so itâs a wednesday night in july and youâre at home and youâve showered and youâve masturbated and youâve gnawed at the inside of your mouth and youâve eaten and washed the dishes and fixed a corner of the fitted sheet on your bed and texted your grandmother and thought positive thoughts and still the feeling comes. what then
Warnings: So much angst!!!!!!! I made up some medical bs about omegas so just go along with it. Cliffhanger....
A/N: Please forgive me for this chapter but it was necessary. We see someone from reader's past come back.... I am more excited about the next chapter.
Series Masterlist
âIâve been here for five hours.â A man complained at the registration desk.Â
You looked around the waiting room as Robby led you to the door on the side. It felt like time was frozen in the waiting room for the ED. Robby nods at the guard at the door as he scans his badge. He holds the door open for you before walking in right behind you.Â
âWell arenât you a sight for sore eyes.âÂ
âHi Donnie.â You smile up at him. Heâd been the one to alert the others about your situation. The first one to step up and save you. âHow have you been? Howâs your mate and your pup?âÂ
âIâm good. Theyâre good. Those cravings are killing me though. Ice cream and pickle runs at three in the morning, ugh.âÂ
You giggle and hold up a container. âRobby mentioned you were looking for pineapple dessert recipes so I made pineapple upside down sugar cookies.âÂ
Donnie takes the container and opens it up. He takes a deep breath and groans at the smell. âYou are going to be her favorite person.â
You smile. âLet me know if she likes them. I can make more.âÂ
âI will. Thank you for this. Now Iâm going to hide these before the vultures in this department find them.â Donnie pulls the container closer to his chest before walking away.Â
Robby motions for you to follow him to the nurses station. Some of the night shift and day shift crew are standing around talking about patients.
âY/N!â Mel rushes over to you with excitement, arms extended before realizing you might not want to be touched. She smiles awkwardly as she stops by your side.Â
âHi Mel.â You bump her shoulder with yours as a small sign of affection. âDid you finish the last chapter?â
âI have three pages left.âÂ
The two of you start to discuss a book youâd been reading together while everyone else starts to get ready for the day. She excuses herself when a trauma is called out and you shift your attention to the others around you.Â
Jack had stopped right beside you. He rests an arm on the counter and leans against it.Â
âFancy seeing you here.âÂ
You smile and rest your head against his bicep. It was still new. Physical contact. But you initiated and Robby and Jack followed your lead. Mostly it was a side hug or holding their hand. If you were all watching tv you would rest your head against their shoulder. The act was small but meaningful for the alphas.Â
âHey kid, what are you doing here? Youâre not sick are ya?â Dana looked at you over her readers.Â
âShe looks perfectly fine to me.â Lena stands beside the blonde. âRadiant, even.âÂ
âI just have an appointment upstairs.âÂ
âWhich you should start heading up for.â Robby appeared at your other side out of nowhere. He kept his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. âYou sure you donât want one of us to go with you?â
You pull away from Jack and shake your head. âI can do this on my own.â
âBut if anything happens just call us. Weâll be right there for you.â
âOk.âÂ
Robby and Jack watch as you walk away and disappear down the hallway. Someone makes a whip cracking sound. When they turn their attention back to the charge nurses they find Lena making the motion of cracking a whip with her hand. Dana is smirking right beside her.
âWhat is that supposed to mean?âÂ
âThat you two are so whipped already for that sweet little omega.â Lena explains.
âYou two better treat her right,â Dana adds. âOr the entire department will make your life a living hell.âÂ
âWhy would you even assume we wouldnât treat her right?âÂ
âBecause youâre both self-sacrificing idiots.âÂ
Jack scoffs and shakes his head. âIâll be in an on-call room. Come get me when she comes back down.âÂ
****
Upstairs youâre sitting in the exam room for your appointment. Dr. Bennett, the endocrinologist you had been referred to, is getting some more information.Â
âDo you remember the last time you went through a heat cycle?âÂ
âAlmost three and a half years ago.â You murmur. âIt was irregular before that. My father made me take suppressants all the time. Then when I was um- when I was taken he gave me suppressants too.âÂ
âDo you remember the names of those?â
âNo but they werenât regular medication. He kept them in a small bag not in a box the way they normally come.â
âDid you take those the whole time?â Dr. Bennett asks as she types away in your chart.
