Chapter 4. Family
The tour around the big house seemed to make the young Omega even more nervous than when she had arrived. Her hazel eyes had opened wide as she saw how beautiful it was, how opulent and luxurious and big. She was afraid to breathe in case she broken one of the lovely things in the nooks and crannies and bookshelves. She could feel the depth of the carpet through her shoes, there were patterns and pictures and portraits and paraphernalia, so much to see and shy away from. She was fascinated with the house but terrified of it. She would have thought she was dreaming but she didn't think her dreams were capable of so much detail.
They had finally returned to the large sunny living room and she had sat anxiously in a soft chair by the big bay window. It was all so much to take in, it was so beautiful and she couldn't quite believe that she was going to be living here with her new family. They hadn't told her who her new family was yet, which was scary too, but the Inspector and the Scary Alpha seemed to know the owners' because they knew the place and the servant knew them too. She didn't think Dr John and the Inspector would leave her with people who were horrible, she wasn't sure about the scary suit but perhaps she was not being fair, he had not hurt her yet.
The children had been kept at the facility for another month, but in the guard quarters which were luxurious compared to the holding cells. Experts in omega physiology and psychology were brought to them. Educational specialists assessed them and gave them entertaining lessons. They were fed nourishing food, they were surrounded by Alpha guards who smiled at them and called them pet names. They were given regular exercise outside in gardens. They were given toys and books and clothes, and the best gift of all was Sammy. Sammy was assigned to them as their "Liaison" which meant playmate, protector, and personal friend, which also meant that he slept in the same building and he was there with them twenty four hours a day.
John often came to the facility so that he could monitor them and check on them and they felt comfortable with him because he was kind and omega and smiled but Sammy, Sammy was the only Alpha that they trusted. He never raised his voice or his hand to them and he made them laugh.
It had taken nearly that month before the other children had been safely settled. They had investigated their families, had found out that the twin boys maternal uncle had sold them without their parents knowledge. The facility had arranged for a convenient accident when the uncle had been looking after them for the weekend, an accident involving a walk beside a river, a dangerous deep fast flowing river which fed straight into the sea a few miles away, where only their shoes and one jacket had ever been found, and whilst the uncle had been given plastic surgery and a new life with his spoils, the twins had been delivered to the facility, their parents believing them all to be dead.
The twins didn't remember what had happened, and they cried when they were asked.
The Inspector had told her that they had found the Uncle and he was being extradited from the country he had run away to, and she and Jenny were with the twins when their parents had turned up, grief stricken and insanely happy.
Seren hadn't felt the need to threaten them, but she almost giggled when Dr John carefully made sure there were no sharp implements available and Sammy had pulled her and Jenny onto his lap so that she couldn't get to them anyway. The security team still seemed to watch her very carefully, and the Inspector actually winked at her but the Scary Alpha just studied her until she felt uncomfortable again and turned her face slightly so it was against Sammy's shoulder.
She had been so happy when she saw how loving Benny and Markie's parents were with them, but as they turned to leave, it was as if they all finally understood they were to be separated. Matty had not been allowed home with his mum, she had come to visit him every day because he had screamed the place down when they had tried to take him away from Seren and his little family, but he was finally comfortable enough with her that he was leaving the same day as the boys, and suddenly everything seemed to stop for Seren. Her little ones were going; no more hugs, no more talking in the dark to keep away the fear and pain, no more secret giggles, no more smiles. No more family.
There was total silence from all the children as they stared at each other, blanking out the adults. Seren slipped out of Sammy's loose grasp, and stood there.
Jenny followed her down and held her hand as they faced their brothers. The pain in their faces made the adults wince.
Jenny began to sob quietly as she stood next to Seren, but Seren's eyes were too gritty and dry to cry, the hurt in her chest making it hard to breath.
The twins took a step towards the two girls, and suddenly they were all together again holding each other in a soul deep hug, but none of them said a word until Seren whispered "Love you so much".
Suddenly the Scary Alpha spoke and although there were surprised looks in his direction, no-one dared to contradict him.
"Children, you will of course be seeing each other at least once a month for a whole day as a minimum. This is not the last time you will see each other"
The little omegas looked at him as if he was Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny rolled into one. Mycroft was angry that no-one had thought to reassure them with regards to something that simple, and inform them that they would be able to see each other; he would make it his business to ensure it. It was simply a matter of facilitating the success of the project as it would contribute to the children's emotional wellbeing, and the researchers could learn more about their interaction.
He refused to look at his ridiculously over sentimental mate who was smiling at him.
