Thomas had been wiping his hands with a towel and dropped it on the floor. "What?" He asked feeling his cheeks suddenly burning. Harriet turned around and looked at him. "I want to get married." She declared, "When are you going to ask me?" She pressed looking dead serious. "Why... Why am I the one asking?" Thomas stuttered, "I want to take your last name." Harriet replied as if it was obvious.

"That's not how it works! You can ask!" Thomas exclaimed, "Oh." Harriet replied, "Will you marry me then?" Harriet asked, "Harriet!" Thomas shouted flustered. "Please don't joke about this!" "I'm completely serious."

The two of them joked and teased each other before bed. Today had been a hard day but it seemed that despite any feelings they had. They still loved each other.

Curled up into bed next to one another, Thomas pulled Harriet into his arms. He ran his knuckles down her back as the alpha woman let out a sigh. "We'll start looking for a counselor tomorrow Harry." he told her, "I'm so sorry about today." he apologized again, "Thomas." Harriet sighed, she looked up at him. "Why are you apologizing? My fathers were very hurtful today." She asked, Thomas, smiled a bit.

"I don't care about what they think Harriet. I'm worried about you." He told her, Harriet rolled her eyes. "We're a strange couple. We're always worried about each other." She chuckled. "I don't think that's strange. But we are strange, I mean if we do have any children what are we going to tell them about how we got together?" Thomas spoke with a laugh.

Harriet made a face that looked hardened as if in police questioning. "We met at work." She deadpanned causing Thomas to burst out laughing. "Well, you're not lying!" He said wrapping both arms around her. He felt Harriet's arms wrap around him as well.

"I love you." he whispered, "I love you too." he heard Harriet mumble, he smiled she was already falling asleep. He laid there listening quietly to Harriet's even breathing before falling asleep as well.

In the next week, Thomas and Harriet finally met up with their investors. Some of them were interested in their ideas. It helped that they had prototype products to show. They ended up getting a reasonable investment in their company. Because of this, Harriet and Thomas both put in their two weeks notice at work.

"You're quitting?!" The head of the directors shouted at Thomas, "Yes. I'm starting my own company with my mate." Thomas replied calmly, Joseph the head of the board of directors groaned putting his head into his hands. "Thomas..." he groaned frustrated, "Ever since this omega stuff came up you've been getting soft! Don't let that woman push you around!" Joseph exclaimed.

Thomas stared at the older man annoyed, "You know, I don't know what you expected my response was going to be before you said that. But I'll have you know Harriet and I have worked very hard on this. We're both quitting today together." Thomas replied standing up. Joseph stared, his eyes twitching, "Both of you are quitting?!" He exclaimed.

"Forget the notice, I'm leaving Joseph." Thomas rolled his eyes. "Thomas!" He heard the head director call after him as he left the board room. Harriet who had been working looked up. "Come on Harry." Thomas gave her a smile, "Thomas what did you do?" Harriet asked, "I told them that both of us quit." He told her walking up to her.

"I thought we were giving notice?" Harriet asked, "I don't want to now," Thomas said grinning. Harriet had been holding a large stack of papers and promptly dropped them on the floor. "I quit." She announced.

Many of the team were shocked at the sudden notice and within the hour Harriet and Thomas walked out of the building for the last time. While Thomas had hoped, none of the team followed them. Not that he could blame them, a new company was shaky at best and not everyone had the resources to fall back as he did.

Thomas and Harriet planned on spending the evening finishing up any loose ends they had and looking at prospective offices when there was a knock. Thomas continued to work as Harriet answered. There was a bit of conversation in the other room that Thomas didn't mind much. But he did hear Harriet agree to something.

Then Harriet came in with baby Emery in her carrier and her bag. "Harriet?" Thomas asked, Harriet, looked a little frazzled. "Avery asked us to watch the baby. Milo and she hadn't slept for a couple of days." Harriet explained. "How long?" Thomas asked, "Just a few hours." Harriet replied, the baby started to fuss in the carrier and Harriet sat it down and the bag as well before getting the baby out.

"You know how to hold a baby?" Thomas asked curiously, "I used to watch one of my other neighbor's children when I lived downtown." Harriet explained. "A single alpha mom." She added, "Harriet I'm not concerned." Thomas chuckled.

