Sam's knuckles were white as he stared at the big TV screen.
His worst fears had come true: he was useless here in this world and he had been left behind… he was useless, useless, useless….
Beside him on the couch, Annie was equally as tense. Not to mention Johnny, Mary-Anne and Lauren, and the two much younger children, who were scattered in various places and positions around the living room, but all focused on the screen. Evie and Cassie might not have been able to fully understand what was going on, but it hadn't stopped his niece from picking up from the tension from everyone else, and all but throwing a screaming tantrum as her father had tried to leave her behind for her own safety.
Only the look in the stern green eyes and the abrupt 'Enough!' had stopped her.
So now she, and her uncle, and everyone else in the room were relegated to just watching the flat-screen: flicking from news channel to news channel, desperate to see something, yet terrified of what that might be, all at the same time.
There had been quite a battle even before Dean had left him behind.
Ever since they had seen that CCTV video.
His Alpha counterpart had immediately gone into a rage about it, asking how they could have let that happen, and how stupid Dean was to get into a fight the moment that he had gotten back.
Samuel and Johnny had immediately started yelling at their father that he hadn't started it: in fact they had been attacked and Dean had only been defending them, and why the hell was he being blamed for that?!
The omega Dean was immediately tearful and terrified in equal quantities that they were all now targets again and they had better leave the house right that moment and hide. He hated fuss, and he hated crowds and he hated people and he hated this.
And Dean…?
He just stood calmly while they all raged around him whilst pondering what to do…
Sam and Castiel waited with him, offering quiet suggestions but unsure of how this world worked…
And then, once he had decided, Dean had told them all the plan of action.
The Alpha has stared at him, momentarily speechless.
And then had really yelled!
"You must be absolutely insane! You want to go out there?!"
Dean had just studied the taller man: "It's the only way." He reiterated. "If we do nothing then the press will get all over this: all over you. Where you work; where you live; where the girls go to school… they'll be knocking at the door and then they won't be waiting for it to opened for an invitation inside… and that's just the press!
The others won't even bother knocking before they're barging in!"
"That's why we should leave!" His look-alike was visibly shaking where he stood, tear-cheeks stained from the sheer terror of thinking about what might happen. "We should just pack up what we can and get out of here right now!"
"But that won't stop them following. It won't stop this." Dean pointed out, careful not to raise his voice at the understandably distraught omega. "The safest thing for you to do, is to come out as well and let the world witness that there are definitely two of us. Until they see it with their own eyes, there's always going to be that doubt.
At least whatever happens after that they'll be against me, not you. And then that's fine: you can pick up the girls and Johnny and get the hell to Bobby's or somewhere."
"But what if you get hurt? What if… what if we get hurt?"
"Our Lady wouldn't have done all of this to just let us get led out like lambs to be sacrificed for the sake of eating mint jelly."
The other Dean stared at him, chewing nervously at the inside of bottom lip and undecided as to whether to burst into tears or not. Not that that would help, but he was so scared that that's what he felt like doing…
And vaguely he wondered whether his tears would even work against the other Dean… and came to the conclusion that they probably wouldn't.
"We're wasting time." Dean's voice was gentle but commanding. "There'll be a hunt for us: it's already happening. Everybody has a story to sell, and I doubt that this place is any different. Money is always the key.
The only thing we can do is meet it head-on. That's the one thing that none of them will be expecting."
"So you're suggesting… that we just walk up to the Lebanon City Hall, and say… what exactly?"
"No. Not here in Lebanon." Dean was recognising the flaw and adapting his plan immediately. "Being seen here in town earlier and then again when we do this… it will be too obvious that here's where you live.
We'll have to go somewhere bigger and away from here…
Let's go back to Kansas City." Dean blinked even as the thought came to him. "That's where this shit all began anyway.
Put out a Press Release, Sam." This was to the Alpha. "Tell them that if they want to meet their 'demon' then come to Kansas City. How long will it take us to get there? About 4 hours or so." He checked his watch. "It's 2pm now but we don't want them knowing where we're coming from, so tell them we'll be there about 8pm."
"What if they don't go for it?" Sam asked him quietly. Although the question that he really wanted to ask was 'what the hell are you doing'? Closely followed by 'what if they do go for it'?"
"They want their 'Exclusive', don't they?" Dean met his eyes: the younger Winchester could see the hint of bluster hidden in his brother's that meant that the other man wasn't actually sure what might happen… but…
"We don't have a choice." Dean turned back to his look-alike, "You could run, but to where? You tell me: where will be safe, Dean?"
It was actually the first time that he had addressed the other by his actual name: it was yet another surreal moment in a full day of surreal moments, to see him speak his own name while referring to the living replica standing opposite…
… the other glanced up anxiously and looked at him, but then looked away and began to back away. "I can't. I'm sorry. I can't do this. I hated being in front of them before in the studios, with everyone looking at me. All I could do was smile and let Sam talk for both of us, and that was bad enough. I can't do this, I can't. I just… can't."
Dean fought down a sigh but turned back to the Alpha. "Set up the press for just me then, Sam."
"This is ridiculous!" The other was still arguing: "Dean's not doing it, and I'm grateful as the moon for that! You can go out and play the hero if you want, but there's a really strong chance that you won't be coming back. You just don't understand how dangerous this is! For Our Lady's sake! Look at that!" he indicated the CCTV film clip on the still lit-up TV Screen as it began to play again, on endless repeat due to many empty hours of news time to fill. "There'll be… others like them… there! It might have been self-defence but that won't matter! They'll be looking for revenge! No, I won't allow it! No."
