Et erunt signa in sole et luna et stellis

On the day he was assassinated, the day that even Omega had been taken from him, her face joined the ranks of his tormentors. Every moment in the pit felt like a hundred years, and few crawled by at as agonizingly slow a speed as those where she wailed for him. Wailed for love, for safety. For the life and the comfort that Terzo could never bring her now. Sometimes he’d be lured into a false sense of safety, allowed to feel the indescribable joy of having her in his arms, only to have her cruelly ripped away from him. 

“We have been waiting for you for so long,” Terzo tearfully told his daughter after they’d been wheeled to the recovery room, his voice somewhere between a chuckle and a whisper. His lips were pressed against her soft, white hair, nuzzling between her horns. “Our Starlight.” Before he knew what he was doing, he began humming to her, much the way he had before she was born. It felt as natural to him as breathing.

And to his amazement, her cries gradually quieted. He couldn’t help but let out a joyous little laugh. Her newborn smell, her weight in his arms, for real this time… It was all he would ever need again. He was sure of it. Those sensations kept him grounded, anchored to the moment and to the new nature of his reality. He’d carried her in his body long enough to trust that she was real, that this was actually happening—most days, anyway. That he was someone’s Papa, that it was no longer just a symbolic title forced upon him by people who meant him harm. 

When a large, familiar hand on his shoulder interrupted Terzo’s humming, he looked up to see his husband smiling at them through watery eyes. Omega gestured to Starlight, redirecting Terzo’s attention to the infant currently snuggled up with him. To his amazement, she was smiling. A tiny smile, her eyes still closed, but a smile nonetheless. 

“I think she likes the sound of your voice, tesoro,” Omega observed before kissing the crown of Terzo’s head. Happiness swelled in Terzo’s chest, bubbling over with nowhere left to go. 

“Eh, I am sure it is just a reflex,” Terzo protested weakly, although he wasn’t sure why. He was her Papa, after all. Shouldn’t he be special to her, just as she was special to him? She was a part of him for nine months, after all; surely it would make sense for her to react to him in particular. Sometimes, though, Terzo couldn’t help but feel as though he didn’t deserve her. Sometimes it took a lot of convincing to make him feel like he deserved anything good in this life at all.

After all, the journey to get to this moment had been long and arduous. Most of the time, Terzo felt as though he was fighting a losing battle, pursuing a fool’s errand. If he thought regaining his sanity after his resurrection was grueling, fighting to maintain that sanity while they were trying for a baby had almost been worse. He’d sworn up and down to himself that he’d let go of the idea of having children with Omega, but as soon as even a sliver of hope presented itself, he’d jumped at the chance. They both had. Terzo knew it hadn’t been any easier for Omega than it had been for himself, and he thanked his lucky stars every day that Omega had been willing to go through the profound grief of hope with him. 

Even when they conceived, Terzo never could’ve guessed, could’ve imagined, that the little girl staring back at him on her delivery day would be the very same child he’d been dreaming of for all these years. In many ways, he was in shock. How does one rationalize such a miraculous event, such a strange twist of fate? Surely something greater must’ve been at work, but thinking about it too hard threatened to give him a headache. Perhaps it was unwise to question such a gift. 

“Can you believe it?” Terzo sighed, letting his head fall back on the hospital bed, which was adjusted to an angle where Terzo could sit up and bottle-feed Starlight. Puzzlingly, he was met only with silence. When he cracked an eye open and glanced over at Omega, he saw the ghoul sitting in a chair at the bedside, head propped on his arms. Omega was staring at them lovingly with wide, adoring puppy-dog eyes. If Terzo could see Omega’s spaded tail, he was sure it’d be swishing contentedly. 

“No,” Omega answered dreamily, his voice warm and full of the happiness Terzo’s heart was currently brimming with, too.

Once she’d made it clear she was done with her bottle and had again dozed off, Terzo gently traced over Starlight’s delicate features. He ran the back of his finger across the planes of her cheekbones, her jaw, her chin. When he reached her nose, he couldn’t help but gaze on in wonder and amazement. That was his nose, too. No matter how much their little girl took after her Daddy, she would always carry a part of her Papa with her. Terzo had never liked his nose; it reminded him too much of his mother. Before seeing it on his Starlight’s face, he never would’ve wanted to curse a child to carry that particular feature with them their entire lives. But seeing her with it now, Terzo had never felt prouder, more comfortable in himself. Everything about her was perfect—especially her nose. 

Taking pains not to wake her, Terzo brushed a stray lock of silvery hair out of Starlight’s face, then turned his attention to her hands. Her darling, tiny hands, fists now loose and relaxed from slumber. He gently kissed the clawed tips of each delicate finger. As he lightly grazed the palm of her hand, he was amazed to feel her grip his index finger and hold on tightly. His baby girl, here, in his arms, holding onto him. Perhaps she had been waiting for him just as long as he had been waiting for her. 

Terzo was sure that his sniffles were going to alarm his husband, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He let the tears flow freely down his face, but they could only linger there for a moment before Omega wiped them away. “She is perfect, amore,” Terzo croaked.

Omega’s eyes were watery now, too. “She is,” the ghoul whispered before taking Terzo’s face in both hands and kissing him softly. 

It didn’t take long for Omega to overcome his fear of breaking the hospital bed by joining the rest of his family, now that the temptation was even greater than it had been before the C-section. Before he could actually see and hear and touch their daughter, before he ever got the first hit of that newborn smell. Soon, they were all snuggled up together, Omega watching over them as they got some much-needed rest. As Terzo drifted off, he couldn’t shake the nagging fear at the back of his mind that perhaps this, too, was a dream. He didn’t know who to thank when he woke up and his Starlight was still there, but he’d do just about anything in repayment for that blessing. 

Day two in the infirmary saw Terzo getting antsy, desperately wanting to take his family home. The fluorescent lights, the scratchy pink gown, the uncomfortable hospital bed, the cold and sterile plastic bassinet unfit for his principessa… It was all beginning to wear on him. He knew how important it was to the health of both the birth parent and the child to stay under observation for the first 72 hours, but dammit, he wanted to go home. He’d asked Omega to at least go home and get some rest so that his poor ghoul wouldn’t have to sleep in a chair or crammed in a too-small bed, but true to his nature, Omega had refused. Still, Terzo got the sense that he wasn’t the only one feeling cooped up. 

There was a knock that snapped Terzo out of his thoughts. Startled, his head snapped up so quickly that he felt something in his neck pop. As soon as he saw who was standing in the doorway, his mood immediately lifted; it was little River!

Well. Terzo still saw him as “little” River, the way he was when they’d first cared for him on the weekends. But the truth was, the water ghoul now had nearly a foot in height on him, much closer to Omega’s size than the human’s. He was wearing a full suit, a deep navy that complemented his skin tone nicely. In his left hand, he carried a beautiful bouquet of pink roses, peppered with dainty sprigs of baby’s breath. In the right hand, there was a bottle of champagne. A brilliant smile spread across Terzo’s face. 

River crossed his arms and sauntered across the room towards Terzo’s bed, a mischievous grin on his face. “So, I hear you’ve replaced me,” River teased as his eyes fell on the newborn quintessence ghoul kit fast asleep in the bassinet. Terzo felt guilty for not holding Starlight at all times, but he’d been under Omega’s strict orders to try to sleep when she did. Terzo felt all of the color drain from his face at River’s remark, his heart skipping a beat as his mouth fell open. River saw his expression and barked his characteristically bubbly laugh, then sat down on the edge of the bed and patted Terzo on the shin. “Relax, Uncle Terzo, I’m just pulling your leg!”

