Subject V.2.3A | "OMEGA" (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cerhadivision) wrote2017-05-14 09:57 pm
cerhadivision) wrote2017-05-14 09:57 pm
Isla Sorna
2
Forbluebetabitch
When you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.
They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.
And then there's Blue and Omega.
The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.
If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.
For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.
Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.
For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.
Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.
Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.
"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"
Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.
"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.
Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.
"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."
The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.
Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."
The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"
"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."
The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.
For
bluebetabitchWhen you spend a long time building something with your own two hands, it becomes difficult to wrap your mind around the idea of the work being done. Owen grew up around that kind of mindset, and knows very well how it feels to be in the same grip. But he doesn't mind. That's the thing about having a family: it expands, and the world around it needs to expand with it. Little by little, the house came up around them, and they settled into it, and he's never really stopped working this little world of his over like an ever-evolving project that he loves with his whole heart.
They're settled here. Officially. No one can deny it, and even though Owen still has dreams sometimes about InGen -- or anyone -- hunting them down to rip the girls, or even the boys, out of his hands, those fears evaporate every morning. The girls get along as well as any sisters do, and even the squabbling has died down in recent months; the boys have adapted beautifully, and although Chi and Psi still exhibit behavior that looks odd alongside the girls from time to time, they no longer struggle to meet expectations that were completely alien to them for most of their lives.
And then there's Blue and Omega.
The difference in Blue between her youth on Isla Nublar, and the young womanhood that quite clearly blossomed in the Santa Lucia Mountains of central California, is not only noticeable, but striking. Always the one he could rely on over the others, Blue has managed to develop into a creature that is both an extension of his right arm and yet still a highly independent person who no longer looks to him quite so often for cues; she still values her space and her privacy, but those withdrawals from the pack just to brood and sulk have all but disappeared. And while Blue's temper will always strike fear into the hearts of her siblings -- adopted or otherwise -- she's learned to balance it with patience, a trait that would always thwart her more than any other. Until now. Owen always wanted Blue to learn that balance between animal instinct and human rationality, and he knew she'd get there in her own way sooner or later. Now, it seems she has, and it's a beautiful thing to see.
Then, as if her own transformation wasn't enough, she'd somehow managed to turn her mate into an entirely different person.
If Blue's maturation is impressive, Omega's has been nothing short of miraculous. All right... Owen is a professional behaviorist; he knows there's no such thing as miracles, only hard work and dedication. Only this time it wasn't his. It was Blue's time, effort, and uncharacteristic affection that turned a furious, hateful killing machine into something that could be now what he might have been then, before InGen had their way. Omega lives in the house now. He eats when they do. He joins the family in their gatherings, as long as Blue is with him, and although his temper is still zero to 60 when roused, these days it's much harder to set him off than it used to be, even if that wouldn't be saying much. He prefers his mate and solitude over anything else, but his violently aggressive tendencies have been all but curbed for the sake of keeping Blue happy.
For obvious reasons, Owen has kept a close eye on them both from day one, and even from the very beginning Omega has treated Blue like the center of the universe. Owen himself has salvaged his share of abused, wild animals -- it's literally part of the job -- but he knows without question that no one could have done this but her. And her success is absolutely indisputable.
Case in point: today, Omega's dislike for interacting with unfamiliar people had outweighed his desire to be with Blue as often as possible, and instead of throwing a tantrum he simply hadn't gone with her down the mountain.
For Barry, it was supplies; Echo wanted clothes; Blue was only interested in procuring necessary parts for her nearly-restored 1979 Pontiac Phoenix Firebird, a task built upon very specific requirements and one which she would never entrust to any of her siblings. The day is very nice for a sojourn into the city, considering the length of the drive: blue skies and a mild breeze, not quite so far into spring that the air is anything more than comfortably warm. Psi is helping Delta collect chili peppers and the new experimental plums. Chi fell asleep in the grass up the hill. Charlie is giving Owen a hand with replacing some worn poles along the stone steps leading down to the boys' den, when they hear the familiar sound of the Jeep rolling up the long hill that serves as their driveway.