Dean also turned to view the image: "I'm just glad that the camera didn't catch which houses the other omegas came from." He said thoughtfully. "And at least it doesn't show their faces clearly, and hopefully they've got decent Alphas. I'd have hated for them to have been dragged into this just for coming outside their own front doors..."
"Who cares about the other omegas?" The Alpha had reached his limit: he just wanted to grab his family forcibly, bundle them off to anywhere and keep them safe… and all his new family as well if that was necessary, Really, he had completely forgotten just how stubborn his mate's look-alike was…
But then he was caught by the expression in Dean's eyes, somehow meeting his own straight on despite the human-turned omega being about four inches shorter in height. "I care, Sam."
They were a simple three words.
Spoken in a composed tone, but somehow with more passion that had ever been heard by any of the others in that room before. The effect of them was almost electric.
"And I care." These were from the other Dean, who forced himself to straighten up and face his fears. But he meant what he had just said, even though he was secretly amazed at himself for somehow finding the courage to do so: "I care about them. Dean's right: we have to face this.
I'm going with him." he declared to his mate.
"And I do." Johnny declared. "I'm coming with you! Omegas Lives Matter!"
"You're to remain here." Dean informed him, but without malice. "Despite what your dad thinks of me, I'd let your mom off from doing this if I didn't think that it would be better in the long run for the world to see definitively that we're two distinct people. But he's right that it might well be a really stupid thing to do and I would never risk you. Your dad can stay here with you and the girls or just all get out of here in case…"
"Like I'm going to do that!" The Alpha scoffed. "If you're seriously putting my Dean in danger then I'm going to be right there to get him out of it"
"And I'll be there to do the same thing for you." Samuel had so far kept out of the argument between his father and his mate but now he quietly spoke up to the latter.
"You should stay here with Evie." The 'in case' wasn't said.
But Samuel just shook his head: "I'm with you. Right by your side. What-ever Our Lady is going to throw at us. I trust Sam and Cas to keep her safe should something happen. Although," he added in an undertone as he moved in for a hug that he himself desperately needed at that moment. "I'd prefer it if you weren't going either. There's too much to risk right now." he said pointedly. "We can perhaps just ask to return to your world...? All of us…?"
But Dean shook his head at him: "I had my arms around our little girl and they attacked anyway. Would you be happy knowing that we were safe but we'd abandoned everyone else to scum like that who think that they can do what the hell they want?"
"No." his young mate pouted: his green eyes shining at the thought of possible overwhelming sorrow to come. "But promise me that you won't go looking for trouble!"
"Dean snorted: "I never do. And I'm being honest on that! It just always finds me!"
Samuel sighed and let his mate go: "Let's get this done then. Sooner it is, the sooner we can come home"
They were all thinking the same: the waiting was already feeling even worse than the unknown. All except the Alpha. "I still don't like this."
"You trusted me last time to look after your family." Dean was unblinking. "Trust me this time as well. Please."
The Alpha Sam stared at him. Then glanced across at where Johnny and Mary-Anne were standing, both still indignant at being left behind. "Okay," he conceded. "You were right the last time and I wouldn't listen.
But you," he indicated his children, and his look-alike Sam and Castiel. "You get packed up in case. We'll order a rentable, and if anything happens that you don't like the look of around here, you grab them and you run. To Bobby's… to anywhere that you need to go to hide. I mean it."
"We'll keep them safe." Sam promised. And wasn't sure how he could, in this world that he didn't know. But he would try his damndest.
Meanwhile the still terrified omega Dean had stepped closer to his own lookalike: "If we do do this… will you hold my hand?" he whispered.
"All the way." Dean told him. "I won't let go until you tell me to. Possibly not even then."
The other couldn't help but choke back a laugh at this: albeit that it was a very nervous sounding one.
But he was still physically trembling.
That had been nearly five hours before.
And now Sam sat and stared at the flat screen just waiting for… he didn't know what he was waiting for.
But he hadn't come to this world just to sit and wait. He wanted to be with his brother. He wanted them all to be back safe in the Bunker. Or Dean's house in Lebanon.
Anywhere but here.
They were flicking through the multitude of channels, desperate to know what was going on in the outside world, and getting more and more tense with every new article…
… and there were lots of new articles!
All linked to the 'Demon' omega.
There were protests springing up. Everywhere! In every major city down to every small town, omegas, betas and Alphas were coming together with hastily created placards to march to seemingly every City Hall in the land, demanding that omegas be given equality and respect. On every channel, every station, there were images coming in from all over the country of groups chanting 'omegas lives matter'; 'respect for all'; 'we deserve freedom as well'; or, most worryingly to Sam: 'Heeeeeeere's Johnny! You better run, Alpha's'!
And in response, some Alphas were also organising themselves into counter-protests: gathering in angry groups and shouting abuse to the reporters and cameramen about what 'they were going to do to these wayward son's of bitches', and how 'they had better learn their place or else'.
There were also groups of Beta Supremacists… who hated the Alphas as much as the Alphas hated them. The two encampments hurled insults against each other on every news channel, (always safely from a distance) and posed like strutting peacocks, preening at themselves on the screens and (usually drunkenly) bellowing to try and drown out everybody else's viewpoints just in case there might have been reason in them.
The news reporters covered everything with eager enthusiasm. Sam couldn't help but ruefully think of how similar both worlds were in that respect: that brutality and threats seemed to guarantee more airtime than any talk of humanity and peace.
Because they were more 'Exclusive'.
More 'Sensational'.
And there were the interviews: of nobodies who claimed to have seen Dean… 'Johnny'… weeks before, but nobody had listened to them. Who swore they saw him in shopping malls buying groceries, or skulking outside their windows with definite ill intent. Who swore they saw him bravely rescue children from the tops of trees or burning automobiles. Or beating up helpless Alphas for no reason, depending on which Presentation creed they themselves lived by.
