I woke up alone in bed as usual. No one bothers to stay, after all, nobody wants to clean after they do the deed.

I dragged myself to the bathroom and took a quick shower. It’s a good thing Dome always uses a condom. He prob’ly still thinks I’ll get him sick.

I smelled something good when I got to the kitchen and was surprised to see him cooking!

“You cooked this?” I asked.

“What does it look like to you?” he retorted. “Hurry up.”

“Well if you woke me up...”

“We’re leaving for New York. Pack your bags, we leave in thirty minutes.”

“The hell...”

I went back into my room and quickly packed my stuff. When I got out, I saw Dome dragging a suitcase and clutching a paper bag full of stuffed animals while making his way out the door.

“So, what are those toys for?” I asked as I ran after him.

“The kids leave today.”

“Oh, so we’re off to the hospital? Is the kid better already? Will he be staying with us?”

He didn’t answer. He simply left the building and hailed a taxi with me trailing close behind.

“Took you long enough.”

Dr. Webb frowned at us as we entered the children’s ward.

“Rico’s waiting for you in the room. Get him ready to leave. He won’t move unless you’re there,” he told Dome.

“And you,” he called me before I could go after Dome, “what’s with the new bruises? Did you get in a fight with Dome?” He nodded at the hand marks around my neck.

I adjusted my scarf and smiled at him.

Dr. Webb shook his head and sighed.

“Has Dome told you about your new mission?” he asked instead.

“Nope. Can you fill me in?”

“You’re to work undercover as a family in New York with Enrico. You’ll be staying in Dome’s flat. That’s about it.” He handed me a manila envelope with my new directives.

“Got it.”

I followed Dome inside the room then, and was amazed at what I saw.

He was smiling.

He had the same innocent look he had that day when he saved me, and I couldn’t help but think that it was partly my doing.

That I helped rid him of his hell to make him smile like this today.

“I’ve got gifts for all of you!” he spoke in Spanish to the kids in the room. “But before that, let me introduce you to my friend, Willow.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

“Uh... so... Hey kids!” I spoke to them in my native tongue. “So, how’s it goin’?”

“Here, Willow,” he handed me the bag of toys, taking only one piece from it. “Give them one each as a reward for getting better!”

“Huh?” I stared at him, but the kids were all over me before I could complain!

“W-wait! Fall in line! We’ve got enough toys for ev’ryone!”

The kids did as they were told and even arranged themselves by height. I looked at Dome. He was talking to a kid who was still eating in his cot. He seems to be the most sickly in the group. Prob’ly the new DOME we were supposed to take care of.

I looked back at the kids around me.

I have always been fond of kids, I had two younger brothers after all. I used to take care of them a lot since our mother was always out looking for odd jobs. Even in the Red Raven, I used to look after the new recruits. If they last long enough, that is.

But kids like these always put me in an awkward position.

It’s not that I don’t like them.

It’s just that, touching them makes me feel like I’m tainting their innocence with my rotten hands.

“Thank you very much, Mister!” they called to me, clinging to my body and making me shiver.

“Mr. Willow, you smell so nice!”

Ah, I forgot. These kids are all omegas. I better be careful and keep my pheromones on check. They are just kids after all.

“You kids ready to leave the hospital?” I asked them instead.

“Yes, Mr. Willow! They said we’re going to a big hotel for omega kids like us!”

“We’re still gonna stay together, right?”

“Yup, you’ve got that right.”

They are actually headed for a state run omega facility. A good one, from what I heard. Only Enrico gets to stay with Dome and me.

We went our way to the airport after that. We took the rest of the kids to the facility before going to Dome’s flat with the kid. There, we lived as a family. As Roberto Domenique and William Willows, an alpha-alpha pair with an omega son from my ex. We went on trips with his friends, visited museums, and enrolled them in a special class come that academic year. Couple of weeks later, we also took his best friend Timotheo in since the two were inseparable. He was also an omega, but could easily pass as a beta with his bigger built.

All the while, Dome taught Enrico how to use his innate abilities as another Dominant Omega while I taught both of them how to survive in a world full of alphas.

“Papa Will,” Rico asked in passable English with Timo by his side, “is it okay to ask you something?”

“Sure, go ahead,” I replied with a smile.

He has almost doubled in height and filled out to be a healthy 12 year old kid. Rico, on the other hand, has hardly grown at all.

The two of them looked hesitant and started pushing each other until Timo finally spoke up.

“Papa Will, who is... Nathan?”

They looked at me expectantly. I sighed and touched their shoulders.

“Nathan is your papa Berto’s old partner,” I told them straight out.

“See, I told you so!” Timo said to Rico.

“Ah... then...” Rico hesitated for a while, “is he... papa Berto’s fated pair? Is that why he’s always calling his name in his sleep?”

“Yeah,” I answered nonchalantly. “From what I heard, he left him back in the Philippines, but he doesn’t like to talk about it.”

“Oh...” Rico hang his head low. “I was just thinking... it must be... so hard for you, whenever...”

I gave a loud laugh. The two looked up at me, surprised.

“Enrico, really?” I spoke to them in Spanish though we told them to practice their English at home, “you do know that we’re just a make believe family, right?”

The two looked hurt, especially Rico whose doleful eyes seem to be always brimming with tears.

“Y-yes... but, we have always thought that this, our family, is real,” said Timo.

I sighed and gave them a hug.

“Of course it is,” I assured them, “You really are like our own kids, but papa Berto and I are different, we are professionals, that’s why, even though we both really love you, it doesn’t mean that we need to love each other as well.”

“Then, does that mean that you don’t love papa Berto?” asked Timo.

I was taken aback by the question.

I tilted my head in thought.

“Love... to tell you the truth, I don’t think I could ever be capable of romantic love. But I respect him very much, and that’s enough. Now, enough of this cheesy topic, and get ready for bed!”

And so, life went on.

It was good, and I did my best to make it better.

We decided to take Timo in as well and train him to be Rico’s partner and bodyguard. Three years later, they entered the local high school and even got into the soccer team.

But sometimes, things just don’t go the way you plan them to.

“The Spider wants me to go on a mission to San Francisco next week,” Dome told me one evening.

“I thought he said no missions as long as we’re takin’ care of the kids?” I asked with a frown.

“Yeah, well, it seems they found another plantation.”

“Where?”

“In an old abandoned mine.”

“Damn... so, when do we leave?”

“He didn’t ask for you.”

I stare as Dome, dumbfounded.

“What do you mean he didn’t ask for me? I’m your regular back-up! I can’t not come with you!”

“And who’s supposed to look after the kids if we’re both gone?”

“We can get a babysitter!”

“For a whole week?”

“Well, I can call my baby bro...”

“I thought you said he thinks you’re dead?”

I fell silent.

“Anyway, it’s just a regular sniffing job. No big deal. I’ll probably be back in three days.”

“But I’ve been dyin’ to get back on the field again!” I complained, “I’m gettin’ rusty from stayin’ in the house all day, cooking and cleaning after you!”

“Says the guy who’s been training the kids in the barracks every weekends.”

“That ain’t the same thing! Besides, who’s gonna watch your back? Who’s gonna pull you back when you decide to run into trouble again?!”

“The doc’s got a new team ready, don’t worry, just take care of the kids while I’m gone.”

I sigh in resignation.

“Now I know how housewives feel ev’ry time their husbands go on a business trip!”

Dome laughed at this. If it was three years ago, he would have prob’ly hit me already and reminded me that I’m just his handy hole.

He’s getting soft.

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy you guys souvenirs when I get home.”

But three days later and there was still no news from him.

chapter continued on next chapter :3

too long