Terzo was too relieved to be irritated by the joke. River had been their honorary nephew for damn near thirty years by that point, babysat weekly by the two of them until he was five years old. Taking care of River had been the thing that made Terzo realize for the very first time that he wanted a family with Omega. So, River being jealous of their new baby? It had already crossed Terzo’s mind, no matter how irrational a fear it was. River would always be family to them, no matter what. 

Omega snorted from his chair at the bedside. “You know he takes these things seriously, Riv,” he admonished, although a little too playfully for Terzo’s liking. “He used to be scared of getting caught playing with the other kits in the wing. He was so sure his only nephew would be jealous.” Terzo shot Omega a glare for so casually airing out his insecurities. 

River leaned in to press a quick kiss to Terzo’s cheek in greeting, then quickly rose to his feet, his face giving the impression that he’d just realized he left the stove on. “Dammit, I didn’t bring a vase for these! Where the hell—” he cut himself off and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, much to Terzo’s surprise. “Heck. I mean heck.” Terzo pressed his lips together, holding back a smile. 

Terzo was impressed by the self-correction around Starlight, and very appreciative. Although she was too young now to pick up on foul language, he knew that one day, she would be. River knew that Terzo never liked it when he swore, because in many ways that were tough to admit, Terzo still viewed him as the same sweet little boy they’d cared for all those years ago. The first time he’d heard River swear, he’d half-heartedly threatened to wash his mouth out with soap, a threat he’d often heard Secondo’s mother use against her son when they were growing up. He’d never dream of actually doing it, but as River wasn’t familiar with the saying, he took it literally, and cleaned up his language… for a little while. Now that he was older, he did as he pleased, but he knew Terzo didn’t approve. 

“Where the heck am I supposed to put these flowers now?” River continued, much quieter this time as his face flushed a darker shade of blue.

Omega grumbled. “I’ll go get one from our quarters, I suppose,” he said with a put-upon sigh, the chair creaking as he stood. Once he was on his feet, Omega stretched and cracked his back. Terzo felt guilty for how uncomfortable his husband must be in the room’s too-small armchair, a chair that was quite cramped for someone with a frame as large as Omega’s. Why did they even have furniture that looked as though it was designed exclusively for the petite when they knew ghouls lived and worked here? 

As soon as Omega was gone, River shuffled his feet awkwardly, looking for something to do. He’d always been quite the hyperactive little boy, always needing some form of stimulation. Terzo could relate; he’d been much the same way for most of his life, and even now as he’d calmed with age, he still frequently fidgeted, or worse, bit his nails. That had only gotten worse during his pregnancy, anxiety and restlessness running high in those last few months. 

“Did you get Primo’s permission before you raided his rose garden?” Terzo broke the silence, a smile audible in his voice. 

River’s attention snapped back to Terzo, and it took the water ghoul a couple of seconds to process what had just been said. When he got it, River grinned from ear to ear, showing his fangs. “Do I ever ask permission for anything?” 

Terzo rolled his eyes playfully. “No, my little typhoon. No more than the ocean asks permission to come in for high tide.” River’s smile widened. A thought occured to Terzo; something was out of place. “What’s with the suit, piccino?” Terzo teased. He had to admit, though, River was looking quite sharp. 

“I wanted to make a good first impression on the little lady,” River answered, his voice full of mirth, but also a sincerity that made Terzo’s eyes sting. 

They waited for Omega to return, and this time, the quiet was comfortable and interspersed with light conversation. It didn’t take long for the quintessence ghoul to make it back; Terzo got the sense that he wanted to spend as little time away from his family as possible right now. It was only as Omega was putting the bouquet in the fine crystal vase that Terzo remembered the champagne sitting on the end table as well, the cold bottle now sweating in the ambient room temperature. 

Terzo gave River a reproachful look. “You know I’m not going to drink that.”

“Why not?” River protested, offended. 

“River, I have just had a baby! Drinking alcohol would be very irresponsible of me!” Terzo told him off, feeling like he shouldn’t have to explain something so obvious. River rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. 

“Dude, I know she’s bottle-fed. You’ve had nine months without a drop, you deserve at least one glass! To celebrate!” River stressed. Terzo’s brow furrowed in indignation. 

“Dude?” Terzo repeated the offending word in disbelief. River flushed again at his mistake, averting his eyes from Terzo’s reproachful gaze. 

In the end, Omega had to run home once more to grab champagne glasses, something that River had also overlooked. It was quite endearing, really, the way River’s train of thought flitted about. He did his best on his own, but sometimes he needed just a little bit of support. Terzo never minded. 

“To Starlight,” River announced once Omega returned and they’d gotten everything set up, holding his glass out toward the other two adults. 

“To Starlight,” the new parents echoed as they clinked glasses, and Terzo took a drink. There was a warmth that filled him that didn’t come from the alcohol; it felt as though a piece of him had finally fallen into place, a long-empty chasm in his heart finally filled. He closed his eyes, uttering those sacred words again like a mantra, a prayer, an affirmation: 

Henry let out a tired sigh, turning over on his side. He pulled the covers tighter around him as a sort of makeshift cocoon. He tried curling up more, remembering to stop gritting his teeth and relax his face.

Any moment now, he’d fall asleep. At least that’s what was supposed to be happening. Despite his exhaustion, his mind wouldn’t let him. Even though he was desperate for it.

So, as usual, he waited. He could be patient. If all the years stuck in a lab didn’t prove that he was patient, he didn’t know what would.

Time went on as he silently lay there, keeping his eyes closed and waiting for sleep to kick in. He could almost feel the electric hum of his alarm clock, the numbers slowly changing. There were no crickets at this time of night either.

Finally, he pulled the covers back and slowly sat up, accepting defeat. He placed a hand to his throat, uncomfortably swallowing to ease the dryness. Perhaps once he got a drink of water, he would finally be able to fall asleep.

He walked as quietly as he could to the tiny kitchen, each step almost a careful tiptoe. He did not want to wake El; cheaper living arrangements meant thinner walls. But so be it. He was just thankful to have a sturdy roof over their heads. It was still better than that first apartment he’d been able to afford at the time. The house they were currently leasing at least didn’t have any leaks.

Henry grabbed the cup that was at his spot at the table, bringing it over to the counter and setting it down quietly. He opened the door to the quaint fridge, thankfully provided by the landlord. The little fridge light bulb flickered occasionally, but despite that, everything worked.

He took out a pitcher of ice water. Really, it was just ordinary tap water with some ice cubes floating around in it. But it was better than room-temperature water. He filled his drink and then put everything back as it was, slowly closing the fridge door to keep it from slamming. Leaning against the counter, he took a long drink, instantly feeling relief in his throat.

Eyeing some papers that were spread out on the table, he went over and took a seat. He placed his cup down and away to prevent possible spillage. He knew he should’ve just gone to bed, but he still couldn’t find it in him to sleep.

His fingers spread over the pages, eyes quickly scanning over words and things. Some of it was El’s grammar studies, another was minor bills, and a list of goals he’d made.

He was handling her schooling at the times when he wasn’t working. He handled the expenses and bills when they came up, or at least as soon as he could, without getting into major trouble. He was even able to check things off his list.

All things considered, he appeared to be doing remarkably well with all these new responsibilities. But just because he was handling it all on the outside didn’t mean it wasn’t eating away at him slowly on the inside.

Almost everyone else had time to learn and prepare for the world and adulthood. He didn’t really receive that same experience.