And now on the screen were coming forward the first 'victims':
The Alpha who had run away during the fight had bravely stepped in front of the cameras to give his story of how 'he and his friends have been minding their own business when that fucking omega had attacked them'.
"He didn't, he didn't!" Johnny was wild in his fury at the lie. "They attacked us! They shoved you, Sam, and threatened us: how can he say that?"
"It's okay, Johnny." Annie was so sweet. "At least everyone can see the truth on that film that they keep showing. It shows them attacking without any reason at all, even when Dean had little Evie with him. No one can refute that!"
'They'll try though', Sam thought to himself. 'Lawyers can twist everything and only show the tiny part of what they want to be seen: the bigger picture gets lost as 'inadmissible evidence'. For the first time in a long time, he found himself wondering about what kind of attorney he would have been had his life gone differently… and whether he would have been proud of himself or not…
"But Mr Dalton can be seen as clearly striking Sam Winchester from behind." Surprisingly, the reporter actually seemed to of the same mind as the viewers: "And the omega Johnny was kneeling talking to the unknown little girl. They certainly weren't the aggressors this morning…"
"Who are you to argue with me? Just a fucking useless female beta!" The Alpha was outraged. "How dare you! I'm telling you what happened! Who are you going to believe?" This was shouted straight into the camera lens, his face grotesquely distorted by the too-close proximity. "Me? Or some doctored piece of shit film that distorts the truth! Fucking omegas! They should all be kept in the bedrooms where they belong!"
The camera cut from him, still shouting his abuse, and the reporter, visibly irritated, apologised for the profanities that 'sometimes was a hazard for live television, but stay tuned for more Sensational Updates to come after this break'. And then they proceeded to show the 'interview' repeatedly for the next couple of hours, but with bleeps in place of the swearwords.
Others also came forward to give their 'Exclusives':
A male Alpha with vivid blood still oozing from a gash to the left side of his head: 'well, my omie, well, she said that she was going to join the protest, and I told her to git back into the kitchin and that she wasn't goin' anywhere, and she told me that yes she was, and I told her to go an' git my paddle and I would give her what for for disobeying me, and next thin' I knew, she hit me with her damn frying pan and knocked me across the room, and then she hit me agin, and then she went runnin' out the door, and when I git hold of her, there's goin' to be hell to pay."
"So you're threatening your omega live on screen, sir?"
"Well, this just ain't right! She's been doin' as she's told for twenty-four years! What's she got to fuss for now? She's got a roof over her head, ain't she? She never even gave me pups so she must be defective anyway and now this? I tell you, when I git hold of her…"
And there were omegas themselves: coming forward in groups of two's and three's, or even more, happy to be out on the streets and feeling safe about it for probably the first time ever in their lives, grateful for all the cameras and like-minded people that gave them protection to actually… just walk outside in the open. They laughed and cheered at the cameras: 'we're going to the protests! Omegas matter! We are people too!'
Johnny's breath caught as suddenly, a particularly noisy and rowdy group happily paused in their march to speak to the reporters and a lone male was amongst the throng of laughing females: "He's a male omega! He's male! Like me! I thought that there was only dad and Dean!
There's more of us!"
This revelation also caught the attention of the people behind the news networks, so much so that this other male omega and his identity became the new hot topic, with almost minutely repeated showings of the clip for the next hour or so until the next 'Exclusive' came along to overtake it.
And somehow, excitement was growing. And tension. It was all building around the country into a large bubble forced into a pressure pot that was just waiting to blow. It felt that everyone across the whole nation seemed to be either out on the streets or glued in position in front of their televisions sets. And large outdoor screens were being hastily erected in parks and main areas so that those already outside to be able to view what else was happening in other areas, and so that they wouldn't miss…
… what?
But something was going to happen: anticipation was in the air so thick that nobody wanted to miss whatever moment. It was going to be a 'what were you doing when…' moment… A moment of crisis: a moment of jubilation. A moment to be remembered…
… whatever the hell it was.
A part of Sam was in disbelief. How could his brother had made such an impact like this in just that few short weeks that he had been in this world the last time? This was crazy! Seriously crazy. After everything that they had been through: after everything that they had done…
How could all this be happening just because of Dean?
"It wasn't just because of him." Annie responded to his verbalised incredulity. "But he was the spark. The story that made people notice and talk about it.
The inequality and the fears that omegas have been bearing has been steadily getting worse: what's more incredible to everyone here is how many are coming out! I can't believe it: look at them! How many there are, that have probably been hidden away their whole lives due to the actions of… let's face it… Alphas.
And I know it's not all Alphas…
… but it's been enough of them.
What happened the last time your brother was here: that attack on the house and the children, and him… defending himself. Defending all of them. Standing up to those Alphas and defying them… and winning.
You have no idea what a moment that was, Sam."
By this time, the elder children were also listening intently and nodding in agreement. "The whole world took notice. Just for once they looked at an omega and saw… a… a… man.
And when he gave that speech, about how omegas are being exterminated and all the other genders are just standing around and allowing it to happen without even thinking of the consequences that might follow…"
"Wait! Dean gave a speech?" Sam couldn't help but interrupt.
Annie stared at him in disbelief: "It's been quoted at just about all the rallies since. His words have been integrated into the new Constitutions dealing with the treatment of omegas…
Did he not tell you any of this?"
