Cursed Beginnings!


"We don't need a bodyguard!" Chopper my young intern rolled his eyes when his mother, my former boss, actually our former boss slammed the table with her fist and yelled her declaration. "We are a clinic! Not a political party that needs bodyguards because some morons don't understand or know how to read."

"Maa—I mean ma'am," Chopper sighed, the child was clearly frustrated, but continued, "We need security! Today, Law was about to be ambushed! Tomorrow you might get hit, and you are frail, mum, I mean ma'am."

"Kureha, I know you mean well, Marco, Kaya and I agree, we need a security team in this clinic. The nurses are scared." I did not have the energy, and my entire staff was on the brink of fear and would quit if I didn't do something. I could feel the pain in my neck and head growing. Working 72 hours straight was a job younger doctors could do, I am already at an age where if I sleep in one position for two long, I will end up with a hurt body part.

"Law…just because you are the boss doesn't mean you can do whatever you want." Kureha was right, there was protocol and formalities, and did I bypass them all to make these decisions? Absolutely. I was not going to bother her on the whys and what ifs. She is a first generation Omega Rights Activists while, I am a fifth generation. She fought the battles so that the likes of us had a chance to breathe and work. Likewise, she had every right to be angry, and I had every right to protect my people.

"Is the debate still going on?" Marco, who though my senior by qualification, but subordinate by profession, walked in. His golden mohwak was a mess and his eyes were clearly begging me to solve this issue, if it went any longer, his eyes would get lost in his dark circles. "No, it is over. Our new security team will be here tomorrow." I smiled, I know it was a strained smile, but Chopper didn't have to frown at my smile, it was not that bad.

"How many? My nurses are shit scared." Marco decided to fall on the couch that Kureha had just left minutes before to yell at me.

"Five…" I sighed.

"Beta or Alphas?"

"I asked for one Alpha and two Beta and one Omega and their leader I am guessing another alpha." Marco nodded at my choice. We didn't want too many alphas in a place where omegas were the maximum number of visitors.

"An Omega security guard?" Chopper's eyes grew in excitement as he clapped his hands. I wanted to ruffle his curly brown hair, but he was too far from my hands.

"Times have indeed changed, eighty years ago finding an omega clerk in a regular office building was hard!" Kureha smiled, "I am glad we have more Omegas coming to work. Now as security guards! Amazing." And Kureha's anger was gone.

"Law, you better have asked for tall people!" Marco gave me the eyes, "Tall people intimidate better and keep trouble away."

"Are you indicating towards me?"

"Are you tall, Law?"

"But you and Kaya were the ones who read the resumes. I just forwarded your choice, I did mention tall people, but was height not mentioned on the team portfolios?" I asked, and Marco flat out blanked at my face. Like, he heard the sun was a star for the first time. I gave up.

"All of you, out of my office now! We have five abortions tomorrow, and we can't let those fuckers outside harm the people who come here!" I clapped my hands on my desk and shooed them away. This was getting tiring day by day. To sneak in people in need of abortions, give health lessons to teens in heat, dealing with protestors trying to save the unborn! What had my life come down too!

"Do you want me to drop you? I have a car today." Chopper asked before shutting the door.

"No… It is okay, I have to type the next ten pages of the book, I will need another hour; don't you have a date with Miyagi? Run along." He was an adorable boy, good heart and good son; everything I failed to be as a son.

"Are you sure? You look tired."

"I am fine, Tony…" I deliberately stretched his first name, he knew when I called him by his first name, and I was serious.

"Okay… Bye Law… Be careful!"

"You too…"


I was the last one to leave, as usual, we used to have a building manager, but when the protestors began coming he quit in fear. I don't blame him, few more people quit after him, I would quit too if not for the salary I got that kept a roof to our head and put food on our plate. We were an understaffed clinic on the edge of the city with bare minimum resources, and now we had to hire security to protect whatever is left and stretch the budget. The political climate of the country was uncertain and people were angry, and we were the easiest target.

Omegas, the womb of the society, everyone loved us, long as we were not asking the questions and obeying the rules. The alphas and the betas all loved our sweet-sweet smell; as long as the smell could be poured into decorative glass jars and put on display, they were happy. But then one a jar broke and others began to break, and when all the sweet-sweet omega smell overwhelmed them, they became angry.

When I walked down the street, no one would assume I am an omega, possessor of a womb. I am tall enough to pass as an alpha. I am not as tall as my dad, but for an omega, I am very tall. The neck patches and the inhibitors help me pass as a regular person— betas smell— they smell like roasted grass and burnt wood. My inhibitors are specially modified for me to pass as a beta. Only on rarest occasions, some could've smelled me out. Chopper was right to worry, too many people knew I was a doctor helping omegas— me being an omega was not far-fetched, I did tie up fellow omega's tubes and provided them with contraception and if required— an abortion.

But I couldn't help myself, these were some of the very few luxuries I could afford, walking alone in the night without the fear of being jumped upon by some stupid hormone raged alpha. If I had my way, I would have passed a bill for mass-scale chemical castration and sterilization for these irresponsible people. Would that fuck up the population? Like I care? But I had to settle for whatever scrapes of protection the law provided.

As I walked I observed the night, the streets were bustling with chitchat, people were everywhere no one could tell who was who; until twenty years ago, these places were only occupied by betas and alphas. Us poor omegas had to stay in home and wallow at our wombed destiny.

