****Early 1900's*****

"Stop staring at her, it's creepy."

Hector didn't listen, head resting on his hands as he stared at the young woman who was currently trying to control twins, scolding them as they ran circles around her.

"Hector! Are you even listening to me?"

"Hmmmm?"

Ernesto groaned, before cuffing Hector around the back of his head, forcing the omega to pay attention to him. "What happened to it just being us?"

The words were clearly meant to be light and teasing, but there was a certain level of tension in the Alpha's voice. One that the omega clearly noticed.

"We'll always be friends Ernesto!" Hector beamed at him, "You don't have to be worried about that."

Turning his attention back to the Alpha woman, he completely missed the look of anger flashing across Ernesto's face.

*****The screen blurs********

"What is this?" Ernesto plucked the notebook out of the omega's hands, holding it up over his head (only to frown when the omega just stood up and grabbed it), "You writing a new song for m- us?"

"I just wrote us a new song, remember? The World Es Mi Familia?" Hector took his seat again, turning his attention back to the notes scribbled on the page, "This is a song for Imelda."

"… Who?"

"Imelda Rivera! The girl from the bar? On the table?"

"Oh… her." Ernesto scowled, "You're writing a song for her."

Hector nodded eagerly, "I know, I know… Alphas are meant to court omegas, but that's stupid. Once she hears this, she'll realise just how much I already love her!"

"L-Love her?! You've only just met her!"

Clearly not paying attention, Hector just hummed, sounding out the tune he was writing. Ernesto however, was still not happy and this was clear for anyone to see.

"You've never written a song for me." He muttered.

"We're not courting…" Hector stated matter-of -factly, never taking his eyes off of the page and completely missing the hurt look that flashed across Ernesto's face, "…. Besides, I write songs for you to sing all the time. I have almost two notebooks full, remember?"

"…. Yeah… I remember."

*****The screen blurs*****

Ernesto watched from the shadows as Hector started to throw stones at the young female Alpha's bedroom window.

The omega didn't seem to know that he was there.

Good.

"Imelda!" he heard Hector hiss, the omega's lower lip being nibbled slightly due to nerves, "Imelda!"

"Don't open the window…" Ernesto found himself whispered, "… just ignore him."

His pleas were made in vain as the window was thrown open and the Alpha growled out at Hector. "What do you want? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Hector didn't seem fussed by the angry tone, instead beaming at her until she recognised who he was.

"Oh…" her tone softened noticeably, "… you're the boy from the pub. I thought you were… never mind, what are you doing here."

Standing there stunned for a few seconds, Hector shook his head, holding up his guitar. "I-I-I- "

Imelda seemed amused by Hector's stammering, "You played beautifully…" she giggled, "… do you have another song?"

Nod.

"For me?"

Another nod.

"Alright… let's here it."

Hector took a deep breath, before letting out a joyous gritto…. And waking up almost every house on the street. Uncaring of the angry voices coming from nearby, Hector strummed on his guitar, and started his song.

"What color's the sky? ¡Ay mi amor, ay mi amor!

You tell me that it's red ¡Ay mi amor, ay mi amor!"

Ernesto could only watch in anger, arms folded over his chest and knuckles white with the way he was clenching them. It was clear that ha hated what he was seeing and hearing.

"Where should I put my shoes? ¡Ay mi amor, ay mi amor!

You say, "put them on your head!" ¡Ay mi amor, ay mi amor!"

Imelda was loving it though, laughing at the lyrics and clapping along to the beat as Hector started dancing around underneath her window.

Ernesto left when Imelda started blowing kisses.

******Screen Blurs*******

"She's not right for you!"

Hector looked hurt by the words… or was the tight grip on his bony shoulders?

"I- "

"- You've seen how she laughs at you? You deserve better!"

"Ernesto! Stop it!" Hector wrenched himself away, taking several steps back, "I love her, why can't you understand that?!"

"She doesn't love you!"