This whole time, he’d been so focused on getting himself and El freedom and safety, working day and night towards their goal. He could handle it, he had been handling it. But he’d been practically forced to work so much, taking each task as it came, that he never had time to fully stop and rest.

But now that they had made it somewhat, in a better environment, job and housing fairly secure, some food in the fridge, now Henry could relax somewhat. But by letting his guard down, he opened himself to being completely weighed down by the exhaustion of the situation.

Everything, physically, mentally, emotionally. It all started seeping into the cracks. Especially at a heightened sense now that he could feel the Mind Flayer losing its grip on him. It was both a blessing and a curse, in a way.

For the first time in he didn’t know how long, the fog that had surrounded his mind was finally clearing. The daze he’d been in was loosening. Back when he’d been an orderly, the Soteria had put a damper on his powers, not allowing him access. But the Mind Flayer had always been there, just not as loud. But now that he was fully returning to himself again, that meant that autopilot by the Mind Flayer was no longer an option. He was having to handle everything solely as himself.

Again, he could do it. He would do it. He would succeed at handling all the adult things and being a single parent. He wouldn’t crack under the pressure of it all. Right...?

Henry pushed the heels of his palms into his eyes, gritting his teeth with frustration. The overwhelming, suffocating feeling of dread and stress gnawed at him. He knew he could do it, but he had to admit to himself that he was tired of keeping everything from falling apart. He didn’t know how everyone did it. There was a small part of him that understood why his parents had used alcohol and medication to cope.

He could feel his eyes getting wet. Henry lay his head in his arms on the table, silently sniffling to himself. He felt like an impostor. Sometimes, as if he were still that twelve-year-old boy inside. How he was a full-blown adult with a job and bills and a daughter baffled him sometimes.

It really was a lot for one person. Especially when said person hardly had any sort of preparation for this kind of life. Again, another blessing and curse situation. The fact that he’d made it to a life like this at all instead of rotting in that wretched lab for the rest of his life was nothing short of metaphorically miraculous.

---

 (previously)

He’d managed to get them out of the lab, find semi-decent shelter, and survive. But if they were to ever get out beyond that, to actually thrive, they would need new identities. New birth certificates, IDs, proof that they existed and were everyday people.

“And how am I possibly supposed to do that?” Henry ran his hand through his hair before gripping it tightly. With a frustrated sigh, he let go.

The amount of time he spent wishing for an escape, years of dreaming of freedom; the finer details hadn’t quite been worked out. Perhaps a small part of him never truly allowed himself to plan it fully, assuming he’d die before seeing the sun again.

But he supposed luck was on his side this time, for once. He would not waste the chance he had been given. He’d come up with a solution, and soon. Henry didn’t know how much longer they could go without proper shelter before they’d be found.

How does one go about getting new, albeit fake, identities? There was no one he knew before who would have the resources for that. At least no one he knew before he became trapped in the lab.

---

“Here’s a little something I thought you might like.” Dr. Owens gently slid the book across the table toward him.

Henry’s eyes lit up for the briefest moment. “An encyclopedia about spiders?”

“Doctor Brenner told me they’re one of your favorite animals. I figured you could use some cheering up.”

Henry shrank in on himself slightly; his empty expression returned. “Did he put you up to this?”

Dr. Owens, so far, was different from Dr. Brenner, but he still worked with him on occasion. Henry didn’t trust any of the scientists or doctors, no matter how pleasant they seemed. That’s how it had started with Brenner; he wouldn’t make the same mistake.

“No, no,” Dr. Owens spoke casually, his posture softened as if he were reassuring any other patient. “The book isn’t a bribe or anything, and it certainly wasn’t Dr. Brenner’s idea. In fact, we ended up having a bit of a disagreement about it.”

Henry stared. He frowned, brows furrowing. “I don’t understand...”

“Henry—”

“He wouldn’t like you calling me that. It’s supposed to be Peter now,” he corrected.

“Which do you prefer?” Dr. Owens asked. “Brenner isn’t here right now.”

He bit his lip for a second, absentmindedly fiddling with his sleeve. “Henry…” he murmured.

Dr. Owens gave him a smile that he hoped helped put him at ease. “Henry. I know there’s a list of expectations and rules you’re used to with Dr. Brenner. The studies you do with him. My job, however, is to see how you’re doing.”

“There are nurses here for that,” he replied.

Dr. Owens clasped his hands on the table. “The nurses are here for when you get a scrape or feel sick. I am here to see how you’re doing mentally.”

Henry couldn’t help but let out a tiny scoff. He glanced down, picking at a loose string on his shirt.

Dr. Owens’ patience didn’t falter. “The studies, the tests, I know they haven’t been easy... they’d be difficult for anyone to go through. Which is why I’m here if you ever need to talk to someone.”

“You want me to tell you how I feel so you can tell Papa,” his tone was bitter. He crossed his arms and leaned back from the table.

“As part of my job, I am required to give him a general report of how you are doing, however, I do not have to give every little detail.” Dr. Owens explained. “You’re still allowed to have an outlet for your feelings,”

Henry tried subconsciously using his powers to sense any notion of deception, but had trouble finding it. He loosened the tension in his shoulders slightly. He by no means trusted the doctor all of a sudden, but he was not getting the same shark-like vibes from him as he did with Brenner.

“Why do you care?” he quietly asked.

“You are still a human being. Don’t forget that. Where others see a test subject, I see a young man with a lot of potential.”

“Potential for what? A weapon?” Henry sneered.

“I believe you are more than that, but that’s something we can talk about more later. I have something else I’d like to talk about.” He grabbed something from his clipboard.

Henry reluctantly accepted the small collection of papers from his hand. He turned the papers over, scanning each page. “This is... homework?” His brows knitted.

“Just because you’re not in school doesn’t mean you don’t need to keep up the skills. These are just basic refreshers, things you would’ve already been doing in middle school. The knowledge might come in handy when you start your orderly work.”

Henry couldn’t possibly see how doing homework would help with that, but he’d rather take this than be poked and prodded.

He nodded, setting the stack of papers down. “How am I supposed to do this without a pencil?”

“Oh,” Dr. Owens did a mock face-palm. “I knew I was forgetting something.” He pulled out a spare pencil from his coat pocket, handing it to him.

“And before I forget this as well, here’s my card. I’m only here on occasion, and I’d feel better if you had a way of contacting me just in case for any reason.” He handed him a business card. “And don’t worry, I have clearance for this.”

Henry hesitantly took the card, looking it over carefully as if it could disappear at any moment. He slipped it into his pocket, making a mental note to memorize the number on it later.

He chewed on his bottom lip as several questions flooded his mind. “How come... you like to do things differently than Dr. Brenner?”

Dr. Owens let out a quiet sigh. “Just trying to bring something different to the organization, I suppose. Make some changes here and there.”

Henry nodded. He still couldn’t bring himself to fully trust him, but perhaps he could be a valuable asset. At least someone in this place seemed to care beyond the results of tests and studies.

---

He had waited for El to finally fall asleep before attempting to go into the void. As she slept on the creaky couch, he sat on the floor, criss-cross in one of the spare rooms. He took a tentative sigh, tying an old scarf he’d found to use as a makeshift blindfold.

He accidentally sneezed and tensed up, gritting his teeth and hoping he hadn’t woken her. When he was met with the usual nighttime sounds, he relaxed, briefly itching his nose with the back of his hand.

“Stupid old dusty scarf...“

He couldn’t remember the last time he went into the void. With the lack of white noise and noting his rusty skills, he hoped he’d be able to pull this off at all. At least the quiet chirp of crickets slightly filled in as white noise replacement.

