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"I'm just a money guy, I wasn't supposed to be part of all this—" Hux mutters to himself. He slams his car door closed and hurries into the old Victorian. He didn't want to leave Ben, and had to call in a favor owed, but someone he knows and trusts, sits with his old friend while he—someone calls to him as soon as he enters. Vaguely, he thinks it's Vicrul and maybe Cardo who- he already thought about what he was going to say, "There's something—"
Before he can finish his rehearsed speech, a commotion on the floor above them demands their attention. And he feels like he's frozen, until he hears a familiar shout. That's when he rushes up the stairs with the other two alphas right behind him. A quick run through the sitting room at the top of the stairs and he sees the shadows before—he skids to a stop and as soon as he sees Rey and Rose- his heart drops as dread washes over him like a cold fog.
Trudgen holds Rey with her hands behind her back while Kuruk has Rose. Both omegas currently are cussing and fighting with all their strength. "What in the hell is going on here?" He asks at a near shout.
Miraculously everyone stops.
But it's not until he hears, "Thank you, Alpha." That he sees—Sheev Palpatine with Alister Snoke behind him. The very man they've been looking for, for years. "You're Armitage Hux, aren't you? Brendol Hux's son? I've been hearing some amazing things about you, lately."
"Him! I chose him!" Rose screeches as she pulls herself from Kuruk's hands to run into his arms. "You said any Alpha. I chose him." Her liquid brown eyes look up into his and even though he just met her a day ago—his alpha almost purrs with her in his arms. She wraps her arms around his neck and whispers, "Help Rey!"
His answer is a squeeze but when he lets her go, she doesn't go far, just there, beside him. Within arm's reach his alpha notices.
"You are a crazy old man. I don't even know if you are my grandfather and now, you're demanding that I marry someone I don't even like. If you are him, then why—" Rey spits.
Palpatine makes his way over to her and as much as Hux wants to do something, he can't or blow the entire case.
He just wishes Ben was here.
"Would you like to see the DNA test?"
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"Has the patient responded at all?"
"No ma'am. But he did show some movement in his reflexes when we changed shifts, but now he's back to where he was."
"I bet his mate visited." The doctor looks down at the tablet in her hands. "He doesn't have one listed—"
"His gland hasn't been bitten."
"They haven't mated. I hate to say it but he probably won't wake up without them here. Look at the security cameras, see who visited last night."
"Why—" the nurse begins.
"Let's just say that someone needs him awake and soon," Dr. Kalonia admits.
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"You did a test?" she hisses. Instead of answering the questions rolling around inside, she wants to tear something or someone apart. "How—"
"My dear, when you're one of the most powerful men—you can get a sample of DNA." He pauses and watches as she hangs from Trudgen's arms. "You can let her go. If you try to leave, I'll shoot your friend here and I hate to get blood in the rugs. The antique ones are so hard to get clean." He waits for Rey to settle, then he says, "Besides I have men outside the house that belongs to Jyn and Cassian Andor." Her stomach drops as a plan begins to form. "I don't think she's going anywhere." The room quiets as she straightens.
"Can I see the results?" Rey asks. She hates the way her handshakes as she reaches for the piece of paper. Deep down, she knew this day would come, she'd meet some of her long-lost family and it would be a happy or even a melancholy day. Even Mom and Dad, Jyn and Cassian that is, would be there, with lots of celebration for lost family, found again.
But not this. In an unfamiliar room with strangers glaring at her while her mate lies in a hospital bed.
She looks down at the results. Thanks to an episode of Maury and the biology course she had to take, she knows what she's looking at. "Damn it," she swears under her breath when she sees the 94.5% of the subjects being related.
Rose comes to stand beside her. "Fuck," her friend whispers.
"How did you get my DNA?" Rey asks.
"It's listed right there. I had one of the guys go through your trash," Palpatine says.
"That's really creepy." Rey says, "You could have you know come into the bakery and introduced yourself." She looks down at the paper again. "I want another test. I want to see them collect the samples."
"We can do that. Which alpha do you want to marry?" his smile reminds her of an alligator who looks for every opportunity to grab their prey.
Who happens to be her. "Kylo Ren."
"No," Palpatine firmly says.
"Then no, I won't marry any of these guys. In fact, we need to be getting back to the bakery." She turns away, ready to go.
"My Dear," Palpatine, because she refuses to call him grandfather even if he might be hers, sneers. "You don't understand. You're not leaving."
"The hell I'm not," Rey growls like only an omega can. "You had all these years to find me. Why do you want me now?"
He closes the distance between them. That's when his scent hits her, "you smell like he did—" she whispers as long forgotten memories flood her senses. Heavy and smoky, she can feel the tears forming, but wills herself not to let a single one drop.
