CHAPTER 9

A/N – Hello everyone! I know that the previous chapter ended somewhat abruptly, but it's only because that part is longer and wouldn't have fit into it. Also, an important part of the planned plot is still yet to be covered, hence this additional chap before the final one. Also, there's a little surprise included. Enjoy!

Francis paused, eyebrows rising slightly, thoughtfully, as he waited for the information to sink in. It was true that Alfred had occasionally wondered why the humans were different from all other animal species - where the two genders alone sufficed - but no explanation had ever been available and he had accepted the status quo, just like everyone else.

"Please explain…" he asked at last, assuming that he could sort of gauge the reasonableness of what he was about to hear.

The doctor smiled, pleased that the boy showed an open mind. "Indeed, there were no Alphas and Omegas, only men and women and out of the two genders only women could be child bearers. This was humans' natural state."

"And… how did this change?"

Silently, wheels started turning in Alfred's head. There was one thing he'd once read in his father's private collection of history books (which he and Mattie were not supposed to go through but he'd done it anyway), something about the governmental effort to increase population after the War, but he'd not given it much thought at the time, even if it didn't make much sense.

"The Government's elite team of scientists developed a strategy of artificial genetic manipulation of the existing humans. Obviously without the official public knowledge or consent, although some explanation must have been provided to the general public. The artificial Alpha and Omega genes were enhanced with animal elements from certain species – hence the chosen names for the classifications - and the effect of implantation was the ability of Omega males to bear offspring as well as certain, very precisely designed patterns of behavior and mindsets specific to each of the two classifications. Alphas are dominant and aggressive, manifest increased physical development and strength and increased cerebral capacity while Omegas are submissive and gentle, with fragile constitution and moderate to low cerebral capacity. However, both classifications share one very important trait, one that was crucial for the Government's efforts for meet the need for workers – the increased sexual drive and sexual hormones, as well as the desire to produce numerous children."

Alfred mustered a small cramped smile."This doesn't sound that hard to believe. I think it makes sense, pretty much, and I guess it worked too. But was there need for such a tight behavioral control?"

Francis nodded. "Yes. People who think in a predetermined way are incredibly easy to control and manipulate. To govern, if you will."

"But?"

The young doctor drew a deep breath, half-shrugging. "But there are of course some complications. They soon discovered that the human body continues to reject the artificial Alpha and Omega genes (and this still happens now, after several generations). To prevent the genes from regressing the scientists have developed a remedy I suppose you are more than familiar with – the supplements."

"Which everyone must take all their lives because supposedly food lacks essential nutrients…" Alfred mumbled, more to himself. The supplements his dad had worked on since as long as he could remember. This meant his father was actually involved in-

"Indeed. This was the first problem they encountered, successfully fixed though it is presently. The second and most serious by far are the mutations. Some children are born with deficient genes in various degrees, but there is a special category which has posed the most problems – the so-called 'untouchables'. This official term was taken over from ancient history where a certain human society was organized upon a system of castes. The individuals labeled as 'untouchables' were the lowest of the low, fallen from the grace of gods and thus repellent to the rest, to such extent that as much as touching them brought damnation. But in our circumstances the untouchables are the persons born with no classification."

Alfred stared, dumbstruck. How was that even possible? "I've never heard of-"

"Of course you've never heard of them, untouchables do not exist on the record. That and the Government has been taking increasingly active steps towards their systematic elimination."

"Why?"

"Because not only they can't be controlled – since they don't follow the prescribed behavioral patterns – but also they are hybrids superior in almost every respect, physical strength, cerebral capacity and so on. Of course, the lack of classification together with the interference of the artificial genes means that they cannot reproduce and their sexual hormones activity is uncommonly low, even compared to pre-classification standards."

"And they are also scentless," the young Alpha guessed, watching the doctor intently. "You are an untouchable yourself, aren't you sir?"

The other blond smiled, pleased with his deduction."Indeed I am."

