AN: This is very different from anything I've ever written and it is rated M for a reason. I'm not saying it will be graphic, because I have no intention of that, but it's not something I'd recommend for younger readers and it will be dealing with certain issues that will make people uncomfortable.

WARNING

It's an Alpha/Beta/Omega story, so if you do not know what that is then look it up NOW. It is not for everyone and truthfully I never expected to be writing it myself.

There will be Mpreg, Non-con (Not Graphic), sex, homosexual relationships, unfaithfulness, gender-related prejudice and issues (or in this case type as this world's gender), domestic violence, and underage drinking and sex. There will be nothing explicit as this is only M, but this will have everything else that goes with A/B/O stories and those rated M so you have been warned.

Prologue

Aelflaed wasn't stupid. She'd realized something had been going on with her mate long before his confession. She should have noticed sooner that the Omega was unhappy. An Alpha was supposed to notice these things and fix them. Aelflaed refused to even allow her work to give her and excuse to have missed the signs for so long as she had.

The first time she realized something was different was when she'd come home early, her boss had late her off in rare show of goodwill, to find Henry singing. It wasn't really that he was singing that was strange. Henry loved singing. Aelflaed couldn't count the times she'd caught the Omega humming to himself as he did the most mundane task or how many times she'd walked home to the comforting sound of the songs he loved. He'd been especially prone to burst into bouts of song during the beginging of their relationship when everything had been new and lovely. But recently Aelflaed had almost forgotten his voice and how much it soothed her. It saddened her that she only heard him whenever she managed to sneak up on his lullabies to their children.

Hearing him now though was wonderful and for a moment she closed her eyes to allow the sound to wash over her. She didn't recognize the song, but it was enough to hear the voice she'd so missed without realizing it.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night," Henry's voice rang out happier than Aelflaed had heard in months making her heart warm and her eyes burn. It was amazing to hear the warmth back in that voice. "Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise."

Aelflaed opened her eyes and followed the sweet voice feeling hypnotised by the sound, a smile splitting her face and the weight of her long week disapppearing as a lightness she hadn't truly felt since she'd been a teenager newly in love spread through her. Her smile only grew as she found Henry in the kitchen swaying lightly and eyes aglow as he glanced between where he was cooking and their youngest child Ianto, who giggled as he watched his father dancing his way across the kitchen, secure in his high chair large blue eyes watching fascinated. Aelflaed didn't blame her child Henry was wonderful to watch, graceful and strong, movements smooth and sensous. A true thing of beauty.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these sunken eyes and learn to see." Henry warbled smiling beautifically at Ianto causing the eleven month old to give a happy little warble in reply clearly trying to imiate the light hearted sound of his father. "All your life. You were only waiting for this moment to be free."

Henry slammed a lid onto the pot he'd been stirring, turning down the temperature to a simmer and spun back to Ianto, bouncing on his heels arms spreading wide as his voice rose higher to match the glow that seemed to radiate off him.

"Blackbird fly. Blackbird fly. Into the light of the dark black night." Ianto squealed happily as henry scooped him up dancing around the kitchen humming and laughing as Ianto continued to try and sing along with him.

"Blackbird fly. Blackbird fly. Into the light of the dark black night." Aelflaed couldn't hold back a soft gasp as she watched the scene before her, Henry looked years younger with the pure joy he wore over him like a veil.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise."

Henry's face softened as he sang the last notes of the song. His dark blue eyes were gentle, pale skin glowing, his red-gold hair shinning in the sunlight streaming through the kitchen window, and utterly and incredibly beautiful in Aelflaed's eyes, even more so than he'd always been.

"You were only waiting for this moment to arise. You were only waiting for this moment to arise."

Seeing him panting slightly and holding their child Aelflaed hadn't been able to withold the urge to rush forward and plant a firm kiss on her mate's lips. She didn't realy notice the brief flash of guilt on Henry's face until months later when she was going back over the memory in her mind. He'd been startled, but quickly relaxed and they'd spent the day happily, enjoying the time alone together, discussing the children and just basking in each other's company. It was only later, after settling the children down, (They'd been more hyper than usual when they'd come home from school to find her already there.) with Henry's arm securely around her waist as they relaxed on the couch only half listening to the news that Aelflaed began to wonder where exactly Henry had heard the song that was so very different from what the two of them usually enjoyed. But when Henry leaned towards her to give her a smiling kiss his hands tangling in her hair and pulling her towards him with intent she'd pushed it out of her mind. Henry had plenty of free time to find experiment with different music.