"I suppose I do smell a little like Dathan did."
She steps away. While she'll be glad she supposes to have this little bit of her personal history, why did it have to be him? "How long have you known?"
"I knew you were out there. But it wasn't until I tasted one of your doughnuts." the man saddens for a moment. "It tasted like your grandmother's used to."
Rey isn't sure how to answer that. In her memories, she remembers her first Mama and Daddy. Then lost. So lost and alone before she landed at Jyn and Cassian's. Even her omega wishes someone had been here for them. She's not sure how to feel about stories with a faceless grandmother who liked to bake too.
"Why?" Rey whispers as everyone in the room watches them. She's not sure how to feel about that either. But she's glad to have an audience over being alone with Palpatine.
"Why, what?" She doesn't miss the satisfied look that appears as he asks her.
"Why are you asking us to do this?"
"I have my reasons, the main one is you'll keep me out of prison." The change in his voice makes a cold chill shiver through her. She doesn't miss how his eyes harden of how his jaw sets. She also doesn't miss how her omega starts screaming for them to run. "Now which one of my men will you marry?"
Just get us to Alpha—he will protect us. He will mate us and make all this go away!
She's right.
Just get to Ben and he will—
"I trust your judgement. Which one should I marry?" Even saying those words, even though she doesn't mean them is like nothing she's lived through before. The man who says that he's the last of her blood-related family continues to talk but his voice fades away and she hears him but it's at the end of a long dark tunnel. One of the men comes to stand by them and a glance tells her that she does know him—Vicrul who used to come into the bakery.
Before Ben took that job.
Thankfully, he doesn't touch her as she agrees to anything just to be able to leave. Soon she hears Rose and Hux as they make excuses- Rose, who is much better at thinking on her feet grabs her hand and pulls her out of there.
"This way—" Hux offers as he ushers them towards this car. It's not until he backs up that she halfway returns to her senses.
"I need shoes, then hospital." She says from the back seat. "Where are our cell phones?"
"I found them," Rose offers.
"Thank you." She takes it from her and swipes the screen on. Nothing but some emails. By now, Hux is back at the bakery. As soon as Hux puts the car into park, Finn's there ready to catch her.
"Are you alright?" Finn asks, worry clear on his face.
"No. Did you call Poe?" Not that she cares, she just knows that she needs to get to Ben. To Alpha.
"Yes, but there was a bad wreck on the overpass. It's an all cops on deck situation. Where were you?"
By now, Rose and Hux have parked and join them on the sidewalk. It's Tuesday morning and it feels like people are watching and Rey doesn't want that.
"Let's go in—" Finn hurries to open the door and waits for them all to file in before he pulls it shut—Rey waits for him and she hurries to lock it behind them, after she looks around to make sure there aren't any customers in the bakery.
She hurries into the kitchen and reaches for the mason jar they keep in here for moments like this—high stress, unable to scream and throw things like her or Rose might like—these days the ladies reach for the moonshine.
It burns out her sinuses, before it finishes the job all the way down. Once it hits her stomach, the warmth spreads and she tries to relax.
Rose catches her as the tears start. "I don't even know why I'm crying, I dealt with my family dying or disappearing long ago."
"Well, seeing the person you thought was dead alive again after years—well that's probably a trips back to the therapist," Finn adds as he hugs her close.
"Can someone give me a ride to the hospital? And a phone charger? But I need a shower first."
"But why?" Rose asks. "You said—"
"I said what I had to get us out of there. I'm going to go take that shower. Finn turn off the ovens and make a sign."
"What are you doing, Rey?" Finn asks instead.
"That old son of a bitch wants me married? Fine." As it sinks in what she's about to do, her smile though nervous is easy, happy even. "Today is my wedding day and I'd like for my closest friends to be there with me. Go home, grab your good clothes and let's see what we can do today. But first, didn't you say that Ben was waking up?"
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Somehow, she makes it to the hospital in thirty minutes. Hux wanted to wait on Rose, so Finn drops her off before he goes home to get cleaned up and to call Poe. The fancy lace dress that she bought on sale during a shopping trip to Atlanta is in its garment bag in Finn's backseat. But now, she just wants to see—Leia Solo.
Who she called on the way.
As soon as Leia spots her, she opens her arms for Rey. She lets herself fall into her arms, but when she catches a whiff of Ben—she can't stop her tears. Leia must feel her sob because she murmurs, "Oh sweet one, let's go in here for a moment?"
Rey looks up and for the first time notices another woman, probably around Leia's age with a tablet, looking very concerned while wearing green scrubs. "You must be Rey. I'm doctor Kalonia."
"It's nice to meet you. are you—" Rey looks around to see if she recognizes anyone from the Victorian. Then she whispers, "Ben's doctor?"