Henry held the card in his hand. Once sturdy and neat, now worn and crumpled with time. It had been something he’d never let go of, always keeping it on his person when he could. And he had been thankful for that now.

His fingers carefully ran over the edges, feeling each bend and tiny tear. He recited the phone number under his breath, still having it memorized all this time. He would track down Dr. Owens and spy without him knowing, to see if he could be of any use in getting him and El new documents.

It sounded simple in theory. He’d find out if that was still the case for actually doing it. Dr. Owens had told him years ago that he could contact him if needed. Now he would hold him up on that offer.

Henry took a slow and calculated breath, trying to focus on entering the void and finding the doctor. The quiet background began to sound fuzzy.

He opened his eyes and was greeted by the familiar vastness, water slightly ebbing at his feet. He glanced around for a second, not noticing anything out of the ordinary.

 He had been mistaken. He squinted, seeing a speck of something in the far distance. Henry began walking, carefully navigating the place. The speck he saw started getting bigger the further he walked.

Finally, he started recognizing what it was. Dr. Owens, the person he’d been looking for, sat at a desk, completely unaware of Henry’s presence. He was on the phone, leaning back in his chair. He muttered something tiredly under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Henry had forgotten what time it was when he started this journey. He blinked, not used to seeing him in a robe and pajamas instead of the lab coat and uniform he’d been familiar with. Dr. Owens appeared older, his hair greyed, and more wrinkles had shown in his features than the last time Henry had seen him. Though, of course, the last time he’d seen him, Henry had just been settling into his orderly role.

The desk was littered with stuff he expected. A couple of stray pencils that hadn’t been put back in a cup filled with other pencils and pens, some papers and files, a clipboard, etc.

“Seems like he still works with the government...” Henry slowly walked around the desk, scanning the papers and items.

Dr. Owens quietly huffed in frustration, running a hand through his hair. Whoever he was talking to on the phone, it didn’t seem like a conversation he particularly wanted to be having. Though Henry couldn’t blame him, especially for how late it probably was.

“I’ve already told you, I will not be working with Ms. Maddison. Her plans are messy and unorganized. Her priorities need to be on getting the lab back in order, but what is she doing? She’s focused on the wrong thing... It’s revenge, plain and simple. And we don’t even know if she’s fully telling the truth.” He threaded the phone cord between his fingers, fidgeting with it as he listened to the person on the other side.

Henry froze, immediately remembering the name. Beatrice Maddison, or more accurately, Brenner’s little pet, practically a watchdog. Shit. He had hardly factored her in. He supposed it made sense that she was in charge now. That’s what Brenner had planned, shaping her into the perfect successor once he finally retired.

He figured that role possibly would’ve been given to him originally. But of course, once Brenner realized his failings of having Henry completely under his control, someone else had to fill that purpose.

“If that’s how she feels, fine, but I want no part in it. That’s why I’m transferring. My mind is made up.” After going through the usual formal goodbyes, Dr. Owens hung up the phone. He let out a tired sigh, face-palming. “I should’ve left the project sooner...” he muttered.

Henry paced slightly, hand to his mouth as he thought it over. He should’ve known. Of course, Beatrice wanted revenge on him. For killing Brenner. If he’d thought he had been attached to Brenner at twelve, Beatrice had taken it up a notch.

Though Dr. Owens’ refusal to work with her seemed promising. And his apparent concern and regret. Perhaps this would work after all.

Henry watched as he got up from his chair, presumably heading to bed. He turned into smoke, vanishing from his view. Though the desk had remained for a moment longer.

Without thinking, he grabbed a new spare business card from a stack of them. Just in case, in all this time, the number had changed. He stuck it in his pocket.

Henry pulled the blindfold off, setting it down. He grabbed a spare tissue, holding it to his nose to stop the bleeding. He carefully reached into his pocket, relieved to feel the card he’d taken. It had worked.

He wanted to continue spying on him for a few more days, just to confirm that the plan would work. Each step had to be calculated. He could not mess this up for El and himself.

---

Thankfully, everything was falling into place. Dr. Owens still seemed like the person for the job. Though now came the hardest part: trusting the plan enough to actually contact him.

But how to do it? Henry considered calling him from a payphone, but what if he could somehow be tracked? Perhaps making contact through the void itself? It would put more of a strain on his powers if he did choose that. A letter was definitely out of the question, he didn’t exactly have a return address.

He grappled with each idea, every one of them still had an element of risk. Not something he was particularly keen on. But if he didn’t try, then he and El would be stuck. Blending in would give them a stronger advantage compared to just continuing to hide in the woods.

Henry finally made the difficult decision and decided that the best course of action would be to contact him via the void. At least at first. He was untraceable in the void, and being in the void allowed him to see the doctor as if they were actually face-to-face.

---

He watched Dr. Owens at his desk, working on something, but appearing to be alone. Henry swallowed, taking a breath in and out as a weak attempt at steeling his nerves. A pit-like feeling developed in his stomach. He really hoped his instincts were right and that Dr. Owens would help them. Or at the very least, not rat them out.

Henry slowly reached out and gently touched his arm. Nothing at first.

“Dr. Owens?” His voice almost echoed.

The doctor immediately jumped in shock, instinctively pushing his chair back and moving away from Henry. He couldn’t find words, just silently wide-eyed staring at him as his heart pounded. He placed a hand over his chest.

 “This... this isn’t real... you’re not real,”

“Depends on if you think the void is a real place or more of a vision...” Henry internally cringed once he realized his snark was getting the better of him. What the doctor needed right now was calm.

“Do you remember me at all...? I know I look a lot different than the last time we spoke. It’s Henry... you brought me that book about spiders?” he carefully spoke.

Dr. Owens slightly leaned forward, eyes squinting. Then recognition showed in his expression. The mannerisms, the eerily calm facial expression. It appeared to be the same boy he’d seen all those years ago, now grown up.

Though he wasn’t wearing a familiar hospital gown or lab clothes, now dressed in a sort of mishmash of older clothes that looked slightly worn out. A coat that almost looked too big for him and pants that might’ve started slightly unraveling at the ends. Clothes that looked more suited for the cold, possibly.

“Henry Creel?”

He slowly nodded.

“What’s going on? I thought... I wasn’t entirely sure if you were still alive,” his voice laced with confusion and a bit of concern.

“If you’ll just let me explain everything, I will. I need your help...” Henry pressed his lips into a fine line.

“No, I remember you didn’t like asking for help. You were extremely independent when you could be. Hell, I think you only asked for my assistance once or twice.” Dr. Owens countered.

“I’m asking for your help now. You said I could contact you if I needed help, and here I am to take you on that offer.”

“Yeah, I said that you could contact me if you ever needed my help about twenty years ago, give or take...” Dr. Owens slightly scoffed in disbelief. “It was in case you needed someone to talk to in the lab, not trying to contact me through this... place.”

“Please, Dr. Owens... you said yourself that I don’t like asking for help. Me deciding to reach out should show you how serious I am about this.” He couldn’t meet his gaze, clenching his jaw.

A nauseated feeling came over him in small waves as he had to show how vulnerable he felt. But he pushed down the feeling as best he could. He stood back, letting go of the desk, looking down.

Dr. Owens softened somewhat, but he still looked conflicted. “How do I know that this isn’t a dream and that I’m actually talking to you right now?”

Henry furrowed his brows, covering his mouth with his hand. An idea showed in his eyes. He pulled out the old business card he still had.