The next few weeks had been wonderful. Henry had been more attentive and there than he had in a long time. She found small gifts waiting for her when she least expected it and return she went out of her way to make as much time for him as she could with her busy work schedule. Henry had accepted the attention happily and Aelflaed had begun to believe that he was finally forgiving her for accepting her promotion despite his original disapproval because of the long hours. But then to her confusion Henry started to grow more distant, making excuses to turn away from her when they got in bed, rarely talking to her anymore, looking downright annoyed everytime she would try and kiss him. It was bewildering.

Eventually his distance turned into annoyance. Aelflaed couldn't say anything without being snapped at. Henry began critisizing her for things that he'd always overlooked. It got to the point that Aelflaed was afraid to open her mouth lest she offend him over some harmless comment. Henry didn't seem to complain and it hurt. This new coldness. More than Aelflaed could ever say. She tried desperately to figure out what it was she could have done to trigger the change and did her best to get back into his good graces, but everything she did only seemed to bother him more. Every romantic gesture and attempt to close the growing distance was scoffed at and met with iciness.

Before she knew it they were arguing it didn't matter what they'd been discussing, it always ended in an arguement. Aelflaed was losing her mind trying to figure something, anything, to even managed to beat down her boss into agreeing to shorten her hours, moving up in the workplace be damned, but even the seemingly biggest thorn in Henry's side being removed hadn't helped. Then, quite suddenly, Henry stopped. An uneasy sort of peace settled in the household and Aelflaed wondered if whatever had been bothering him had disappeared as suddenly as it had started. When he asked her over super one night, shy and nervous, if she would mind if he started working the hospital some days as a nurse. He'd even suggested Amelia babysit if their schedules overlapped.

Aelflaed had agreed in an instant, willing to give up almost anything to see the small smile he presented at her consent. And he had seemed happier when he began working. He looked pleased, content and Aelflaed wondered if that's what he'd needed. something beyond the children and his posiiton as homemaker. If so Aelflaed was more than willing to give it to him.

She barely considered that he agreed to let Amelia over, something he'd always protested against. Henry didn't exactly hate the young Omega girl who was the result of a brief relationship Aelflaed had before him, but he certainly didn't approve of how attached Aelflaed was to her or the fact Aelflaed demanded her children know their half-sister. He was even less approving of the fact that Aelflaed and her ex, John, were still close friends despite the bastard child and both being mated to their individual loves. She should have taken note of the uncharacteristic acceptance, but she was too relieved to care.

As time passed she had to get used to the strange smells that now clung to her mate when he came home. The scent of strangers. Alphas, Omegas, and Betas, be they patients or fellow hospital staff. Sometimes he'd be covered in the scent of some stranger from work. The worst days were when he sometimes had one patient, and thus their scent all over him. It was particularly hard when the patient was an Alpha. But Aelflaed kept her troubles to herself contenting herself with the fact that Henry was much more open to her affections now, no longer turning away from her in bed or refusing to return her kisses.

Then one day he'd some home reeking strongly of an Alpha. He'd smiled at her apologetically explaining that he'd spent the day with one of the high level doctors and then because he'd forgotten his jacket the man had let him borrow one his when Henry had gone to pick up lunch for himself and his fellow nurses. Aelflaed had wanted desperately to believe it. Bring higher level herself she was no stranger to having a scent that clung to everything. When she and Henry had first started being serious, everyone had been convinced they'd already mated because of how her scent clung to him.

Aelflaed had known better though. The way the scent circled around him, even though he'd clearly already bathed to try and wash it off. The way it mixed in with her own scent on henry's skn, almost overpowering it. There was no way it was just from close proximity and sharing a jacket. But Aelflaed had just nodded with a smile and for a moment there was a flash of surprise and disdain in Henry's eyes, like he hadn't expected that response, but then he was all smiles and warmth. Aelflaed had felt like crying that night. After they made love she'd cloung to him trying to bathe him in her smell, but she could smell it, the slightest hint as she buried her face in his neck. The scent of a strange Alpha.

It broke her heart.

She ignored the smell though, like she ignored the quiet lies he would tell her about where he was going or the times he would go to the supermarket to get milk quickly only to be gone five hours. She even managed to ignore the way their friends were avoiding her or looking at her with pity or how Henry always made excuses for way she shouldn't come see him at work.