Harriet made a faux disappointed face, "That's a shame," She teased, "Do you want me to feel insecure in our relationship?" Thomas replied in the same teasing tone. "No," Harriet told him as she patted Emery's back. Normally babies didn't like it when someone outside of their parents held them.

The unfamiliar smell was frightening to a small little ball that could barely see yet. It was often a point in many soap operas that if a character held a baby and it didn't cry they could be the parent. However, this had not been the first time Harriet and Thomas had been around Emery.

They visited almost every week with Milo and Avery for dinner. That alone made the smell familiar enough. Though... Emery started to stir as she woke up more.

Not familiar enough it seemed.

A huge wail came out of the child, Harriet stood there unaffected and Thomas unable to stop himself stood up and took the child holding her. "Emery! Emery! It's just Thomas and Harriet! It's just us!" he cooed as best he could. Harriet took this moment to grab a blanket and she wrapped the baby in it.

Smelling the parent's scents on the blanket the sobbing slowly stopped and Emery calmed
down. Blearily the young baby looked around, a bit more focus was in the child's eyes. Emery was about three months right now. So she was beginning to be able to see much more clearly.

Just out of curiosity, Harriet and Thomas started to present different colors to Emery. When the baby started reacting more to certain colors. It ended up turning into a research project. Emery got caught up in being able to play with toys that she forgot to even cry.

It was extremely helpful for their market research. By the time Milo came to get Emery the baby was fast asleep. "How did you guys manage to get her to sleep?" Milo asked curiously, normally babies would have problems sleeping without their parents around. "Market research." Both Harriet and Thomas told him. Milo stared and then sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I think we need new godparents." he deadpanned.

Despite that, they ended up watching Emery every few days as the business slowly got together. They found a good office space to rent out. Got in contact with a great manufacturer and even started hiring designers. They ended up naming the company West Valley Toy Company.

Jack, an old coworker being good with coding ended up joining them. Thomas felt more fulfilled at work than he had in ages working closely with Harriet. It helped that they shared an office now. He found himself much more able to focus with Harriet in arm's reach.

Counseling had started for them though they hadn't gone a lot. Working for the company made them busy and they were often too tired to discuss why they felt the way they felt. It was hard to find time for everything.

However, tonight was a meeting that their therapist insisted they couldn't miss. So he and Harriet headed out of town. It probably did not help that their therapist was in Diamond City and not Stone Valley where Thomas and Harriet were. But she was apparently that good. Besides, there weren't many therapist offices in Stone Valley. Especially ones that specialized in couple's counseling.

It was a four-hour drive and Harriet and Thomas were in the waiting room for a good forty minutes before being called back. When they sat down on the couch across from their therapist Thomas was once again surprised by her pink hair.

Katelynn was their therapist's name, apparently, she often had a high-profile clientele. So she wasn't the least bit bothered by Thomas being in her office. "I'd like to thank you again for making time out of your busy schedules." Katelynn spoke, "I understand it can be difficult to balance work with dealing with these issues." She spoke in a friendly and kind tone.

"Yes well our relationship is important," Harriet spoke with a bit of a yawn. They had stayed up late last night because of trying to get in contact with some overseas stores that expressed interest in their product. The video chat had been long due to technical difficulties. But it had been rewarding.

"I agree." Katelynn opened up her portfolio folder and skimmed through some notes. "So last time we briefly spoke about how you two got together." She remarked reading through her notes, "Towards the end of the session we discussed how being caught in such a compromising situation can be a bit traumatic. Especially for Thomas who had not had a choice on being outed. " Katelynn motioned over to Thomas who pursed his lips.

"It's fine," Thomas remarked with a sigh, honestly, it felt like beating a dead horse now. Katelynn looked up from her notes and stared at him. "Thomas, you realize you'll have to corporate with the session for it to be productive right?" She asked, "Harriet is making an effort here. You need to meet her with the same." She scolded. Thomas flinched, "I just..." he felt suddenly guilty, it wasn't that he was trying to be combative it was just.

"Everyone talks about how we got together. It feels redundant at this point." Harriet spoke up, Katelynn paused, "I see." She replied, "My apologizes Thomas." She apologized just as easily. "it's fine." He sighed, "I received the email where Harriet summarized other occasions that have happened in your relationship. Should we speak briefly about the nesting material's incident?" She suggested.