âNo. I started to spit them out after a while. I just canât remember when I started.âÂ
âThatâs ok. Thatâs good that you did that. Iâll just add that to the chart.â Dr. Bennett replies while typing. âFor the moment we have to wait for the lab results for your bloodwork. After that there are a few tests Iâd like to run.â
âWhat kind of tests?â
âWell the blood test will determine if your scent glands have stopped working altogether or if you just need some pheromone and hormone therapy to get you started. Based on that we can try and induce a small one day heat to see how you react.â She informs you.Â
âOk. What happens if my scent glands arenât working at all?âÂ
âWell, youâll be able to continue to live a healthy life. The only thing it would affect would be bonding and the possibility of having pups. You would still be able to have a healthy sex life but you wonât have a heat. Without a heat your possibility of getting pregnant is significantly reduced.âÂ
Itâs as if all sound had been sucked out of the room. Dr. Bennettâs lips moved but you couldnât hear what she was saying anymore. She realized that the news landed heavier than she meant it and gave you a moment.Â
âAre you ok?â She asks gently.Â
âI-I canât have a mate? Or pups? Why?â
âWe donât know that yet. Itâs only a possibility. Thatâs why we have to run those tests. As an omega your fertility is connected to your ability to go through a heat. For that you need your scent glands. They donât just produce a smell, they're responsible for the pheromones and some hormones you need for mating. But there are other options too. The first one is to see if we can kickstart your scent glands into producing the pheromones you need. The worst case scenario is your glands not working but others live a completely normal life.â She explains further. âDo you have any other questions?â
You shake your head no. Dr. Bennett gives a small nod and excuses herself. A few minutes later a nurse comes in to hand you a few documents as she leads you out of the exam room. You first stop at the lab to get bloodwork done. After that the elevator ride down takes forever. You try to not spiral over the information youâve been given. When the doors open the sounds of the ED pull your attention.Â
âHey, I heard you were around here somewhere.â Emma, who was walking by the elevator, greets you. Her smile drops slightly when she sees your small frown. âEverything ok?âÂ
âI donât know.â You shrug a shoulder. âHave you seen Jack or Robby?â
âI think Dr. Abbot is in an on-call room but Dr. Robby is at the central hub.âÂ
âThanksâ. You murmur before walking towards the main hub.Â
Dana is giving out instructions to another nurse as you stop across from her. You lean against the counter and send Jack a message that youâre ready to go. From down the hall Robby comes out of one of the rooms explaining why certain tests need to be ordered for a patient to Santos. He smiles when he sees you, leaving the younger alpha to do what was necessary.Â
âHow did it go?â He stands close enough to you for you to feel his warmth.Â
âGot some bloodwork done. Dr. Bennett is going to wait for those results and then she wants me to come back for more tests.âÂ
Robby hums as he eyes the paperwork in your hand. Heâs read the other medical forms about you so he reaches for what you have but you pull the papers close to your chest. Dana raises her brows in surprise while Robby looks between you and her. Heâs unsure of what he should do.
âCan I go now?â You say softly, almost defeated.
âYeah, Iâll get Jack. Just wait right here.â
Dana types away at her computer but keeps an eye on you. âEverything ok, kid?â She asks when she sees you fidgeting.Â
âFine.âÂ
âWeâve talked about eye contact, kid.â
She was right. Dana has been helping you a lot the last few weeks. Especially since the shopping trip. You were going to group therapy as well as solo sessions. But Dana had been the one to help you open up more, to feel more empowered to be yourself. She said giving someone eye contact was important. Itâs what got your point across. But at this moment you didnât want any of that. You just wanted to curl up in a ball in your bed and be upset about everything.Â
âIâm fine.â You said while looking up at her.Â
Dana was taken aback by the anger and the fear in your eyes. She stood there with a sad expression on her face and nothing to say.
âReady to go?â Jack stopped at your side. His eyes found Danaâs worried face.Â
âYeah.â You nod and walk away without even a goodbye.