Before Hector could say anything, a familiar female voice started to shout from the side lines.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

A shoe came flying out of nowhere and hit Ernesto in the head, sending him stumbling to the side as Imelda stormed onto the scene.

"I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU DE LA CRUZ!" She continued to growl at him, picking up her shoe and shoving it back onto her foot as two boys called out "Fight! Fight! Fight!" behind her.

"Imelda- "

Imelda ignored Hector's quiet protest, getting up in Ernesto's face, "You want to fight…" she hissed, the volume of her voice dropping dramatically, "… alright then, lets fight. The winner gets to keep him."

"Guys please…"Hector pushed in between the pair and tried to keep them away form each other, "… you don't need to do this!"

At the sound of the omega's distress, both Alpha's stopped trying to get closer to one another, but Ernesto was back to feeling angry when Hector turned away from him and placed his hands on Imelda's shoulders.

"I already choose you…" Hector whispered, "… I don't like Ernesto like that, we're like brothers! It would be weird, right Ernesto?"

Silence.

"Ernesto?" Hector turned to his friend, frowning at the look on the older boy's face, "Right?"

"…. Right."

******Screen Blurs*****

Dozens of images flashed by in an instant. All revolving around Hector and Imelda, covering their courting years with Ernesto de La Cruz on the side-lines.

They covered Hector picking dozens of flowers for the Alpha.

They covered Imelda practically pressing Hector up against nearby walls, kissing him until his face went bright red.

They covered all of the songs Hector wrote for her.

They covered the proposal.

The screen cleared, revealing Ernesto and Hector dancing on a stage, performing a familiar song as Hector strummed the guitar eagerly. Once the song came to an end and the applause of the crowd died down, there was a stunned silence as Imelda strode confidently onto the stage, moving over to Hector and taking both of his hands.

"Hector…" she began gently, smiling as a light flush appeared on the omega's cheek, "… For almost two years, you've made me happier than I thought I could ever be. You've been there for me through everything… and I want to make you mine."

The crowd whooped and cheered at the proposal, and how Hector let out the loudest and happiest gritto yet, jumping into the air and nodding eagerly when he touched back down. "Yes, yes, yes!"

With the newly engaged couple so happy, nobody really noticed the anger on Ernesto's face.

Not back then anyway.

******The screen blurs*******

"I'm glad you agreed to be my best man…" Hector stated, neatening out his tie as he stared into the mirror, "… I mean, I know you and Imelda had problems earlier on, but I couldn't imagine this day without you."

Silence.

"Ernesto?"

Hector turned around and frowned at the male Alpha, who was just staring at him.

"Ernesto? Is everything alright?"

There was a deep sigh, before Ernesto finally spoke up, "I just… I'm worried that she's not right for you. That this isn't the Happy Ever After you want!"

"It is though!" Hector nodded his head eagerly, "Can't you see it! I'm getting married to the Alpha of my dreams, she loves me being a musician, and we might have children who are as beautiful as her!"

"Children? Isn't it a little early to be thinking about children?!"

But Hector was back to ignoring him, babbling about what he thought his future children would look like.

Ernesto just stared at him, a fond smile on his face.

*****The screen blurs******

The wedding was over, and Imelda was pulling Hector back to the house that her family had come together to buy, their laughter echoing throughout the streets.

They weren't aware that Ernesto was following on behind, hiding in the shadows as Imelda pulled Hector into the home and shut the door.

He watched as a light appeared in one of the upper windows… probably the bedroom.

He didn't know how long he stood there, staring at the lit window… imagining what was going on in that room… needless to say, the sun was starting to rise before he went to leave.

******The screen blurs************

"Remember me… "Hector sang softly at he plucked at his guitar, struggling to hold it over his protruding belly, only pausing occasionally in order to rub at the swollen flesh, beaming when he felt an answering foot against his hand, "…. Remember me."

"Are you ever going to finish that song?" Ernesto asked wearily, fed up of hearing the same few notes and words over and over again, "We need some new material, and fast."