"You are late!" My super tall father opened the door even before I could ring the bell.

"I am thirty-one, in case you forgot?" I slid in, and my dad took my overcoat away from me and hung it.

"Did you eat lunch?"

"Yes…"

"What was for lunch?" Damn…it! I always fall for this; he never stops at one question, that lawyer brain of his. Now he was looking at me with all knowing big round eyes and a not friendly smile.

"Something and something…" I try to go to my room but, my father is just too tall and broad, if I was a papaya tree, my father was an oak. "Dad… I am not lying, I ate something. But I don't remember." I did eat something, but it was not lunch, if I tell him that he will yell at me.

"Law, what did you promise me?"

"I will not skip my meals ever again. I didn't skip a meal!"

"Do you remember what happened last time?"

I did, how can I forgot, I was the one that collapsed on the floor mid-examinations. Everybody tells you to become a doctor, but no one tells you being a doctor makes you lose track of your own health and time. And it was not like I fainted few days back, it was months back. And it was more like a jolt had shot up my body and my head spun in circles and my knees wobbled, and I fell down. It was just fatigue, nothing serious.

"No smarty pant comeback?" My dad flicked his blonde hair, he was frustrated with me, I could tell, his smell was turning sour like a hawthorn bush that was rotting away slowly. Unable to express what he wanted to say, he observed me up and down for a few minutes. We were two chess pieces in a stalemate.

With a sigh, he said, "I am worried, Law. You are not looking well. You know you can quit the job. No one is going to judge you."

"I can protect myself, and we will have those security people come tomorrow. Everything is going to be fine." I gently pushed him aside and walked into my room. Of course, he was worried, he is a father and being an alpha father of an omega son is scary. He knows what his tribe is capable of doing to my tribe, and he is willing to burn the world down for me if it would keep me warm. He is a good father, but I am not a good son.


Undressing in front of the mirror made me realize why he was being so worried, I lost weight again and my collarbones were sticking out, and the waist chain was dangerously settled on my hipbones. If not for my dad's eyes being used to me, he would've mistaken me for a junkie. I pulled away the itchy hormone patches away; in an instant I was overwhelmed with my own scent. I could, I always tell what other people smelled like, but my own I could never pinpoint what it resembled.

Furthermore, I was showing signs of stress, and it was affecting my natural smell, today I was sour like dried mouldy orange peels. The only person who was well versed in my smell was my father. Thirty-one or not, if my father decided I was to be fed, he would follow me to the depths of hell. For a son he didn't want, he clearly was protective, good father indeed.

"Law have a bath and come for dinner…"

"Coming."


At dinner table, my father kept checking on me, as if I was a toddler who would stuff their mouth with food and refuse to swallow it. Where will I stuff all the food he made? The table was a feast; there were pork roasts, fried rice, soup, curries and more curries, vegetables I hated. As if he wanted to feed me all the meals I had forgotten to eat in one evening.

"From tomorrow you are having breakfast with me and will take a lunch box with you." It was not a request it was an order, he tried to hide but his angry alpha hormones, but he was angry. "I can smell your stress! How will I relax if you are going to wither away?" And thus began the scolding.

"Do you have plenty of time to cook for us now? Are you retiring?" I tried to smile, but was met with a scowl.

"Trafalgar D. Water Law!" He did what I do to Chopper, address me by my formal name!

"Yes dad!"

"Did you forget what happens when you stress and what it could've cost you?" Oh! He was furious. I knew he was worried, but remembering things that happened more than a decade back, he was scared for my safety. "Your health is my primary concern! You should know this by now!"

"Dad, I am not a kid…"

"Well, you are still my kid! And I don't want you to suffer again like that. You are an adult now; it is okay to tell me or someone that you need help. Running a clinic is not easy! I know it! How will I stop worrying when you have collapsed on your job thrice and are being attacked by the public! How?"

"It was one time…" I protest.

"One time I was informed about, and twice I found because Marco let it slip to me!"

"That traitor!" I wanted to claw Marco for ratting me out.

"LAW!" And the waves of angry alpha's pheromones washed over me. It is a good thing I am his son, blood recognizes blood, and otherwise gods only knew what would've happened to me if alphas and omegas and even betas didn't know how to detect the smell of their own cubs.

"Fine, have it your way. Fatten me up, anyway, no wants to slaughter your pig." I huffed.

"Are you lonely? Do you want me to set you up?" My dad mistook my comment, his anger changed into worry. Alphas didn't have a hard time finding mates, but omegas had to be careful with their choices because, you could never trust an alpha properly, ever. "Do you want me to set you up with some betas? I have known a few lawyers that have recently joined us. Want me to set you up? Being pent-up is not good? When is your heat due?" And he was back to being a father of a teenage omega. I wanted to throw the pot of soup on his head, but it was too delicious to be wasted.

"Dad— I don't want a mate—"

"—I am not asking you to mate-mate, have sex! Betas are good partners."

"Dad, you know why I don't want a mate or mate-mate or a husband or wife! Or even a sex partner. I don't trust anyone with sex!"

"I understand, but keep your heart open. You never know when the one that will flutter your heart comes along?" My dad was a romantic fool.

But I, nope.

Once bitten twice shy is the motto I practised.

Yes, of course I get lonely, but it is better to be lonely than vulnerable. Offering your whole heart to someone and then finding out you are a perfume bottle on display is heart shattering. And this life of mine is already too shattered, how I dare hope for something meaningful when everything is stacked against me.

