Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations all characters end up in. Everything else belongs to someone else and that's the way of it.

Note: Happy Holidays to All My Readers!

Presents Are Hard

By the time they'd gotten around to refusing dessert or tea, as much because of the diets half the omegas at the table were on as because of their lack of appetites as they sat on pins and needles waiting to see just what the new consort had up her sleeve. And she had something big planned, they could all feel her anticipation like it was a particularly bad London fog. Who her intended victim was…well Harry was pretty sure that everyone agreed that he was the most likely candidate, but attacking him in front of Colin would be social suicide and everyone knew it. Veronica knew that. So…?

When Veronica announced she'd be paying for all of them, after consulting her watch yet again, Harry surmised that whatever she was up to it was on some sort of timetable and they were enough behind schedule that she wanted to streamline the paying process. Which Chester was not going to appreciate receiving the bill for, Harry mused, though of course he didn't argue with her paying. Hell, he wanted to get this done and over with as soon as possible.

Then the bill was paid, and the real cost of this meal came into play.

"Well thank you all so much for making time to come to lunch today." Veronica began, giving them a smile that Harry didn't trust as far as Daisy could throw the woman. "And now I hope you'll indulge me just a longer and accompany me to see an interior designer that operates out of a building just over a block from here. I know you all have excellent taste, and I would really value your input."

Harry could tell that she hadn't run this by her guards by the way both stiffened up and Tristian turned slightly to use his ear piece to consult with the guards that were waiting outside. And while he sympathized with them, having to risk your life for such a horrid creature had to be damn near unbearable, Harry couldn't help but turn his thoughts to how this could come back to bite him. She didn't have a sniper outside waiting to take him out…did she?

No. She wouldn't risk getting his blood or brain matter on her.

"And Harry, I hope you aren't insulted." The look she aimed at him had Harry's lunch lurching in his stomach. "Obviously I value your input, which is why I hope you'll come. I just want to make the consort rooms more mine. You do understand, I hope?"

"No need to worry at all. My former rooms were all decorated by the Guild Master's late mother as a wedding present to me." Unfortunately. Not that he enjoyed decorating, for that matter.

"Oh." A moment's pause before she gave him a beseeching look. "You will come with us, then?"

Knowing there was no way to get out of it, she'd just push him into it using her status if he tried to dig his heels in, so Harry gave her a smile as fake as her own as he assured her that nothing would make him happier.

Naturally that meant that everyone was coming, especially since none of them believed that Veronica was stupid enough to hire a decorator from this part of the city. The Guild Master wouldn't go for it, and for that matter neither would Veronica. She was trying to show Harry up, after all, and that meant she'd hire and expect the best from start to finish.

That Veronica insisted they could easily walk to their destination, and took off down the street without waiting for any of them or her guards to agree to that as soon as they left the building…well that was not earning her any brownie points with the older women, or Veronica's friends for that matter, since none of them were wearing heels they could comfortably walk on for long distances. Or if they could they'd pay for it horribly later.

One positive thing was that Percival was one of the guards who'd been keeping guard outside, and immediately he moved to take the rear to act as guard for his mother, Harry and Rachel, the other three guards also moving into position to form a rectangle of sorts as they all headed down the street.

"Any idea what she's up to?" Percival murmured just loud enough for the three of them to hear.

"No." Colin told his son softly. "But I have a feeling it's not going to be good."

The four of them sharing looks that said they were hoping for the best while expecting the worst, Harry joining the guards in keeping an eye out for potential threats or unpleasant surprises. Just in case.

And it was thanks to his superior height and the fact that Eggsy was wearing that god awful black jacket with the gold license plates all over it that Harry spotted his mate standing up ahead with Roxy, the two arm and arm and apparently on their way into the building they stood in front of.

"Mr. Unwin and Roxy. What a lovely surprise!"

Both dominants freezing in their tracks, the two turned and stared at them in surprise while Veronica definitely picked up the pace to get to them that much faster, the other omegas and guards speeding up to keep up with her. And in Colin and Percival's case to get closer to the youngest member of their family, least she end up in a fight with their consort on in public.

"Consort." Roxy and Eggsy both said politely, bowing their heads slightly before looking around their consort to shoot their family members questioning looks that asked what the heck they were doing there.

"Are you two on your way to…oh. Well this isn't a restaurant at all, is it?"

Taking the hint everyone turned to look at the sign above the door Eggsy and Roxy had been about to go through.

It was called 'Secrets'. And judging from the display in the shop's windows it was a lingerie shop.

And Eggsy looked very much like a kid who'd just been caught with his hand in the biscuit jar.

"This is not what it looks like."