There was a brief moment of silence, before Hector frowned, "This… this isn't going to be a performance song. It's just for the baby."

"It can be for them and our fans!"

"No Ernesto…" Hector took a deep breath, trying to remain calm as his hormones threatened to make him lose his temper, and quickly, "… it's going to be a lullaby and it's going to just be for my daughter… or son. My daughter."

"… You sound so sure? About the gender?"

Hector nodded, "Omega instincts…" he explained, sounding all-knowing (despite never really going in for the traditional omega values), "… Imelda's already started to buy little dresses for her."

"I hear my name!"

Ernesto scowled as Hector lit up at the sight of his Alpha, who casually strode over and bent down to give Hector a passionate kiss, before she got to her knees and pressed a kiss against the swollen belly of her omega.

"And how is our little angel."

"Kicking… and hard!"

It was the pair of them had forgotten he was even there.

"Come on…" Imelda gently helped Hector to his feet, "… It's getting too warm, and if you think I'm just going to let you sit out here and get sun-stroke, you've got another thing coming."

"Alright! Alright!"

And then they were gone… without even a goodbye.

*****the screen blurs*****

Every Alpha instinct in him was screaming.

Pacing outside the bedroom, trying avoiding colliding with Imelda, Ernesto gnawed at his fingernails, wincing every time Hector cried out in pain.

"Sit down!" Imelda hissed, her own body just as tense, still angry at the nurses for not letting her into the room with her omega, "You're driving me loco!"

"He might be your omega, but he was my friend long before that!" Ernesto snapped back, tensing as another cry of pain echoed through the building, "He was too skinny for this! You should have put some meat on his bones first!"

"I was all too happy to have him sit and home and rest, but you were the one who desperately needed new songs. Write them yourself! Show everyone that you do have some talent, rather than just playing off the success of others!"

"How dare you- "

Just as Ernesto got down into Imelda's face, there was another cry, this one highly different from the pained screams they'd been hearing earlier.

A baby's cry.

"Hector!" Imelda pushed Ernesto to one side, reaching the door just as the mid-wife opened it up, the older woman stopping in surprise when she came face to face with the anxious Alpha.

"How is he? Is he okay?"

The mid-wife nodded soothingly, "He's perfectly fine, omegas have been doing this for decades you know." She moved to one side and allowed Imelda to come inside, shutting the door before Ernesto could go inside.

Ernesto stood there in shock for a few moments, eyes fixated on the closed door. With his nose practically pressed against the wood, he could hear some of what was going on inside.

"I'm so proud of you." Imelda, probably snuggling up to her omega and her new-born, "A little girl! Just like you said."

"Did you- did you think of a name?"

Hector sounded exhausted… unsurprising really because of everything that he'd just gone through.

"Hector… you gave birth to her, you should choose her name."

"… Socorro. I-is that alright?"

"Whatever you want my love. It's a beautiful name."

Whatever was said next, was too quiet to be heard.

But Ernesto knew that he wasn't ever mentioned.

******The screen blurs*******

"Remember me, though I have to travel far, remember me… each time you hear a said guitar."

Ernesto watched as Hector spun around the small room, the half-asleep baby in his arms as he sung the lullaby. Once he was finished, and his little 'Coco' was asleep, Hector turned to Ernesto and beamed at him.

"Isn't she perfect?" he whispered, barely able to contain his glee, "Look at her! Isn't she perfect."

"Yes… very cute. When were you thinking of coming back to- "

Before he could finish, Coco started to scream, and Hector's attention was diverted away from the conversation.

Again.

****The Screen Blurs*******

Once again, multiple memories seemed to flash by.

Ernesto being pushed to the side, glaring as Imelda's family all crowded around the baby and the omega, cooing as little Coco sneezed.

Hector trying to teach Coco to crawl as he shuffled across the floor.

Coco running her fingers over Hector's prized guitar as he pretended that she was writing a little song of her own.

Imelda and Hector both encouraging Coco to say Mama and Papa respectively, only for Coco to very seriously say, "No."