Sam tried to resist glaring back at the extremely pretty woman. "No." he said shortly. "No, he didn't." Then he sighed as he realised: "Dean probably wouldn't have thought it important enough to tell me anyway. Not about omegas!" he hastily added, as both Annie and Johnny looked as if they were going to tag team yelling at him for a long time.
"But about himself. He doesn't think that he's that important to have made a difference." Sam glanced down at his denims, and picked at a hitherto unseen stray thread: "It's ironic." He admitted. "Dean's saved my life so many times. Saved our world so many times. And he still doesn't think that he matters to anyone."
"Daddy matters to me!" By now, even Evie had come over and was indignant at her uncle.
Sam smiled at her, blinking back tears at the thought of his big brother's low self-esteem even now. "And he matters to me. And you matter to me; you're both my entire world! And he is wrong: he's so very, very important and he means so much to us, and we're going to tell him that every chance that we get, okay?"
"Okay," Evie agreed, and clamboured onto his lap. Followed almost immediately by Cassie climbing onto Annie's. "Do you think he'll be back soon, Unca Sammy?"
"We'll just to keep waiting, sweetheart. That's all we can do."
By this time, it was past half past seven in the evening, and the skies in their part of America were starting to darken. Street lamps and headlights went on, and so did the demonstrations and the posturing.
Flicking through the TV channels, it seemed that every single reporter throughout the country had converged upon Kansas City with their vans and equipment. The streets that framed the Ilus W Davis Park were congested with sensibly parked as well as hastily abandoned vehicles, so desperate were they all to get the scoop on all the hundreds of others also there.
The park was also the area where a vast conglomeration of the human beings of that world had come together in: able-bodies and non able-bodied; all genders; all ethnicities; all colours; all Presentations; all accepted sexual preferences (and probably a few non-tolerated as well). All just human beings. Well… were-beings. But all with the same hopes and dreams.
They cheered at nothing and sang together and chanted and waved their placards and banners… more and more arrived to swell the ranks in the increasingly crushed Park, and around them more groups arrived with opposing banners and placards and jeers and taunts.
And of course, there were police everywhere: standing ready to run to their vans full of riot gear in case but at the same time, wary in case they themselves became the catalyst that would ignite the scene into a different, more dangerous mood.
Each and every one of the channels now showed the park from a slightly different angle, and the reporters and news hosts (who had by now also already flown there as well to as be able to report from the scene 'live') commented on the scene each from different viewpoints…
… and the anticipation increased impossibly more with every minute.
Sam and Annie settled on one television station that seemed to be fairly unbiased in its commentary. Mary-Anne and Lauren had fetched snacks and drinks for them all, and by now, everyone in that living room, the two adults, Johnny, the two older girls and the two younger girls, were all squeezed together into the three person couch, needing the physical companionship even if it was a squash: watching and waiting, and terrified beyond belief.
Their chosen news reporter, the beta who had pointed out to the angry Alpha earlier that his story of what had happened that morning was in direct contrast to what was actually showing on the CCTV images of the event, was continuing to just talk to fill the seconds and minutes of non-activity.
"She must be exhausted," Annie said, in an effort to distract them all. "And her throat must be so dry!"
"She's probably desperate for a long cool drink." Sam agreed. "And a sit-down! She's been standing with that microphone every time we've clicked on her!"
"And we're all waiting now to see if the omega Johnny does indeed appear to talk to the masses gathered here. We have been given to understand that he is on his way here and will make a statement. Hopefully he will answer questions as well, and there are a lot of questions!
Everyone has been seeking Johnny since his seeming vanishing act a few years ago: there have been hundreds of reported sightings of him, both in this country and abroad since then, and of course his identical twin brother Dean has been unfortunately mistaken for him as well, to his own tremendous discomfort and numerous Restraining Orders having to be taken out by their third brother Sam… who is also Dean's mate and father of the children that were attacked in their own house by the notorious mob boss criminal, Alessandro Manolli."
Sam blinked: put like that, their whole family was really confusing! And yet it seemed to be taken in this strange new world (to him anyway) as perfectly normal behaviour: brothers and brothers-in-law being one and the same person. Suddenly he was extremely grateful to be staying inside the house. And how the hell had Dean managed for those few weeks on his own here?
But then he was staring back at the screen. Suddenly the noise of the crowd went off the decibel scale: even through the television set, the roar and the cheers was almost deafening. The reporter and her camera team were looking around desperately, trying to pinpoint the source that had prompted the reaction, and hopefully, be the first to broadcast it…
"There he is! There he… oh, by My Lady! They're both here! They're both…!"
And indeed, as the camera panned around and finally found the people in question to focus on, there they were.
The two Deans were walking hand in hand along Locust Street towards the Park, seemingly drawn by the noise of the crowd to bypass the originally intended destination of the City Hall. Even despite all the talk of them being 'identical twins', it was still proving a sensation to see them side by side: the original omega still dressed as smartly in the green sweater and slacks as he had been all day, and the new omega having swapped his trademark layers of over-shirts and plaid somewhere to instead go for a simple dark blue button-down long-sleeved shirt with his denims.
Even the watchers from the house, who had spent those few hours with both of them, were somehow awed to see them both together. Really, if they had swapped clothing completely as a prank, there was absolutely no way to tell them apart by sight alone.
Samuel walked carefully beside Dean: his young face trying to remain poised and calm but his lower lip quivering just occasionally enough to give the lie to the effort. Sam walked on the other side, beside his mate: the tension in his body, despite all the years spent arguing in Courts, gave away his anxiety as to what, if anything, might be about to happen…
Sam looked fearfully as far into the view as the camera would let him and was relieved to see Castiel also there: some distance from the other four, looking completely conspicuous and out of place still in his trademark trench coat, but with his intense gaze overseeing the whole scene and not missing a single molecule of it.
