A few hours later, Bram drifted up through the layers of sleep slowly, warm and comfortable, surrounded by Bijou's scent. He breathed deeply through his mouth, tasting Bijou in the back of his throat as he shifted in a half-sleep. Then, all at once, he remembered himself and Bram pushed away from the warm body he was shifting against and sat up.

His heart was hammering in his chest and his body was humming so loudly it was a high-pitched sound in his ears. Bijou was sitting up against the headboard of the bed, looking at him curiously, his arms partially raised as if he expected something, someone, to still be in them. His eyes were sapphire in the sunlight and mesmerizing.

"Sorry," Bram breathed.

"You were comfortable," Bijou answered simply, lowering his arms. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Bram said, straightening up.

Before either of them could say more, a little voice called out.

"Papa?"

Bram looked over. Theodore was pushing himself into a sitting position. His red hair was sticking up in places and he looked confused.

"Papa, I have to pee."

"I'm coming," Bijou said softly.

"Take the kids to the toilet. I'll get some food. Then we'll be off."

"How far is your sister's from here?" Bijou asked.

"On foot?" Bram muttered. "A day maybe." Bram looked at the clock on the mantle. It was only approaching 10am. "We should be there by sundown, even with the children."

"Good."

"Papa, I have to pee!" Theodore repeated urgently.

"Coming, Darling," Bijou said as he pushed himself out of bed. Standing, he fished his purse out of his pocket and tossed it at Bram.

Bram caught the purse, gave Bijou a smile, and headed for the door. Before he opened it,  he paused.

"Don't open the door for anyone but me," Bram muttered and waited for Bijou to give him a curt nod before leaving the room.

Outside their room, the upstairs was more lively than it had been in the wee hours of the morning. Maids were going from room to room carrying bundles of bedding and and a few trays of breakfast. They eyed Bram when he emerged from the room and side-stepped him when he walked down the hall but he was used to both those gestures.

Bram took the stairs with light steps, feeling more awake than he had in several hours, but desperately hungry. Downstairs, the inn smelled like breakfast, meat and eggs, primarily. The sign next to the counter, freshly washed and rewritten, proclaimed that eggs with sausages could be bought, or for cheaper, oatmeal.

Eight hours walking with nothing to eat except breakfast wasn't going to be enjoyable for anyone, so Bram trudged up to the counter, clutching Bijou's purse in his hand.

The innkeeper from this morning was still at the counter, and gave him a questioning look.

"Two bowls of oatmeal and two plates of eggs and sausages," Bram said.

The innkeeper nodded and held out his hand. Bram dropped the entire purse into it. There was no point in counting it. Bram had memorized the amount of the money they had. Breakfast would take up the rest. The innkeeper walked away with the purse and Bram settled at the counter to wait for the food.

A minute or two had ticked by when someone slid up to him. Without turning his head, Bram eyed the person. He was young, a male omega if the profile of his clothes were anything to go by. He was sort of a mix-match of upper and lower class. A men's haircut, which no upper-class omega would dare wear; they all grew their hair out into a women's cut after being designated. However, he wore a male omega's suit-dress. Unlike a man, though, he wore makeup. Men, even omegas, never wore rouge and lipstick.

"Can I help you?" Bram asked in a bored tone.

"Maybe," the omega said in a high light voice. She was a woman. Still an omega, but a woman, just a man's outfit and with a man's haircut. Or a man with makeup and a high voice. One or the other.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Excuse me?" Bram asked. He turned his head to fully look at the omega.

They had gray, stormy eyes. They were pretty, but not as pretty as Bijou's sapphire eyes.

"Which it is," they said in a low voice. "A man or a woman."

"You're an omega," Bram said simply. "That about covers it for most alphas."

"But you're not like most alphas," they whispered. "Are you?"

The innkeeper came back with a wooden tray of food. He set it on the counter with a frown. "Anything else?" he asked. "For you? Or your family?" He stressed the word family.

Bram picked up the tray and noticed the weight was uneven. He eyed it as he adjusted for the weight and noticed that under one of the napkins was Bijou's purse with something in it.

"No, thank you." Bram said. "You've been too kind."

"Let us know if we can do anything for you," the omega said, putting their hand on Bram's shoulder. "I just love an Irishman."

At that, something inside Bram snapped, and he shrugged off the night-worker's hand as violently as he could without tipping the tray and stormed away. He made it across the first floor of the inn before slowing down. Bijou was standing at the bottom of the stairs, Maria on his hip, the boys by his sides. Bram frowned.

"I…" Bram began, but trailed off.

"I came to help you get breakfast," Bijou said.