Jenny had left a few days later. But not with her family. They had been killed in an accident a few months after Jenny had been abducted from her pushchair in the park whilst her mother had been chatting to a friend. The distraught mother had been driving and the two parents had perished at the scene of the crash. Mycroft had insisted on a thorough investigation to make sure that they were not in hiding in another country spending their blood money, but sadly for Jenny it was true.
As far as Mycroft was concerned this evidence of further psychological torment for the children, that they were told they had been sold by the ones who should have loved them and kept them safe even when they had been abducted, was the last nail in the coffin of anyone who had been involved in this enterprise.
Sammy had gone to Mycroft Holmes and told him that his parents wanted to adopt Jenny, that she would always be safe and loved and that he would be taking her with him with or without his permission. He didn't want to lose his job but Mr Holmes should remember he was very good at it and he would fucking dismember anyone who came to take away his new little sister. And the lad had straightened his shoulders and waited for the fallout to rain down upon him.
Instead he heard the Detective Inspector's laughter, felt Dr Watson's warm approval and saw the Iceman thaw.
Sammy was told that the adoption papers would be drawn up immediately, that he had leave for a month to help her settle into her new life and family and then he could come back and be very good at his job. By then the Inspector had finished laughing and turned to him with a ferocious frown as he told him that if he ever threatened his Mate with dismemberment again Sammy would end up in the glue factory like other broken down old "horseys"
Sammy had stood to attention offered a "Sir, yes, Sir", grinned and ran out to tell Jenny.
Seren was left in that awful place by herself and her heart was breaking
The Inspector had come to talk to her a few times, with Dr John and sometimes with the Scary Alpha. She tried to think of him with his proper name but it seemed like impertinence and she felt like she would be told off if she ever dared to think his name in her head. Besides he was scary.
They had asked her lots of questions about her life before the facility, but she couldn't remember. They had taken her blood in little vials and asked her more questions.
She didn't even know what her last name was; she'd only ever been called Seren in this place. Every time she tried to remember her head hurt, it pounded with pain so she had stopped trying to remember a long time ago.
Finally Dr John had come and sat down beside her and told her that they couldn't find her family and she was scared again. What was going to happen to her now, would they leave her in this horrible place because she had no-one to take her in, take care of her, and love her. Dr John had known she was scared and panicking and said soothingly, "But if it's okay with you sweetheart, there is a family who would like you to join them, we can go and visit their house and meet them at home and see what you think"
She had nodded her head slowly, she didn't want to stay here by herself, she couldn't sleep properly, she didn't want to eat and she missed her brothers and little sister but what if this new family didn't like her, or she didn't like them.
So here she was, sitting beside the window so that she could see outside to the enormous garden with its pretty flowers and beautiful trees, it seemed to help her to breathe when the panic attacks threatened. Any moment now this was all going to disappear in a puff of smoke and she would be back in the cell with the others.
She was trying to hold the pretty pink rosebud teacup and saucer she had been given but she couldn't keep the delicate cup and saucer from rattling, so after one sip of the delicious tea, she put it on the window sill beside her and tried to concentrate on controlling her slight trembling.
She looked up to see one of the Alpha's smiling at her, the Inspector called Lestrade with the kind brown eyes and pretty silver hair. The one who had been angry and then when he had seen how scared she was had switched to kind so quickly it had almost made her head spin. The one who had tried to find her family. She was grateful to him even if he hadn't managed to find them.
She smiled shyly back, but she wouldn't look him in the eyes for long and her eyes slid away from his to focus on his hands, strong blunt capable looking hands.
He said cheerfully, trying to provoke another smile
"Well even if you are grounded at some point Seren, there will still be plenty of things to do here won't there?"
She creased her eyebrows, her face puzzled. He sounded like she was going to be punished, what had she done, and what was the punishment?
"Grounded, is that a punishment? I'm sorry what have I done/" she whispered shakily. "No, no love, you haven't done anything, it was supposed to be a joke, a very stupid joke but just a joke"
"Grounded, is that being punished with electricity" she asked confusion on her face.
Lestrade felt sick at the implication that she knew about any punishment with electricity. Mycroft Holmes and Dr John stopped their conversation to turn towards her. The two of them looked at her with amazement, and then what seemed to be the beginnings of amusement. She flushed with embarrassment, she was so stupid.
"I'm sorry I don't know what it means, is it worse than being forced to eat?" her voice was timid now and she was staring down at her own clasped hands, she wouldn't look at them, but her words dissipated any humour in the situation
"What do you mean, Seren, being forced to eat?" John asked carefully. She looked up at him blankly, surprised he was asking.