Before they had left, Dean had asked him to check that he still had his powers in this world and that they hadn't also been hidden like his wings. On finding out that the angel still had full use of his abilities, and most importantly, his flying equivalent of teleportation, his friend had asked him to come along and "Get the other Dean, Samuel and Sam out of there pronto if necessary."
"What about you?"
"Them first. I don't want to get anyone hurt here because I screwed this up. Please, Cas!"
Castiel was determined to get them all out: he was determined that none of his family would be getting hurt tonight.
The route that the two Deans were taking brought them right through the swarms of reporters, who were already bombarding them with shouted questions, never expecting responses, nor indeed giving any chance for them to be responded to: "Johnny! Johnny! Can you answer some questions? Where have you been hiding? Are you ashamed for what happened earlier? Are you going to apologise to the families? Is that little girl yours? Is this your mate… that's Dean and Sam's eldest boy! Is he your mate? Tell us all about it! Can you give us your secrets for how you're able to defend yourself? Any advice for your millions of followers around the world? You're a hero to so many others! Are the rumours true that you're not a complete omega? Are they right when they call you a demon? Are you going to address the crowd? Everyone at home wants to hear from you! Answer the questions, Johnny! Have you got anything to say? This is your chance to tell your story!"
The female beta reporter that Sam and the ones at home had been watching was no exception, but she was fortunate enough to be close enough to their route through the multitude of flash bulbs and cameras that the four men passed immediately by her. "Johnny, Johnny. Stop and talk to us. The world is listening to you!"
Then she was surprised as Dean paused to gently take her microphone out of her hand. "This thing got a bit of distance?"
"Erm… yes?"
"Come with me then."
And Dean was walking on, leading his 'twin' through the throng, not complaining or wincing at the death grip now on his fingers. He himself was extremely unsettled by the sight of the masses waiting for them: despite what his mate and Johnny had told him in the last few days, and what the other Sam had reiterated in the car on the way here, he hadn't really believed the effect that his actions those few years ago had had, but now….? "Keep calm, Dean," he told himself. "You have to look as if you're meant to be here: just keep walking and looking like you know what the hell you're doing…."
Behind them now, came Sam and Samuel, each determined not to lose their mates in the crush as the crowd now parted to let the two omegas through then surged immediately to follow. Cameramen swore and hustled to get better view points as the reporters also chased to secure positions.
It was only a few minutes later that the Deans found themselves at the edge of the Ilus W Davis Fountain, the part of it that is a shallow, large circular man-made pool. Here seemed as good as anywhere for them to stop. The still cheering crowd hurried to find good viewing spots, standing up on steps and benches and climbing the odd unlucky tree or light, or anywhere that they could so as not to miss a minute… and then they settled down as a mass hush rolled over them like a wave…
Elsewhere around the country, all the other demonstrations and rallies also came to a pause and turned to watch the large screens as this one event was beamed across the nation to every single one of them…
… It felt almost surreal, Sam thought, from his view from the couch… he was dreaming… he must be dreaming…
… Please let this all be alright.
Annie clenched at his hand. Evie snuffled and huddled into him, burying her face sideways into his chest but watching the screen anyway using her other eye. None of them wanted to watch. But then none of them were prepared to look away either… And none of them felt able to dare to breathe…
Dean raised the microphone.
"My name," he took a deep breath. "Is Johnny Winchester." The sound systems in the giant screens that had been hastily erected in the area squealed abruptly in protest and screeched wincingly loud, but then behaved themselves, (either that, or someone somewhere hurriedly pressed some switches), so that he could be heard by all.
And this." He purposely moved his left hand so that the other Dean, still gripping it tightly, also had to raise his right one into the air as acknowledgement. "This is my little brother, Dean Winchester." Despite himself, he smirked at the disgusted look that the other gave him. The crowd laughed.
"And we're both omegas.
And, like probably every single other omega in this world, we've spent our lives being afraid.
We weren't allowed to leave the house: too dangerous. We weren't allowed to go to school: too dangerous. We weren't allowed to have friends or play out in the park: too dangerous. You've been reading all about us these last few of years, but until then, no one aside from our immediate family even knew that we existed… For just about all of our lives. Because it was too dangerous, in case we presented as what our father had immediately suspected that we might be….
… which we did. He was right.
We're both omegas.
And yes," he decided to bite the bullet that was definitely going to be one of the first questions shot at him. "I'm unusual for an omega. I've got bits that I shouldn't have: that don't mean that I'm not an omega. And yes: the little girl all in the news this morning is my daughter, born to me. Everything works as Our Lady intended. Despite what's been whispered and written and discussed, I'm all omega: sorry to disappoint you." The crowd laughed again.
"And probably that's why, despite all the speculation these last couple of years," the Alpha had schooled him well on the drive down to Kansas City, "our younger brother, Sam here, chose Dean to be his mate. I know you were wondering why not the eldest one? But he's our brother… he knew about my unusualness… and to be honest, I'm quite happy to take this chance to thank him for not choosing me as, actually? Sex with my little brother? Ew…."