There are enough toys and stimulants to take care of my needs. If orgasm is the end goal, I was married to my vibrator. Very happily married to my vibrator.

"Dad, we had this conversation… If the one you say comes along and sweeps me off my feet, I will consider your mate-mate hopes. You already know I will never give you grandkids, so the potential partner has to accept this too."

"Fuck grandkids, I just don't want you to be lonely! If I had my way, I would've castrated every alpha and tied tubes off of every omega and put betas on pills. You all fuckers want kids! Do the hard work, study, sit for examinations and get parenting licence, and produce them outside your heat cycles with clear minds." And this was the man who raised me, third generation omega rights activist and lawyer, an ally to his son's tribe.

"Don't you have a hearing at court tomorrow?" I asked, I loved watching my dad be passionate about things, especially laws, he was a public lawyer of the worst fabric, too honest, too idealistic and too trusting. It's a wonder how he raised me with everything stacked against him.

"Yeah… You want to know about the Hogback case?" My dad grins.

"Hell yeah!" I nod.


Because of breakfast dictum, I arrived late. My father fed me two omelets and buttery sausages and more oily hash browns to fix my weight. I was already feeling too nauseated and stuffed, but being booed by a bunch of placard holding morons were making me want to puke. They had deliberately left behind their suppressant patches, a bunch of regressive alphas and dumb regressive omegas and dumber betas were yelling how we had no right to kill their baby. I should've left early, I didn't want a cursed begining today, the security team would already be waiting. Though almost everyone had spare keys to the clinic, as the head it is my duty to welcome them. And I was late.

As if I was going to their homes, knocking off their doors and slicing their wombs with a scythe to kill their unborn, morons. My uncle Doffy always told me, individuals are intelligent, but masses are dumb. Masses are so dumb! Their odour was not helping me remain calm, this was what being an omega felt like, always in a state of vulnerability, my own will ready to be bent by someone's pheromones.

My stomach was churning, and I knew I was unintentionally shrinking myself to make room for these pheromone assaulters. I could handle it; I have, but doing this every day for the last couple of months had expanded my capacities thin like a flavourless chewing gum.

Outwardly no one could guess what I was feeling inside but, but multiple knots were forming inside me, my whole body wired into telling me to bend over and offer myself to one of these dumb alphas or betas. When an omega felt vulnerable, it sought protection, we were biologically made to serve and be protected, right now every cell in my body wanted to be protected, as my numerological wiring were telling me I was vulnerable. Maybe I should quit, dad was right, the world was still not here to protect me.

Ignore.

Ignore.

Ignore.

Ignore.

Ignore…. I was biting the insides of my cheeks, blood was always a method to cut out nausea caused by stinky alphas and omegas and betas. My legs were stuck, I was not able to move.

"Do you want me to beat them up?" Out of nowhere, a voice broke near me. I turned around, a boy or is he a man stood behind me; he looked young like Chopper, the young man just was there behind me as if blocking the waves of pheromones. I couldn't smell anything on him, he was wearing odour clearing patches. "No? They are saying mean things to you. Oh, I am Monkey D. Luffy, security head of your clinic." The fuck is he going to do! He is tiny, and we asked for tall people! We needed security people to be scary to make the protestors go away.

"You don't seem happy that I was sent…" He grins, one of the loveliest smiles I had come across in years, so open and beautiful, and if I was not in a pinch I would've taken a few more moments to admire him. But as the current state was, I needed someone stronger by appearance. I am sure he was strong, otherwise the company wouldn't have sent him to us, but he looked like a boy fresh out of high school, could he handle a mob and no I didn't want him to beat up people, dumb or not I cannot hit every person who incontinences' in my life.

"Don't worry, we have got the tall people, I am the head, but my team will do the dirty work." He winked, and four people immediately came out and secured the parameters. And they were tall, with patches on, no one could figure out who was an alpha or a beta or an omega.

"My task is to protect you."

The short leader, Monkey D. Luffy, smiled and warped his arms around my shoulders and helped me get inside my clinic. He was strong, those arms around my shoulder felt like boulders securing a wall. It was my mistake to think height meant strength, despite fighting prejudice I couldn't help but end up stereotyping people based on their looks, I was ashamed to be a doctor.

"Hey… doc… It is fine to think I am not strong. But can you stop looking so guilty about it?" Monkey D. Luffy closed the door and helped me straighten my back, which had unintentionally slouched when faced with such overwhelming scents. He massaged my back, though I didn't have any panic attacks, he was treating me like one of the patients, it felt nice.

"Can you read people's mind?" I asked softly, my cheek pained, I bit myself too hard. I relaxed at his touch.

"No… I can sense people. My team and I have been in an advance security training, so that we understand what is happening around us." Of course, you were trained; you came recommended from my father's clients. He continued explaining, "It is a smell and sense oriented training, it helps us assess better."

"So, how does this work?" My doctor self was curious. "I mean this training, could my team; the doctors and nurses, including me, learn it?" If I could sense my patient's immediate emotional and physiological state, I could do so much better.

"No…" Monkey D. Luffy shook is head.

"Ah trade secret." I mumbled.

