Rated T. A/B/O Dynamics. Drama/Humor.

DJ looks after Jackson while he's under the influence of pheromones and Jesse helps Kimmy deal with Ramona's heat. No one has a good night.

Heat Burn

DJ worried her lip as she entered Jackson's room. Jimmy had laid out her sixteen year old on his bed and his limbs were splayed out across his comforter at weird angles.

"He's completely out of it," Jimmy told her. His forehead creased in worry as he looked at Jackson, "I don't know what knocked him out, but it's pretty dang effective."

"Excess pheromones can make alphas compliant if they're dosed enough," Michelle's brow wrinkled in thought as she walked in behind them.

Jimmy's eyes went wide, "Pheromones?"

"Oh, yeah," Michelle shrugged, "You get the right combination, you can turn the most aggressive alpha into a total teddy bear."

Jimmy mouthed 'wow' to himself as Michelle walked past him. She circled Jackson's bed. Sniffing the air a few times.

"I smell lavender," Michelle gave them a thumbs up, "The only pheromones that I know blend well with that tend to make alphas docile, a touch…amorous, and, according to my sources, a little too honest."

DJ scoffed, eyes narrowed, "Your sources?!" Her hands flew into the air before coming down to slap against her hips, "I just got a call from Gia telling me Jackson nearly broke a guy's wrist for, and I quote, 'not letting Ramona go fast enough!'"

Jimmy took DJ's angry, hushed voice as his signal to leave the room. Michelle just shrugged at her, arms folded, "I'm sure there was a good reason."

Jackson groaned from his bed, bringing both sisters' gaze downward. "He bruised her wrist," Jackson murmured, head lulling to the side. DJ straightened and Jackson squirmed, "He wouldn't let her go when she asked."

"Oh." DJ bit her lip and Michelle grinned widely.

"Should have broken the wrist then, ya ask me," Michelle commented. DJ glared at her and then swiftly shooed her little sister from the room. Michelle giggled - well, cackled - the whole way.

The bed sunk slightly as DJ kneeled on the mattress. She ran a hand through Jackson's hair, "How're you feeling?"

"Foggy." Jackson smacked his lips, eyes still closed, "Horny."

DJ cleared her throat, "Well… Michelle made it sound like that's not…shocking." And the fact that he'd said it *to her* probably confirmed the whole 'honesty' thing aw well. Darn it.

"I heard," Jackson reached for one of his pillows and tucked it beneath his head. DJ smiled and took a seat at the head of his bed. Jackson curled himself up near her knee.

"Wanna tell me what happened?" DJ asked as she ran a hand over Jackson's shoulder. He hummed and then in a further example of his pheromone-induced honesty…he told her everything.

It was not what DJ had expected to hear, at all.

Ramona helping him with his knots. Him helping her with an omega shift. Those were bad enough.

The intricacies of Ramona's scent? Peppers and spices and cinnamon and the lemon-tartness of her suppressant, the oozy sweet scent that kinda reminded him of honey when her heat had started.

It was enough to drive anyone mad.

By the time he got to the recent events, DJ was frozen in her spot. Mouth gaping and eyes wides. And a little nauseous.

"Pretty sure my resction to the pheromones are what triggered her heat," Jackson sighed, completely unaware of the internal freak out currently raging in his mother's head due to that statement. "But I don't know really know it works."

Right. DJ really needed to find a book on alphas. Surely there was an idiot's guide at the least. Pheromones. Why hadn't she thought to tell him about pheromones?!

"I bet Popko knows," Jackson started fumbling for his phone in his pockets. His shoulder knocked her knee and DJ was jostled from her panic.

"Ask him later," DJ grabbed for the phone as it slid easily from his fingers. The last thing she needed was to add Popko to this situation.

Jackson huffed, but settled quietly.

DJ sighed. His screen showed over a dozen notifications, "You sure are popular tonight?"

"Words probably spread to the rest of the team by now," Jackson mumbled and turned over. DJ watched his eyes flutter before focusing on the window. "Bryce has always been a whiny asshole."

"Language." DJ chided reflexively. Her hand moved to tap Jackson's shoulder. He moved quicker than her though.

DJ sat up straight when Jackson was suddenly leaning against the wall beside his window. His brow furrowed, "She smells scared."

"Well, I've never been in heat, but I imagine it's pretty terrifying." DJ walked around Jackson's bed, her fingers fiddling together as she took the few steps necessary to stand beside her son.

From the window the Gibbler house was visible. The blinds were closed in all of the bedrooms facing them, but Jackson's eyes were fixed on the one DJ knew was designated as Ramona's.

Fernando had also added a massive filter to the vent system and supposedly scent-proof windows when he and Jimmy upgraded the house. Based on Jackson's reaction, DJ would have to tell him they hadn't worked.

"Jackson?" DJ skimmed her fingers over Jackson's forehead. His gaze shifted to her. His eyes were a bit foggy, his pupils dilated massively, but she couldn't smell anything off.