Hector worrying about everything as Coco finally learnt to walk, as though tottering around the small home was dangerous.

Imelda giving the baby a bath and styling the girl's hair into cute little pigtails as soon as it was long enough.

Hector pressuring Ernesto into playing hide and seek with the brat.

Coco arguing with one of the children in her playgroup, hand already darting towards her shoe in the perfect imitation of her mother.

Coco making faces at herself in the mirror, only for Hector to turn his attention away from song-writing and join her, the pair giggling madly.

Every month that the child got older, she found new ways to annoy him. From pestering him directly, to pulling Hector away from his important work, writing new songs.

And every month, Ernesto got angrier and angrier.

*****The Screen Blurs********

"It's just for a few months Hector! Think about it!" Ernesto paced the small kitchen area, a beaming grin on his face, "Playing your music all over the nearby towns, get our names out there!"

Hector seemed excited, but unsure by the decision, glancing between Imelda (whose face betrayed nothing) and Ernesto, "I mean, it sounds nice but- "

"- But? But what?

"… But what about Imelda and Coco…" he turned to his Alpha, "… I need to be here, to take care of- "

"- Maybe we can come to an agreement." Imelda suddenly spoke up, cutting Hector off as she kept her eyes on Ernesto, "He is my omega Ernesto, we will have to talk about this."

Silence.

Undeterred by Ernesto's frustration, Imelda continued. "I don't want to stop him from chasing his dream, from showing everyone how talented he is…."

Hector beamed at this.

"…. But I don't want him being away from home for too long either." She glanced over at Hector, silently coming to a decision in her mind, "Three months, does that sound long enough? Once the three months are over, then you'll come home."

Hector agreed with this, before Ernesto could even think about protesting.

"Alright…" Imelda clapped her hands together, "… let's get packing then, hmm? I make sure you have the warm clothing you'll need."

*****The screen blurs********

"Remember me, though I have to say goodbye, remember me. Don't let it make you cry."

Ernesto listened to the lullaby through the door, frowning as the brat joined in with the song. As long as she didn't cry and beg him not to leave, it was okay.

"Ernesto…"

Imelda, having snuck up on him, moved into his eyeline and glared at him, "… Look after him. Don't let him get hurt."

"I would never- "

"- I know how you feel about him." Imelda interrupted, "Three months and that's it."

"…. Three months. I understand."

**************The screen blurs**********

"Three months isn't enough!" Ernesto cried out, watching in dismay as Hector placed the notebook on the top of his clothes, before closing the suitcase, "Write to Imelda! Ask for another three months!"

"Ernesto…" In comparison to the Alpha, Hector's tone was soothing, an apologetic smile on his face, "… I promised her three months. We've had a good time out here, spread our names around. But I really need to be heading home now."

"You can't give up now, not when we're so close to achieving our dream!"

Hector shook his head, "You know… after these last three months, I think it was always more of your dream Ernesto." He shrugged, "I miss my little girl, I miss my Alpha. I could never do this forever, touring around and leaving them behind…. If you want to stay, then stay. You'll be fine."

As he went to leave, Hector yelped as his wrist was grabbed and Ernesto violently pulled him closer, "You can't leave me! I need you! I need your songs!"

"Ernesto, you're hurting me!" Managing to pull his wrist free, Hector glared at his friend, "I'm going home! Hate me if you want, but I need to go back to my family."

And then Hector was gone.

Slowly, Ernesto rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a small bottle of poison and staring at it… only to put it back in his pocket, legs leading him out the door and after the omega.

Hector had already made it halfway down the darkened street, thanks to his long legs. The area was completely deserted, with not a house light in sight.

Silence.

Which was probably the reason why he turned around at the sound of rushed footsteps along the cobbled stones.

He got a brief glimpse of his friend, before there was a sharp sudden pain in his mid-section, causing him to gasp sharply and drop the suitcase and guitar, both hands flying to where the pain was. His hands met cold metal, half of it still embedded in him… Ernesto's hand still gripping the handle.

