(BL)Alpha Made-Chapter 581: Side story 11
It was only two months later when Ollie got his first hint of a heat, and that sent everyone into a panic. Their kids were manifesting before even the blood tests were done, and Andrew's first thought was to panic about the fact that he had been forcefully manifested and if that had somehow contributed to what was going on.
Of course, the researcher in Maxwell, and Richard, were all over that shit. They began to look into that line of thinking while Maxwell and Andrew had to pick up the pieces of their sweet little babies growing up and changing. Thankfully, it didn't appear that Ollie had the pheromone sensitivity that Maxwell did. He had a bit, but with the medicine that was already on the market thanks to Maxwell, he was fine.
It was a small relief before Richard came to them with the news that they asked the question of, but didn't want to hear.
Tragically, it appeared that the medicine that Andrew had been pumped with could be playing a role in what was going on with his children. At the same time, Kim came in with some very valuable information.
The stuff that Andrew had forgotten? Some of the things of Andrew's childhood that he was just simply unable to recall? Well, some of that was related to some strange behaviours that Andrew had when he was young, and how it had appeared that Andrew could have manifested early as well.
However, he didn't, and Kim was pretty sure that it was a now or never kind of situation when it came to Andrew in particular. If Andrew and Maxwell didn't nurture the new changes in Ollie and Flora, they might never manifest at all.
It was a rather eye opening shift in belief of how secondary sexes worked. It made Andrew and Maxwell think long and hard about how kids manifested, how people were able to manifest later in life too. It also made them think about how many betas were probably out there who had just been unaccepted for who they could have been by family members who didn't know better, and how their lives were changed, forever.
It did bring into question those that did manage to manifest even against what their family wanted, but Andrew and Maxwell couldn't focus on that avenue at the moment. Maxwell, because he had the ability, started research into it. Andrew made sure that Maxwell had more than enough funds when it came to this line of research. Maxwell wanted to protest at first, but this was important to Andrew as a person, a Doctor, and a father. Andrew even went through the most legal channels to give him the money.
This was too important of a research topic for Andrew to ignore, and if he had the funds to research this, he was going to. Plus, if his money went towards research, that was a wonderful thing for it to do. This new way of thinking just proved that there was so much that they still didn't understand about having a secondary sex. It was clear to Andrew that it frustrated Maxwell that he hadn't considered this avenue of thought before, but who would? Who would think that your own opinions and the opinions of others could influence what sex you would manifest? It was an absurd line of thought.
It frustrated Andrew too, but also showed to him that there was some kind of agency to it. It then made him curious if when he had been in the process of getting injected to 'restimulate' the parts of him that hadn't manifested, had he wanted to do so?
Had he wanted to become an alpha at that time? Had Maxwell unintentionally influenced him? Had his desire to want to protect him before they were even together, make it so that he did manifest as an alpha, and not only that, a true alpha? Had that been the case for Noah and Nicole as well?
It was a lot to take in, and a lot to consider. Andrew spent some time questioning his other siblings, and since it had been a while back for both of them they had to really dig deep to think back on those times.
However, Nicole came back first to Andrew a week after the questioning and let Andrew know that yeah, she had been considering those kinds of things. This was because she'd just started meeting up with Elijah. At the time there was nothing more to it because she was a beta, but they were becoming friends and Nicole had started to have feelings for the other man. She was a little embarrassed to admit it, but Andrew considered it very important information.
Noah called him later in the same week that Nicole spoke to him, and let him know that he was pretty sure that he had the same feelings. He might not have wanted to impress anyone like Nicole had, but he had wanted to protect his Mom at the time.
She had been in a rather precarious position in the family, and there had been several betas and omegas who had manifested in the family at the time. There was a lot of pressure for another true alpha to be around, and his Mom had been taking the brunt of the pressure because Noah was the 'next in line' to manifest.
Noah didn't know at the time that he was being experimented on, and that his experimentation was also putting pressure on her and those around him, but that didn't change his feelings. Noah had just been a kid, an older kid, who wanted to protect his Mom. It was a testament to his Mom's character that as soon as she realised that he had manifested, forced or not, that she had protected him as much as she could instead of feeding him to the wolves of the family.
As much as 10 years had passed since the incident that had destroyed the Abraham family, and the realisation that all three of them had been patients on a list of other patients to be experimented on and changed against their will, none of them had discussed it in that time. It was something that Andrew, Noah and Nicole had not spoken of together yet.
It was just unspoken that Andrew was willing to speak on it, but there were parts that Noah and Nicole did not want to discuss with Andrew. Andrew had a small feeling that a part of it had to do with the fact that Noah had heard how his ex had perceived him, and in a way, perceived Noah as well, but for Nicole? Andrew wasn't sure why she didn't want to talk, but he wasn't going to force it.
Not after the fact that all three of them had given testimony to the lawyers involved in prosecuting the Abraham family for their crimes. They had done so individually, speaking to them on different days so that they didn't run into each other. When Andrew had read back the transcript before the testimonies, it had done something to him and his heart to realise that the prosecution had referred to them as the Knox family as a whole. That was who they were.
The Knox family.
Each testimony had been helpful in the trial against their former family and the crimes that they had committed against others and their own flesh and blood. Andrew was the most vocal and well known figure to speak out against them since he had done a documentary style release years before the trial started declaring what had happened to his Mom. That had certainly helped the case keep up the recognition of horror committed against so many people at the hands of a formerly powerful family.
While it was unfortunate, his Mom was just one of many that the Abraham family had killed, but she was the one who had also instigated their downfall, even from the grave. That was something that helped Andrew sleep at night.