“This is the original card you gave me all those years ago. If I give it to you to put in your pocket, and then release you from the void, you should ‘awake’ to find it still there. Once you do, I’ll attempt to pull you back into the void to explain more.” He handed the card to him.

Dr. Owens stared at the old card for a second before accepting it, putting it carefully into one of his pockets.

“Okay, so what do I do now?”

Dr. Owens quickly opened his eyes, taking a breath. He glanced around the room, no one was there but him. He leaned back in his chair, processing what had just happened.

Remembering the card, he hesitantly reached into the pocket, eyes widening in shock when he pulled out the same exact worn-out card. He held it up closer to his face, examining it. It was real. That had been real. Henry Creel was alive and calling out to him. For what? He wasn’t sure.

Before he could take another moment to think it over, he felt a light touch on his arm and was instantly back where he was, pitch black surrounding him. Henry stood in front of the desk, briefly waiting for the doctor’s mind to catch up.

“You weren’t lying,” was the first thing Dr. Owens said.

Henry’s eyebrow faintly quirked, Dr. Owens almost missing the micro expression. “Of course not. And I didn’t lie in our old sessions either... about disliking Brenner at least.” If he showed some sort of reliability, it could help bring him to his side.

Dr. Owens lightheartedly scoffed. Some things did not change. This was definitely still the same kid he talked to all these years ago, just older.

“Most people didn’t like him... bit of a wet blanket if you ask me,” he muttered.

If the situation wasn’t so dire, Henry might’ve allowed a chuckle at that. He moved to lean against the desk to slightly mimic Dr. Owens, and so he wouldn’t have to keep standing. “There’s a lot I need to explain, but I’m hoping you can help me with... something.”

“Okay, you got my attention,”

---

“You’re really asking a lot of me here, Henry,” Dr. Owens murmured, running a hand down his face.

“I don’t know anyone else who could do this...” He kept his hands clasped in front of him, old habits. “I am not just thinking of myself here. El deserves a real life. I didn’t want the same outcome for her that I went through. She’s only eight years old. The thought of her back in that place is not a pleasant one.”

Dr. Owens glanced down at his desk, fiddling with a pen as he thought it over. For too long, he’d been complicit in working with Dr. Brenner and Project Rainbow. He’d known at the time it was wrong, but he had continued to justify it until he couldn’t anymore. This was a chance to hopefully right some wrongs, or a start at least. Perhaps ease some of the guilt that had built over the years.

He sighed quietly, eventually looking back up at Henry. “All right, let me see what I can do, but I’m letting you know upfront that I can’t make any promises, understood?”

Henry nodded. He allowed a small smile on his face. “Thank you.”

“Let’s not thank me yet until I can actually deliver on this,” he joked slightly. “Forging documents and all of that can be a tricky process...”

“You’re the best person I know for the job.”

Dr. Owens casually raised a brow. “You said I’m the only person you know for the job.”

Henry shrugged a little. “Fair enough.”

“I’ll need a little bit of time to work on this. I’ll try to speed up the process, but nothing about filing or documents is ever fast. I’ll also try to get you both ‘in the system’ under the new names during this, so it’ll look like you’ve already been existing this whole time with these names. Makes it less suspicious. You can check back in with me in about... a week minimum, but be warned, it'll probably take longer.” He scribbled some additional notes to a list he’d written earlier.

Henry tried not to show his disappointment. “I understand.”

“If for whatever reason I can’t... then we’ll go from there,” he added. “Oh, and we can continue talking here, it seems like the safest from watchful eyes... just in case.”

He nodded.

---

“Alright, thanks to luck being on our side, I was able to get these made, using your input, of course. Why don’t you give them a look and see how I did.” Dr. Owens passed a small stack of papers and things towards him.

Henry picked it up, carefully looking through every little detail. His eyes scanned his new birth certificate and social. As he had requested, his new name was Henry Ballard instead of Creel. Though his birthday was the same, but the birthplace had been slightly altered.

The major differences he could see were that his middle name had been changed from Christopher to Arthur, and the mention of his mother’s name was changed to Samantha. He took a small satisfaction in the further erasure of his mother.

Dr. Owens had also worked on a state ID for him. A driver’s license was off the table until Henry actually worked up the courage to learn to drive. He knew he would need to at some point. How humiliating would that be, though, to be probably stuck in a class with a bunch of teenagers as a man in his thirties. He pushed down the thought.

Next was El’s information. Everything looked correct as far as he could tell. Eleanor Jane Sophia Ballard, born in Hawkins to Henry Ballard and Teresa Wells.

Henry had nothing personal against El’s mother, Terry Ives, just wanting to change her last name to keep El safer. He decided to save El’s original name as a middle name, knowing she would appreciate still having a connection to her mother in some form. Sophia had been his idea, once the middle name of his sister, Alice.

“Everything looks good.” He looked back up at Dr. Owens.

“Hold on, look at the last bit of paperwork.” He gestured to it with the tip of a pen.

Henry furrowed his brows, his finger skipping to the last bit of paperwork. He pulled out a couple of papers that were held together with a paperclip. He looked it over, but confusion must’ve been clear on his face as Owens started to speak up.

“That’s a job resume that I typed up for you. It’ll help your chances of getting a job.”

“This wasn’t necessary,” his tone revealed a bit of surprise, though subtle gratitude.

“I know, but I wanted to. Your work as an orderly still counts for something. But don’t worry, I just said that you had experience working in childcare. By the way, you can use me as a reference.” Dr. Owens politely smiled.

“Reference?” He tilted his head somewhat.

“Most places will ask you to name someone who can vouch for you professionally, to say that you can be a good employee and such,” he explained.

“Oh... thank you,”

That was another thing that daunted him. Job hunting and working. He wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect, but it had to be done for El. And so that they could actually get a real place to live. But one step at a time.

Dr. Owens opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a plain folder, offering it to Henry. “To keep it all safe.”

“I wanted to reaffirm that I am grateful for your help... and I suppose, thank you for caring about El’s future.” Henry quietly admitted, carefully putting the papers in the folder. He avoided his gaze.

“Not just hers, but yours as well. If anyone deserves a fresh start after everything, it would probably be you.” Owens gently pat Henry’s arm for a split second.

Henry recognized it as a kind gesture, one that was actually genuine, but it still took every ounce of control not to flinch and back away. He swallowed and forced a quick smile onto his face. He un-tensed once Owens removed his hand.

“Don’t hesitate to reach out again if you need help with anything, and I do mean it this time.”

He nodded and delicately stuffed the folder into his coat, making sure none of the edges were folded or bent. Hopefully, something as big as a folder could be taken back from the void as well.

“And remember, be careful. Beatrice is distracted with restoring the lab, but she hasn’t forgotten her... mission,” Dr. Owens warned.

He tried to focus on steadying his anxiously beating heart. He himself wasn’t exactly afraid of her, but he had to admit that he was afraid of what she was capable of. And for what she could potentially do to El. Though he would do everything in his power to prevent that.

He let out a quiet huff of air. “I understand.”

Henry felt the blindfold around his eyes. Without even taking it off first, he felt around in his coat for the folder, and couldn’t help but smile when he felt it.

He took it out and pulled the blindfold off, looking down at it. He thumbed through the contents, making sure everything looked as it should. It was all in there and looked the same.

It had worked. He almost couldn’t believe it. He nearly let out a small chuckle of relief, but remembered it was nighttime again and, of course, El was fast asleep.