âWhat happened?âÂ
âI donât know but whatever news she got upstairs seems to have upset her.â
âOk. Iâll let you know what I find out.âÂ
Jack says his goodbyes and heads out in the direction youâd left. You were standing just outside the main emergency room doors. He slows his step just enough for you to fall in line with him. Neither of you say anything as you make it to his car and he opens the door for you to get in first. He watches as you put on your seatbelt and stare straight ahead. No light chatter and no music. Something has to be seriously wrong.
âHow about breakfast at that bagel shop you like?â Jack offers quietly.Â
âNot hungry.â
Thereâs a beat of silence before Jack speaks up again. âHow about that boba place Mel told you about?âÂ
âNot thirsty.âÂ
The rest of the drive is quiet. You donât even notice that Jack veers off the opposite way of the house. He doesnât say a word as he parks the car and hops out to head towards the building ahead.
A few minutes later heâs climbing back in with a bag in his hands. The name of your favorite bagel shop is printed on the brown paper bag. He sets it on your lap.
âEat.â
âI said Iâm not hungry.âÂ
âYou werenât allowed to eat before the bloodwork. You need to eat.âÂ
You send a glare in his direction as you open the bag and pull out one of the sandwiches. Jack ordered it exactly how you like it but youâre upset so you donât say anything. Instead you unwrap it and take a bite.Â
âHappy?â You snap with your mouth full.Â
âFeeling feisty today, arenât we?â
You ignore his remark and Jack ignores your attitude as he turns the car on. You arenât normally like this. Recently youâve been happier, talkative and generally more open. If something made you happy, you would make it known. If you got angry you usually crossed your arms over your chest and had a cute little pout that Robby and Jack just wanted to kiss away. What youâve never been is short and dismissive and distant. So something mustâve happened at your appointment and Jack was going to find out what it was. But when you got home you went directly up to your room without a word.Â
You laid in bed staring at the ceiling and holding on to a stuffed teddy bear Robby had gifted you. The conversation with Dr. Bennett replays in your head. This wasnât what you thought your life would be like. You had plans. Most included the alpha you had been seeing before all of this. You were meant to leave together, build a happy life and a family away from the father that hated you. Now you didnât even know if you could have a family of your own. Just another thing that was taken from you. It makes you question what you did to deserve any of it.
****
âShe stayed in her room all day.â Jack informed Robby at shift change that night.
Robby sighs. âWe can just pull her record and see what it says.âÂ
âNo. We promised her weâd give her space and privacy. That anything related to doctor appointments would come directly from her.âÂ
âI know, I know.â Robby runs a hand over his face in frustration. âIt feels like weâre back at square one. How bad could the appointment have gone?âÂ
âWho knows. Weâll just have to be extra patient with her.â
âMVC two minutes out.â Lena announces from the nurses station.Â
âAnd thatâs my queue.âÂ
Robby nods as he slings his backpack over one shoulder and heads out for the night.Â
For two days you stayed holed up in your room. Robby and Jack tried everything to coax you out just to make sure you were ok. Even if you didnât want to speak with them. Nothing worked. Mel, Emma, Samira, even Lena and Dana messaged you and you barely answered.Â
Itâs not until you get a call from Dr. Bennettâs office that you finally reach out to the two alphas that have been worried sick about you. Itâs a simple text. You need a ride to the hospital again. With a âif itâs not too much troubleâ and âplease and thank youâ attached. They respond quickly. Anything just to be able to see you.Â
You step out of your room with a packed bag. Something that Robby notices right away. His eyes scan you from head to toe over his readers. Youâre standing there with your eyes glued to the floor, shoulders hiked up to your ears. Itâs as if he was seeing the same you that walked into the ED the first time. The sight breaks his heart.Â
âEverything ok sweetheart?â He asks softly so he wonât scare you.