The disgust on his face at the thought was evident, (if not more than a little exaggerated). This time the throng around them burst into full on shrieks of amusement, hollering and clapping. Even the other factions, who had previously been jeering but had paused to listen when the hated omega had started to speak, were amused. The Alpha, the unwitting subject of the joke, exchanged a look with his son and took a deep, hidden breath: it was going okay. Please let it all stay good-natured…
But Dean was already continuing: "I admit I was jealous of Dean though. I thought he got the good end of the deal, whereas I had to continue my life on our uncle's land away from the whole world and was forbidden to even go up to the gates in case of being seen. I know he was only trying to keep me safe. But at least I was allowed to learn how to maintain the cars and rebuild them from scratch: I'm good at cars. His yard is large enough that I was allowed to be outside, as long as I was careful, to enjoy the sunshine and Our Lady Moon every time She called. I was allowed to work out and create a makeshift gym in the shadows of the stacks of automobiles. That's why I'm strong: that's why I'm fit. I may have had nobody to talk to, except our uncle, and a strong desire that there must be something else out there, but I had a freedom all my own that I didn't even realise…
But I was jealous of Dean because I thought he had it all! A mate. Pups. A house of his own and a life in the city…
Boy, was I wrong!
He was still afraid of everything. And that's no comment against Sam!" he emphasised, even as the Alpha couldn't help but look upset. "But all the omegas out there will understand.
Dean can't go of the house on his own because it's not safe. He can't join his family for a meal out without getting assaulted in the restrooms." There was a murmur of recognition and agreement from the crowd. "Neighbours make lewd comments at him. Strangers openly scent him in the street and molest him right in front of his Alpha, because it's only 'good harmless fun'.
Alphas even openly discuss him as a sex object in the school yard! In front of his children!" The murmur got stronger and more assertive. "Others directly asked Sam to let them bed him. Some offered to pay: others think it's their 'right'….
At a family picnic, right in the middle of an open park in the middle of the day in the middle of hundreds of people, he got dragged into bushes and nearly raped." The other Dean startled and looked at him in shock, as did the Alpha Sam, but Dean determinedly ignored them both. "Only the lucky arrival of another, better-behaved Alpha prevented that from actually happening…" Back in the house, Sam swore viciously to himself.
"Would you like to live like that?" He asked the enraptured audience. There was more than a rumbled acknowledgement of anger: of shared memories of at least some of those circumstances. Of more than some…
"I finally got my head out of my ass and came to visit Dean, and found that he was more trapped and afraid than even before. Than even I was in my world of solitude and inclusion. And this is not against Sam: he's a really good Alpha and a damn good mate. But this is our society. This is how we treat our omegas.
I genuinely think that it was Our Lady's doing: that I happened to be there on that day that the Alphas broke into the house. Dean needed a break and was having a rest, so they saw me first and thought I was him… and I was damned if I was going to let them hurt my nieces and nephews. Not over my dead body… they'd have to go through me first…. And I stopped them…" There was a loud cheer and thunderous applause that rumbled on and on, forcing him to stop speaking momentarily.
Instead he took the chance to lean towards the other Dean, carefully holding the microphone away from them both: "If you want to escape, grab Sam and Samuel and go. I'll keep their attention from you…"
"No." The omega was actually surprised at how firm he actually felt about saying that. "You're right. We need to stand up and do this for all the others."
"You going to let go of my hand yet?" Dean smirked at him.
"No." But he did anyway, to instead pull the other man into a hug, and the cheers grew in crescendo at the genuine emotion between the 'twins'. Then Dean was trying to quiet them down again…
"You all know that story now. That's the past. But how much of what I have just said is also your present? Do you want it to be your future as well?
How about your kids… pups? Do you want it to be their future as well?" There was a definite rumble of 'no's.
"And you!" Dean purposely addressed some of the other factions, standing to the sides and at the rear, still waving their banners and insulting banners menacingly but at least, for the moment, listening. "The same question to you! What if your pups are omegas? Do you want them to be treated like you do your mates? Do you want them to be nothing more than sex toys? Don't you want anything more for your offspring than that?"
"Omegas ain't good for anything anyway!" shouted back a voice, accompanied by ragged laughter. "Only the kitchen or the bedroom! That's what they were put here for!"
There was a moment of shocked anger and then a flurry of angry expletives from all sides of the crowd. The police tensed: subtly their chief began to call those teams nearest to him to the riot vans. But Dean raised his hand again, and somehow the audience obeyed and subdued, but not without a definite shift in their mood.
At the house, Sam found himself squinting at the screen: he was finding it hard to see even his brother at the centre of the frame in the now rapidly darkening area around the Park. "Can't they put some more lights there?" he grumbled.
"What's wrong?" the woman beside him asked. As he turned to her, he caught the cats-eye reminiscent reflection in her eyes and was reminded that he was no longer in what he would call a 'human' world. Only a were-based one.
He sighed: "My eyesight's not as good as yours… all of yours!"
"Don't worry," she responded. "Our Lady will be out soon. She'll shine the light for you."
"We know what you think we were 'put here for'!" On the screen, his brother was responding to the heckler, emphasising the quotes by punctuating the words slowly. "We hear it every day of our lives.
And all the danger I just mentioned? All from Alphas!"
He began to walk around the rim of the pool and back as he spoke: all eyes (and cameras) following his every move: "We're told that they can't expect them to be able to control themselves. Because, somehow, it's our fault. Our scent is enough to bring any Alpha to their knees with desire and they can't help but react…
And 'everyone' knows that omegas are obsessed with sex… even if they're taking their pups to school. Even if they're out at a meal with their families. Even if the omega themself, is still only a child, just trying to get to school…
How can an Alpha possibly be expected to contain themselves around such temptations…? It's not their fault that they can't… it's only as nature intended…
Well, I call Bull Shit!"
He paused as if almost expecting a reaction, but there was total silence: the entire audience was hanging on his words…
"I have an amazing Alpha as my mate. And he knows how to control himself around omegas! And my brother here also has an amazing Alpha as a mate. Because he was brought up to be respectful to all, especially omegas.
