processing that question. Claire saw the worry on his face, a feeling that he was being trapped.

 

"I've never really had much to do with them," he admitted with a sigh, "but the ones I've met...I think they're just people who want to lead the best life they can. And I want to do everything I can so that my daughter can do the same."

 

Claire smiled. It was a simple statement, but a genuine one. It had been all over his face.

 

"I think your daughter is is going to be a very luck girl."

 

****

 

"I'm not going to hurt you, Mrs. Bowman," Claire assured, bringing a finger to bear and gently rubbing the nervous woman's back in an attempt to alleviate her nervousness. Maybe telling her that the victim of her daughter's assault had been her brother had been a mistake. It had honestly slipped out, as the condition of the victim was the first thing the little woman had asked about upon taking her seat at the Alpha-sized table that sat in front of Claire at the bar of this mixed coffee shop. She truly hadn't meant to intimidate the woman.

 

Slowly, though, she began to settle down as she sipped at her drink, further aided by Claire's gentle rubbing. Finally she met Claire's gaze once again, and Claire gave her a soft smile. This woman really was the spitting image of her daughter.

 

"Janet, please," she stated, and Claire nodded. "I really...I really am sorry for what my daughter did, Ms. Lindon."

 

"Claire," the Omega corrected, "and thank you, Janet. But we have other things to discuss."

 

"Right," Janet replied with a sad nod. "Where should we uh...where should we start?"

 

Claire sighed, mulling that over for a moment.

 

"You're aware of how your daughter views Betas, yes?" she asked, and Janet nodded slightly. "I was told that this wasn't the case until some time after the...accident. That she was very damaged by it. Does that sound correct?"

 

"Yes," Janet replied with another nod. "It was like someone just...flipped a switch in her. She went from devastated to just...uncaring, and it felt like it was overnight. She stopped...she stopped calling William her brother. Started to act like nothing had even happened..."

 

Claire could make out the tears starting to form in the little woman's eyes, and her heart truly ached for her.

 

"...stopped listening to her father," Janet finished. "We tried counseling for her but...it just didn't work. It was like something was right there with her, fighting against it all the time."

 

Claire wanted to slam her fist onto the table at that. She had a feeling what that "something" was. The bit about her father was something new, though.

 

"How did she get along with her father before all this?" she asked.

 

"Oh, Stephanie was a complete daddy's girl," Janet replied with a nostalgic smile. "Every time she did something, made a good grade, made a drawing, anything, he was always the first person she went to. And when he scolded her for something, it stuck. It was a far cry from...from how things ended up, after William's..."

 

Janet trailed off there, and Claire once again gave the woman a sympathetic rub with her finger.

 

"And how were things with...with William?"

 

"She...well, she loved her little brother the moment she first saw him," Janet said, and the tears were becoming a bit a more noticeable. "I can't begin to tell you how much she doted on him, how protective she was. Another child teased her about him once, and Stephanie just socked him right in the face. Knocked him right out."

 

Claire couldn't help but smile at that. It sounded very familiar.

 

"And then when the accident happened, she was so torn up about it. She couldn't believe what she had done, that she had..."

 

Janet choked up there, and Claire felt compelled to shush her. She hated asking the woman about this, but she needed a clearer picture of what Stephanie had been like, and how she had changed.

 

"Let's leave that for today," Claire stated. "You mentioned that things changed with her father. Could you elaborate?"

 

Janet took a moment to collect herself again, wiping at her eyes before continuing.

 

"She stopped listening to him. Stopped caring about what he thought, what he had to say. It was slow, but it got worse and worse over six years. She started pushing him out of the way, trapping him under cups or somewhere he couldn't get out of when he would try to scold her."

 

"It reached a head when she was 16," Janet continued with a shudder. "She had just gotten home from soccer practice, and Peter tried to scold her for staying out past curfew the night before. He...he didn't want to be marginalized out of her life. Didn't want to lose another child. It was why he kept trying to be involved with her."

 

"She took her shoes off, along with her socks, and she...she dropped him into one of the things, and closed it off while she went to shower. Then when she came back, she just took him out like she had done nothing, and she told...told him that if he ever tried to scold her again, he'd go back in there. And that maybe she'd be absent-minded and forget...that maybe he'd go to practice with her."

 

Claire's eyes narrowed at that. That was something that should have been reported.

 

"I know, it should have been reported," Janet said with a sob, "but...Peter just couldn't do that. He couldn't give her up like that. So we separated. We still see each other as much as we can, of course, and we're still married, but...it just wasn't safe for him at home anymore. And Stephanie didn't bat an eyelash when he left."

 

Claire sighed. As much as she wanted to be annoyed at the inaction...it had been the decision of a victim who just loved his daughter too much to throw her to the wolves. She didn't agree with the decision, but she could understand how it happened.

 

"Thank you, Janet," she said, giving the woman's back another rub. "This was very helpful, and I'm going to promise you right now: If I can do anything to help your daughter, I will. It might not be pretty in motion, but...if she can admit to what she did, if she can come to terms with that, I think she can go back to being that same girl again."

 

Claire noticed that Janet was leaning into her little caress now.

 

"Thank you," Janet cried softly, plunging her face into the skin of Claire's finger.

 

Chapter End Notes:

Interlude next. Expect a little preview of sorts within it for the origin story. Reviews still greatly appreciated!

You must login (register) to review.