“Is that Jenna Reynolds barging into my house?”

The masculine voice that greeted Naomi – or, more specifically, her host – as the two returned to the comfortable chill of the Lindon household was soft and warm, with a pinch of playfulness that shone through the peculiarly low volume with which they had been delivered, joined by a clear affection for their target that was apparent even to the stranger that was essentially tagging along. It certainly hadn’t been what the captive Alpha had expected after spending the last several hours in the clutches of a girl who offered her nothing but an almost biting cold. So, Naomi figured she could be excused for being caught just a bit off guard when the open palm that carried her suddenly closed in upon her, fingers and palm colluding to seal her off from the outside world and its light, constricting her movements even as they mashed the two garment-laden paper bags that had rested at her sides into her.

“It’s Jenna Reynolds entering your house with prior invitation, actually,” Naomi’s temporary warden corrected, and even though it was muffled by several feet of flesh and bone, the entrapped girl couldn’t help but pick up on the return of that angelic bearing from earlier in the day. Of course, this also had to be paired with a sudden lurching of her stomach as gravity shifted and Jenna’s enclosed fist initiated a controlled plummet that came to a sudden, sharp halt. Her soft fingers unfurled hurriedly, leaving Naomi and her new clothes behind in a new, linty prison that the girl quickly realized to be the pocket of the Omega’s shorts. Her initial reaction was to stand, following Jenna’s hand in its ascent out of the cloth compartment, but such a thing was quickly squelched. The pad of Jenna’s thumb pressed roughly into her face suddenly, applying enough pressure to send her back into a sitting position, and lingering just a bit longer before eventually retreating. To make the point clear, Naomi realized, that she would not enter into this particular conversation.

As Jenna continued along with her forward gait, rocking Naomi with each step, something humorous must have been offered up to her in retort that couldn’t quite make it into Naomi’s temporary room. An amused little giggle erupted from above, a fountain of sweetness that seemed almost unnatural.

“I didn’t know you were at home to give one! I wasn’t expecting Claire to beat me back,” Jenna explained, voice crackling with amusement as the motions of her leg came to a halt. Another sudden plummet followed, grouped with a tightening of the pocket against Jenna’s thigh and a shift to more horizontal position Naomi thought that she must be kneeling.

“Well, you know Claire. Mention wanting a nap, mention us taking a diving trip…those steps suddenly reach a little bit further, a little bit quicker,” that masculine voice spoke again, now much louder and even clearer than it had been, despite some continued muffling. And while she had already been pretty sure who this kind voice belonged to, Naomi was now certain on the matter.

“I didn’t wake you up, did I?” Jenna asked, and Naomi could hear the regretful cringe she must have exhibited in the woman’s voice.

“Oh, please,” the man countered, not taking the comment seriously in the least, “if I could sleep back when you girls used to stomp around the house, I can sleep through a door opening. I say I want to take a nap but my eyelids apparently have different plans, because it doesn’t seem to be happening.”

“Well, good, then,” Jenna responded, with suddenly much better humor. “So I take it that means I wouldn’t be bothering you at all if I gave you a welcome back?”

“I wouldn’t go so far as to promise on that,” came the reply, “but I’d say give it a shot and let’s see how it works out.” Another little giggle followed.

“Welcome back, Mr. Lindon,” Jenna said, and for some reason finally hearing the name tied Naomi’s innards into a knot. “I’m glad the trip went well.”

“Thank you,” replied the identified patriarch will available warmth, “it really is good to be home again."

“And I know Claire’s glad for it. She’s missed you a lot.”

“I could tell,” Mr. Lindon said, voice rolling with a chuckle before tapering off rather tiredly. “How about you, Jenna?” he asked, amusement suddenly replaced by a certain seriousness and concern that seemed to command Naomi’s attention. “How have things been going?”

“They’ve been going, I guess,” Jenna answered after a brief pause, her peppy tones suddenly draining into somberness. “The day-by-day still isn’t the easiest. Some days are tougher than others. Because I think about him a lot still. But I’ve been getting along, I guess. As well as I can.” And to Naomi’s ears, those words were marked by a certain pitifulness that actually led the Omega’s passenger to take a deep, shamed swallow. The sense that she was eavesdropping on a delicate heart-to-heart began to press upon her, its weight doubled by the existence of a desire to know more in spite of that sense.

“That’s good,” replied the solemn voice of Mr. Lindon. “Jenna, you know that if you ever need someone to talk to, someone else, you can always come to me. I can always make time for that.”

“I know,” came the appreciative reply. “Thanks, Mr. Howard.”

“No need for that. I couldn’t offer anything less.”