"No… No not that. You have to start as a toddler. It takes years to develop this sense, it's almost akin to sixth sense, but more. It has to do with physical training, sort alike opening the third eye, you know the concept of third eye?" Now that I observed him, he was dressed like a security personal. Fitted black shirt, trousers with loads of pockets, boots and I think he had a taser. He was still short, nothing can be done about heights, like alpha, omega and beta depended on the dominant gene, height depended on the genes, I was an example, a child of an alpha prime and an omega.

"I am aware of the concept of third eye. But I know not what it is." Not knowing made me feel angry. Now I wanted to know. Before I could ask, my entire team had arrived to the reception and the four members of the security team were inside now. Yes they were tall, I liked it. Monkey D. Luffy let go of my shoulders and grinned at my team.

"Great, let me introduce you to our team." I waved at my entire staff to assemble. They were waiting to meet the security team, after living in fear for days, I could finally see smiles on their faces.

"Hello everyone from the Strawhat Securities. Welcome to Health For All Clinic, this is Dr. Marco, our general physician and primary consultant." Marco winked at the team as he was too busy drinking his coffee.

"The big guy here is Dr. Bepo, he is in the final year of his residency." Bepo was the primary reason our clinic was not broken down, he is adorable, but because of his tall and broad stature, no one dared to cross the boundaries. I was hell-bent on keeping him in this clinic. Bepo was shy and blushed and tried to hid behind Chopper, who was a quarter his size.

"This little boy here is Dr. Chopper, our doctor intern, he is very good at the practice of medicine."

"Teehee.. I am not that great. Nice to meet you all." Chopper was so happy, he loved being praised. And I loved pampering him.

"These idiots are very important to my team, Sachi and Penguin! They come in a set of two, they are terrific nurses but absolute rascals, so be careful of your drinks, they might run away with your coffee and snacks if you leave them in the open. And no, they can't read sticky notes." At my comment, Monkey D. Luffy smirked and started back at me, like he accepted a challenge mentally, I chose to ignore him, but I could feel his eyes on me. I knew when I was being looked at. He was looking at me like my dad looked at me, curiosity and worry. That was a first for me.

"Hey… Law that's mean." Sachi hissed. "Yeah boss! Very mean! We are not that bad!" Penguin protested. They were not bad, they were a menace.

"That old hag in that corner, is our former boss, she refuses to retire, so we had to upstage a mutiny and fire her. She will be here all the time. That is Dr. Kureha for you all." Kureha ignored everyone, better than yelling at the security people and driving them away.

"This is Dr. Kaya, she decides which patients need surgery and other such decisions." Kaya stepped forward and smiled. "Do not hesitate to approach me if you need medical consultation. But make sure you pay a small fee in the box you see on the main desk, that goes to our funding." Kaya was super shy to begin with, but I could see, someone caught her eyes, and that made her talk! One of the security personal with curly hair with a broad smile who was clearly smitten by her as well. Good, we need office romance!

"And this is Robin, our research associate and our go-to person when in need of financial aid." Having Robin on the team is the reason we could spend our limited budget on security people.

"Nice to meet you!" Robin smiled. She smiled, she always did, but she was worried about the clinic the most.

"Vivi, Jean Bart, and Miyagi are not here at the moment, we will introduce to them when they arrive. And on principle, we don't talk about our secondary gender. Once you spend time with us, you will find out on your own. So you don't have to tell us either, though we asked for more betas are because of the work environment and not because we are prejudiced. That's all our team, we hope you will help us in our trouble times." I sighed.

"You didn't introduce yourself." Monkey D. Luffy smiled at me. So he is more than curious about me. Fine, he is here to protect us. We might as well start our association on a good footing.

"Ah… I am Dr. Trafalgar D. Water Law, senior surgeon and head of this clinic. Now, if you may, please tell us about your team."

"Hi everyone, this is my team, Usopp, he will help you with CCTV and everything that is tech related to security." The curly head man smiled and winked at Kaya, we are definitely getting an office romance. "This is Zoro, he is an idiot, but he will protect you." The green haired guy wanted to say something but refrained. "This is Franky, he is super strong, and you can rely on him." Franky was tall like my dad, I approved of him. And this is Nami, technically she is part of our strategic team and not meant to be here, she is stronger than she looks and watch out for her anger. "Oi…" the orange haired woman smacked her leader.


The first day went smoother than I had expected, and we were done with our appointments within time for the first time in months! Nami and Zoro had dispersed the protestors in an hour, anytime someone suspicious lurked in Franky would patrol the entrance and scare them away.

The trembling abortion patients, were advised beforehand to call us that we could escort them in with safety. They were guided inside by Nami and Franky, while Zoro made sure none were harassed. It was a relief to watch the patients get consulted. Though there was fear of the poor patients being followed and harmed, Usopp the tech guy proved much more intelligent than he let on. We had never used the backdoor method, but today we did it, each patient was escorted out and dropped to their safety net by Monkey D. Luffy and one of the nurses. Though still understaffed, we managed! The leader of the security team was efficient.

He, too, was smarter than he let on. I was thoroughly mistaken and fooled by his looks. "Coffee is bad for health, Traffy. And you bit inside your mouth, your cheeks must be paining." He had walked inside the kitchen and immediately took my paper cup and did a 'tch-tch' sound with his mouth.

"Trafalgar? Dr. Law? Or Law? Why Traffy?" I had to ask.

"Traffy suits you, and it matches my Luffy. In public, I will call you Dr. Law? But Traffy is for us." He grinned as he dumped my full cup of coffee into the bin.