You just nod. Robby sighs. The sound has you hiding your face even more, if it were possible. You donât want to disappoint him but you feel like your life has been on hold again awaiting these results.Â
âWant to have breakfast before we leave?âÂ
âCanât.â Itâs the first thing youâve said in a few days. Your voice rough.Â
âOk. Then we should get going.â
You watch as Robby grabs his travel mug and bag. He leads the way out to the car and opens the passenger door for you. The drive is quiet but tense. There are a thousand questions on the tip of Robbyâs tongue but he kept to himself. He didnât want you to shut him out more than you already had.Â
At the hospital Robby leads you straight to the ED waiting room. But just before he swipes his badge you stop.Â
âIâm gonna head straight up.â You murmur before turning to the elevator bank at the opposite end of the room.Â
He doesnât have time to react as he watches you walk away.
****
âWe have some bad news and some good news.â Dr. Bennett announces as soon as she steps into the exam room.Â
âOk?â Youâre holding your breath as you wait for the answer.Â
âThe good news is that your scent glands are working.âÂ
You breathe a sigh of relief before realizing that there is bad news. âThe bad?âÂ
âWell your pheromone levels are very low, which explains why you have no scent at the moment. But Iâd like to admit you for the next two to three days. What Iâd like to do is start you on a low level medication that should help your scent glands start working correctly. Weâll keep upping the dosage and taking blood samples to see how youâre progressing. The goal is to see if you can go into a small heat, something that we can bring you back out of quickly. What do you think?âÂ
You stare at her for a moment. Itâs so much information and youâre not sure how to deal with any of it. âI think I need a minute.â You say as you get up from the exam table.Â
âThatâs ok. How about you come back in ten minutes and we can decide then?âÂ
âYeah. Thatâs fine.âÂ
You rush out of the exam room and out of the waiting room. Thereâs no real destination in mind; you just wanted to get away from Dr. Bennett and the choices you had to make. Instead of the elevator you take the stairs and head up a few floors. Jack and Robby had mentioned how sometimes they go to the roof to clear their heads. Maybe that was what you needed.Â
You push through one door only to find yourself still within the hospital halls. A nurse dressed in light pink scrubs walks by with a baby in a bassinet. She smiles your way and motions to the waiting room without stopping. You donât know why you do it but you take a few steps in. Maybe itâs just to see what you could have if the testing Dr. Bennett wants to do actually works. The room is filled with family and friends sitting around waiting to hear the good news.Â
âY/N?â A deep voice comes from a hallway on your right.Â
You startle as you look to see who called your name. Thereâs no one in your life that would be up here unless someone from the ED was checking up on a patient. But then you realized the voice belonged to someone you hadnât seen in a really long time.Â
âBen?âÂ
He smiled at you. Seeing him here after all this time was like a punch to the gut. Youâd just graduated high school when you met Ben. He was working at the same coffee shop youâd started at. The courtship had started slowly since you werenât very trusting. You had plans together. So seeing him here in the maternity ward after so long was jarring.Â
âHow have you been?â He asked cautiously.
âWhy are you here?âÂ
Ben scratches the back of his neck. You knew it meant he felt uncomfortable. The answer came on its own when you saw the mark on his neck.Â
âYouâre bonded?â Your voice was so small, so broken it caused Ben to drop his broad shoulders. It was something close to shame.Â
âI am.â He answers carefully.Â
âYou have a pup now.â
âI do.â He replies softly.Â
You frown as you come to terms with the fact that the man you had dreamt of building a life with had just moved on. âYou never wondered where I went?âÂ
Ben moves to a quiet corner and you follow. He at least has the decency to look ashamed. âAfter you didnât show up at work I went to your house. Your dad was furious. He said youâd packed your things and just left.â
âAnd you believed him after everything I told you.â It wasnât a question.Â
âI didnât know what to believe. I knew you wanted to leave his house no matter what. I just thought that you had gotten a chance.â Ben explains with a pained expression. âI think about you all the time.â
âI didnât just leave. I was-â you feel the tears start to burn your eyes. âThat story on the news a few weeks ago about the omegas that were being held at a house, did you see it?âÂ
He nods.Â
âI was one of them. My father sold me and the alpha that I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with, never even bothered to go to the police. You just moved on like I didnât matter. I wouldnât have left without you. We had plans. Did you even really care about me?âÂ