And I can scent here," he waved his arm generally in the direction of in front of him, "That there are good Alphas. Lots of good Alphas, here to support their mates and their friends and us. It's strange…
There's all these Alphas here, who are surrounded by omegas and yet… they're not attacking them! They're not being driven helpless by desire…
Why is it that they can control themselves, and you can't?" This accusation was thrown in the direction of the heckler and his cronies. "What does it say about you? That you, such strong 'Alpha-est of Alphas' men and women, according to your own manifestoes," (Sam had schooled him really well on the way there), "can't overcome your basic animal instincts like civilised people?
Are Alphas not capable of discipline? These ones are," indicating those in front of him again. "But for some reason you aren't? And you're proud of that? That your parents brought you up to be incapable of conducting yourselves like… well, like adults! Don't you find that demeaning? That your ideal of the 'perfect Alpha' is exactly the same as that of a wanton spoilt child? Aren't you aware of how ridiculous that sounds? That you 'mighty' Alphas can't control yourselves… aren't even expected to try…? How does that make you mighty?
But that is why my brother and I have been afraid all our lives… because you can't control yourselves…? Is that really what you're saying?
Perhaps, rather than omegas being hidden away, it should be Alphas that are! Perhaps it's that Presentation that should be under a permanent curfew because, according to all of you, if you're simply not capable of self-discipline if you're driven wild by just a scent…?
Perhaps you should have to live your lives locked away, and let the omegas and betas walk around without worried that you may 'lose control'…"
He had to pause as by this time, the crowd was laughing too much. And cheering. And pointing and jeering at the strangely suddenly silent edges of the multitude…
"But that wouldn't be fair." Dean's voice cut through all the noise in a suddenly sharp tone that quietened everyone else immediately. He had by now returned to stand beside the other Dean as he carried on addressing the crowd.
"That wouldn't be fair, because all of you amazing Alphas in front here", there was a slight cheer, "and all the incredible Alphas like our mates, and all the ones who have been brought up to be good, decent people who do have strength of character and self-control. And we're not asking for that. We don't want Alphas to be curfewed. We don't want any Presentation to be treated as pariahs.
What we're asking for… what we're demanding… is the right to be treated as any other Presentation. The right to walk freely down the street without fear of being propositioned or molested. The right to go to school and finish our educations. The right to get jobs: I'm a damn good mechanic. I want to be able to make a living at it. I want to be able to teach other omegas how to put an engine back together.
In the past few years, we have had an omega be accepted into business training hopefully to eventually become an Executive; some have started medical training; there was a big fuss last year about two being accepted for law school; we've had our first recognised Scientist to publish a theorem… we need these not to be amazing news stories but instead to be the norm…
We want to be treated equally. And we want to stop having to be afraid.
And to do that, we need all you good Alphas to speak up: when you see an omega get hassled, whether verbally or actual assault, don't walk on by. Because if you do then you're just part of the problem! We need you to say to the others, the spoilt undisciplined brats on the perimeter of your Presentation, that no, this isn't good enough. This isn't who we are. Alphas are not to be the problem anymore.
And we're tired of the problem: we're tired of being afraid. We're tired of only being allowed to live as secrets hidden away. We want to come out in the sunshine and dance in Our Lady's glow.
And we will do that. We have to do that. We've been too long living as shadows. We will shout and we will march and we will campaign and we will fight… I'll teach you all how to fight if necessary…" there was a huge cheer from the crowd…"but we will be heard.
We will be treated equally.
Because we are omegas and we are more than what anyone else realises.
We have voices too.
And we
Will.
Be.
Heard."
There was a moment's complete silence.
Dean took the microphone away from his face (his arm grateful for the rest after holding it for so long) and looked out at the throngs of people in front of him, and to the side of him, and crowded in behind him, and had a tiny internal panic about what he should or shouldn't do or say now…
And then the crowd erupted.
Into cheers. And shouts. And tears. And laughter. And applause. A huge wave of noise that all but drowned any other sense out. The sound rolled around and around the Park, and out into the city beyond.
Back at the house the family regulated to just being onlookers finally relaxed enough to take deep, deep, much needed breaths in.
"Daddy was amazing!"
"He really was!" And then Sam was turning to look at the others for the first time since the speech had started and was realising that Annie, Johnny and both the elder girls had tears streaming down their faces. The young omega was even shaking from the emotion.
It was instinctive for him to try and get his long arms around them all at once: an action that only resulted in a few hysterical giggles and then full-on sobs of relief: "He told them all. He told them all!"
"He certainly did…"
But Sam's words were broken off as the sound from the television changed from jubilant cheers and laughter to that of shouts and desperate screams.
They all turned to see in a panic. Momentarily they couldn't see what was causing the chaos as the cameras were panning frantically around the area to also close in and see, resulting in a feeling of vomit-inducing nausea for any viewer unlucky enough to be witnessing the ride of blurred imagery. But then they had finally found the source of the disturbance and closed in with their auto-focuses.
In the crowd opposite where the two Deans were still standing, quite a way into it: a good fifty or so people deep into it, a man with a large bandage on his head was pushing and shoving at those around him viciously, seemingly to get through to one of them in particular…
… and then the moonlight that was just starting to peep through the clouds shone just enough to highlight the large machete-type blade as it was raised high above heads…
There was more screaming and falling as those around tried to get out of the way…
And above all that noise, there was another sound: a voice full of anger and hatred shouting over and over again; "I'll kill ya, ya bitch, I'll kill ya…"
The director controlling the choice of which camera view prudently decided that a brutal live murder on his or her Channel might not give the best ratings in the long run, and hastily chose another angle and another view of the Park.