She couldn't smell anything at all actually…

And even betas can smell an alpha when they're standing right next to them.

"How do you feel right now?" DJ moved her hand to his back.

Jackson blinked several times before squinting at her, "I don't know." His voice was monotonous and his body was practically collapsed against the wall. "Weird."

DJ nodded and grasped his arm, "Why don't we get you back into bed?" She attempted to guide him from the window, but he didn't budge. It only got her a scowl before he slid down to the floor.

That was when she noticed how pale he was. DJ reached forward, pressed the back of her palm to Jackson's forehead properly. His skin felt like ice.

"Michelle?!" DJ called for her sister from the doorway. She didn't take her eyes off of Jackson. He continued to sit. And stare out his window. Her voice rose to a shriek, "Michelle!"

"What?" Michelle looked expectantly at DJ as she walked in and then her forehead wrinkled as she spotted Jackson. "I didn't expect him to be up till morning."

"He's cold to the touch." DJ spoke rapidly, hands flying. Since Jackson had presented, he'd always been warm. Sometimes too warm, like with his fever, or during his rut, but he'd never been cold.

Michelle's eyes widened, "That's not a pheromone thing." She moved to press her own hand to Jackson's forehead. He groused, swatting sluggishly at her.

"Are you saying you don't know what's wrong?" DJ's voice grew tight as Michelle shook her head.

With a quick sniff and a glance out the window, "I'd guess it has to do with Ramona, but I've never scent marked an omega, Deej, or bonded with one."

The two sisters exchanged a look before nodding simultaneously, "Aunt Becky." Michelle sped from the room as DJ fussed over Jackson, attempting to wrap him in a blanket.

Becky marched in to the room, took one look at Jackson and sighed, "It's definitely Ramona."

"How?" DJ gestured towards the window, "He's nowhere near her. I know he can smell her, but-"

"It's her heat, it's burning away his scent." Becky tapped at the scent gland on her neck, "If a bonded pair is separated during the omega's heat, they lose their scent mark."

DJ raised a brow, "It was an accident though, it's not a real bond. Not like a mate or-"

"All scent marks are bonds, Deej, even if accidental," Michelle interrupted from the doorway, arms crossed and nose scrunched up, "For better or worse, scent marks bond a person to an alpha."

"Usually omega's have a long build up to their heats, the marking goes away gradually unless an alpha continuously reapplies it," Becky's hands moved outward, a blush rising to her cheeks. "When it's done suddenly, well…" Becky gestured towards Jackson, "…it's not pleasant for either of them."

"He doesn't look like he's in pain or anything?" Michelle tilted her head to the side, "Are you sure?"

Becky nodded, arms crossed, "It's more anguish than pain, depending on the level of bonding. The fact that he was exposed to pheromones might be working in his favor." She glanced over at the Gibbler house with a grimace, "Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that makes it worse for Ramona."

DJ was standing with her mouth hanging open, color draining from her face as she looked at her son. He whined slowly, hand rising to press against his swollen scent gland.

-.-.-

Jesse was careful how he held Ramona as he and Kimmy helped her stumble into her bedroom at her father's house.

"Fernando added a bunch of stuff to keep her safe," Kimmy fiddled with a remote, her face pinched together in worry.

Jesse looked around. He recognized the preventative measures. The thicker glass, double paned, and no doubt a coating of scent masking oil between them. The filters were less obvious, especially with the vents closed, but once Kimmy got them to activate, the familiar whirring told him all he needed to know.

"There should be water bottles and bags of ice downstairs in the freezer too," Kimmy smiled at him, bright and wide, but her hands were gripping the fabric of her skirt so tightly that her knuckles were already white.

"Don't worry, Gibbler," Jesse squeezed her shoulder. Kimmy nodded and then slipped from the room.

He didn't tell her that sudden heats, especially those triggered by alphas, were usually the worst. He didn't tell her that the scent marking from Jackson would make it even worse. Kimmy already knew. He could see it in the lines on her forehead and how quickly she retrieved the supplies that Fernando kept prepared.

Jesse took a seat at the empty desk by the door. Omegas weren't particularly helpful in this situation. Hell, if he were a decade younger, being in the same room as a non-blood-related omega would have triggered his own heat.

"Who knew there was something good about growing older?" Jesse joked to himself. He grimaced as Ramona began to whine and writhe on the bed.

Kimmy jumped in to action with a warm water bottle and a cold compress. They quieted Ramona for a moment, but it was just the first wave.

"Alright, kid," Jesse leaned over Ramona's bed to force eye contact. Her pupils were blown, but clear as a flashlight. "This is gonna suck," Jesse watched her throat bob and her lips purse to hold in a scream, "And it's only gonna get worse. Did your dad explain about triggered heats?"

"No," Kimmy whispered when Ramona's eyes suddenly closed. Her fingers dug into her sheets as she whined. Kimmy took a breath, "Fernando's had a few of them before though."