Only, it sounds like it's coming up fast.
Owen and Charlie look at each other, and immediately drop what they're doing to meet the car just as Barry rolls up, screeching to a stop and diving out of the driver's side to rush around to the passenger door. He looks frantic. And he's helping Echo out of the car. She looks like she's about to pitch right off her feet.
"Owen!" Barry calls out urgently, eyes widening immediately as Owen rushes to them. "Owen!" He has to wrap an arm around Echo's back to keep her standing. And then, to Owen's surprise and dread, Barry yells again. "Omega!"
Owen doesn't actually know where Omega has been this whole time. But suddenly he's there next to him, clearly as alarmed at being summoned as Owen was to hear it, and Owen can practically feel the tension in the male raptor's body triple because they both realized the same thing: that Blue is not with them.
"They took her," Barry says, breathless, and the bottom falls out of Owen's stomach.
Echo tries to rouse herself, flopping a little, mumbling in groggy frustration as she tries to shake off whatever is wrong with her and help explain. But Barry keeps his hold on her and barrels right through it.
"It was InGen. They had an entire strike force, Owen, the streets are chaos now. They used non-lethals. Tranquilizers. Echo took a direct hit, but they left her behind. All of them were focused on Blue." He looks at both of them, Owen and then Omega, panicked and desperate. "They came for her."
The weather was gorgeous a minute ago. Now the entire world is ice. Owen's heart has stopped, his breath is gone. Delta and the boys come running up, but he barely notices them. Beside him is Omega, frozen; then suddenly the raptor whirls to him, eyes wide, and the fury -- the fear -- in them is apocalyptic.
Omega doesn't say a word, but Owen immediately finds his voice. "Go get her."
The male raptor is gone like a bolt of lightning. Owen turns and strides quickly to a hidden cache beneath the porch. He pulls out two assault rifles and a hell of a lot of ammo as Charlie shrieks behind him, "Why aren't we going with him?!"
"Because we're going to follow him." Owen tosses a rifle to Barry, and gestures sharply for everyone to get into the car, including the still-dizzy Echo. "After Isla Nublar, Omega found us in less than a week on nothing but Blue's scent and pure instinct. This time he knows where he's going. We'd only slow him down." The motor is still running. Almost before every door is shut, Owen jerks the Jeep into gear. His last words are almost a growl to himself. "With any luck, all we'll have to do is clean up."
The Jeep screeches in reverse, turns, and roars off down the mountain.
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"Neither do I, actually," she admitted in a quiet tone. "And if Blue goes off in her own head, what's Omega going to do then?" That was what truly terrified the doctor. "I have Thorazine, which might knock him out for a while, but Owen, if he's been conditioned to MORO, Thorazine might not even affect him at all."
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"What are you afraid he's going to do? He hasn't left her side." Even knowing full well what the male raptor is capable of at his absolute worst, Owen is -- for once -- not playing on the far side of caution right off the bat. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but Omega might be better equipped to handle whatever comes next than we are. The boys spent their lives going through what InGen put her through -- with one huge fucking exception."
There are not enough bullets in the world for what Owen wanted to do to Vic Hoskins.
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"I'm sure he is. But you and I both know that Blue is his only stopgap. The only one. I saw his face when he brought her down to the beach, Owen. He was terrified, but absolutely furious at the same time. I'll admit it to you right now, he still scares the hell out of me sometimes."
Hands in the opposite sleeve, Gwen rubbed at her arms. "This might all be a moot point anyway, at least I hope. But you can't sit there and tell me we shouldn't formulate a contingency plan."
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"You're right," he murmurs near the top of her head. "But Blue brought him back from whatever ledge he was pacing. And I don't think there's anything he wouldn't do to repay that -- including being the one for her to thrash against, for once."
He's quiet for a moment, thinking things over, knowing that she has a good point even if he has confidence now that he didn't have for a very long time. Eventually he says, "You're the doctor. You tell me what you want to do."