Alfred leaned back on the pillows, resting his head against the soft fabric."I still don't understand… and I remember, um… the soldiers guarding me there were saying something like… I'm not a pure Alpha. Does that have anything to do with what you just told me?"

"I'm sorry, it's just a lot of information to convey for anything to make sense," Dr. Bonnefoy replied. "The underlying idea is that the Government does not accept the existence of deviants of any kind. Untouchables are the worst and to be killed upon discovery, but the others… Well, I'll try to keep it short, Alfred. Your father was indeed working in the highest field of research involving the production of supplements. And upon your birth he discovered that both you and your brother Matthew were deviants, rejecting the genes above average and in different ways. Since your brother is an Omega, the rejection takes place at a more physical level, hence his violent, troublesome heats, while you as an Alpha reject the genes at a cerebral level. You must have noticed that you don't quite think like the rest of your friends? Matthew also is more intelligent than his fellow Omegas. Now, since all children are genetically tested at birth, your father knew that both of you were constantly being monitored, so all your lives he's been trying to keep the problems to an acceptable level by chemical means, in the form of customized supplements. Only your brother was getting sicker and sicker to the point his life was in danger and your father wanted to cease his treatment rather than see him die."

The boy looked away, uselessly trying to blink back the tears threatening to spill.

"Of course, that wasn't deemed acceptable. Nor was the potential seed of rebellion which they intuited in Dr. Jones. "

Alfred wiped his cheek hastily with the back of his hand, clearing his throat. The things explained by Dr. Bonnefoy did add up with certain things he'd noticed at home, as well as the 'deviations' concerning him and Mattie. But could the Government really be this cruel? Well, there were guards and scent scanners everywhere… of course, the scent scanners. Now he understood what they were really for.

"What is the Reactive Agency?"

"It's an agency founded by a more… radical faction of the Government, let's say. Like secret services. Since its foundation thirty years ago its purpose has been to collect untouchables – at first from their families and these days right from the maternity, to the extent we can actually rescue them… Like I said, all children are tested at birth and recently any untouchables found have been put to death immediately, upon identification. Arthur's generation was the last before the new procedure. We are allowed to live here at the Institute and the young ones are trained to be elite soldiers for the Agency, but upon occasion we collect other deviants, so this is why we were able to find and rescue you. We're trying the same about Matthew, but so far we haven't located him yet, nor do we know if he's still alive. I'm sorry about that…"

The young Alpha folded his arms involuntarily, choosing to momentarily put aside the full implications of what he'd just heard. Back there at the lab he'd been almost sure that Mattie was lost, lying dead somewhere just like his dad. Now there was some hope that his little brother would be saved!

And then there was also Arthur to consider. Arthur's generation. So the new kids… were all untouchables. It explained why they were keeping to themselves, but- "But Arthur has Omega scent, I am pretty sure about that!"

Francis's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Alfred realised that something in the way he'd said it had made Dr. Bonnefoy aware that he and the green-eyed boy were a bit more than just school mates, something the doctor had obviously not been knowledgeable of.

"It's a trained trait, we are able to fake Alpha or Omega characteristics in order to blend in."

"Oh…" Alfred shrugged awkwardly, suddenly wishing for the subject to be dropped. Whatever the whole truth was (because he intuited that it was extensive), Arthur had saved him and he didn't mean to cause any sort of trouble to his boyfr-… Wait, was Arthur still his boyfriend? God, if only his head hadn't been such a mess…

The doctor sighed softly. "Look, Arthur told me that you're all friends at school," he said. "So before you draw any wrong conclusions about them, know that there really was no way they could have told you the truth. This year is no more than a 'blend-in' mission for them and it's dangerous enough as it is, because if any of us are discovered by the regular authorities outside the premises of this Institute we are to be executed on sight. Also, their group was the last generation taken from their homes and because they were instinctively perceived as different… they all took various degrees of damage, especially at the hands of their Alpha parents and other family members."

Suddenly, the scene from the first school day flashed through Alfred's mind vividly. "Arthur's brother….?" he asked.