"I am." With a nod, the doctor leads them into a private room and shuts the door. "I'll be quick, I know you want to get back to him. I can't tell you what I just told his mother, he does seem to be waking up. Now due to the sensitive nature of his job I can't disclose any more information. But he'll be alright."
"Is he awake now?" Rey asks.
"Almost," Dr. Kalonia says with a secret smile like she knows more than she's admitting. "If my guess if correct, I think he's been waiting for you."
Rey lets those words sink in. Even if her omega wiggles in joy.
"Would you, as a medical professional say that he's coherent?" Rey asks.
"Well, yes. He's waking up, and he hasn't had any, well strong drugs. Not since the surgery itself. Not like morphine or anything like that."
"Thank you. I'm going to—" the two older women nod and continue to talk. She peeks out the door and sees no one but hospital staff. That's when she tries to be a normal omega walking across a hospital hallway to see her alpha. That's all. Nothing like disobeying your long-lost grandfather who shows up only when he needs you keep him out of jail. Who is probably a gangster. Mafia. The mob. Calls the group of men around him the family. The same men whose tips paid for the new ovens at the bakery—she shakes her head. There are two things she can do. One run back and tear out those ovens or marry Ben Solo if he's awake. And knows who she is. And he is. All that. She reaches the door and rests her hand on the doorknob.
And tries to push the sudden doubt out of the way.
Alpha loves us. He'll know what to do.
Yeah, we hope he's awake. Deep breath. Her exhale is harsh then she turns the knob—things are still beeping, but the volume is low. The nursing staff has been in, she can tell by how things look tidier than how they left it early this morning.
But the best part? Those whiskey-colored eyes that meet hers. Even from the door she can see how bright and happy to see her they are. See, Alpha is happy to see us. This is going to work, and we get to marry and mate our alpha!
"Rey? What are you doing here?" He murmurs but motions for her to come closer. He scoots over the best he can, and she sits on the ben so she can face him. She wants to see him but what if he laughs and says no? Her omega, while she disagrees with this, she likes the idea of running if they have to.
She gently takes his hand but instead of sharing, she brings the gland there on his wrist up to her nose. Immediately, she calms. A smile as he reaches for her, and he copies what she's doing. It's like—being here with him, finally seeing him awake and hearing his voice—it's perfect.
"I need you," she whispers before she looks up into his eyes.
"What happened, Omega?" His rumble comforts her. She begins to tell him what happened, his scents goes through a hundred different waves. Happiness from seeing her. anger, bitterness, sorrow—but before she can finish, he growls, "I'm going to kill him," he growls.
"One day you can. But let's get you better first. Oh question—" Rey says.
He almost looks surprised, but she's surprised too that he didn't pick up on what she needs. "We can totally get divorced after everyone is behind bars and all that. But will you marry me? I don't know what to do about the mating part. But he said that I needed to marry one of his 'alphas' he just didn't say which one. I told him that I chose you, and he laughed then said he was going to kill you and Hux, then he said my family, Jyn and Cassian which makes me even more mad. I mean Dad was a US Marshal, but who is Palpatine to tell me—"
"All this was today? And your dad was an agent?"
"Yes, I think that's how he knows your dad. And yes, he told me that he is my grandfather. And yes, Daddy was." She's not able to keep looking into his eyes. So, she looks down at their hands tangled together in her lap.
"Are you happy about that?" She's not sure what he's feeling, but she can feel his voice shake, not just hear it as he lifts her eyes to his.
"Hell no. For some reason, he wants me married. I said fine. I want Kylo Ren. He said no. While I plotted, he planned, and I got here as soon as I could." She pauses and the beeping of his machines fills the silence. "Like I said, once this is over with, we can get a divorce."
"What do you mean when it's over with?"
"Aren't you an undercover cop? FBI? IRS? Someone who can put this creepy man away for a very long period of time?"
"Rey—"
"I know you can't tell me. Maybe Dad can do something. Call some of the people he knows. Yep, they all need to disappear into the wilds of central America."
"Your dad can do that?" Ben asks and Rey has to smile when she hears the awe in his voice.
"Yes. One of the reasons he became a Marshal was to help them bring down some of the drug cartels. He still has a lot of family still in Mexico. We can talk about this later." Hazel meets amber as she stares into his eyes. Her omega wants out so she can check out their alpha while she struggles not to do the same thing. He's still without a gown on, but they must have changed his bandage because this one is clean and white and not bloody like the one from last night. "Alpha, are you alright?"
His face softens and he holds out his arms for her. It should be her comforting him, but she goes to him anyway. His heartbeat is strong and steady under her ear, and she just knows—she picks up her head and looks into his eyes. She doesn't miss how he swallows hard then asks, "Rey Andor, will you marry me?"