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"I'm more than willing to let Omega help her, in whatever way he needs to. He knows her better, definitely." Gwen took a slow breath, making up her mind. "Let's go ahead and leave them some clothes. Then I want to wake Blue up and see if she'll eat." Omega would just have to get over them waking his mate. "Then we'll see if we can get her up and about a little."
Marie chose that moment to return to the kitchen, but Gwen didn't bother pulling away from Owen; they were adults, damnit. She did, however, quirk an eyebrow at the collection of clothes in the basket. There were several pairs of sweats and cotton pants, four or five t-shirts in different sizes of grey and black, and even a few pairs of socks.
"Thomas's feet always got cold," Marie told Owen with a little smile. "He always wore socks around the house, even in the summertime. I'm not sure whether little dinosaur feet get cold, but you all are welcome to them."
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"Thanks, Marie. You didn't have to do all this." And he is entirely serious when he adds, "Thank you for helping us take care of them."
He almost says my raptors again, but at the risk of giving Marie one more thing to puzzle over, he holds back his own overt possessiveness for Gwen's sake. Owen reaches out in silent offer to take the basket, a quick once-over revealing nothing that stands out to him as being something Omega would throw across the room. The male raptor won't be thrilled about it, but Owen will reinforce the fact that it'll be worth it to lie next to Blue in better condition. (Putting requests in terms of Blue's wishes tends to increase the likelihood that they'd be indulged with minimal disturbance.)
"I'm gonna take these up now," he tells Gwen, "see if I can wake them, at least. They need to eat. You want to bring that food up?"
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She felt a mound of pillows beneath her when she calmed enough to relax, and a suspiciously familiar warmth and an equally familiar rumble on her left side. Blue wasn't too surprised that it was Omega, astonishingly still asleep, stretched possessively against her.
A rush of tender affection brought a smile, but it quickly turned to a grimace when a wave of nausea washed over her, and Blue couldn't stifle this shriek as she automatically rolled the opposite way, praying her stomach would settle. She fell to shuddering, but there was nothing left in her belly to heave.
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"Blue." It's urgent, not knowing what's wrong, not sure if it's simply normal pain or something worse. He catches at her hand just to give her something to squeeze as tightly as she needs to until the pain passes, watching her face while his own stomach twists for a different reason.
"Tell me what you need -- wait, I'll get the doctor."
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She hissed in spiteful stubbornness at her own body's weakness, but it gagged her in return, and she closed her teeth on another whimper--no, never again!--and simply shook until the spasm eased, and she was able to fall back against Omega with a limp sigh, shaking all over.
"...I-I'm...okay," she stuttered. Blue groped for him again, catching nails around his fingers. "D-Don't...leave m-me...please."
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He wants so badly to wrap his arms around her again, but he's not sure how much he can do without hurting the surgical wound, even just by putting pressure on higher muscles. Instead he just curls his arm beneath hers and grips her hand firmly with his own, a physical reassurance that he will stay right where he is until she tells him otherwise.
"I'm not going anywhere," he murmurs into her hair, closing his eyes. Even leaving her side long enough to fetch her humans has been torture, but Omega knows they're more help than he is, no matter how frustrating that may be. After a moment, his fingers do slip just a touch lower, the barest ghost of a touch beneath her ribs.
"How bad does it hurt you?"
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She wanted to reassure him that she was fine, she could handle it, she was stronger than this, but the words choked in her throat. So she opted to just speak plain. "A lot." A brief grimace crossed her face. "On the inside." Which was just...hell, really.
A few shaking breaths later, the door opened to admit both Owen and Dr. Gwen, the former carrying a clothes basket and the latter bearing a large tray from which rose many enticing smells. Blue felt her stomach rumble in response, but then quickly renig as another round of nausea lurked just beyond her hunger.
The doc was all business, as usual; checking her vitals, feeling her cheeks and forehead, and asking how she felt. Blue considered giving her an exact report of how she felt, but with Owen's eye on her, curbed some of the more 'colorful' responses and admitted that she felt miserable; her stomach hurt, she wanted to throw up but couldn't, and she ached all over.