Monkey D. Luffy I work late into the night, I need coffee to stay awake. I wanted to yell at him, but looking at the relaxed faces of my staff made me decide against it. I needed them to keep protecting us.

"I need coffee, Monkey D. Luffy…"

"Luffy… You can call me Luffy." He was too annoyingly cheerful for my liking.

"Luffy… I need coffee!"

"How about tea?" His eyes glowed like he had some ideas.

"They taste bitter and are too bland." I huffed.

"Traffy, coffee tastes bitter too, and it leaves a bad aftertaste. Tea is much better. If caffeine is what you need, black tea." I couldn't argue with that! Truth be told, coffee was easier to get hold off than tea, and I didn't have the patience to watch my teabag dip in hot water while my soul cried for a drink. In simpler terms, I lacked patience.

"Coffee is easier to get."

"That's not good habit Traffy, I will make you a nice cup. You are a doctor, you should know, coffee causes many imbalances in your lifestyle!" He walked over to the water dispenser and collected boiling water in a cup and grinned at me. Damn it, that smile was infectious. I resisted hard not to smile back. Then I saw him pull out a tea bag from his pockets and tear it. Who carries tea bags in their pockets?

Again he grinned at me as if he heard me, and dipped the tea bag! Why was he so happy to make a fucking of tea for me! I had nothing better to do, my coffee cup was gone, and this little menace was going to be in my life for the next few months. So I should try being civil with him.

"Here, have a cup of nice hibiscus tea! It keeps your blood pressure in check, you look stressed."

Okay, I was going to ignore it, but he was definitely an alpha. Despite the odourless patches, and the jolly persona, he couldn't hide an alpha's natural tendency to protect and look after people around him. Though we didn't need to speak it out, each of us here knew who was what, Nami was the other alpha, it was the way she handled the trembling patient, I could see it. Usopp and Franky were betas, but they were trained in their strength to easily pass off as an alpha. The one that took me by surprise was the man with green hair, Zoro, he was clearly the strongest physically out of them all, but he was an omega. I didn't need to smell him, he was like me; a combination of two opposing genes, the physical traits of an alpha and the gene make up of an omega.

"Don't stare at Zoro… You don't want to deal with his partner." Luffy tapped on my hands. "There are more omegas like Zoro in our training institutes, each of them have thrice the strength of an alpha prime." Luffy explained.

"Nurture was nature…" I mumbled as I drank my tea. Oh, it was good tea.

"Yeah, my family believes we can surpass our biological destiny. Sure, it is great to be an alpha, but being born omega or beta should not stop you from being stronger or brilliant." He spoke like he knew what the omega experience was. He didn't know. But he was being polite. Maybe he had seen other omegas like me.

"It is good to know you have a caring family…"

"Caring… nah… we are a bunch of brutes." Luffy laughed and patted my arms. "Finish your tea, I will go and help Usopp with the rest of the set-up, okay?" He left me, just when I thought like other alphas who try to cosy up to get into my pants, he left. My heart felt relieved. He was not showering me attention because he knew I was an omega, he was just being friendly. That was a new thing for me.

"Luffy hurry up!" Usopp scolded his boss. "Sorry! Sorry, I was making Traffy a cup of tea."

"Who is Traffy?" Usopp asked as he began setting up his gadgets.

"The clinic head!" Luffy pointed at me. Did he not say he will call me Traffy in private? Liar.

"Dr. Law! Luffy, just because you are an illiterate, doesn't mean you can disrespect a professional! It takes them twelve years to get a degree!" Usopp clearly had a lot of respect for my profession. Surprisingly, my tea was over, and I decided to make good use of my extra time to write my book.

"Luffy…" I don't know why I called out.

"You need another cup of tea?" Luffy asked. I shook my head.

"I am heading inside my office, since we don't have a building manager, before heading out let me know. So that I can lock up and see what systems need to keep running while the clinic is closed." I informed.

"Cool" Usopp and Luffy replied. Their presence made me feel safe.


"What are you writing?" Luffy poked his head in, he was sweaty and grinning. Was smiling, his default setting like my dad's? Then again, only idiots had the luxury of smiling; he clearly fit the bill of an idiot.

"A book, no publisher would want to publish." I stopped typing and stretched my arms. A surgeon needs to care for his hands the most.

"So you are a boring writer?" Ouch, that hurt Monkey D. Luffy, could you not be polite, you bulldozer.

"Yeah, I am a boring writer." I was a boring writer, and it was a boring topic.

"You want to take a look at the set-up? Or would you like to sit for five minutes to take a quick rest." Luffy asked, still poking his head in like a turtle.

"Did you meet my dad? Or did he pay you extra to look out for me?" I had to ask.

"Who is your dad?" Luffy asked, fair enough, everyone knew my dad, but not everyone knew I was my dad's son.

"Rosinante DonQuioxte a public lawyer, also known as the penniless lawyers, the butterfingers of court…'

"Ah… you are feather collar's son!" Of course, he knew my dad as the feather collar lawyer. That was one fashion mistake he made in his 20s, but people loved him.

"So you met my dad."

"But I thought you were a D.? Your dad has no D." Luffy frowned.

"My mom was a D."

"So your dad did actually get kicked out from the family?" Okay, Luffy was extremely blunt, I prefer blunt than pussyfooting around topics to be honest.

"Sort of, I don't get his family inheritance. And so my dad left and decided to be broke as fuck!" I smirked. "Either you enter my room or stay out, can you stop dangling at my door?"