Flora was only a few months behind Ollie with her first rut, showing symptoms that she was going to be a true alpha for the complete three months before it actually happened. Thankfully she had been at home when it hit, waking up in the middle of the night screaming like she was having a growth spurt instead of a rut that would change who she had lived as up until now.
Andrew had spoken to Kim and others who had raised a true alpha child before, had gotten some advice on what to do, and was thankful for it. He was able to ease her panic, especially since Ollie, an omega, was affected by it. Thankfully, because they were blood it wasn't too bad, but he did panic and release his own pheromones.
Flora had to be quarantined in the basement, Andrew taking care of her while she rode out something she had never experienced before. It was hard on everyone, but they got through it. Ollie felt like a bad brother for not being able to help his sister, and Flora felt like a bad sister for affecting her brother the way that she had.
Andrew signed everyone up for therapy after, so that they could talk with someone else about their feelings in a healthy way and Maxwell and other experts agreed that was the right thing to do. Alyssa also came and spoke to Flora, talking to her as a fellow female true alpha with a baby brother who was an omega. She was able to offer some insights on the experience that Andrew nor Maxwell could, and Andrew was so grateful that he'd built a community around them that was able to support their kids.
It was during one of these talks while the girls were outside on the porch, talking in hushed tones that Maxwell came over to Andrew's side. He took Andrew's hand, Julian down for a nap and Ollie at a friend's house, and gave Andrew's hand a squeeze.
"The kids are going to be alright." Maxwell told him softly, and Andrew nodded.
"I know. I know that." Andrew told him lowly, and Maxwell chuckled. He squeezed his hand.
"Then why do you look like the world is ending?" Maxwell asked and Andrew gave a heavy sigh.
"Because, in a way, it is. They are growing up. So fast and quickly. I thought I would have a few more years of them just being our babies." Andrew told him and Maxwell stared up at the man with so much love and affection that Andrew's heart ached.
"Baby, they'll be our babies for as long as we are alive. There is not a moment where I think that they won't turn to us for comfort in the coming years. You have made sure that they know of that." Maxwell said. Andrew felt his throat grow thick and tight with emotions.
"It's just hard watching them grow up like this. We have no idea what Jules is going to be either." Andrew whispered. "Is it wrong that I'm scared for them?" Andrew asked and Maxwell pulled the man close, hugging him tightly.
"No, baby. I'm scared too, but we're doing the best that we can for them. I'm making it so they have the biggest, baddest Dad in the business, and you're making sure that they have a home that they can always come back to. They know that they are loved, otherwise Ollie wouldn't have stolen a bunch of my clothes for his playdate today." Maxwell commented. "I would have been shot and killed if I did that to my Mom." Maxwell said, a hint of amusement in his tone.
Andrew laughed at the small prank.
"He didn't take anything you wouldn't have given if he'd asked." Andrew said and Maxwell sighed, shaking his head.
"And that comment right there is why he is able to get away with anything. He's allowed to act out because you let him, and you make me a better person for it."
"That doesn't mean he isn't going to be scolded when he comes back." Andrew said, and Maxwell sighed again.
"And he knows it, so I wouldn't worry too much about it, Andrew. The kids know that you care for them, the same way that I know you care for me. It's going to be alright because no matter what, I'll be by your side, and you'll be by mine. Flora is going to be okay. She's going to grow into the kind of true alpha that would make anyone weep tears of pride, and Ollie is going to be the one who gives us grey hairs. Jules is going to have to figure out what he wants to be later." Maxwell said, but he sounded happy with the idea.
Andrew laughed lightly, hugging the other man tightly against him.
"Do you think you'll ever get tired of me?" Andrew asked into the silence that followed. Maxwell pulled back immediately, frowning deeply at the other man. Andrew deserved the smack to his chest that he got.
"What? How could you even ask that?" Maxwell demanded and Andrew chuckled.
"Sorry. I just…worry sometimes." Andrew muttered and Maxwell sighed, shaking his head at the foolishness that was Andrew's mind sometimes.
"I will never get tired of you. Remember? I planned to stay as your friend if you decided to remain with that woman." Even now her name was never spoken, Maxwell's open disgust with her on full display. Andrew's grin was a little too broad when he squeezed Maxwell with his hands.
"Sorry. I wasn't doubting you, just-"
"Caught in your own silly thoughts again, hmm?" Maxwell mused. He reached up, standing on his tippy toes to kiss Andrew's lips. Andrew lowered his head to make the act easier, welcoming the loving touch that Maxwell still had a bit of an issue doing outside. Unless it was to chase others away. "My lovely Andy. There is not a day that I am not grateful to wake up by your side." Maxwell told him.
Andrew felt his eyes begin to water immediately.
"You're so lovely. My lovely Angel, my sweet fairy. I am so thankful that you didn't give up on me." Andrew whispered. Now it was Maxwell who was teary-eyed.
"And I'm thankful that you didn't give up on me either. I love you Andy, for the many many years to come. You aren't allowed to die before me." Maxwell warned and Andrew gave a wet laugh.
"I love you too, Maxy, and I don't really have a choice over that. I'll do my best, though." Andrew muttered, bending to press their lips together. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
They only broke apart when Flora came in, making a fuss over her parents kissing. The couple attacked her, kissing and tickling the younger girl until her squeals of laughter woke up her younger brother. Alyssa volunteered to go get the baby, her eyes glittering with amusement.
This was the life that Andrew had made. This was the life that he had built, and he was thankful for everyone who had been a part of it, and for how much love that they had given him. Now it was just up to him to make his Mom proud, and be the alpha that Maxwell needed.
Maxwell's soft smile directed towards him told him that he was already doing both.
