The ride to the courthouse was uneventful.

As Dante had predicted, Raf had been more than happy to accompany them. The bruises on his face had turned a dark shade of purple overnight, and one eye was nearly swollen shut, but he seemed strangely upbeat during their excursion. He smiled cheerfully and traded jokes with Christina in the cab, even cracking one or two at his own expense. At one point, he happened to catch Dante’s eye in the rearview mirror of the car and grinned shyly before turning back to Christina and laughing at her last remark.

For her part, Christina also seemed much more relaxed, which in itself was enough of a reason for Dante to be grateful for Raf’s presence. He regarded her thoughtfully through the mirror. Compared to how she had looked earlier that morning, she definitely seemed much more like her usual upbeat self. If she still felt anxious, she was hiding it well. 

Dante smiled to himself. That was Christina in a nutshell, really. No matter how much she worried or fretted about something, once she decided on a course of action, she would push past any and all obstacles to see it through to the end. It was something he had always admired in her.

Once they finally reached the courthouse, the biggest obstacle was simply the waiting. Christina informed the Beta sitting at the front desk of her intent to submit an application for a Dissolution, and received a clipboard full of paperwork to fill out. 

The three of them took a seat in the lobby area and she began steadily working her way through the forms. With nothing else to do for the time being, Raf began looking around them curiously. 

“There sure are a lot of interesting people here,” he observed.

“Says the Alpha who looks like he just wandered in out of a street brawl,” Dante retorted, though he had to admit that Raf had a point. The courthouse truly was a bizarre cross-section of humanity. The lobby alone was filled with people of all genders, ages, ethnicities, and income levels. In one corner, a family with two noisy young children stood near a group of sullen teenagers wearing clothing covered in spray paint. In another part of the room, two women in business suits serenely sipped coffee and looked at their phones next to a man in handcuffs who was in the middle of a spirited (and very loud) debate with no one in particular.

“Kind of makes you wonder who’s going to show up next,” Raf mused, earning a snicker from Dante in response.

“Pipe down, you two, I’m trying to concentrate over here,” Christina grumbled. Dante instantly stifled his laughter and glanced down at the paper she was currently filling out. It was a lengthy double-sided form with the heading ABUSE & INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: ASSESSMENT SCREENING printed across the top in large block letters. 

Ah. Time to give her some space, then.

“I’m going to go over to the vending machines to grab something to drink,” he announced. “Raf, why don’t you come with me?”

“Hm? Oh, I’m good over here--ouch!” Raf winced as Dante swiftly kicked him in the shin. Dante glared at him and not-so-subtly tilted his head to indicate Christina’s clipboard. Raf followed his gaze, and his eyes widened. He glanced up at Dante and mercifully seemed to take the hint. “I mean, sure, let’s go. Christina, do you want anything?”

She didn’t bother to look up. “No, I’m good.” 

“Okay.” Raf rubbed his leg and stood, and then the two of them ambled over to the vending area. 

“By the way, I meant to ask you,” Raf said a minute later as he was grabbing a bottle of juice from the machine, “what exactly is a Dissolution? I didn’t want to push Christina about it because I thought it might be a touchy subject, but I've never heard of them before. Is it like a divorce?”

“Sort of.” Dante pulled at the tab of his soda. “Omegas are the only ones who can apply for them. The gist is that Dissolutions legally emancipate claimed Omegas from their mates.”

“Ah, I guess that makes sense,” Raf nodded. “Still, why haven’t I heard of them?”

“Probably because they are very difficult to obtain. You can’t seek one without cause.”

“Why not?” Raf asked. “I mean, ‘no-fault divorce’ has been a thing for decades, right?”

“Well, marriages are essentially legal contracts, so it follows that it’s relatively easy to dissolve them through the same means,” Dante explained. “Claims, though...they literally change an Omega’s biology, binding them to their mate for life. The majority of case law relating to the rights of Omegas centers around this idea that the claim bond is supreme and unchanging, and that the Alpha assumes total legal responsibility for their mate after the bond has been established. It's considered unnatural for Omegas to seek emancipation, so Dissolutions are only granted when it’s absolutely necessary.”

“That sounds like a lot to go through.”

“It is. Until Robert showed up at the Center, I don’t think Christina had even thought about pursuing one. She probably still wouldn’t, if it weren’t for Cameron.”

“So that’s why she’s doing this? Because she’s afraid that Robert will try to take Cameron away?”

Dante grimaced. “Whenever there is a dispute between a bonded Alpha-Omega pair, the courts almost always side with the Alpha. Obtaining a Dissolution is critical if Christina wants to retain custody of Cameron. If Robert loses his legal standing as her Alpha, then it’s the same as any other custody dispute between divorced spouses. In those cases, the mothers usually prevail, particularly if the children in question are young.”

Raf took a moment to absorb this. “So, Dissolutions sever the legal connections between bonded pairs, and give claimed Omegas rights they wouldn’t otherwise have.” He looked over at Dante. “But...that still doesn’t really address the biological aspects of the bond, right? Even if Christina becomes legally independent, she’ll still be connected to Robert for the rest of her life.”

Dante nodded. “Yes. As far as I know, nothing can sever that. Unfortunately.”

Raf looked back over to where Christina was still absorbed in filling out her forms. “That sucks,” he muttered. “So no matter what she does, she’s never going to be able to completely cut that asshole out of her life.”