"That sounds about right, given your recent operation, Blue," Dr. Gwen said, matter-of-fact. "I have something which will help with the nausea, but do you think you might be able to eat something? A little bit of fruit or maybe some crackers?" The doc rummaged in her medical bag, resting on the dresser, and shook out a small white pill, then presented it and a glass of what smelt to be fruit juice to the suffering Beta.
"Drink as much as you can, sweetheart," Dr. Gwen told her, and Blue did, polishing off the entire glass. It tasted like liquid gold, so thirsty was she all of a sudden. She really didn't want to eat, but the doc seemed to want her to try, so Blue picked a chunk of pineapple off of the tray and chewed on it, it tasting like sawdust in her mouth. But she managed to swallow it, shaking her head when offered more. "...can't," she mewed, hiding her face in Omega's chest.
"Okay, honey, it's all right. There's no rush," Dr. Gwen smiled. "Do you think you might want to try and get up for a minute? Stand up and stretch those achy muscles a little?" Now that sounded like a grand plan; Blue immediately opted for that. But her willpower was stronger than her body--never one to take anything slow, she swung around and aimed both feet for the floor, determined that her knees were going to hold her up, but unaware that the price for stubbornness was always high.
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For perhaps the first time, Omega acknowledges a wave of genuine gratitude for what Dr. Gwen is and does for Blue and her sisters.
Blue's Alpha remains close at hand; Owen has his arms folded across his chest and the same look of concern on his face as Omega. Neither one of them will be fully settled until she recovers, or at least can move around on her own. And when the doctor suggests that Blue try moving on her own, Omega anticipates Blue's agreement and slides instinctively off the bed--
--and it's a good thing, too. His mate has been in bed for... likely an entire week straight. Barely a step forward, and Blue's legs give out from under her. In a flash Omega is around the bed, catching her before she collapses to the floor. There was no way Blue wasn't going to try, and he respects the hell out of that, but it was too much, too fast. She's not going anywhere without help.
"It's okay, take it easy," Owen says from Blue's other side, resting a hand on the back of her head. "We'll try it a little slower next time."
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So she huffed a disgruntled breath, but didn't intend to be tucked back in that bed again, at least not for a while. Arms coiled around her mate's neck, face half-hidden in Omega's neck, Blue peered at Dr. Gwen from under his chin.
"Dr. Gwen...is it okay if...I...take a shower, maybe? I feel...nasty." Blue honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd taken any sort of ablution, honestly. But, thank God, the doc nodded and gestured to the other door on the opposite wall.
"Sure, Blue. There's a bathroom right in there, Omega can help you get cleaned up a little, hm?" She smiled, her eyes warm as always, easing a little of Blue's trepidation. "C'mon, I'll get you some towels and washcloths. Oh, and we have clean clothes for both of you, so you won't have to put the dirty ones back on."
Perfect, because Blue hated the damned medical gown, and it was getting a bit scratchy, besides.
"Just be careful around the incision, Blue," Dr. Gwen warned her. "A sink bath might be best for now, let's not get those stitches wet by taking a full shower, okay?"
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Bringing up a shower makes him realize, in a distracted and uncaring sort of way, that he could probably stand to bathe as well. Much of the dead flesh and dried blood had dissolved away in the rain as he shield Blue from it, back in the jungle, but he hasn't been clean in a good while, either. If only to make himself less offensive to his mate, he'll bathe after she does. In the meantime, yes -- any kind of bath that will suite her, he'll help.
After a second's thought, Omega simply leans down and scoops her gently into his arms again, extremely mindful of her incision. Blue has never liked to be carried, but she doesn't have much choice for now, and the only people around to look twice are precisely the ones who would have the least to say about it. So he keeps his mate's unsteady feet from touching the floor as they follow Dr. Gwen, and she shows them where the washcloths and towels are kept, and which soap is acceptable. Good enough.