"What is there to say about it?" Thomas sat up looking at Katelynn, "Harriet and I were getting materials, and some woman tried to take the materials away from me." Thomas spoke, "And then you had a panic attack and Harriet found you curled up crying holding your throat." Katelynn spoke calmly.

Thomas stared and looked over at Harriet who was quiet. "You didn't mention that you saw that." He said softly, "I was more concerned about comforting you." Harriet replied. "Why were you holding your throat, Thomas?" Katelynn asked, "I hate my voice." Thomas replied, "Well... I hated my voice." he corrected himself. "I'm fine now, but then I was... Very insecure in our relationship. I was scared to death Harriet... Well, Harriet would realize that she was better suited for a smaller omega." Thomas explained.

"it's not that deep." He added, "I was just scared of rejection." He shrugged it off, and Katelynn stared at him. "it's fine now." He said confidently, Katelynn looked skeptical, "So do you feel like having a child will make Harriet see you as more of an omega?" She asked suddenly, Thomas stared, "What are you going on about?" he sighed feeling exasperated.

"Thomas most of your insecurities lie in how Harriet sees you. So do you think being pregnant would make Harriet see you as an omega?" She pressed, "Katelynn I want to have a child with Harriet. Pregnancy is just a step to being connected to Harriet." Thomas said exasperated. "Then why don't you adopt?" Katelynn asked, "Because I want to have a child with Harriet." Thomas spoke through gritted teeth. Something about this woman just got under his skin, "Then use a surrogate." Katelynn replied.

"I want to have the child!" Thomas shouted standing up, he paused realizing he had just shouted at someone. Katelynn stared at him, unflinching and unbothered. "Why?" She asked simply, Thomas slowly sunk into his seat. "I want... To feel like an omega." He said quietly.

"Thomas I know you feel like your first time with Harriet being mentioned is bit redundant but... You were caught during a vulnerable time. Everyone found out all at once what you were before you had a chance to process it. You haven't given yourself a chance to accept who you are." Katelynn said in a soothing tone.

Thomas put his face in his hands and sighed, he heard Katelynn then say, "Harriet glaring at me is not going to help Thomas." Thomas looked over and saw Harriet looking furious that Katelynn had upset him. He chuckled, "I'm fine Harriet." he said softly, "I just don't like to see you upset." Harriet replied irritated.

"Listen," Katelynn closed her portfolio and stared at them, "What we're doing here is painful, we're picking at things that have scabbed over to get rid of the infection." She explained, "Hate me all you want to, make me the bad guy if you have to. But I want you two to get better."

"Sorry, we're just a bit..." Thomas said up running fingers through his hair, "Defensive?" Katelynn asked, "yes I'm aware. Harriet gave me a summary of all the major events in your relationship. Most of your relationship together has been defending your relationship." Katelynn spoke as she moved her hands in a careful rhythmic manner. 

"You two are incredibly emotionally and mentally intelligent. You're able to understand each other's needs very well. You're also very good at shielding each other. Whenever one of you stumbles the other jumps right in for an attack. It's very rare to see a pair such as yourselves. But this..." Katelynn trailed off.

"The subject of children is no laughing matter." Katelynn explained, "If you're using a child to affirm your dynamic you're giving a job to that child before they're even born." Katelynn motioned to Thomas. "Don't give that child the emotional labor you need to do for yourself, Thomas." Katelynn warned, "It'll never be enough."

Katelynn then stood up and walked over to her desk, "We'll speak about Harriet's abandonment issues next session." "Wait what?" Harriet chimed in but Katelynn was unaffected, "Homework for this one is going back to the nesting store and buying supplies. You and Harriet are going to work together on figuring out how to build your first nest." Katelynn said taking a prescription pad and writing these directions down.

"Does it have to be the same one?" Thomas asked, "Of course not." Katelynn replied, "It does need to be a nesting store though." Katelynn replied handing him the slip of paper. "Basically I want you two to do what you do best." She spoke, "Support each other." Katelynn grin.

As Katelynn escorted them out she remarked, "I really do admire how well you two work together. If half the couples I've seen work, as well as you two, do I'd be out of the job!" She joked lightly as they both left.