The scene switched enough to show a wide shot of the two Deans at one side of the large pool, and this scene of violence going on in the midst of the crowd some distance away, and every single pair of eyes, both physically present or watching from around the country, were glued to that spot, helpless to stop the horror that was just about to happen…
No.
Not every pair of eyes…
Dean, the original omega Dean, glanced desperately at his counter-part: terrified beyond belief as to what was happening and needing comfort, protection and guidance in any order that it happened to be given…
He was startled though to see the sudden flash of blue in the other's eyes.
Nobody else was looking in their direction due to the disturbance and ongoing panic. Nobody else saw it.
But he did.
Instinctively he grabbed the other Dean's hand and held tight.
Dean's fingers grasped firmly around his.
And then they were running.
The omega had never run so fast in his entire life. He had loved running as a pup, but safety concerns from his dad, and then family ones from his mate, and then plain and simple terror of the entire world in general had stopped him from doing it for a long, long time…
… but just momentarily, unbelievable joy spread through him as his limbs moved almost without him being conscious of them and the pleasure of just enjoying the movement, just being alive, caused a surge of pure exhilaration…
… everything around him was a blur: all that mattered was not letting go and losing that feeling…
And then, as abruptly as they had started, they had stopped. Mere moments after they had started.
The omega began to catch his breath… but realised that he wasn't even winded… but then he was inhaling in terror anyway as he realised…
… that somehow they were now in the centre of the crowd.
Somehow they were right where the people were still screaming.
Somehow they were standing right in front of the man who had the bandage on his head and the raised evil-looking blade in his hand… and somehow the female omega that he was going to strike the fatal blow to was behind them…
… and somehow he and Dean had run so that they had ended up between the two of them, through the water and through the packed crowd without feeling a touch from a single person other than each other…
… he felt that he would faint with terror…
… but then he realised that somehow… Dean, the other Dean who he owed his children's lives to and would always be so grateful for that, had let go of his hand and instead caught the Alpha's right wrist in his own left hand before the would-be killer could bring the blade down in its fatal strike, while at the same time bringing his right arm back into a full punch: hand already fisted into what the entire world knew could well be a lethal blow.
Time stood still momentarily. Dean, the original omega, felt somehow that everything hinged on that instant of time. Everything.
And then Dean, the demonised omega, let his arm and fist relax.
He drew himself up, seemingly unaware of the full moonshine that was now illuminating him and his 'twin brother' enough that even Sam with his human eyes could see the area clearly, and then he spoke, so clearly that the absence of the abandoned microphone was not noticed by even those at the rear of the crowd…
"You're not worth it."
With a practised twist of Dean's strong left hand around it, the Alpha's right wrist cracked and broke, coming to rest in an unnatural position completely opposite to how it had been just an instant before. The blood-free blade clattered to the ground.
The man immediately squealed with pain and tried to get the omega to release his arm but couldn't: he could only claw desperately but ineffectively at the other's fingers.
By this time, all the viewers watching from around the country had recognised him from earlier, when he had had blood on his head rather than the bandage, and remembered the open threats against his wayward omega who had seized her chance to finally escape his brutality. He didn't look as tough now, openly sobbing with pain, covering himself with his own snot, but unable to escape Dean's grip on him.
"You're. Not. Worth it."
And then Dean was suddenly letting go. The Alpha collapsed immediately: a large stain now soiling his pants as he did and the accompanying stench causing those around him to hurriedly cover their sensitive noses and turn away from disgust; wailing and clutching his arm to him, mixing his sobs with a mixture of strained curses and threats that were barely audible and frankly sounded ridiculous now…
Dean turned and helped the frightened older female omega up from where she had also fallen over in her terror, helpless at the feet of so many people. Then he addressed everyone: his voice strong and clear in the absolute silence that now surrounded him, except for the whimpers and moans of the fallen Alpha.
"We are not violent." He declared to them all. "I am not violent.
That is not us.
That is not an omega.
But why then is it deemed acceptable to have violence used against us? Why are we beaten if we are not 'good' enough? Why is it a fantasy for an Alpha to 'punish' us? Why is it deemed acceptable for us to be spoken of as creatures to be chained and tied up. The kitchen or the bedroom: both have always been prisons to omegas. Now often the whole house is our gaol.
Is this what society wants? Is this what you all want?" This was to beyond the crowd; beyond the cameras; beyond the studios; beyond the homes; beyond the families sitting in them with their eyes glued to the screens.
"Because if it is, then listen to me now.
You are watching all this. And just as you are, so is every omega.
Every omega is seeing that we have a choice. We will not live like this anymore. We are standing together and telling you that we will not live like this anymore."
Behind his back the Alpha had finally managed to stumble to his feet, unaware of the large glistening stain on his pants that the moonlight was clearly highlighting, and still clutching his wrist to himself: "You bastard!" he screamed. "You son of a whore! You omega piece of shit! How dare you touch me! You're not good enough to lick my ass! Fucking omega. I'm gonna git you. I'm gonna show you. I'm gonna kill you…"
Dean turned.
But it was the other Dean who stepped up to meet the Alpha: fire burning fully in his heart at all the injustice in his life.
The two 'brothers' stood side by side.
It was the original omega who now spoke: his voice every bit as clear as his look-alike's, and every bit as fierce:
"You will do nothing. Because that is all that you are: Nothing. Just a coward and a bully, and everyone has seen that tonight.
You are not worth it. And as my brother has just told you: we are done. With you, and with all bullying, cowardly Alphas like you.
Go away, you pathetic little man. Leave us alone.
We are omegas.
We have a voice.
And we are telling you: we are shouting it at you.
Leave us alone."