)

While Harry appreciated Roxy's statement, and really, in the sensible part of his brain he knew that this was not what it looked like and Veronica had obviously set this up somehow, even though the explanation as to how she'd done it was beyond his poor brain at the moment. Because the not sensible side of him was freaking out over how guilty and leg caught in a trap Eggsy had looked moments before, though now Eggsy just looked confused as he asked Roxy what she'd meant about this not being what it looked like.

The look Roxy aimed in his mate's direction clearly stated her opinion regarding Eggsy's intelligence. Or lack thereof in this case. "We're a man and a woman about to go inside a lingerie shop, Eggsy. Think about it."

A pause, and then Eggsy made a rather horrible choking sound while wearing an expression of pure horror.

"EWWW! They're thinkin you and I was goin in there ta buy ya girlie stuff? Like we was a couple?"

"You don't have to look THAT horrified."

"Yeah I do! Ya're like a sister ta me. Sleepin with you would be like…well no, sleepin with my real sister would be worse cause then I'd be a pedophile too, but still….NO." Eggsy gave Colin a beseeching look. "She's just here ta make sure I didn't fuck up Arry's present. I swear, Colin!"

While everyone else tried to take that in, Veronica failed to hide her frustration and anger that this wasn't the scene she'd expected while Harry tried to wrap his mind around the fact that apparently his mate had ordered some sort of present for him from a shop that sold women's undergarments.

Thankfully some of his worry must have shown on his face, Roxy biting on her bottom lip for a moment to keep from grinning first. "It's not that sort of present, Harry. Don't worry. He's not THAT mental."

"Hey!"

"Well think about it. And look at the displays, for god's sake."

Eggsy looked at the displays and then back at Harry a couples times, something about his mate's expression suggesting that he was trying to imagine Harry in some of the 'outfits' and couldn't decide what he thought of said images.

Harry gave his mate a look that stated 'NO' in capital letters.

"So may I ask what you all are doing in this part of the city?" Roxy asked politely, trying to steer the subject away from what they were up to.

"We were on your way to see a designer…but we can take a few minutes so that Harry can get his present. Since you're here to see if it would suit Harry, well we can all offer our opinions as well, can't we ladies? Only the best for our former consort after all." This was not going the way Veronica had intended, but she wasn't going to give up just yet.

"My apologies, Consort, but I'm not sure if that would be appropriate given the nature of the shop."

Mentally applauding Roxy for her quick thinking, Harry joined the others in waiting to see what their consort was going to say to that. Technically, at least in the eyes of the older generations, it would be unseemly for everyone but himself and Colin to go in. He'd be with his dominant, and Roxy and Percival could step in for their father, but the other omegas, well going into a lingerie shop with dominants not related to them would be seen as rather scandalous by some, especially since aside from Tristian and Eggsy the other four dominants were all unmated.

"Percival and Tristan will accompany us in; I don't see why that should be a problem unless any of you are uncomfortable with the idea. I for one have every faith they'll act like perfect gentlemen. And surely your dominants would have no problem with them accompanying us in."

Having recovered from his surprise and disturbing mental images, Eggsy interrupted before anyone could say anything. "It really aint a big deal, really. You should all head ta this designer place. I didn't even really need Roxy ta come with me, she just insisted."

"True."

Naturally Veronica responded to that by asking if there was some reason he didn't want them to see inside the shop, subtly reminding them that they still didn't know what Eggsy had apparently ordered, or what sort of products the store sold beside the underwear and negligees displayed in the windows.

And of course Veronica's friends all wanted to go in, and the snobs were just curious enough that they agreed to go in despite their obvious trepidation.

Ergo, they were stuck.

But then Eggsy threw an unexpected curve ball. "Uhm, it might not be a good idea just cause this shop is owned by a half dragon not from our Guild."

Now that was unexpected.

"What do you mean, not of our Guild?" Veronica demanded to know.

"He means that-"

"Eggsy?"

All attention shifted to the now open door, a human girl of about twenty standing there with bashful but hopeful eyes aimed in Eggsy's direction. "I'm sorry, I just saw you through the window and…I'm sorry to interrupt."

More flushing from the girl, as she no doubt realized that they'd all recognized the fact that she quite obviously fancied Eggsy and had been in such a rush to see him that she'd come barrelling out without taking into account that the boy was not only not alone, but might not have entered the shop yet for that very reason.

"Hey, Anna, I'll be in in a tic."

"Thank you for holding the door open for us." And on that statement Veronica marched forward and with the front guards only just catching up with her to enter the shop after Anna jumped to the side so as not to get run over and hold the door open as she'd indirectly been ordered to do.