Dr. Gwen rests a folded towel on the counter next to the sink, and after she departs, Omega sets Blue carefully down on top of it, glancing at her to be sure she's not uncomfortable there (any more than she would be anywhere). He grabs a couple washcloths, and the soap, and turns on the water until it's comfortably warm but not too hot, and then moves to carefully strip the hospital gown from his mate so he can soak a week of hell off her skin.
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Then Omega came at her with a warm soapy washcloth, but Blue took his wrists in both of her hands, halting his advance. "--wait." She stared at her hands holding his wrists, then very slowly lifted her gaze to his, staring at him for a long, intent moment, until her lower lip began to very lightly tremble.
"...y--" She bit the words off, unshed tears choking her throat. A pause, then she tried again. "...you--came for me." Dr. Gwen had told her that, back at the hospital. A single tear, gleaming crystal, spilled from one blue eye, shimmering on her too-pale cheek. Blue abruptly released Omega's wrists, running her nails up over his arms until she could clutch the loose fabric of his shirt.
"...kiss me," she demanded in a hoarse whisper, tugging at him weakly. "Kiss me until it doesn't hurt anymore..."
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Omega would have done anything she asked, just then, but this is an order he will always follow without question. Reviling the very notion that he would ever leave her to suffer, he immediately abandons the washcloths and buries a hand in her hair, pressing close to her against the counter to obey with a deep kiss, more than a touch desperate. He cups her face and erases the tear with his thumb, kissing her to soothe the fears left in both of them.
He wasn't sure if she'd remember what happened, back on the island. If she doesn't, and is only going on what she was told when she awoke, that's fine.
He didn't do it so she would thank him for it.
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Blue clutched Omega with trembling hands, letting his nearness wash over her like a soothing wave, warm and unmistakably possessive, indicative of his unquestionable devotion. The taste of his mouth was calming, familiar, customarily gentle. Blue inhaled his breath, letting Omega once again fill her senses until she had to breathe again, leaning away slightly to rest her head against his.
Her skin felt dingy, dirty. Her hair was tangled from a week without a brush. She could still feel invisible hands on her body; touching, probing, exploring--she shuddered. Blue instinctively insinuated her way into Omega's arms, ignoring the protests of her abused muscles--she just needed a safe place to hide for a while, a place away from all prying eyes, a place where she could cry without question.
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But the rest of it is, if nothing else, very familiar.
He embraces her as tightly as he dares, wanting to crush her to his chest and hold her there until she is completely healed and they've miraculously teleported back home and everything is as it should be again. She could have a nest of birds in her hair and Omega would still run his fingers through it, combing it back from her face and her shoulder. Eyes closed, he touches his head to hers, swallowing against anger that has nowhere to go, and the echoes of an unimaginable fear that he had never felt for himself even once.
"I told you, I'll always come for you. Anywhere." His teeth clench and his voice turns rough. "...I'm so sorry I didn't get there sooner."
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Every time Blue closed her eyes, she saw Hoskins. His smarmy smile, piggishly hungry gaze, leering down over her. She'd never been truly afraid before, not like she had been then, restrained with no hope of escape, utterly and truly at the mercy of that insane fascist hog. A trembling shudder wracked her, setting off new twinges of hurt.
Still clutching the lapels of Omega's shirt, Blue buried her nose in his throat, fighting her shivers. "I-Is he dead?" No need to specify who he was, in this case.
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"Yes," he answers her, pleased to be able to assure her of that much, at least. It would be impossible to keep that cruel satisfaction out of his voice, so he doesn't try. "I wanted to keep him alive to torture. Before I knew how badly you were hurt."
Omega nuzzles the side of Blue's head. "Your Alpha finished him off."
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But knowing that didn't make bearing the scars left behind any easier, unfortunately. Blue still shivered, unable to block out the hated visage behind her eyes, letting Omega's scent and proximity slowly flood her senses, an effective deterrent, at least.