He and El were going to make it. They would make it out of the woods, both literally and figuratively. Henry wasn’t sure if he completely believed in luck or higher beings, but this definitely felt like... something. Perhaps the universe deciding not to be cruel for once.

---

(presently)

Henry instantly sat up and wiped his eyes once he heard tiny padded footsteps behind him.

“Henry?”

He took a shaky breath, wiped his eyes again just in case, and grabbed a napkin to dab his nose. He fixed his expression and forced a small smile on it, turning around to look.

El stood behind him, rubbing her eye with one hand, and clutching a black lamb stuffed animal in the other arm. She yawned.

“Ellie, what are you doing up?” He slowly stood up from his chair, pushing it in and leaning against it, trying to appear as calm and collected as he could. All those years as an orderly seemed to kick in as if it were instinctive.

“I heard something... and I, um, woke up,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve woken you while I was getting a glass of water,” he explained.

She seemed to accept that answer, nodding. “It’s very dark outside.”

“Yes, definitely past your bedtime.” He started walking with her, taking her back to her room.

“And yours,” she replied.

“Adults don’t have to have early bedtimes, sleepyhead.” He pulled back the covers on her bed and started tucking her back in.

“No fair.” She yawned again.

“Children need to get a lot of sleep to help their growing bodies and minds.” He pulled the blankets up and scooted the rest of her stuffed animals and dolls closer to her.

By the time he’d finished his sentence, she was already asleep again. Henry let out a quiet huff of amusement at that. If only sleep would work that fast for him.

“I am fine, Omega,” Terzo hissed at him as he settled their toddler on his hip. His eyes were wide and defensive as he pulled Starlight close to his body. She looked confused, but didn’t protest to her Papa’s embrace. She was quiet but unharmed, sucking her thumb in an effort to self-regulate after the tumble she’d just taken. No matter how many times she’d been warned about running in their quarters while wearing socks, she just couldn’t help herself when she got excited, and the news that they were about to watch her favorite movie had riled her up quite a bit. Unsurprisingly, her fall had caused Terzo more distress than it had the little girl, something that Terzo didn’t seem to realize. 

The problem was, Terzo was in no condition to bend as low as he had, nor lift Starlight from that great a distance. Not while pregnant, not as far along as he was. And certainly not with the amount of back pain he was dealing with this time around. The agonized wince he’d seen cross his mate’s face sent Omega’s protective instincts into overdrive, and he knew he had to act. What would happen if Terzo wasn’t ok after that kind of overexertion one of these days? He couldn’t stand by and let that kind of reckless behavior go on any longer. 

Omega was all too familiar with his husband’s stubbornness, so he usually let things go. This was different, though; this was about Terzo’s own well-being, and by extension, the well-being of their kit. On any other issue, Omega wouldn’t be foolish enough to contend with Terzo’s raging hormones, but he’d watched his mate struggle enough these last few months. Terzo had begun to scare him lately.

Despite only having a little more than two months left until their due date, Terzo still insisted on doing everything by himself. If Omega had it his way, he’d be tending to Terzo’s every need while the human relaxed all day, at the very least until this baby was born. Carrying a ghoul kit was hard work, after all. Harder than it looked, and it looked pretty damn hard. Omega would do anything for Terzo, anything to keep him safe and happy, and everyone knew it. He’d always felt that way, nearly from the day they’d first interacted. Sitting back and letting Terzo needlessly suffer as he carried their second child went against every moral bone in his body, and every paternal instinct the ghoul possessed. 

Surely Omega had a duty to protect his mate and their family, right? And surely that still applied even if his mate didn’t want to be protected. Right? 

But oh, Terzo… his Terzo was fiercely independent. Independent to a fault. He always had been, and Omega knew that he always would be. Getting Terzo to stay put when he wanted to do something would be about as easy as getting Secondo to stop drinking, or teaching Primo manners; it simply wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t in Terzo’s nature. Omega would have better luck converting Alpha to pacifism, or switching his very element itself. That stubborn spirit of self-reliance was part of what had endeared Terzo to Omega in the first place, but right now, it was stressing him the hell out. 

“Tesoro, if you’re struggling to pick her up, you really shouldn’t be doing it. You’re gonna get hurt!” came Omega’s desperate attempt to talk some sense into his very pregnant mate after having watched him cause himself needless pain. There wasn’t much sense to be had in their home as of late, though, and sadly, this wasn’t even the first time they’d had this conversation.

Terzo rolled his eyes and re-adjusted the toddler, moving her to his other hip so that he could shift his weight. It was obvious that Terzo was uncomfortable, that he should be resting instead of standing there arguing against his own health, but here they were anyway. Even after all of the decades they’d waited to be able to start a family, nothing could have prepared Omega for how wildly Terzo’s moods would swing during his pregnancies. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t sting when Terzo glared daggers at him as he did now, or when he felt genuine irritation radiating off of him. Or, the dark lord forbid, anger. That was the scariest of all. 

“You cannot tell me not to pick up my own child, Omega! Especially when she is hurt,” Terzo retorted, turning his nose up indignantly at his partner. Omega flinched at the harshness of Terzo calling him by his real name in the privacy of their own home. “Star is no more than twenty-six pounds, twenty-seven at most! If I cannot handle holding a two-year-old, then we have bigger problems to worry about, no?” He stared expectantly at Omega, as though he were actually waiting for an answer. 

All Omega could do was scrub his face with his hands, this conversation compounding his recent exhaustion. It wasn’t Starlight who kept him awake at night; no, their angel fell asleep at the same time every evening and seldom stirred. It was the agonizing lower back pain that Terzo tried in vain to hide, as though Omega wouldn’t notice how his partner tossed and turned all night, whimpering in his sleep. It hadn’t been nearly this bad when they were expecting Starlight, and Omega couldn’t understand why Terzo wouldn’t let him help. It had taken some convincing just to be allowed to give his mate back rubs to try to ease the pain. Terzo just couldn’t admit he had a problem, not when it came to their family. From day one, Terzo had been dead-set on being a perfect father to the children they’d waited so long for, even if it was to his own detriment. As much as Omega admired it, felt the same way about his own role as a parent, sometimes Terzo drove him crazy.

Beyond that, he suspected that Terzo felt self-conscious about just how hard it was for him to carry a child. It was true that this was something Terzo’s body wasn’t designed to do, that it had taken a lot of interference to get to the point where it could. Did Terzo feel like a failure for not being “good” enough at this, at what they’d worked so hard for? Or perhaps he thought that Omega would limit them to two children for the sake of Terzo’s health? That was something that Omega frankly didn’t want to think about right now. One step at a time. 

All through their tiff, their firstborn watched them with her wide, mismatched eyes, full of innocent curiosity as she clung to Terzo, leaning her little head against his chest. Starlight was such a Papa’s girl, even more so now that she had a little sister on the way who she wanted to be close to. Omega felt guilty when she peered at him from where her face was pressed against the black silk of Terzo’s dressing gown. She looked perplexed, perhaps even a little betrayed; he knew she didn’t want to be separated from her Papa any more than her Papa wanted to put her down. Omega couldn’t help but feel as though the greatest loves of his eternal life were ganging up on him.  “She’s perfectly fine, mia luce! She didn’t even cry, she was getting up on her own,” Omega attempted once more to reason. “I saw your face when you bent to pick her up. It was hard for you, you’re in pain…” He took a step closer to Terzo with the intention of taking Starlight from him out of an abundance of caution, but Terzo knew exactly what he was doing and tightened his hold on the little girl, who gripped harder onto her Papa’s dressing gown in response. 