Sighing loudly, Eggsy looked up at the sky with a 'why me' expression before motioning for the others to come in as he followed after them, Harry joining the crowd as they all fell into line, so to speak, and entered the shop in an orderly manner.

Upon entry three very important facts about the shop hit Harry all at once.

One, it was not a sex shop, which he was extremely grateful for. It looked tasteful and classy, which was a welcome surprise from what he'd been imagining.

Two, not only was the shop owned by a half dragon, but Harry's nose was sure that the dragon was an omega, female, and unmated, with not a hint of a dominant to be scented.

And three, there was strong magic in the air, suggesting that even if she didn't own the building, this omega lived in a flat above the shop, which meant this was essentially the unknown dragon's lair.

A smart dragon did not enter another dragon's lair without permission.

Turning his head to see if the normally unflappable Percival was quietly freaking out over that fact like Tristian was ahead of them, Harry joined Rachel and Colin in raising his eyebrows over the fact that Percival looked a little punch drunk and was inhaling deeply, suggesting he was very much enjoying the scent of the ummated omega who owned this space.

Well that was unexpected.

The sound of stiletto heels on the wooden floors had Harry and the majority of the others looking in that direction, the woman walking towards them most definitely the owner of the shop. She looked to be early to mid-thirties, black hair cut pixie short to showcase her magnificent bone structure. As for the ridiculously high heels she was wearing, well Harry put that down to compensating for the fact that everyone in the room would be looking down at her petite form without them.

"Eggsy."

The woman's voice was English with a hint of a French accent, her face alight with pleasure as she came forward and exchanged a hug with Eggsy that struck Harry as friendly as opposed to the sort of embraces the human shop girl wanted to have with his mate.

"Serena." Eggsy returned the warm hug and then turned his back to them a little so that Harry and the rest of them missed what he might have muttered or communicated with his eyes before turning to the side to motion towards Veronica, since she was the highest ranking dragon in their group.

"Allow me to present to you Mrs. Veronica King. Mrs. King, this is Ms. Serena Binoche." Since there were humans in the room the grandstanding and use of dragon customs didn't have to be observed, which was a relief for all except Veronica, who probably would have enjoyed it.

"Mrs. King." Serena inclined her head with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Ms. Binoche. You're a friend of Eggsy's?"

"Family friend, yes. I've known him since we were children."

"Harry, come here and meet Serena."

Cutting to the front of the line Harry ignored all the eyes on him as he held out his hand, Serena's handshake proving to be warm and strong. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Binoche."

"Please, Serena. And I you. I've been bugging Eggsy to bring you by or to arrange a meal so that we could meet, but he told me how busy you've both been with work." A sideway glance in Eggsy's direction. "Nor did he tell me you were coming today so that I could dress up for the occasion."

"Happy coincidence, actually." Harry explained. "We were all out to lunch and on our way to another location, when we ran into Roxanne and Eggsy in front of your shop."

"And it ruined my surprise."

"I haven't seen it yet, so it isn't ruined." Harry reminded his mate, reaching over to give his pouting mate a shoulder squeeze.

"Well I don't mind a crowd of…oh."

The look on Serena's face was worshipful as she cut through the group like a knife to get to Colin, her expression one of an expert looking at a priceless artifact. "You have the most perfectly androgynous face and body I have ever seen in my life. I've seen pictures, and Roxy said they did not do you justice but…can I please show you some of my wares? I know you cannot buy anything without your husband's permission, but if you liked them, I'd be happy to put them aside until he could come and see them for himself."

The woman's hunger to dress Colin up like her personal doll was practically palatable. She was even giving the other omega the closest thing to puppy dog eyes a half dragon could manage.

"Oh, well I…I don't know." Colin shot a look at his son asking for some help, but Percival was too busy looking at Serena like she was the most perfect dragon he'd ever seen to notice.

Thankfully her other child wasn't equally enamoured with Serena, and after shooting her brother a look that suggested Roxy intended to hold this over his head for the foreseeable future she moved to stand beside her mother, wrapping an arm around Colin's waist as she spoke. "Why don't you let him see what you all sell here first? It'll seduce him into agreeing."

"Of course. I'd be pleased to show you and your friends around." Serena announced, having belatedly realized that there were other potential customers around she could also be selling to. Though it was obvious Colin had the majority of her attention.

"Actually, we all came in to see Eggsy gift to Harry." Veronica informed her, the hint of ice in her voice making it clear that she didn't appreciate being ignored.

But Veronica wasn't Serena's consort, and the woman only glanced in the woman's direction before sending a questioning look in Eggsy's direction, waiting for confirmation from him before even acknowledging that there even was a gift to see.

"Might as well show them." Eggsy agreed with a sigh. "Since they'll all make up what it is if I don't let them see it."