“No,” Dante agreed. He looked over at Raf. “Even so, getting a Dissolution is still a pretty big deal, and Christina does have a fairly strong case for one. In order to be successful, the Omega has to prove to the court that their partner either seriously and repeatedly abused them, or else abandoned them completely.”

“Ah.” Raf dropped his gaze and studied the remaining contents of his drink. He and Dante stood in silence for a moment. Raf shifted uncomfortably. “You...certainly know a lot about this.”

“I should. It’s my job to know.”

“It’s...not just your job, though, right? I mean, did you ever consider--?”

“It looks like Christina has finished,” Dante interrupted him. “We should get back over there. She’s looking for us.”

Raf blinked at him. “Oh...sure.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but something in Dante’s face must have made him think better of it. They finished their drinks in silence and threw the containers into the recycling bin, and then the two of them walked back over to where Christina was sitting. 

-----

After Christina had returned the paperwork to the receptionist, they sat in the lobby for another two hours before they were finally granted a brief interview with one of the court clerks. He asked Christina some additional questions about her application and listened attentively as they described the harrowing encounter with Robert. At the conclusion of the meeting, he pulled up the court scheduler, and printed out the date and time of the hearing on a piece of court stationery, then handed the paper to Christina. Her face fell when she looked at it.

“This is the best I can do,” the clerk said, correctly interpreting her expression. “I understand the urgency of your case, but even on an accelerated timeline, we still need enough time for the court agent to locate and serve your mate, and then there’s a mandatory waiting period to ensure he has time to mount an adequate defense.”

“Still, a whole month?” Dante interjected with a frown.

“That’s considered a short turnaround by our standards,” the clerk explained. “Normally, these kinds of cases can take anywhere from 3-6 months. If you have urgent concerns about your safety, we can ask for an emergency petition to get a restraining order.” He looked at Christina apologetically. “That would still take about a week, though.”

“No, it’s all right,” Christina said, doing her best to mask her disappointment. “As long as Cameron and I stay at the Center, we should be okay.”

“Oh that’s right, you all have a Safe Haven order, don’t you? Good for you,” the clerk said. He lowered his voice. “Honestly, you’re fortunate. I see a lot of Omegas come through here that don’t have anywhere to stay while their cases are pending.”

Dante fished into his wallet and handed the man his card. “Any Omega who is in need of assistance or protection is always welcome at St. Margaret’s,” he said. “Here is my contact information. Please feel free to refer clients to us if you think they would benefit from our services.”

“Thank you,” said the clerk, pocketing the card. “Will do.”

When they finally exited the courthouse, the sun had already dipped below the skyline and the remaining light was rapidly fading. Dante checked his phone for the time, then glanced up at Raf and Christina. Both of them looked as drained and worn out as he felt. “It’s getting late,” he said. “Can I treat the two of you to dinner before we head back to the Center?” 

They both nodded gratefully, and the three of them began looking around for a nearby restaurant. 

They soon settled on a charming-looking Italian cafe that promised a quiet and homey ambiance. Between the food (which was excellent) and the company, Dante felt himself finally starting to decompress, letting the stress of the day melt away. It’s been too long since I had a night out like this, just relaxing with friends. 

He smiled fondly at Raf and Christina. How long had it been since he’d even had friends like these? There was Thomas, of course, but apart from that… I guess there really haven’t been many. Certainly not since before Alexei.

The thought made his heart squeeze painfully in his chest. Too many unpleasant memories lay in that direction. He fought to push them down, but his face must have given something away, because Raf paused in his conversation with Christina, and brushed a knuckle against Dante’s hand in concern.

“Hey,” he asked softly, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Dante quickly withdrew his hand, mentally cursing the temporary lapse in control that had allowed his emotions to show on his face. “Something I ate must not have agreed with me.”

“We can head back to the Center now if you’re not feeling well,” Christina suggested. “I’m pretty much finished anyway, and to be honest, I’m completely wiped. It’s been a long day.”

“It has at that,” Dante agreed. He handed Christina his credit card. “Here, take this and see if you can get the waiter to give you our bill. I’m just going to run to the bathroom really quick, and then we can settle up and head out.”

He stood and walked over to the restaurant’s single-occupancy restroom. Inside, he splashed his face with cold water and looked at himself in the mirror. Get a grip, Dante, he warned himself. What’s past is past. Don’t let it overwhelm you. Just breathe through it, like you always do. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. 

I am okay, he silently repeated to himself. I am here and I am whole. Everything is okay.

He steadied himself, took three deep breaths, and opened his eyes. A familiar and practiced sense of calm settled over him. He stepped back from the mirror, dried his face and hands, and exited the restroom.

When he returned to the table, the bill had been paid and the others were gathering their things. Raf handed Dante the credit card and his jacket, and the three of them prepared to leave the restaurant. 

As they were walking toward the exit, the door abruptly swung open to admit a tall fair-haired man and his companion. Dante looked up and locked eyes with the man, and everything in his world suddenly ground to a halt. He stopped dead in his tracks, the blood draining from his face.

Behind him, Raf stumbled and bumped into his shoulder. He said something, but Dante couldn’t hear him. He couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything besides the man in front of him.

No, not here. Not now. I’m not ready for this.

“Dante?” The man’s stunned and horrified expression matched his own.

I am okay. I am okay. I am okay, I am--

Dante swallowed hard.

“Hello...Alexei.”