Even still, Terzo couldn’t help but move one hand to support his lower back. Omega knew how badly Terzo was hurting; he could feel the pain when they connected with the ghoul’s quintessence, and he could see it written across his partner’s face. It made Omega want to cry for his mate for all the suffering he endured for their family, going through something his body shouldn’t have been capable of. But he knew how steadfast Terzo was in his decision to push through. Omega knew he’d never shrink in the face of pain, especially not for their children. 

That was why they were in this mess to begin with. Perhaps Omega couldn’t spare his mate from pain altogether, but he believed he had a duty to lessen it. That’s why he tried so hard to take over all of the household tasks, why he’d worked so tirelessly to convince Terzo to take leave from his ministry duties. Given the opportunity, Terzo would work himself into the ground. Omega was absolutely not going to let that happen, especially not now that they had two children who needed their Papa. 

“I am in pain all of the time, amore,” Terzo scoffed, casually brushing him off, much to Omega’s surprise. Terzo must have been really hurting to stray from his typical line about everything being fine. “Does that mean that I must abandon my daughter? It is not her fault that I am hurting!” Terzo turned to look at Starlight, who was now gazing up at her Papa. Removing his hand from his back, Terzo gently brushed her silky white hair out of her face before holding her closer to his body, where she clung on even tighter. Omega’s heart twisted in his chest; he felt so guilty for wanting to separate them, even if it was only for a short amount of time. 

“That’s all the more reason why you shouldn’t—”

“Daddy,” Starlight interrupted Omega’s rebuttal, raising her sweet little voice louder than she normally would. She wasn’t rude, but she still commanded both of their attention. When Omega’s eyes darted to her cherubic face, her eyes were full of questions, but her face was set in a resolute determination well beyond her two years of age. 

“What is it, princess?” Omega answered his daughter, his demeanor instantly softening. It wasn’t like Omega had been mad before she’d spoken up, but he certainly was on edge. He would never direct any of that tension towards his children, though. Starlight merely stared back at him, her face not lending any clues as to what it was that she wanted. 

Confused, Omega slowly approached the pair, not wanting to cause Terzo to retreat out of fear that he was coming to take their daughter from him—at least not yet. When he was close enough, he got on eye level with her, mere inches away from her face. 

“What’s wrong, my little love?” Omega’s voice was gentle and kind, the way it so often was around his daughter. Starlight made a natural nurturer out of him, made him sweet and warm and fiercely protective. That little girl could and would have anything she wanted from him, especially his time and attention. He listened to and respected what she had to say as though she were a full-grown adult, and his Starlight usually had a lot to say. Her silence throughout this argument between her parents was very uncharacteristic of the tiny ghoul, a child who had been talking since before her second birthday. 

In response, Starlight reached out for him like she wanted to be picked up, and Omega swallowed hard; he could almost taste the feeling of betrayal rolling off of Terzo in waves in response to their daughter wanting to leave his arms. 

But when Omega got in close to her, her hands landed on either side of his face, where she proceeded to squish both of his cheeks, much to the great surprise of both of her parents. They locked eyes, Omega’s full of confusion, his toddler’s full of determination. With a strength greater than he anticipated, she guided him towards her Papa’s face, where they ended up looking eye to eye. 

“Little Star, what are you—” Omega started, his voice distorted from where his face was being manipulated. Before either of them knew what was happening, Starlight had moved one of her little clawed hands to the side of her Papa’s face, then guided them together. Their faces pressed against one another awkwardly, until she moved them so that their lips were pressed flush together. 

“Stop fighting!” Starlight commanded, her voice as soft as ever, but tinged with an edge of defiance that they seldom heard from her. It wasn’t a request; there was no “please”. In that moment, it was clear that she wasn’t taking no for an answer. Omega could do nothing but melt as love and intense guilt fought for space in his heart. 

Not needing to be told a second time, Omega parted Terzo’s lips with his own in a tender kiss, one that Terzo resisted for a second before thawing and reciprocating, conveying just as much emotion in return as he had received. One of Omega’s large hands moved to cup Terzo’s jaw, the other resting on his mate’s belly, heavy with their child. All he ever wanted to do was help his husband. But he’d never really stopped to consider that all Terzo ever wanted of him was to be trusted, for his autonomy to be respected. He was faced with the reality that their squabbles were impacting their daughter, and it threatened to break him. Needing to make things right with their child, Omega reluctantly pulled away from Terzo. 

“Baby girl,” Omega cooed, gently brushing Starlight’s face. “I’m so sorry for upsetting you,” he apologized with a kiss to her forehead. “Daddy and Papa are ok. I promise you.” Starlight eyed him skeptically for a moment before hiding her face against her Papa’s gown once more. Omega fought to keep his face neutral at what felt like a rejection. Despite the moment they’d just shared, Terzo made a triumphant little noise at being picked over her Daddy. Omega sighed in defeat. 

Instead of walking away, Omega leaned in for another kiss, this one seeming to take Terzo even more by surprise than the first; Terzo hadn’t been expecting Omega to fold so quickly, nor for his mood to shift so abruptly. But his daughter’s distress had reminded him of his priorities. 

Omega pulled back just as abruptly, though, needing to both apologize for his behavior and explain his concerns. Terzo tried to follow his lips. Omega pressed their foreheads together instead. 

“Mia luce…” Omega murmured, his eyes closed as he searched for the words he needed to properly convey his feelings, without holding onto any of his previous irritation. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be trying to control you, and I’m a fool for ever trying.” Terzo huffed with amusement, and Omega didn’t need to see him to know that his husband was gloating, pleased to have “won” the argument. “But—” 

“Ah, here we go with the ‘but’,” Terzo swiftly cut him off, voice full of enough sass that Omega could almost see his eyeroll. Terzo moved away from him, retreating so that his back was against the counter to put some space between them, but Omega knew the move was also a covert effort to relieve some of the pressure on his lower back. 

Omega’s brow furrowed, but he refused to get frustrated again. His daughter had just reminded him of what this was really about, had grounded him in his love for his family. Maybe Terzo was too stubborn to accept that lesson, but Omega had to step up. He had to be the bigger person here. Omega figured it was only fair, considering how much of a burden he’d saddled his partner with. Surely Terzo had earned the right to be a little difficult? 

“Yes, there’s a ‘but’,” Omega replied calmly, trying not to give Terzo any room to protest again before he could finish what he had to say. “I love you.” Terzo eyed him suspiciously from across the room, as though he didn’t know if he could trust what should have been the most obvious thing in the world. “I love you, and I love our family. And I would never forgive myself if I let you get hurt.” Terzo’s gaze moved to the floor, unwilling or unable to make eye contact as Omega cautiously approached him. 

Once they were standing mere inches away from each other again, Omega placed a clawed hand on each of Terzo’s shoulders. Reluctantly, Terzo raised his head to look at the ghoul. Behind the pain that had been such a constant companion these last couple of months, beneath the defiance, Omega knew he saw a flash of remorse in Terzo’s eyes. A flash was all he needed. 

“I love you,” Omega repeated. “I need you. All three of us need you, cuore mio…” Terzo still looked a little confused, but Omega could feel the wall between them begin to crumble. “It’s wrong for me to tell you that you can’t be there for our children however you want to be,” Omega readily admitted. Terzo began to fidget with his earring, a clear sign of distress. Shit. That was the last thing Omega wanted right now. Omega was confused until he felt a wisp of guilt that Terzo couldn’t hide from him. 