“Still, thanks,” Jenna said, words now a little brighter. “Um, I should find Claire, I think. I’m supposed to help her set up for tonight.”

“That’s fine. She’s in her room finishing up with something with one of our…guests, I believe,” Mr. Lindon calmly informed, earning a small twitch from Naomi. If Claire was finishing something, it was probably with Stephanie simply because it was too early for the towering Enforcer to be “finishing up” with Marion.

A few moments more, a few more pleasantries exchanged to lighten things up, and gravity asserted itself upon Naomi again as her carrier stood. The pocket once more went vertical, and again Jenna’s legs began to work, carrying the two away from where the diminutive father of her victim and her warden had been resting. He sounded so sweet, Naomi thought. So supportive. Idly, her fingers clenched at the handles of her bags. Nothing like…

“Hey girl!” Jenna suddenly exclaimed, with an enthusiasm that a slightly startled Naomi couldn’t help but feel was a little forced.

“Hey,” Claire replied, voice absent even that and not at all what Naomi was expecting given current goings-on. And clearly, Jenna agreed.

“Is something wrong?” she asked for both of them, concern clear. “Something happen?”

“Yeah,” Claire started, “we’re gonna be…where’s Naomi?”

“Oh, right.”

Beams of fluorescent light fell into the dark depths of Jenna’s pocket as the Omega’s fingers forced it open, though they were soon cut off by her invading hand. Once more, Naomi entered into her grasp, and was shifted about and pressed uncomfortably within it as Jenna’s fingers worked to gather both her and the shopping bags within their coils. Within seconds she found herself sitting upon Jenna’s open palm, being presented as if she were a borrowed accessory being returned to its owner. Its fairly displeased owner, if the expression on Claire’s face was any indicator. Sitting legs crossed upon her neatly made bed, the young Enforcer looked outright dejected.

“So what happened?” Jenna questioned, dumping Naomi off onto the newly offered hand of her true warden. The fall was short, only about a foot, and comfortably padded. Claire’s fingers caged around Naomi on apparent reflex as the Alpha resumed her sitting posture, bags held close to her side.

“I just got the off the phone with Mellie,” Claire informed her questioning friend. “We’re gonna be short a couple of guests tonight. Apparently she forgot to change up Corey’s bath schedule. Got home, took a shower, and by the time she was out he was pretty much right in the middle of his own.” That her words dripped with a little more bitterness with each passing syllable was not a fact that was lost on Naomi. Nor was the fact that the Omega’s eyes had briefly shifted upon her as she had spoken of the restorative process her brother was now subject to, effectively stabbing the prisoner with a fresh pang of guilt.

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish,” Claire replied, fidgeting enough in frustration to sway Naomi about. “That’s, like, half the point of this thing gone now.”

“Ah, come on,” Jenna consoled, plopping down on the bed next to her friend and wrapping an arm around her neck in a friendly side-by-side embrace. “It’ll still be a fun night. And at the very least I’m sure your dad could use it. He looked a little drained out there.”

“I guess,” Claire conceded, displeasure and annoyance still clear. “I just can’t believe Mellie forgot to change the timer.”

“She has been super busy lately,” Jenna offered. “Sometimes a little mess-up happens. Even Melody can’t be perfect all the time. So how ‘bout we put girlie here up and get to work? It’ll still be worth it.” After an exasperated exhalation that managed to be directed right onto Naomi, Claire offered a small nod to the suggestion.

“Alright, yeah, we can do that,” she stated rather blankly. “Could you go pull out the platters? I need to get Naomi situated real quick.”

“Absolutely,” Jenna agreed, emphasizing it with a tightening of her embrace that served to both comfort her friend and jostle the Alpha occupying said friend’s palm before pulling away, leaving Naomi alone with her currently moody caretaker. Now the sole possible recipient for her attentions, Claire’s eyes fell upon her once more, thankfully lacking in the inherent accusation that had accompanied that earlier reflexive glance. Another lukewarm gust forced itself down upon her, and Naomi shifted awkwardly at this repeated sign of irritation.

“Get everything you needed while you were out?” Claire asked, and once more Naomi was made aware of a forced lightness being imposed upon a person’s words, amplified by the presence of a rather fake-looking smile. “Things go fine with Jenna?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Naomi replied shyly, hoisting her bags up just a little emphasize the spoils that had been picked out for her by the escorting Omega.

“Good. Naomi?”

“Ma’am?”

“Would you mind doing a favor for me tonight?”

“A favor, ma’am?”