You search his face hoping to find an answer but all you see is guilt. This was too much you stepped away as Ben opened his mouth to say something. You couldnât listen to whatever he was going to say. Instead you head to the stairs again and head all the way down.Â
****
Ahmad saw you through the stairwell door. A few moments later Dana showed up to find you sitting on the stairs crying your eyes out. She sits next to you and brings you to her side. After a few minutes you managed to calm down.Â
âWhatâs wrong?âÂ
âEverything.âÂ
âLetâs start with one thing at a time.â She squeezes you gently. âI know it started when you came in for that appointment the other day. Did something happen?âÂ
âDr. Bennett-â
âEndocrinologist, right?â
You nod. âYeah.â You explain everything from the bloodwork to the results to the test she wants to run.Â
âSo youâre upset because you want to have pups but donât know if you can?âÂ
You stood up to get some space. âYes. No. I- I donât know but thatâs not the point.âÂ
Dana gets up from the stairs and stands in front of you to stop your movements. âThen what is the point?âÂ
âIt should be my choice. But- but itâs just something else he took away from me.â Youâre crying again, your hands moving as you talk. âWhat did I do to deserve this? I never got in trouble. I followed the rules. I was good. I am good. I had an alpha before all of this. Now heâs upstairs with another omega and they just had a pup. That was supposed to be me. But I wasnât important enough for him to go look for me. And-and-â
Youâre practically hyperventilating as you speak but you canât stop. If you do, all these mixed emotions will eat you alive.Â
âI need you to breathe.â Dana is holding you by your arms. Her grip firm, her eyes locked on to you. Sheâs steady, her voice grounding as she pulls you back down. âEverything will be ok. I promise.âÂ
âYou canât know that. What if no one wants me?âÂ
What if they donât want me? Is what you wanted to say. What if Robby and Jack realized you were broken beyond repair and decided they didnât want you around anymore?Â
âTrust me kid, youâre wanted.â She gives you a small smile. âNow go upstairs, get that test done and get your answers. The only way you beat those bastards is to live your life to the fullest.âÂ
You take in a stuttering breath. Then another. Slowly you pull yourself together. Dana pulls you in for a hug.Â
âIf you need anything you tell them to call down. Iâm here for you and so is Robby. If we need to, we'll call Jack in early.â
âOk.â You nod before wiping the tears away and heading up the stairs to Dr. Bennettâs office.Â
âWhereâd you disappear to? Polluting your lungs again?â Robby looks at Dana over his readers with a teasing smile.Â
Thereâs a look of pure heartbreak on her face as she stops in the middle of the nursesâ station. And that gets Robbyâs attention.Â
âHey, whatâs wrong?âÂ
âDid you know that Y/N had a mate? Or at least she was being courted before she was taken?â She asks quietly.Â
âNo. I had no idea. How did you know?âÂ
âShe just told me.â
Robby sits up straighter and looks around to try and find you.Â
âSheâs back upstairs. Getting some tests done. But she was so upset. Apparently that alpha is upstairs with his mate and their newborn.â Dana explains further.Â
The news leaves Robby reeling. It makes him realize how much more thereâs still left to learn about you. He only hopes you trust him and Jack enough to tell them more about yourself.Â
****
âExcuse me, Iâm looking for someone.âÂ
Jack walked through the ambulance bay doors just as a tall, dark haired alpha stopped by Ahmed. He took a good look just in case he became a problem later. Or really a problem in the next few seconds.
âShe has pink highlights in her hair. About this tall.â Ben held his hand up to about your height. âHer name is Y/N. Has she come through here recently?âÂ
Ahmed perked up immediately at the mention of your name. So did Jack, who Ahmed made eye contact with just past Ben. Jack put his back pack and travel mug down by a station and walked right up to both men.Â
âIs there a problem here?â Jack puffed out his chest, squared his shoulders and stood like a soldier ready for battle. Even though he was shorter than Ben he still came across as intimidating.Â
âNo, not at all. Iâm just looking for someone. She possibly came down here earlier.â Ben describes you again.Â
Jackâs jaw tenses. He doesnât know who Ben is or how he knows youâre here today but he doesnât like it. For all he does know he was working with the assholes that took you the first time and theyâve been keeping an eye on you.Â
âHow do you know her?âÂ
âIâm sorry but how is this any of your business?âÂ
âDr. Abbot, senior Attending of this department. Anything that happens here is my business. Y/N is my business.â
Robby appears behind Jack after Ahmed called him over. The tension is thick between the three alphas. Ben sizes Robby and Jack up. In turn Jack and Robby stand their ground. They donât know who he is and why he knows your name. All they care about is your safety and theyâll do anything to keep you away from any harm.