“But I worry about you so much. You’re putting so much strain on yourself, physically and mentally. And I know you don’t regret it, neither do I… You’re such a good Papa.” Omega’s voice cracked on the last word. He was trying not to get too emotional, but watching Terzo begin to tear up wasn’t helping. Sometimes Omega swore Terzo’s hormones were contagious—and to a quintessence ghoul, perhaps they were. His hands began slowly rubbing up and down Terzo’s arms. 

“I’m begging you, mio amato. Please look out for yourself the way that you look out for everyone else,” Omega implored, and Terzo bit his lip as he fought against a torrent of conflicting emotions. “I know you feel like you owe it to everyone to be everything, all at once. But you also owe it to us, and to yourself, to stay healthy and happy. I know you’re in pain, tesoro. After everything you’ve been through, you deserve to be kind to your body.” Omega’s voice was nearly a whisper. “Please let me help you.” 

Terzo closed his eyes tightly, and Omega’s heart broke when he saw a tear roll down his husband’s cheek. He delicately wiped the tear away with the back of his hand, wondering how much of Terzo’s pain was emotional and how much was physical in that moment. Omega knew he had to lessen his load, at least for now. 

One of Omega’s hands found its way to Starlight’s hair, delicately gliding through the loose curls and waves. At the contact, she turned her head to take a peek at him. After thinking about it for a moment, she reached out and caught Omega’s hand, gripping tightly onto his fingers. But rather than shove him away like he feared she might, she drew him in closer and wrapped both arms around his. Omega met Terzo’s eyes, silently begging his beloved to share the responsibility of parenthood. 

Terzo tore his mismatched eyes away from Omega’s gaze, then stared down at where Starlight clung to her Daddy for what felt like an eternity. Finally, he kissed the crown of her head and reluctantly handed her off to Omega. Although he tried to hide it, the relief on Terzo’s face was immediate, his other hand moving to support his back alongside the first. It was Omega’s turn to be clung to like a mother koala, Starlight nuzzling her face into Omega’s chest as her tiny claws no doubt poked little holes in the fabric of his black tank top with the way she gripped it tightly in her fists. Omega wouldn’t have it any other way. 

He guided Terzo to the sofa, then helped him sit down. Terzo looked like he wanted to swat Omega away and sit on his own, but this time, he kept quiet and allowed the assistance. Omega moved the ottoman so Terzo could put his feet up, then got cozy in his usual place beside his mate. Starlight settled in her favorite place, sprawled out over both of their laps like a lazy cat, and for the first time since their argument began, Omega felt safe and happy. He’d known that everything would be alright, but it didn’t make clashing with Terzo any easier on him. 

Before the opening credits were over, Starlight was fast asleep. It wasn’t her nap time yet, but the stress from their conflict must have tired her out. For that, Omega felt immensely guilty. 

“Hey,” Terzo called quietly from Omega’s shoulder, unwilling to disturb their daughter and break the peace that had fallen over them. Omega hummed in response, content and ready to doze off himself. “I am sorry, too,” the human admitted before lovingly kissing Omega’s neck, and Omega’s heart fluttered. Terzo’s unpredictable mood was great at throwing him for a loop, but the truth was, they always came back together in the end. He knew that nothing could tear them apart. 

“It’s ok.” Omega’s voice was nearly a whisper, very conscious of the two-year-old fast asleep on his lap. He knew from experience how cranky she’d be if she were woken up prematurely. “I was never mad, mio amato. Just… worried.” Worried was an understatement, but the last thing he wanted was to start the disagreement all over again. To his surprise, Terzo began running a hand across the ghoul’s shoulders. 

“I know,” Terzo replied after a long pause, and the unexpected undercurrent of sadness running through his simple statement took Omega off guard. “I just feel that I am not good enough, sometimes, the way that I am. I want to be more for all of you.” Omega’s lips parted, but he didn’t know what to say. They sat in silence for a long minute. 

“You are enough,” Omega stated simply, unsure of what else he could add to convince his mate. “You’re more than enough. You’re my everything, you’re the glue holding our family together. I don’t know how to do this without you.” With that, he felt and heard Terzo begin to cry. Omega was horrified, convinced that he’d said the wrong thing, that he wasn’t enough, that— 

Omega’s spiraling was interrupted by a loud growl from Terzo’s stomach. Wait. Was part of Terzo’s moodiness just Terzo being hangry…? There was only one way to find out. 

Using the kind of practiced precision that could only come from extensive trial and error, Omega carefully lifted the child who was sleeping in their laps and held her close to his body, stabilizing her head on his shoulder as he tiptoed to her bedroom. Terzo didn’t bother to protest this time, instead drying his tear-streaked face. Once she’d been placed soundly in her bed with all the care and precision of a surgeon, Omega crept back down the hallway to the sitting room. Although he did his best to avoid the creaky spots in the floor, he still stepped on one and cringed, frozen with terror at the sound. Thankfully, Starlight didn’t wake; although she slept through the night, she could hear a pin drop during nap time and wake up, quite upset. 

Rather than taking up his spot on the sofa next to Terzo again when he made it back to the sitting room, he extended a hand to his mate. Terzo stared blankly at him for a moment with red, puffy eyes, but then he allowed Omega to help him to his feet. Omega led him to the kitchen, feeling Terzo’s irritation slowly return in tandem with his confusion. Terzo was about to open his mouth when his husband sat him down at the kitchen table, but Omega leaned down and kissed the crown of his head before he could say anything. 

“You can’t fool me,” Omega teased, fighting back a laugh. The returning sense of levity felt good, even if Terzo was still miffed. “You’re still hungry. I bet that’s part of why you’ve been so testy all morning.” Omega didn’t need to see Terzo’s face to know that it was flushing a dark pink. 

“That is not why, Omega, I—” Terzo started to protest, but he was interrupted by yet another growl from his stomach. At that, he gave up, slumping back in his seat and looking up at Omega, who was still looming over him. “Okay,” Terzo conceded. “Perhaps that could be part of it.” Omega chuckled outright before crossing the kitchen to the fridge. He made a turkey sandwich for Terzo exactly the way he liked it, extra mustard and no mayo, set it in front of his husband, and then flopped down in his own chair beside him. 

Terzo hesitated for a moment, and Omega knew it was because he was ashamed to admit he’d been in the wrong. It didn’t take long for him to cave, though, groaning as he took a bite. If Omega had to hazard a guess, Terzo probably hadn’t even realized he was hungry. No, he was too busy being irate, misled by his own raging hormones. Overcome with relief, Omega lay his head down on the cool wood of the table and closed his eyes. How could he already be this tired before they’d even made it to lunch time? 

“Thank you, amore,” Terzo said quietly, reluctantly, his pride stung by how wrong he’d been in his actions. “I…” he trailed off, searching for the words. “I am sorry for snapping at you,” he apologized, his voice resigned. “I have been cruel to you this morning. I know that you just want to help me. I suppose that… sometimes I struggle to accept my own limitations. It is just that I always want to do more for all of you, to be enough. I do not like feeling as though I cannot even be there for my daughter.” Omega listened intently, wanting to respect Terzo’s feelings, especially in light of how hard it was for him to share them right now. 

“Of course you can be there for her, cuore mio,” Omega reassured him softly. “But there are two of us for a reason. We are partners. Not just romantically, but in life.” Terzo stared silently at his plate, hopefully absorbing Omega’s words. Omega sat up and wrapped an arm around his husband. “You will always be enough. It’s not your fault that you’re a little more limited in what you can do right now. It’s not forever,” he promised Terzo. “Please, let me help you. Let’s share the load.”