Francis nodded, sadly. "Brothers… and father. See, he was already ten when we took him in, so he had the longest exposure to his regular family. When he was first brought here the poor boy was nearly bruised from head to toe and his left arm was broken."

Alfred was breathing fresh air for the first time in the past two weeks. As soon as he'd been well enough to leave the bed he'd been allowed to wander freely around the Institute and he'd discovered the building was far larger than imagined. It even had an inner yard spacious enough to make a small park. Now the blue-eyed boy had taken a seat on one of the comfortable wooden benches and was watching a couple playing with two small children a bit further away. He still hadn't gotten used to this scentless world, even if his own Alpha scent had mostly faded – and surprisingly quick too - since he'd stopped taking the supplements. There was no use fitting in into the so-called 'regular world' anymore since he would never be able to leave this place and the untouchables found regulars' scents so unpleasant that some even wore nasal filters when on missions outside. Other than that, he was telling himself that slowly he would adapt to the new circumstances, that he would leave behind all the lies and betrayal of his previous life and he would eventually accept that his dad had only meant to protect them the only way he thought possible by giving Mattie the drugs which had ended up endangering his life. As for seeing Mattie again… he almost didn't dare hope.

Dr. Bonnefoy had also informed him that an announcement had been made at school stating that his father had had to move for work purposes and because his location was confidential he and Matthew were not to be contacted by anyone for the time being. How convenient…

Without warning, someone sat down beside him – equally scentless and almost ghostly - the one person he hadn't even dared think about for fear of being swallowed by a sea of painful uncertainties. He turned brusquely, eyes wide with something akin to fear. Yet Arthur was there, so close, even if he looked troubled and worrying his bottom lip while unable to find his words. And suddenly Alfred reacted on pure instinct, leaning in and burying his nose in the crook of the smaller blond's neck. Indeed, the Omega scent was gone, replaced by a clean, simple smell of soap.

"Jones… do you think I'm repulsive?" Arthur whispered, like an afterthought.

"No. Do you? Do you hate me because I'm an Alpha?" As he spoke Alfred realised he had put one arm around the untouchable boy's waist, while the fingers of the other hand were twisted in the fabric of his soft grey cotton t-shirt, and he hadn't moved his head from his shoulder.

He heard Arthur inhale sharply, almost like a sob.

"… no. Not… not you."

The blue-eyed blond blindly sought the other's hand and intertwined their fingers together, letting out a shaky breath of relief. "Do you… like me then?"

"Yes. But you know I can't be your… mate."

Alfred pressed closer. "I know. Does it matter? I suppose Dr. Bonnefoy told you that I'm a bit of a deviant myself. I mean we can be, like, close friends or-" He looked up, biting his lip playfully. "Look, I'm not awfully disappointed that we won't end up swallowed by a whirlpool of diapers and bills, okay?"

The green-eyed blond tsked, pushing him away with a frown. "Ha, ha," he deadpanned. "Actually, it might still be possible if you really, really want it," he added, pointing to the couple with the two kids. "So what now, after you've been thrown in with the rest of us freaks?"

"Dr. Bonnefoy says I'll be able to finish highschool here, just like you've been schooled until now. And then I can study further and become a doctor, just like it was initially planned. I'd get a job here afterwards, seeing how I must make myself useful eventually, one way or the other." Alfred paused, observing the smaller blond. "But I guess you won't be working in a supermarket after all, yeah? You're a soldier."

Arthur nodded, shrugging. "I suppose you don't-"

"Are you kidding me?! Well sure at first it was scary as fuck, but… I mean you're so cool!"

"Jones…"

"What?"

The untouchable boy stood, scrunching his nose with a playful grin, and pulled him away.

Finally away from potentially prying eyes, in the privacy of his dorm, Arthur had been finally able to relax a bit in the certainty that Alfred wasn't lost to him, not entirely anyway. His breathing had steadied as he lay on top of the taller blond, in the same rhythm as the Alpha's chest was rising and falling.