"I was given food but the others weren't. I was told to eat in front of the little ones and that they wouldn't be fed until I did my tasks properly. I didn't listen and shared the food between the little ones. I thought it would be ok because they would just beat me" She shrugged as if that were the norm, and then paused to take a short shallow breath.
"When they came back they beat Matty so badly they broke his leg, and then told me every time I shared the food with them, one of them would be beaten instead of me. They made me eat for two days before the little ones were given any food, one day because I was stupid and couldn't get the task done properly soon enough, and one day was extra punishment because I had fed the little ones that first time."Her voice became quieter and quieter as if she was ashamed of herself and her failings. She studied the intricate pattern in the rug on the solid oak floor at her feet as if her life depended on it and refused to look up at the adults in the room
After she finished her explanation, there was a stunned oppressive silence and then she felt the waves of rage roll off the Alphas and hit her square in the chest.
She dropped from the chair to her knees straight away, and her head still bent and didn't look at anyone, shivering with fright.
After throwing an impatient look of angry irritation at the two Alphas in the room, John went to her and immediately dropped to his knees beside her, ignoring the twinges from his old wound. He stared compassionately at the slight trembling girl with the chocolate brown raggedy curls hiding her face.
"Seren, it's ok really its ok," he murmured soothingly, as he stroked her cheek gently, young omegas especially needed lots of physical contact when they were distressed, and the two great idiots in the room with him had obviously forgotten that.
She relaxed fractionally against his hand but whispered as if she had forgotten the Alphas would hear her anyway, "They are so angry"
"Not with you Seren, do you remember how you felt when Matty's parents came to get him?" she nodded uncertainly "Well, were you mad at Matty as well?"
"No of course not" she protested, and then her hazel green eyes widened as comprehension struck and she finally understood. "But it was my fault, and they aren't mad at me?"
It was Lestrade who answered her, as he dropped down besides her and pulled her into his lap, "No sweetie, not mad at you, never at you" and stroked her hair gently.
He tugged at one of the curls until she looked up at him and for once actually met his gaze deliberately; she smiled shyly into his kind brown eyes. Except for that one time in the hall, when she had threatened Matty's Mum, and he had been so angry she had been terrified, he had always looked kind. She knew he was kind because when he had realised the effect his anger was having on her, he had comforted her instead, and it felt so good, for a little while she had imagined that she had someone to care for her, to look after her, she got so tired sometimes trying to look after all of them, of trying to be brave, it had been so tempting to rest against him and relax, and listen to that lovely voice speaking to her and soothing her, just like she was doing now.
For a perfect second she allowed herself to rest against him, and then she began to pull back. He was still an Alpha and it was so hard to trust them, except for Sammy who didn't really behave like an Alpha.
He allowed her to retreat, then stood up with her in his arms and placed her back in the chair she had vacated so hurriedly. He sat on the small stool beside her so that their faces were level. He took the pretty pink rosebud cup from its saucer on the window sill and held it to her mouth. Startled, she looked up at him again, and he was smiling so gently it hurt something inside her. She blinked at him in confusion but before she could protest, he said in that deep voice
"C/mon sweetie, just a few little sips, it will make you feel better" and he smiled encouragingly. She found herself obeying the underlying compulsion and sipped at the cup, her instinctive obedience to an Alpha releasing the usual Omega endorphins, and the sweet tea adding to the mix to allow her body to stop shaking.
She had missed the conversation between Dr John and the Scary Alpha in her compulsive fascination with Lestrade's behaviour.
"She needs to learn to trust you both Mycroft" John was insistent
"Gregory has the skills and empathy for this John, I have other …qualities which will prove of benefit to her" Mycroft answered calmly.
"Don't be an idiot Mycroft, at the very least she has to stop being afraid of you or this situation will not work and you know Greg wants, no needs this to work"
John retorted implacably ignoring the ominous frown on Mycroft's face.
Mycroft hadn't scared him away from Sherlock at the start of their relationship and John still did not allow Mycroft's dominant Alpha nature to overrule his good sense even though it was hard, but John was bone deep stubborn. And his good sense was telling him that the only way this odd situation would work was if Mycroft made an effort to get the child to trust him.
He was pretty sure he was the only Omega in the universe who could get away with it as well. Mycroft did not allow anyone but Greg to challenge his decisions the way John did sometimes. For some reason Mycroft liked and trusted him enough to give him that kind of liberty.
John held out the delicate pink rosebud plate with a selection of dainty little iced cakes "Don't be a coward Mycroft" he intoned quietly with a little mocking smirk.