"Ah…shishsishi…. Did you like the tea?"

"I did… Hey, don't try to change the topic. Did my dad pay you?" I asked again.

Luffy shook his head and sat opposite to me on my patient's chair. "No I didn't meet him, he met my mum, my company works separately from outside the family business. Whenever there is a special case, mum sends me, since you came recommended to us via your dad, mum told me to look after your clinic. Our job is to protect you until this political matter is settled. And that is an order from my mum. Because she has been following the protests, and she got worried. Few of her friends got injured by a mob. So this is a personal matter for my mum"

"I see… To be honest, I am scared." My heart split like a pomegranate, one thought after another spilled like red little seeds. I hid my face in my palms. This was not the face of a clinic head I wanted to show!

"I am scared of the people outside. At first, it was five people, then it became ten, now there are a hundred every day. My nurses have quit, the bloody government does nothing but asks us to wait, while these protestors are every day risking us to violence! They know it the staff here doesn't have an alpha member, every day they come here without suppressant patches; there is no law to stop them from doing this! I am so scared for the patients! How can I help them when every day I want to run away? I hate it!" Why was I talking so much.

"Hey… We will protect you. Trust me, we look like buffoons in our combat suits, we are strong." Luffy inched his hands closer to mine, but didn't touch my hands. He hovered his fingers over my curled up fingers and took a deep breath. It was his first day, and I was already showing my omega tantrums!

"Listen, my mom is an omega, my brother is an omega, my best friend is an omega, and I have a family full of omegas and alphas and betas. I may not understand what you go through. But I will protect you. The job of an alpha is to care, not intimidate others. I don't know how things got so fucked up, but I am here. My team his here. We will have more people to help you. Hence, don't worry, I won't let any harm come to you; now let me show you the set-up. Ummm?" Luffy offered me his hand again, and I took it.


Every corner of the clinic now had a camera, Usopp had done an amazing job, every camera feed was sent to my computer, the reception computer and a back-up was sent to Luffy's head office. Though I was shit scared, I was ready and prepared for worst case scenarios, violence was going to happen, it was not a question of if, but a matter of when. Robin was talking with Usopp and Franky, it was her job to see the funds were used properly. The clinic was pretty empty now, almost everyone had left, Nami and Zoro were patrolling the clinic one last time before we called it a day.

"We will be adding shutters and break resistance glass." Franky explained me his plan of replacing every glass pane and windows with fibre glass.

"I am not sure whether we can afford it…" I whisper to Luffy.

"Oh, don't worry, it will not cost much, you have not seen Nami at bargaining." Luffy laughed. "She is a witch!"

"But still, our budget is very limited. I was doing mental calculations, it will stretch us too much…"

"Law…" Robin cut in. "Trust them. I will manage the funds." Robin pulled her hair to a side and smiled at me. That was her signalling me not to butt in.

"See it will work out." Luffy casually elbowed me in the belly. "You are taking too much stress! Law trust my team!"

"Hey Luffy, can you do me a favour." Robin was already spreading her charm. Luffy nodded without asking. If whipped was a human, Franky and Luffy would be its examples. Franky was head over heels for Robin, while Luffy was smitten like a puppy, like we already didn't have Chopper who was Robin's adopted baby. It didn't matter if you were alpha, beta or omega, everyone loved her. "Pick Law up from home and drop him every day? Could I add it to your services?"

"Nah, this guy is mine. I was going to do this anyway." Luffy hugged my shoulder. "Traffy needs someone with him. So we were going to schedule the pickup and drop off!"

"No, we were not! I am not giving up on my night walks!" I protested.

"I don't mind walking." Luffy replied casually.

"Luffy doesn't mind walking, Law." Robin repeated.

"He really doesn't. He has the stamina of a dying dinosaur." Usopp informed and Franky agreed.

"I have to close the clinic. It is too much to ask from Luffy."

"Oh, you don't have to worry. We changed the system to biometrics, whoever leaves last closes the clinic and whoever arrives first opens the clinic with their fingertips! Neat, huh?" Usopp was proud. I was proud of him, but I was too proud of myself to admit it out loud.

"Then let's go Traffy… Robin and the guys will close the clinic for you." With that, I found my arm being held and pulled away.


Walking alone was my great joy because there was no one to tell me if I walked too fast or walked too slow, my pace was my own. Walking with someone besides me meant, adjusting my pace. Adjusting was hard, and it was harder to control years of habits. How could I suddenly become okay with a handbag of a human in my arm? Luffy was already in my personal space, his arm tucked into mine while we walked through the crowded city walk.

"See the road is safe…" I say.

"Of course it is. It is people who are not safe." He is lying that he never met my father; these were my father's words. "I know Traffy can defend himself and needs no alpha to help him. But since I have taken the task to protect the clinic and the people. We dropped every member to their home, so I cannot let you off alone. And my services include protecting you, and I clearly did not hear Traffy confessing an hour back that he was afraid of the protestors outside his clinic." Smug little shit; he knew what he was doing. All alphas were the same, bulldozers who cared for no one's opinion.

"I walk fast."

"I can match your pace fine…"

"I like being alone.'

"Are you sure? You are latching on to my arm just too sweetly, Traffy." Luffy smirked. I wanted to bite his head off and make him shorter than he already was.

"How old are you?" I diverted the question.

"Thirty-three."

