Hello everyone, welcome back! Sorry again for the long wait. This chapter isn't a very long or triggering one, but I will give warnings about things such as discussions of death and funerals, also just slight bits of depression/self-deprecation. Also several mentions of characters being in heat, but nothing graphic about it. As always take care of yourselves and thank you for reading!

Roman roamed the halls of the second floor of the house. The pain of the damage caused by his pregnancy had gone down a bit so he was getting a bit more adventurous and independent. He passed the room he knew to be Janus's in the back right corner of the house. The area reeked of heat and rut, even though most of the scent was starting to age. It was to be expected Virgil had been locked in there with Janus for the good majority of the past four days. Thus far he'd only briefly seen Janus for small segments of time when he would go downstairs to retrieve food and water for himself and Virgil. He didn't mind, it gave him time to bond with Logan and Patton who often spent as long as they could keeping Roman and Remus company every day. Today however Logan was off at university until much later in the afternoon and Patton was in the kitchen preparing some fancy dinner he'd been looking forward to making. Remus wasn't even hanging out with him today, if he was correct, Remus was in the attic turned bedroom and art studio working on a painting he'd dreamt up.

He curiously came towards a room near the front end of the house. The music room. Remus had told him Janus's father had put it in to encourage Logan and Patton to take up music as a hobby so they'd be better at entertaining at events Janus hosted or attended but none of them had ever been interested in it. Not like he'd been. Roman slipped into the room briefly to take another look around.

There were a few instruments but his attention was brought to the stunning grand piano in the center of the room. It was gorgeous. Master hadn't cared much for music, the piano in his home was small and purely for show. Roman pressed down the center key and marveled at the rich tone. He was sure the piano was likely out of tune from lack of use over the past seven or eight years, but it was still so pleasant to him.

He sat down at the bench and plinked out a simple scale before playing the few cords he knew. He'd read up on how to play from a book back at the facility and he'd self taught himself a bit when he lived with Master. When he began to fall out of favor with the master he'd tried his best to impress him with the other things he could do, even if he wasn't visually appealing, but it'd been a rather fruitless effort. He didn't care for the music. He told Roman to stop the wracket.

He was alone now and he truly did love the sound. He plinked out another simple scale as he smiled softly to himself. He settled down on the bench, his fingers resting over the smooth white keys.

Roman took a breath and played. It wasn't a real song, it wasn't complicated, but the sound was beautiful. Pianos sounded so very elegant. He smiled warmly as he watched the keys below his fingers, humming softly to the tune his right hand slowly pinked out.

"Oh. I didn't know you were musically inclined," a voice hummed from behind him.

Roman yelped and jumped away from the piano, stumbling and falling in the process. He flumbled to get back on to his feet to face the alpha of the household who stood in the now opened doorway.

"S-sir Janus! I'm sorry. Remus showed me this room and I wanted to take another look again. I didn't mean to be loud and disturb you," Roman apologized profusely.

"You don't need to apologize. I don't expect any of you to be silent, noise doesn't bother me, this is your house as much as mine, live as you please. No, I'm absolutely the type to force everyone else in the entire house to sit and quietly twiddle their thumbs quietly until I tell them to do something. I'm being completely honest about the fact I'm genuinely happy someone is getting some use out of this room. It has always felt so wasteful having an entire room of expensive instruments that no one wanted. Don't apologize for liking something, Roman," Janus sighed, gently placing a hand on the omega's tense shoulder.

Roman bit at his lower lip. Not sure how to reply without apologizing or causing any form of upset he just gave a small nod. He raised the gaze he hadn't even realized he dropped to gaze meet Janus's again.

"Why are you not with Virgil?" Roman asked, shifting the conversation away from himself.

The scent of heat lingering on Janus was aged and even Janus's own scent of rut seemed to be gone.

"Virgil felt up to tending to himself and is currently in the shower. I think we've gotten through his heat. Perfect timing on that, I was pretty concerned about what would happen tomorrow if he wasn't. But I suppose it all worked out," Janus mused.

"Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?" Roman asked, ears perking with interest before he instantly shrank down again. "If you don't mind my asking."

"I've said before, speak your mind. I will never mind you asking me anything. And as for an answer… that's when I scheduled to have the funeral," Janus replied, his voice growing a bit softer as he watched Roman's response for any sign of serious distress.

"Oh… I… you really didn't need to waste your money on holding a funeral. I know your finances are tight right now, you shouldn't be spending what you have on something so silly and pointless," Roman stated, his shoulders slumping as he looked away.