Her hands released their clutch and arms wound tight around his waist, staying as close against his wonderful warm strength as possible. Her shivering hadn't noticeably abated, and after a moment or so, Blue's shoulders suddenly hitched, and quiet, almost soundless sobs began to shake her thin frame, cracks in the dam of a week's worth of intentional hell.
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Omega's embrace envelops her, arms around her shoulders and her waist, pulling her as close as he can. His head stays close to hers, nearly burying his face in her hair to bring the shield around her closed. His fingers graze her shoulders, the faintest touch back and forth that he can offer without loosening his hold in the slightest.
Food and drink and sponge baths are forgotten. They were never that important to begin with, compared to this.
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The first time she recalled her guard falling enough for tears to escape was when she'd finally acknowledged Owen's authority and accepted him--however grudgingly--as her and the pack's Alpha. She'd not an hour before dug her talons into his chest, trying to rip out his heart, but he'd stopped her--even though it hadn't been easy for him to sit there while an eight year old girl with hard animal eyes tried to sink her fingernails into his flesh--but the chastisement she'd been fully expecting had never come.
He'd simply pressed a cloth over the seeping wounds with one hand and reached out for her with the other. Her sisters had been huddled back against the playroom wall, scared and unsure, but Blue had stood her ground, furious that she'd been thwarted, but taken completely off guard by the peace offering. And, with his gaze still firmly focused on her, she'd felt it, for the first time.
Submission.
Blue had tentatively, so very hesitantly, reached out her blood-stained hand and put in his, and that had been it. Her tears had spilled over when Owen quietly pulled her into his arms and held her close, promising that from that day on, she would never again be alone. Or unprotected. The other girls had immediately followed suit, crowding around their new Alpha--their father--and huddled near, but it had been Blue who'd silently sobbed into Owen's bloody shirt.
The same as she did into Omega's, some eight years later.
But these were not tears of submission, an emotional relief so vast it couldn't be contained and had to spill over her cheeks. No, now she wept because she had been broken, rendered helpless, forced to give her subjection to those who were not worthy, and the memory of that horror lingered thick and wicked behind her tightly closed eyes.
That her mate and her family had come for her meant...so much; that Omega had moved hell and earth to bring her from that nightmare--Blue had no words for that. Perhaps there were none. She was safe, she knew that; nothing would ever harm her again, as long as they were near. But not even Dr. Gwen could fix her inside. Inside simply felt...hollow. Cavernous. Empty.
But Blue did have a small idea of how to fill it, just perhaps a little. She finally lifted her tear-wet face from Omega's chest and rested her lips against his, breath trembling between them. She licked their lips clean of salty tears and whispered shakily, a bare breath, "...I love you."
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Until he met his mate.
She is not his Alpha, and he is not her Beta; nor is the reverse true. They have something else between them. It might be the most human thing about him, the way he feels for Blue: although there is a primal instinct that binds him to each other, a wild ferocity that would rise in him to her aid without a second thought, but neither of them are submissive to each other because they don't have to be. They're equals. And Omega never imagined that there existed such a thing.
Her rage and sorrow resonates through him, but there is nothing left to kill or maim, and the facility on Isla Sorna is a smoking ruin. Anything that he can do for her now, he learned from her when she did it for him, and God help him but that's what he's trying to do. Omega nuzzles her when she lifts her head, his hands flexing protectively against her body, and when she whispers those words to him -- words they don't say, that don't need to be said -- it makes his heart pound around the invisible knife in his chest.
In the jungle, she never heard him. But it's as true as it's ever been. Omega lets her mouth shape the words against his own, silent for a lingering moment. "I love you," he echoes her then, softly, for her ears only and no one else.
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They were together. They would survive.
Omega's warmth helped to calm her shivering, the tremors slowly dissipating, and Blue eventually pulled away slightly, sniffling and rubbing her eyes with one thin fist. She fiddled with her mate's shirt, more to touch him than to actually care about the fabric.
"...I guess we should probably wash me, huh?" It was a pointed effort in moving on, but Blue somehow feared that "normal" would be a long time in returning.
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