John wasn't sure it would work on Mycroft but that little laughing question at an Alpha's courage normally triggered an obvious and instinctive Alpha response which meant they did as John wanted.
Mycroft raised an eyebrow, a dangerous gleam in those deep blue eyes but John could have sworn there was amusement there as well before he took the plate from John's hand and began to walk towards his mate and the omega child.
He heard John's faint whisper as he passed "Be kind Myc" and it gave him pause. Only Sherlock had ever called him that, and only when they had been small and young and kind and loving to each other because they were the only ones who were.
Suddenly he remembered what it was like to be small and young and afraid and need someone to be kind and loving. Damn the man. Irritated he knew that was precisely John's intention. That blasted ex soldier Omega was brilliant in his own way.
If Sherlock hadn't sunk his possessive Alpha claws into him, John would have been an incredible asset for Mycroft's organisation. Then again, he was exactly where Mycroft needed him to be, protecting, and loving his precious, obsessed, irresponsible, naive, genius stubborn little brother.
John was family, probably the most dangerous job you could undertake when it came to the Holmes siblings.
And in front of him, was the other precious part of his family, trying to help a little girl who had touched that big beautiful heart.
As a consummate strategist Mycroft knew when he was in check. He would have to reconsider his options.
Gregory had heard everything of course but the child hadn't and she startled, nearly upsetting the cup in Gregory's hands when Mycroft came to a stop next to her chair.
She looked up at him wide eyed and he could see the fear of him cause her muscles to tense again when she had started to relax under the ministrations of his mate.
As usual Mycroft Holmes could assess a situation within seconds and come up with an appropriate response. He dropped to his knees beside his mate, and refused to allow his amusement to show at the two expressions of utter shock which greeted his behaviour. He consigned the fleeting annoyance at creasing his suit to the realms of necessary evil and then dismissed it from his mind.
"Now my dear why don't you try some of these absolutely delicious cakes to go with that lovely cup of tea" his rich smooth voice urged gently.
She opened her mouth slightly, not sure how she was going to answer and on impulse driven by the sudden unexpected deep instinct to feed one of his "pack", he popped a piece of a pink iced fancy cake into her mouth.
She closed her mouth, narrowly avoiding coughing it out again and opened those hazel eyes now tinged with gold wide in amazement. Lestrade snorted with laughter before he tried to stifle it at the fleeting almost embarrassed look on Mycroft's face before his expression was once again bland. Mycroft could feel the amusement radiating off John and hitting him between the shoulder blades but thankfully John had more decorum than his impossible mate and did not laugh aloud.
Mycroft kept his focus on the stunned child in front of him, and for a second he could see an awed smile in those expressive eyes as the sweet and delicate flavours of the titbit hit her taste buds. Another unexpected emotion hit him. Satisfaction, and for a few moments he revelled in it, then he began to feel unaccountably threatened by the defenceless girl, his iceman persona came back in full force, his old mantra, his safety blanket came back "Caring is not an advantage".
Illogically he refused to think about his mate, his brother or his brother-in-law, and his facial features took on his more usual expressionless mask
Suddenly it seemed she remembered she was staring into the eyes of an Alpha and she dropped her gaze to the plate held in his hand. She stammered slightly as she uttered a quiet "Thank you sir".
Mycroft looked over at Greg and raised one eyebrow in question; he received a slight nod in response.
"Seren, Inspector Lestrade and I have something to ask you and you don't have to answer us straight away, in fact we would prefer it if you take a little time to think before you answer us."
Seren shot a curious and startled glance at the two kneeling men, the Inspector's face looked encouraging and gentle, and she wasn't quite sure that she understood the expression on Mycroft's face but he seemed keen that she answered him so she muttered "ok" in a small voice, feeling nervous.
"Don't worry so Seren" John's voice was gently amused. She looked up at him and gave him a small puzzled smile, and then unusually Mycroft cleared his throat as if he was nervous but before he could continue, Lestrade couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"Seren, how do you feel, I mean, would you like to, I mean.." he drew a deep breath and John could feel the kid's anxiety ratchet up a few notches. This was getting to be ridiculous. John's cheerful businesslike tone cut through the hesitancy which was so unnatural for the two Alphas.
"Oh for heavens sake, Seren sweetheart Mr Holmes and Inspector Lestrade would like you to become a part of their family, they thought you could come to live with them for a trial period and you could see if you like it, and then if you agree, they would like to adopt you. So what do you think?"
AN:
Lots of angsty stuff. Please read and review xx