"Stop lying!" I turned my face and looked at him. It didn't seem he was lying but, how was this baby face older than me! Genes were really unkind. I was thirty-one and people mistook me for someone in my late thirties while my dad, who was in his fifties, didn't look a day older than forty.

"Why will I lie about my age?" Luffy had a little frown.

"Why will you lie to me, indeed? Just—" Should I tell him? He will figure out I was definitely paying attention to his looks. "You look younger than your age. I would've assumed you were twenty-something at best—" A crowd of restless younglings were fast approaching from the opposite direction, I clenched Luffy's arms on instinct. I didn't realize, but the protesting people had left more than an impression on me.

"I guess, if you say so." Luffy gently pulled my arms and shifted me on the other side of his, now he was a wall between me and the group. These actions were a trait of a protector, my dad always does it, my uncle always does it, my cousin Baby does it— all alphas in my life pulling and pushing me around from one side to another because they thought it could keep me safe. And these alphas were always constantly hyper vigilant. Looking at them made my brain ache.

Though I will never admit it out loud, having this shortbread of an alpha besides me was calming. Luffy paid no attention to the crowd that our paths crossed with, but his dark eyes were dilated. Did he smell something? I would've had smelled it too if something was off. Then again, Luffy was trained in sensing people to the point where he could understand what might be going on in someone's brains, not me.

"Is everything alright?"

"People are sick, or will be sick…" Luffy pointed at a pop-up restaurant ahead on the bifurcation. It was crowded, people loved eating evening sacks, the pop-up restaurant stood at the most lucrative juncture, between two roads, one for fitness enthusiasts and another for people taking the beautiful city walk that ran parallel to the river and bank.

Hungry fitness obsessed people gave into little temptations and would end up buying a bowl of noodles or a plate of fried dumplings, while the people strolling or on an evening date would sit and relish a steaming pot of coffee and cakes. Sometimes late in the evening when the population would be thinner, I would drop in and buy titbits for my dad and me. This evening was definitely not that evening.

"Since you are sure, can we linger here for a few minutes? I am a doctor, I am guessing it will be food poisoning." I asked Luffy, who looked surprised at me.

"Traffy… you are truly kind." Luffy patted my arm that was still secured in his.

"What do you mean?" I truly didn't understand.

"Many, who are eating right now, are the protestors." Luffy paused to stare at me. I still didn't get it. "The people outside your clinic, yelling and making you scared, they are the same people. And before you ask, how do I know? I don't forget a smell, I had inhaled once." What kind of security personal was he? How could he be trained so well like a dog? Or was he one of those famed alphas produced in labs, though I know it was a myth, but a tiny part of me could never shake off lab rat alphas and omega stories.

"Do you still want to help them?" Luffy asked. Now I see, he was really an alpha, he had the same ruthlessness in the eyes that my father, uncle and cousin have. They would destroy the world to protect the ones they needed to protect, and they could also be indifferent to people they didn't care about. Such a combination of volatile experiences should be illegal.

"I am a doctor, good or bad, it is my duty to help people in need of medical assistance." I may hate each one of those misguided and vicious numbskulls, but I would never wish someone death. Maybe some people I would love to see dead, but I could not possibly kill them myself. Maybe Luffy could kill for me, if I requested.

"I would kill for you." Luffy spoke with a straight face.

"Was… was… I, that loud?" I stammered!

"No. I meant if things turned ugly, I would kill someone to protect you. I can, there is law that allows me too."

"Oh…" I patted my chest. I was going to give myself a heart attack. "But what are they doing here? I thought Zoro and Nami chased them out."

"We didn't beat them up… We should've." This alpha was violent. "I guess Traffy they have been meeting here for the past few days. You might've not noticed, or they already know your evening route."

"But I was careful."

"You cannot ever be careful with people, especially enemies. Rule one of army."

"You were in the army?" Now I was curious why was a former army man doing security service. Who did my father make me hire?

"Yes, it was in my CV. You didn't read, I see."

"I never got your CVs. Rather, Marco and Kaya read them. I decided to leave it up to them. I took their opinions and asked for a mixed-bag of security experts. They both served in the army and knew about basic security protocol, so I left it to them." I was not an expert in security, Marco was an army doctor once and Kaya started her career as military doctor too. So it was only natural to let them choose the people for clinic. Of course, they chose Luffy, an army alpha, was on top of the food chain.

"You don't have to explain looking so guilty, let's see who gets sick among these morons first." Luffy guided me near the bifurcation, and we sat in a bench the farthest away from the crowd. "Do you want something to drink?" Luffy asked as I sat down.

"No. Just sit with me."

We sat quietly, I expected Luffy to start talking, but to my surprise he was relaxed and reclined back. His eyes staring at the dark sky above our heads while his one hand still held onto my arm. Quiet minutes passed, the breeze was nice; it had been years I sat down with someone, doing nothing. It was so rare to have a silent moment all to myself, despite having someone sit near me. I wanted these minutes to stretch for hours. Alas, fate had a grudge with me, another fifteen minutes later, and the first sickly fell over his knees. Then it was a domino effect. People were collapsing and vomiting, it was food poisoning.

"Let's go help them." I stood up and began dialling up emergency services.

"If you say so." Luffy didn't protest, but he walked in front of me.