“Just Claire for right now, Naomi,” the Enforcer remarked. “It really would be a favor to me. I’ll show you.” The gloomy Omega shifted about, uncrossing her legs before steadily dismounting from her bed, holding Naomi steady in her palm through each movement. A couple of steps saw Alpha and Omega overlooking the row of transparent cells that had served as home to Naomi and her fellows for the past month, and it wasn’t really a challenge for the prisoner to see that something had changed within her own area. Numerous things, in fact. Additions. A small, half-width divider had been inserted, blocking off the amenities from immediate view from the beds on the opposite side. “Beds,” too, was new. Another one had been added, parallel and a few feet from her own. And laying upon it in a heap, face buried in the pillow, was Stephanie.

“What….” Naomi started, somewhat confused, Claire interrupted.

“We had a very nice talk earlier,” the Omega informed her, piquing Naomi’s attention in multiple ways. “She’s been like this since, and I don’t really want to leave her alone right now. So, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind rooming with her for tonight.”

“Not…not at all, ma’a-Claire,” Naomi murmured, feeling like she couldn’t quite refuse. Not because the arrangement had already been set up, no. Just the mere sight of her hurting friend down below immediately tugged at her. Stephanie hadn’t been the warmest person in the world over the years, but…well, whenever Naomi had needed a strong shoulder to cry on, Stephanie had always been willing to provide. It was why she had been so willing to take her friend into her embrace a month before, enduring the girl’s biting teeth in the process.  Why she had felt compelled to share what she knew of her broken friend’s history.

“Thanks,” Claire said, some genuine feeling in her expression of gratitude. “I really do appreciate it.” With that, Claire began to lower her into the enclosure, paying much more heed to the effects of gravity than Jenna had. Naomi soon stepped off onto the tar-black floor, bags in tow. It took only a few strides for her to reach the foot of Stephanie’s bed on the way to her own, and her presence did not go unnoticed. Stephanie’s prone form jerked about, her face looking up from the pillow, and the girl’s red, raw eyes and nose were immediate attention grabbers that stopped Naomi in her tracks, even though the face soon returned to the pillow.

“I’m going to be a little busy for the rest of the night,” Claire informed them as she continued to kneel just outside the enclosures, while Naomi took a seat at the foot of her own bed, “but before the party starts I’ll bring some dinner for you two. I had something special ordered for you girls, I hope you like it. It’s a lot better than the usual. I wanted to do a little something more for your two tonight, to show how proud I am of you.” The words were kind. Uplifting, even.  But even know Naomi could tell that the Omega wasn’t fully over the news of her brother’s absence from the night’s events. That she was still having to force positivity. Even still, Naomi yelled a couple of words of gratitude upward at the dejected woman, earning yet another forced smile in return.

“Alright then, I need to go get things set up. Either of you need anything before I head off? I’m not going to have much time when I come back with dinner later, so if you need something, now’s the time to tell me.” For her part, Naomi gave a clear shake of her head. Nothing she might need came to mind. Her ears picked up a brief jerking from Stephanie, and not much else. “Okay, then,” Claire continued after giving the two another moment, “I’ll see you two again in a little bit.”

The Omega rose, as she had done so many times before at this point, once more asserting her full stature. Somehow, watching Claire ascend continued to wow her even now. The Omega gave them one last little look before pivoting on her heel, and Naomi fell backward onto the cool, comfortable surface of her bed. Fell, and then shot straight back up.

“Claire!” shrieked a harsh, raspy voice from right next to her, and Naomi wasted no time in following it to its source. To Stephanie, who was now sitting up, looking up at the towering woman who had halted in place at her name to look back down at the manic girl who had suddenly called her.

“Stephanie?” Claire questioned, clearly curious about what had prompted that call. Naomi’s friend did not answer, instead continuing to simply lock eyes with their captor. She was taking deep, almost gasping breaths, and doing so rapidly. As if the very act of calling up to their warden had instigated a panic attack that had sealed her thoughts. But Claire was patient, continuing to wait, allowing Stephanie some chance to communicate what she apparently wanted. It was a patience that was rewarded as, after several long seconds, Stephanie’s right hand slowly began to rise, a single finger outstretched. Pointing toward her own ear.

It earned her an inquisitive lifted eyebrow from Claire, who knelt once more outside their pen while bringing a grasping hand toward the attention-seeking Alpha. Naomi watched in silence as Claire’s fingers wrapped around her friend, fetching her from the bed and lifting her into the air. Exactly to where Stephanie had requested, next to the Omega’s ear. Naomi simply sat in silence; watching, wondering. Especially as Claire’s lips began to slowly curl upwards into a smile.

A genuine one. Without the slightest bit of force.