âListen, I ran into her upstairs. We talked for a moment and she walked away upset.â Ben says after a few seconds.Â
âYouâre the alpha that was courting her.â Robby states, making Jack look from one man to the other. âThe one that didnât do anything when she was kidnapped.âÂ
âI didnât know thatâs what happened. I just want to apologize to her. Make sure sheâs ok.âÂ
âWhy donât you go make sure your mate and pup are ok? Y/N has a pack of her own now.â Robby says just as Jackâs phone rings.Â
The bond between Jack and Robby lights up with worry and fear. Itâs strong enough to get Robbyâs attention. He turns to look at Jack, pale while on the phone. They move together. Neither of them said a word to each other.
âAhmad, take care of it.â Robby says over his shoulder as he and Jack head to the elevators.
****
Upstairs on the floor used for overnight testing the scent is pungent and sour. Robby steps out first with a look that could level a city. Jack is hot on his heels as they make their way over to Dr. Bennett. The blonde beta is dealing out instructions to her team as the alphas approach.
Robby stands in front of their colleague demanding to know what happened while Jack heads towards the only room in use at the moment. The scent is concentrated there. He doesnât wait for permission. All Jack knows is that you need them and heâll do anything to be by your side.Â
He opens the door slowly. The scent of rotted citrus burns his nose. The lights are off and the room is a mess. The bed is moved out of place, blankets and pillow thrown on the ground and youâre nowhere to be seen. Until you whimper. Jack finds you in the corner of the room, knees pulled up to your chest and arms around your legs.Â
âHey, itâs just me. Itâs just your Jack.â He announces softly so you wonât startle. Jack lowers himself to the floor until heâs seated. The less he seems like a threat the better.
You donât waste any time, heading to sit in between his spread legs. His arms cradle you as you hide your face in his neck and take a deep breath, his scent mixed with Robbyâs soothing you almost instantly.Â
âItâs ok baby, Iâve got you.â Jack murmurs close to your ear as he rocks you back and forth. âYouâre burning up, baby.âÂ
âHurts.â You managed to stutter out.
âWhat hurts?â Jack pulls back in order to see you better.Â
You look him in the eyes for just a second before they roll back and you tense in his arms.
I try not to fall into the "I never liked their work anyway" ditch when an artist/creator reveals themself to be a terrible person
BUT
a feeling I do have and will stand by is "While I enjoyed their work overall I did have some gripes that I overlooked out of affection and whimsy, but now that my loyalty is gone and my affection tainted there is nothing holding me back from enumerating my many grievances, to which the revelations of the creator's shittiness may or may not provide a new and infuriating context."
#such a good summation of this actually#because yeah thereâs usually things that were always present#but which were easy to overlook or give the benefit of the doubt#that suddenly become relevant after a revelation about the creator#and itâs really not the same thing as the self-defensive ââI never liked it anywayâ
some of you werenât around for the fan fiction dot net purge of 2002 (when they banned explicit content and mass-deleted thousands of fics) and the livejournal purge of 2007 (when they deleted hundreds of blogs, disproportionately targeting queer & kink content) and it shows
Hey tumblr friends, in case I haven't told you lately, I have no idea what the FUCK half of you are on about and I WISH I didn't know what the rest of you are on about. Great work. Keep it up.
Heartwarming story: Little girl doesnât have to do anything to fund her dadâs surgery because his expenses are covered by his countryâs universal healthcare.
Human determination: Man bikes 18 miles to work every morning because he wants to and not because he canât afford a car and would be fired if heâs late.
Spirit of Brotherhood: Neighbors host housewarming party for elderly resident who doesnât need help in paying rent because his pension is more than enough.
SO INSPIRING: Local middle school students bake dozens of cupcakes because their home economics class is doing a baking unit. Their school is fully funded with everything they need.