The poisoning was not serious, but when multiple were getting sick, it became a scary to look at. So many people were howling and purging their bellies, it was a messy sight. But it was not life-threatening, I informed Luffy. For reasons beyond my understanding, Luffy was way calmer than I expected.

Though there was nothing much I could do other than checking people' vitals and their pulses, help them drink water to stop them from feeling uneasy. The most common cause of food poisoning was contaminated food. Dehydration was a direct consequence of this, so I made sure I provided people with a makeshift rehydration solution, a concoction of salt and sugar. I fed them the drink and asked Luffy to help me with locating the ones which were erratic, because those people might be having an allergic reaction.

And Luffy did find them, he found them fast. Four people were showing more than regular signs of poisoning, one was itching her skin away, others had signs of warts growing on their skin, while the other two were having hard time breathing. Luffy helped me unroll my equipment bags and I injected the four with emergency medicine, these little vials of medicine would suppress the progress of the reactions further.

"What are you doing?" Few people had gathered around me, Luffy asked them squarely and not in a polite manner. These were the people who had not eaten anything and were bystanders who had rushed to assess the situations.

"What are you doing to them?" One among them asked. I wanted to reply, but my throat was knotted, this regressive alpha was throwing his foul dead rat pheromones at me. If I concentrated, I could talk back, his pheromones were nothing compared to my dad's, but why should I?

"He is a doctor, he is helping them. Let him do his job." Luffy answered for me. I was grateful, I had no time, I forced open the mouth of the last patient, and inserted a tube. There was swallowing in his esophagus, he could die of suffocation.

"He is a baby killer from the clinic, how can we trust him?" Oh, Luffy, was right. They were the protestor crowd. And I was walking this route every day, they could've beaten me up, or killed me or done worse. Unintentionally, I looked up to Luffy, who was standing there like a warrior. I was afraid now, ten people was a crowd, we could be harmed. "Yeah, we should remove him, he might be injecting people here with sterilization virus." My heart was beating up fast, I wish dad was here. He was good at crowd handling. "I heard he is an omega, how can omegas even be left to take charge of patients when they can't look after their own heats. Are you sure you are a doctor and not a nurse?" This person managed to insult us omega, doctors and nurses in one sentence! "Yeah, move away from them, you are a stinking omega."

"If you take another step closer. This will not be good for you." Luffy warned them. But in number remained their strength. Luffy could beat up ten or fifteen, but for how long.

"Dr. Law…" Luffy called me softly.

"Yes."

"This will be a bit uncomfortable. Try not breathe from your nose." The fuck was he scheming? I didn't have to wait for long. Luffy's broad palm slid underneath his collar. He pulled away the suppressant patches. An average alpha and omega required four patches a day. If omega or alpha was nearing heat, they put on six with added medicines. I put two patches on my collarbones and two on my waist. Luffy pulled out two patches and crushed them in his palms.

Instantly I was hit with a smell of a forest, a dense forest, a forest where I was stranded alone, I could almost the taste the chlorophyll through the air. It was bitter and green, the air around me was heavy and ready to decompose me and make part of the green. Luffy smelled like an angry forest to be precise, his pheromones were making everyone around me kneel. He was deliberately overwhelming them. Strangely, I was feeling light-headed and pinned, but not scared.

One by one each protestor passed out, Luffy didn't lift a finger. He just stood there and let his pheromones do the work. That's why I hated these cursed existence of inequality, I was grateful to him for helping me today, it was I who suggested that we stay back to help the sick. But I could never do this to protect myself, I will always be vulnerable. No matter what I did. Did I resent him right now? No. I was angry. Furious at this wombed fate. When Luffy was confident we were threat free, he ceased his display of pheromones. He looked back at me, I tried not look at him. I was so angry that my eyes were burning, and my pride was hurt.

What was the point of studying medicine when people were going to call me a baby killer and judge my skills. Why did I even bother? Luffy didn't say another word, but helped me pack my tools.

The emergency caregivers came after another fifteen minutes. Luffy and I didn't tell them about the confrontation as they hauled up the victims of pheromones. We just told them what might have happened in the food stall and excused ourselves.

"You know you can be angry." Luffy didn't take my arm again, but he walked closely with me anyway. "I know pheromone blasting is horrible."

"I am not angry at you." I inform. "I just wish this was not the norm." Luffy was staring hard at me. Of course, he would not understand. "This wombed curse, an omega living in fear of being taken against their will; this biological wiring where no matter what I do, I am nothing beyond an incubator for an alpha or beta's seeds. I have a pride, and in one day my pride as doctor has been hurt." Luffy was still looking at me, I continued. "Why should I care for those numbskulls who are taking my rights away? Tell me? But I still care!"

No, I was not done. "I am the doctor, I studied for years but because I am an omega they didn't even try to listen to me. But you flare your pheromones at them, and they pass out! They were willing to pin me like a butterfly to serve their cause, but the moment you showed them you are an alpha prime, they collapsed like ants. How is this fair to me? Why am I so defenceless and you so powerful? Why should I pay the price of an accidental birth while you are praised for it? Tell me!" I didn't realize, my eyes were watering down. Months of stress and anger were all breaking loose today. I pressed my hands on my mouth. Luffy heard everything; I didn't mean to be angry at him. I really didn't.

"Traffy…" Luffy opened his arms. My brain was not thinking straight. I jumped into his arms and he hugged me.

I began sobbing my heart out on the shoulders of an alpha. And this alpha was going to burn down the world to protect me in coming months.


TBC