Alfred looked relaxed too, eyes closed and sprawled out on the soft mattress in the aftermath of the obvious and constant tension he seemed to have been living in as of late and Arthur craned his neck up, pressing his lips softly against his. A warm hand trailed down his back in a gentle caress over the smooth fabric of his t-shirt in reply, prompting the green-eyed blond to shift slowly, such that he straddled the top of Alfred's thighs and sat up, observing his face. An impish smile formed on the other's lips and suddenly he sat up too, capturing Arthur in his arms and his mouth into a heated, open-mouthed kiss. Shy fingertips crept under the hem of Alfred's shirt, seeking the sun-kissed skin underneath and the shape of taut muscles and suddenly the Alpha pulled back, with a curious stare.

"I thought Dr. Bonnefoy said you guys aren't really into… well, this sort of thing."

"I-It was a slow build-up," the green-eyed boy confessed."And I ever only thought about it… with you, if it makes any sense," he murmured softly.

Which didn't mean Arthur wasn't awfully nervous about it, even as he reached again and pulled Alfred's shirt up and over his head, followed by his own. All previous doubts and uncertainties washed over him anew, gripping with ever increasing strength up until they found themselves under the sheets sans bothersome clothing and that incredibly warm, reassuring feeling of skin on skin took over, making him melt under and against Alfred's body. Sky blue eyes looked down at him, slightly worried and uncertain.

"Arthur… are you sure?" the Alpha asked, even as his hand slipped down the outside of the smaller blond's bare thigh.

The untouchable boy nodded quickly, cheeks deliciously flushed and his eyes wide in a mixture of excitement and worried anticipation.

"Don't worry, we'll take it easy my sweet bunny…"

Alfred scooted lower, nipping at the smaller blond's collarbone before his tongue darted out to circle one soft nipple and then the other while his fingers slipped beneath the other's body and traced every bump of his spine, making him arch his body further into his mouth.

The smaller blond moaned softly as his boyfriend's lips traveled down his torso and stomach, leaving butterfly kisses over the pale skin, all the way to the fine blonde hairs around and right below his navel. Then Alfred moved back up, resuming exploring his mouth while his hands moved over smooth hipbones and thighs, gently pushing his knees apart.

Arthur was already fully aroused and instinctively bucked his hips to meet the other's, the friction sending spikes of pleasure up his spine. One slender leg went around the Alpha's hip, prompting him to move as well in the same delicious rhythm, and Alfred drew a sharp breath, moving one hand tentatively down between his lover's legs. To his relief, it turned out that Arthur had natural lubrication, just like any Omega. He carefully inserted first one finger, and then another, searching for the sweet spot that would make him see stars and soon enough the green-eyed blond suddenly moaned loudly, eyes closed and body arching up into his, hips bucking into his hand.

"H-Hah, fuck…" Arthur cursed, wiggling a bit in discomfort as the Alpha eventually eased himself all the way in, fingernails digging into his boyfriend's biceps.

"Are you alright, baby?" his lover asked softly, remaining perfectly still and peppering kisses all over his flushed cheeks as he waited for his body to adjust.

"I'm…I'm fine now…" the smaller blond whispered, a few moments later, somewhat loosening his grip. "Move…"

Alfred promptly fulfilled his wish, cautiously and gently at first then gradually increasing the speed of his thrusts. "Fuck you're… hmphhh… so good, so tight baby," he whispered licking the shell of his boyfriend's ear as the softest, most delicious moans escaped Arthur's lips.

"Yeah, right … right there… ahahhh, yes! Fuck, Alfred ahhh…YES!" the green-eyed blond all but shouted his lover's name as his peak hit him, the wave of pleasure so unexpectedly powerful that he had to bite it into the back of his balled fist.

For a while after they both simply laid there silently, under the soft sheets, Alfred catching his breath while resting onto his boyfriend's chest while Arthur's fingers gently treaded through his tousled hair.

To be continued