Aelflaed knew in her heart she was waiting. Waiting for Henry to tell her the truth. She didn't listen to the one or two of her friends who tried to pull her aside to whisper vague suspcions and soon they realized themselves that she wouldn't listen and gave up watching her with sad eyes. She wanted Henry to tell her, because she knew he would. She could see it in every hidden flash or guilt, everytime he would suddenly return her embrace with an extra almost desperate passion, everytime he looked at their children pain mixed in with intense love. He would tell and Aelflaed wasn't sure what she would do when he did. she loved him. God she still did no matter how many times she woud realize anew he had strayed.

Even Amelia, as young as she was, took note of the turmoil in the house she'd become a more frequent visitor to the more time Henry spent at 'work'. The astute twelve year old didn't comment, but made sure to distract the children as much as she could so they didn't notice the increasing absences and Amelia made sure meals were always ready when Henry worked late no matter how suddenly he got called in. Aelflaed vividly remembered coming the weather outside practically a blizzard to find Amelia cheerfully cooking, her damp from where she'd walked across town to watch the kids when Henry had called her. The girl hadn't complained once. With the roads almost impassable she'd gotten creative to get there. She'd skied down mainstreet and then lended her skies to Henry so he could go to work.

Aelflaed had never been more grateful to the girl for both her silence and understanding.

It was that wintery day that her bastard daughter had braved the freezing cold to make sure she had someone to come home to that Aelflaed realized that she couldn't remember the last time Henry had told her he loved her. The next day, the children safely tucked away and warm, Amelia having stayed overnight, Aelflaed had left to go to the hospital where Henry was still working. He'd looked terrified at the sight of her standing there, knowing she looked every inch the Alpha she was he long red hair hanging freely, clothes impeccable, and her wedding band standing out like a beacon on her finger as she reached him calmly pulling him into a chaste kiss in front of the frozen staff. Henry had shakily recovered and smiled at her, introducing her to his fellows and their piercing knowing gazes. Aelflaed had greeted them all calmly and politely, a smile present and an arm wrapped casualy around Henry's waist, but clearly claiming. Then one of the doctors who hadn't been there when she first arrived came to the front desk and stiffened at the sight of her.

Aelflaed's smile didn't waver as she shook hands with the man, under the breathless watching gazes of everyone and the nervous terror of Henry's gaze, the man's startling green gaze widened as her grip tightened and her smile turned dark.

"It's a true pleasure to finally meet you Doctor." Aelflaed said lightly, feeling a flash of satisfaction as the entire room heard the shocking snap in the tense silence as almost all the bones in the man's hands shattered in her strong grip. The man returned her greeting with a shaky smile ducking his hand behind him as soon as she released it, but his green eyes were both pained and brimming with fear. Aelflaed knew in that moment that scent she was giving off was dark and threatening, strong enough to send some of the nurses into tears instantly, instinctively submissive. The man had waited trembling as aelflaed had straightened to full height releasing the pale Henry, who was as tense as a wire ready to spring at the slightest movement from Aelflaed.

The Alpha had stared for a long hard moment into the eyes of the man she knew very well her mate was bedding and knew in that moment everyone in the room, even part of Aelflaed, suspected she was going to kill him. It wasn't unheard of, hell even thirty years ago she would have been chastised for not at least attempting to maim him beyond recognition. It was something her parents would expect form her. Her parents would also say it was her own fault that Henry had strayed. They didn't share her views of how Omegas should be treated. The bone deep knowledge that her father would approve if she chose to kill the man in front of her, the fact that if she did he would use all of his considerable power to make sure she got away with it, made her pause. But it wasn't the instant disgust of becoming what her father was, something she'd vowed never to do, that stopped her from giving into the dark fierce urges that were bubbling to the surface (rip, tear, kill, mine, my mate). It was Henry.

She smelt it. The sharp burning scent of an Omega afraid. It was an unforgetable scent that would trigger the urge to both protect and kill the threat in any true Alpha. Aelflaed had always considered herself a true Alpha, even if her father's idea of one differed drastically from her own. So she turned away without a word and gently kissed Henry's cheek. Sparing the now shaking man one last glance before leaving the hospital, feeling Henry's gaze following her every move.

When Henry came home that night they didn't look at each other and Amelia wordlessly voluenteered to take the children to her house when her parents came to pick her up, now that the roads were clearing. Henry had agreed without a word of protest.

It wasn't until the next morning that he broke down and told her everything. she'd listened numbly as he explained all the insecurities he felt. How alone the new job had made him feel without her here and in a new town, how he hated his life being nothing but the children, how unwanted he'd felt when they hand't seen each other for days on end, how unfulfilled he felt that he wasn't fullfiling the most basic of things Omegas were capable of.