"E-E-Ernesto!" He whimpered, opening his mouth to scream for him, only for a giant hand to cover his mouth.

"Shut up!" Tears were starting to stream down Ernesto's face, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Each cry of 'shut up' was punctured by the knife blade stabbing in and out of the vulnerable flesh, some of the stabs striking bone, until the mariachi uniform was stained bright red. On the final stab, Ernesto pulled the blade out fully and took a step back, panting heavily as Hector dropped to the ground, not able to draw enough breath to scream out for help.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, bending down to pick up the suitcase and guitar case, "… I'm sorry Hector."

And then he ran.

When back at the hotel, he practically threw the two pieces of luggage onto the bed and paced the room in agitation.

He couldn't leave the body in the middle of the street.

Someone could find it.

Someone could link it back to him.

…. Maybe it wasn't too late.

Leaving the cases where they were, Ernesto raced back outside, heading back to the place where he'd left Hector and hoping that no-one had found him first.

There was nothing there.

"Hector…" he hissed desperately, "… Hector!"

Silence.

For a moment, Ernesto was seconds away from panicking, until he spotted the blood trail on the floor… the blood trail that led directly into a nearby side street. Following it, he winced at what he saw.

Hector was leaning against the wall, blood now only oozing out of the inflicted wounds, his eyes half-shut.

He was still breathing though.

Moving to kneel in front of him, Ernesto really did have every intention of trying to help him, trying to keep the blood inside Hector's body.

But he found his hands wandering lower than necessary.

"N-no…."

Ernesto's head snapped up, eyes widened as Hector weakly tried to bat his hands away.

"N-no!"

Something in the Alpha snapped.

Instead of moving to Hector's trousers, Ernesto's hands made their way to his throat, fingers tightening around the slim throat as Hector's eyes widened and he coughed and spluttered.

"You were meant to be mine!" he snarled, slamming Hector's head against the wall behind him, a sickening crack echoing throughout the alleyway. He couldn't stop/ With each second, his grip tightened on the thin neck and he slammed the omega's head against the wall.

It was only when he spotted the blood on the brick wall behind, that he realised just how far he'd gone. He pulled his fingers away from Hector's neck like he'd been burnt, eyes widening as she shuffled backwards.

It was a horrific sight.

Blood matted the back of Hector's head from the head wound. Blood stained his clothes from the knife wounds. Bruises encircled his neck from the strangulation… and his eyes were half open and glazed over in death… from the murder.

"No…" Ernesto muttered, "… no, no, no!"

He tried to shake Hector awake, only for nothing to happen.

"Shit."

*****The screen blurred*****

The last shovel of dirt was thrown onto the make-shift grave.

"Sorry Hector…" Ernesto whispered, "… but I need to do this."

********The screen blurred**********

Waking up as a skeleton was a shock.

It was even more of a shock to see Hector wandering around the entrance building, looking a little dazed and confused.

It was easy to dodge the adoring fans and follow Hector into a nearby alleyway, pinning him against the wall.

"Did you tell anyone?!" he hissed.

"T-Tell what?" Hector nervously stuttered out, hands clasping at the hand around his neck, "Who- "

"- Stop playing around!"

The vacant look didn't go away.

Ernesto frowned, "You don't remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"Perfect…" Noticing a thin crack on the side of the omega' head, Ernesto spun him around and pushed him back up against the wall, face first this time as he examined the back of the man's head.

The evidence of his violent attack was all there, mostly hidden by the thick black hair, with one piece of the skull almost breaking away from the main section.

Ernesto felt like he wasn't in control.

He watched as his hand reached up to grab the loose piece, fingers snagging onto the bone, before he yanked and pulled at the loose piece, the other hand of Hector's mouth as the omega screamed in pain.

With one final yank, the piece was free, straining to get back at Hector as the omega fell to the ground, whimpering as he clutched at the hole in his head.

Ernesto made a run for it just as the screen went black.