"I do not find it silly, and it most certainly isn't pointless. Giving the parent the chance to have a bit of closure in a semi-proper funeral service for their lost child is the least that can be done for them. As it is the service isn't going to be completely ordinary as I had to have them going ahead with the cremation before the ceremony because of the delay with Virgil's heat. Don't go worrying yourself about my finances. I might not be the richest man in the world, but I can handle taking care of you all just fine. One way or another I'll manage to give you all the lives you want and deserve," Janus promised, his tone taking on a sort of comforting confidence, but Roman could feel there was something slightly off about it.

He could sense the tingling doubt Janus felt, that same feeling that Roman had felt wrapped around his shoulders like a heavy shall every time he told himself he'd be alright for months now. He could see the lingering sadness behind Janus's act and after hearing this same man have a breakdown in front of Logan about a week prior he couldn't help but wonder if every promise Janus made was just a front, just a way of saying the things he wished were possible and would become reality.

"They will become reality," Roman mumbled to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking. It's just, good things happen to good people so I have a feeling that anything you want will come true," Roman explained, getting a bit more bold with his words.

Janus let out a deep chuckle as he ruffled Roman's hair before turning to leave the room.

"If that is truly the case then you most certainly have earned to live a life where you are granted the best and finest things it can offer from here on out, you've more than earned it."

Roman's face burned slightly at the alpha's words as he slowly followed after him. He wished those words could be true, but he must have done something to deserve everything that had happened to him and he'd done nothing to make amends for whatever it was yet. Remus finding him before he died that day was just a flook.

Janus frowned at the growing gloom surrounding Roman and pushed his hands awkwardly into his pockets. He didn't know what else to do for Roman any more. One moment he was fine and showing off his true colors as a confident artisan, the next he was just an empty shell of a man again.

The sound of bare feet slammed against the ground harshly after jumping down over the entire steep set of stairs leading up the attic rang out in the mostly silent halls followed by the sound of running.

"Ro-Bro! Janny!"

Roman looked back and side stepped out of the way of his brother tackling him.

"You're covered in paint," Roman frowned, looking at Remus's art smock and exposed skin that were splattered with several cool and neutral colors.

"Yup!" Remus beamed proudly.

"It's repulsive."

"It's artistic."

"Go take a bath," Roman sighed.

"And who says you get to order me around?" Remus pouted.

"If it's the younger brother's job to annoy the older siblings, then isn't it the older sibling's duty to boss the younger ones around?" Roman smirked back.

"But Romannnnnnnn!" Remus whined before turning to Janus. "Janny, babe, help me out here!"

"You need to clean up at least slightly before dinner," Janus chuckled.

"But I'm allergic to soap," Remus complained, crossing his arms indignantly.

"No you're not you dork," Roman argued.

"Actually he is. But only like one brand of it," Janus shrugged.

"Huh, never knew," Roman mused quietly.

"I told you so," Remus grinned, walking alongside Roman.

"You're still an idiot," Roman replied.

Janus smiled and he more slowly followed after the two. Roman's dark aura had nearly completely vanished as soon as his brother came into the picture. He'd already fallen into the habit of playfully teasing and bickering with him, just like Remus said they'd done as kids.

He caught up with the other two at the base of the stairs onto the first floor.

"By the way, Remus, has anyone made a decision about the Montoni Affair coming up?" Janus asked with a furrowed brow.

"Yeah, I'll go with you. I can handle myself the best at those things in more ways than one," Remus sighed, running his hands through his silver streaked bangs leaving behind a few stripes of blue and white paint.

"The Montoni Affair?" Roman mimicked thoughtfully.

That must be the party he'd overheard Janus talking about with Logan before heading off to work the day Virgil got his heat. He hadn't mentioned who the party was for, just that his father was forcing him to go in his place.

"Yes, the Montoni family typically hosts a major party at this time every year to mark the beginning of the social season, seeing as there are several upcoming holidays. I typically avoid attending as many as possible but my father insists I go in his place to the party to represent him. As you can tell I'm practically dripping with enthusiasm," Janus rolled his eyes.

Roman wasn't really paying much attention to Janus's explanation, he was just lost in thought. Montoni. Montoni. He felt as if he knew that name. He just couldn't remember from where.

"Prince, I have a good friend of mine coming over, the son of an important family. I wanted to show off all of my omegas to him so you'll be sure to make everything organized and perfect, right? You are my favorite little omega after all, Prince. So make sure to show him that, alright?"

Roman chewed at his thumb nail nervously as he thought, a cold shiver running down his back. He was pretty sure the last name of that particular friend of Master's was different. It just sounded similar, that's why he was remembering things about him and it had sounded familiar. It was familiar but it couldn't be anything more. There was no way his master and Janus knew the same people. The world wasn't that small.

"Roman, is everything alright?" Janus asked.

"Yes of course Sir Janus! Just thinking," Roman replied with a perfectly practiced smile.

Remus and Janus hung back as Roman took the lead, walking off towards the kitchen to go see Patton.

"What an obvious lie."