That had been when Aelflaed flinched. They'd discussed how to go about having children and rather or not they would just go about the usual way between a female Alpha and male Omega that involved artificial insemnation. When they'd gone a more unorthedox route, with Aelflaed crrying Henry's children, they'd been happy. Or at least she had thought they were. Henry had never once balked at the fact he wasn't having their children, not once, and in fact he had seemed overjoyed, though a little amused at time, at the fact that Aelflaed had been the pregnant one. When everyone, especially their family had been horrified and disturbed by a pregnant Alpha he'd defended their choice with her saying they wanted their children or none at all. The closest she'd ever heard him come to complaining was during his heats. But all Omegas thought of pregnancy and babies when in heat, it was part of the horomones raging through them. It had been three years since Henry had went on suppressents for his heats so Aelflaed had thought it was a mute point.

It made Aelflaed feel physical pain to hear this. To know she could never give him this. True they had children. Their children, but Aelflaed was their mother. Henry would never be.

They didn't stop talking well into the night and Aelflaed slept on the couch that night giving him the bed. It didn't fix their relationship, but it cleared the air. The children stayed with their Uncles John and George for a week until Henry and Aelflaed had at least gotten to the point they could stand to look at each other. Henry's schedule drastically changed after that and Aelflaed realized, to herself, that it was becuse he was changing it so it no longer overlapped with the doctor's. It quickly became an empty, but important gesture when the man transferred to a hospital three counties away.

An uneasy peace settled over the house as they took the first ginger steps to repairing their marriage.

Then they discovered Henry would be having a child.

Aelflaed didn't even hesitate in claiming the child as hers or tracking down the man and telling him, point blank, that he had one chance to be in the child's life or not. Their was no middle gorund. when he chose not Aelflaed made sure he signed over all parental rights and told him point blank that if he ever even faintly considered sniffing around her family again after deciding he wanted nothing to do with the child that she would settle this in the old way.

In a way the pregnancy was almost a blessing. Aelflaed was able to care for Henry in a way she'd never realized she was missing and slowly, but surely things improved. when it was time for the birth they were back to sharing a bedroom for the first time in eight months. It was a long and hard birth, the doctors explained it was because Henry was older and most Omegas gave birth between sixteen and twenty-five, not thirty.

But at the end it was done and Henry was sleeping. When the Omega nurse returned with the child Aelflaed fought the instincts that roared that this was a strange Alphas child and accepted the baby from the nervous girl. the first thing she saw were green eyes. They were different from his father's, but there was now question who he'd gotten them from. They were a toxic green and oddly sharp for a newborn. Catching sight of her he squinched his face looking as if he didn't no what to make of her and rather or not crying or silence was the appropriate response to this stranger. Aelflaed knew she was probably reading to into it, that babies didn't notice such thins or anything beyond themselves into much later, but she swore the tiny thing in her arms knew she wasn't his Alpha. Aelflaed, almost without her consent, brought the child to her face, feeling him stiffen under her and gave a curious sniff.

True he smelled of a stranger, but underneth, at his most basic scent, Aelflaed recognized the pleasant, but not overpowering scent that could only belong to Henry. Aelflaed instantly cuddled him to her chest, wrapping herself around him and just breathing in his scent as she held him. Soon she knew her own scent would be on him and he'd smell of her as surely as her own children. His face relaxed and he looked almost comical. Aelflaed smiled at the inquisitive little gaze, though she questioned herself about rather or not the expression had really been there later.

"Arthur," Aelflaed breathed out, testing the name, breath tickling against the babe's face, making him squirm slightly. "Arthur Kirkland."

The Omega nurse made a hum of confirmation, reminding Aelfaed of her presence as she quickly wrote the name down, making Aelflaed realized she'd named the child without Henry's consent, but before she could stop her the girl disappeared leaving Aelflaed with the baby. She was quickly distracted though when the baby made a sudden movement drawing her attention. Her heart melted, he was snuggling into her, atempting to bury his face in her warmth, but one green eye remained cautiously open looking up at her as if he wasn't yet sure what to make of this affectionate stranger.

"Arthur." Aelflaed whispered again, trying it once more. The green eye blinked once and shut as the baby relaxed completely in what could almost be approval.

Aelflaed smiled and knew then that she would love the boy no matter who his father was. When Henry woke he found Aelflaed smiling with a sleeping baby resting contentedly in her arms. He agreed with the name and Arthur Kirkland the toxic green eyed, blond haired child remained.