Jesse nodded, he waited until Ramona's eyes blinked back open. He gave her a weak smile, "Good thing is, they're shorter."

"What's the bad part?" Ramona gasped as another wave of heat squeezed at her organs. Her legs began to shake from trying to clench her thighs together.

"They're more intense," Jesse chose to rip the bandaid off, "And Jackson's scent is going to literally burn from your body."

Kimmy's eyes widened along with Ramona's, "What?"

"Wh-what? Why?" Ramona fidgeted over her sheets. A hand absently rose to her scent gland. It was hot to the touch and the sudden contact sent another wave of cramps through her body.

"Normally it happens slowly during heat, slowly leaking off," Jesse made a trickling motion with his hands, "This is gonna be more like a geiser, gushing."

Ramona whimpered and Jesse wasn't sure if it was from the thought of what was to come. another wave of pain, or perhaps his poor imitation of an explosion.

"Couldn't…" Ramona clamped her mouth shut before she finished her question, but Jesse still shook his head.

With a chuckle and a sigh, Jesse placed a small bag of ice over Ramona's scent gland, "No, he can't help you." Ramona bit her lip and nodded.

Kimmy and Jesse both retreated then. He grabbed the desk chair as they moved to the hall. Kimmy closed the door and immediately leaned against it. Her head tilted back.

Each time Ramona cried out, Kimmy flinched. When she screamed, they went in - hot water bottles and ice packs were replaced, the cold compress on her forehead wet down. It was a long and slow night.

"I wish I could say this wasn't normal," Jesse offered as Kimmy sank to the floor. Her hands were shaking.

"I've sat out in a hallway with Fernando through enough of them to know," Kimmy shrugged. She swallowed back a quiet sob and wiped at her face with the back of her hand.

Jesse nodded, lips pursed. As useless as he felt right then, Jesse knew betas couldn't be around *any* omegas during theit heats, even relatives.

Ramona whined for Jackson again. They both ignored it.

Another three cycles went by. Jesse took the job of refilling the hot water bottle from a kettle downstairs each time. He knew from Alex's heats that fussing over your kid was about as helpful as one could feel at that moment.

When he walked into the room, Ramona had both hands wrapped around her mother's wrists. Her nails bit into Kimmy's skin, but she didn't even wince.

"It's gonna be okay," Kimmy whispered, running her other hand through Ramona's damp hair. "Soon it'll pass and you'll fall asleep okay?" Kimmy continued to sooth as Jesse placed the hot water bottle against Ramona's side.

The air was thick and he had to shake his head to dislodge the haze already pushing at his mind. He saw the ice pack dripping onto the pillow and moved to refill it as well.

"Mommy, please stay!" Ramona begged as Kimmy started peeling her fingers off of her wrist. Her voice shook and a sob slipped from her lips, but Kimmy just shook her head and kept peeling.

Once they were out in the hallway, Kimmy started crying in earnest. Jesse closed the door of the bedroom swiftly. The haze of Ramona's heat dissipated, the fog of her scent trapped behind the door.

"I'm sorry, Kimmy," Jesse wrapped an arm around Kimmy's shaking shoulders. She turned into his shoulder to sob on his shirt. Normally, he'd push her away, but Jesse attempted to sooth her as best he could, shushing her softly and rocking slightly.

"It's so much harder with her," Kimmy gasped as Ramona called out for her this time. Jesse squeezed her tight into a hug. "She's asking for me and I can't do anything!"

Jesse had absolutely no words to help her. When Alex had heats, he'd been able to sit in the room with his son. Nicky and Rebecca had told him how lucky he was, but watching Kimmy fall to pieces because she couldn't, and her daughter was alone.

"Ask Fernando to get you a mask," Jesse suggested as Kimmy pulled away. She scrubbed at her face with one of her sleeves. She looked at him with wide, hopeful, eyes, "Informercial I saw, said you could sit in an omega's scent cloud for at least an hour before it knocks you out…might be worth the money. Especially for situations like this, with him gone."

Kimmy nodded, a tight smile spread across her face, "Thanks." Jesse rocked backwards on his heels. Kimmy cleared her throat, "Can I ask you something?" Jesse looked at her, eyebrows raised, "Does it mean something? Who they ask for?"

Jesse swallowed a lump that suddenly formed in his throat. It did, it most definitely did, but he saw more than a little nervousness in Kimmy's eyes. And she'd said 'they.'

"Depends," Jesse shrugged and looked away. Kimmy sighed, a short and whispy little thing that sounded halfway to being an hysterical laugh. He bit his lip, took a breath, "I've only ever asked for Rebecca."

"Yeah…" Kimmy sunk down into the chair she'd pulled from Jimmy's room. She traced the stains on the cushion, "That's what I figured."

Ramona screamed again and Kimmy launched herself into the room. Jesse followed. The night only got longer from there.

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