Part two to the omegaverse Rabbot w Carter as their son (you’re gonna need to read the first one before this)
Before Jack knows what’s happening, Carter bends over and throws up on his own shoes. Instinctually, Jack leans forward and massages his own shaking hand along his back. “Are you okay?”
Carter nods, but he’s trembling too violently for Jack to believe him. “I need to call my mom.”
“Let’s get you cleaned up first,” Jack says. He ignores his aching knees and lands on the concrete to take Carter's shoes off for him, then leaves them on the curb. Jack places his hands on Carter’s shoulders and guides him to the bathroom.
"Thank you," Carter mumbles. "I could've done that."
Jack shakes his head. "I wanted to." Would've been nice to do it when Carter was five, but he'll take what he can get.
Carter rinses his mouth out in the sink and stares at Jack through the mirror. "When were— You and my mom, what..."
"Uh..." Jack scratches the back of his head. He laughs even though nothing about this is funny. "We met our last year of pre-med, courted for most of med school, and right before we graduated, he ended things."
Carter gives a small, shaky nod. "That adds up." He curls over the sink. "Oh, my God," he sounds like he might throw up again. Jack's hands retake their place on his pup's back. His pup.
"It's okay," Jack says. "Everything is going to be okay."
Wild, red-rimmed eyes meet his own. "I am going to kill my mom."
"I'd prefer if you didn't."
"You should want to kill him," Carter stresses. "I've told him about you. And I know for a fact he's looked on the hospital website; he's seen your photo. Fuck." He whips out his phone, but before he can make the call, Jack grabs his wrist.
"Not here," he says. "We should be somewhere more private."
Carter releases a heavy sigh but agrees. "My roommate isn't working today."
Heart pounding in his chest, Jack offers, "You could... come to my place."
They end up standing awkwardly in the entrance of Jack's home. He's now realizing how unwelcoming his house is; no photos on the walls, minimal decor, at least it's clean.
"This is neat," Carter says. He's being excruciatingly polite because Jack is sure the signed helmet his buddies gave him when he was discharged is of no interest to him. Still, telling Carter a bit about his military time fills the silence for a while, so he takes it.
To his surprise, Carter is genuinely enthralled. "That's awesome," he says. "I'm hoping to join Doctors Without Borders one day; maybe you can give me some tips on combat medicine before I go."
Absolutely not. Jack just got his pup; no way in hell is he sending him to get his own leg blown off. It must show on his face because Carter rolls his eyes.
"You're taking that as well as Mom did."
“Maybe wait until after your residency before thinking about that.”
Another eye roll. “Sure.” He sighs. “I’m calling him.”
“You should eat first,” Jack says. “It’s been a long day; you don’t want to have this conversation angry.” After decades of praying he’d run into Robby, now Jack feels sick at the thought of talking to him.
“Fine,” Carter says. “But I’m still going to be angry.”
Watching Carter eat the dinner he made gives Jack a foolish swell of satisfaction. He cleans his plate and thanks Jack softly; it takes a lot of strength to suppress the urge to kiss the top of his head or reach out for Carter at all. He’s so wonderful. Jack’s perfect pup.
Of course he’s perfect, Jack thinks; he’s Robby’s.
Jack is broken out of his daze when Carter’s phone begins ringing loudly. Before he can say that this isn’t a conversation to be had on speaker, the beautiful rasp that’s haunted Jack’s memories for nearly three decades sings through the house.
“Hi, baby. How was work?”
Jack’s mouth waters at the sound. He doesn’t know if he’s going to be sick, cry, or attempt to jump through the phone.
“Big day, Mom. Very big day.”
“Yeah? How so?”
“Well, first, guess who I’m sitting with.” He holds the phone out to Jack, who gapes like an idiot.
“Uh…” his breath stutters. “Hi— uh, hi, Robby. How have you been?”
Jack isn’t certain what an appropriate conversation starter is when speaking over the phone to an ex who gave him a pup he didn’t know about until an hour ago, but he grimaces at his faux-casual tone.
A long silence stretches between them.
“John,” Robby says, finally. “Take me off speaker. Now.”
Their pup huffs, but does as he’s told. Jack twiddles his thumbs and pretends not to listen to the half of the conversation he’s privy to. Instead, he focuses on the low, unintelligible hum of Robby’s voice.
After a few minutes, Carter holds the phone out. “He wants to talk to you.”
Jack takes it with quivering fingers. “Hello?”
There’s a shallow curse through the phone, then, “Hi, Jack. Long time, no see.”
Hearing Robby’s voice, hearing the man he’s always dreamed of as his mate, say his name again brings tears to Jack’s eyes. “It’s really you.”
“That it is,” Robby sighs. “I’m sorry this is how we’re meeting again.”
“Don’t be sorry,” Jack says immediately.
“Sorry is the least I should be,” Robby mutters. He takes a deep breath. “So… what do you think of our pup?”
Jack can’t help but laugh. He wipes his cheeks roughly as the tears trickle down. “He’s perfect. Robby, he’s the best thing in the whole world; you should see him at work.” From the corner of his eye, Jack sees Carter’s posture straighten. “You did so good.”
“He just looks like me,” Robby says. “His personality is all you.”
“No. Everything I loved about you is in there.”
A sharp sob breaks through the phone, and Jack wishes so badly he could reach through the screen and hold Robby like no time has passed at all.
“I’m so sorry, Jack,” he cries. “I thought I made the right choice at the time; I really did.”
“What did I do?” Jack asks between tears. Poor Carter is pretending to be interested in the spice rack to avoid his newly found father’s sobbing. “What made you think I wouldn’t want him?”
“Nothing,” Robby sniffs. “I knew you would. I didn’t know I was pregnant when I left. I found out two weeks after, and it—“ He chokes on his own breath. “It felt too late to come home by then,” he croaks.
The tears burn Jack’s face. “It wasn’t.” He glances at his pup, who has moved on to inspecting his cereal options. “It’s still not.”
“Jack—“
“Could we meet in person?” Jack’s leg bounces anxiously. “I’ll pay for your ticket and a hotel if you’d be willing to.”
“I can afford it myself,” Robby says.
“No, I know.” Jack’s cheeks burn. “I, well, I just—“
“You never let me pay for anything,” Robby teases. “My alpha: the perfect provider.”
Jack’s heart stops when Robby calls him his alpha. He doesn’t care that it’s a joke; since the moment he saw him in the dining hall all those years ago, Jack has been nothing but Robby’s. “Please let me.”
There’s another beat of silence, filled by Jack’s heartbeat thrumming in his ears, then Robby says, “Thank you, but I’ll pay for it.”
Jack deflates. Maybe Robby has mated in the years since Carter’s graduation, or he’s being courted now, and his current alpha will snap at Jack to back off. “Okay.”
“I’ll book a flight and text John the details.” He sighs again. “I really am sorry, Jack.”
“Don’t be,” Jack says again. “I’m handing you back to Carter, uh, John.”
John says his goodbyes and shifts from foot to foot, picking at the hem of his scrubs. “So, should we play catch or something?”
Jack smiles, raw and exhausted. “We can do whatever you want.”
He shuffles on his feet a little longer, then shyly extends his arms toward Jack. Despite his old, tired knees, Jack launches himself up and wraps his pup tight against his chest. He fits perfectly.
