The Parents’ Strength

1

Nathan

The next few weeks are going to be so busy, but I know most of it is going to be good things. Only, today, we’ve got to be back in court again.

Zeke’s parents have brought in some experts or something and I know that it’s probably going to be very emotional and heavy again. Luckily, after that, we’ve got a lot of fun things to look forward to.

On Thursday we’ve got a Christmas recital for Oliver and Josie at their school and on Saturday Clay and Aiden’s little boys, Danny and Mikey, are having their first birthday party and then a couple of days after that, we’ve got Christmas dinner with the whole family.

Oh, yeah. And we’re starting to move things into our new house.

Our house.

It’s real.

We finished the painting last weekend and the kids chose their own colours and everything for their rooms and we’ll hopefully be moving their beds and other things during Christmas break next week.

But that’s a week away. That’s not today. Today, our focus is on less fun things. Like the court case.

I take a deep breath as I open the door of Clay’s apartment. I’ve got a key now, made things a little easier since we’re all family anyway and I ‘drop by’ a lot, aka I basically live here.

Zeke is carrying Danny around the living room, bouncing him up and down a little. The little boy is crying and looking very unhappy.

At the kitchen table, Aiden is sitting with Mikey, who doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on with his twin at all.

“Morning.” I close the door and Zeke comes my way.

“Morning.” He leans in and I give him a quick kiss.

“What’s wrong with the boy?” I take my jacket off, it’s really cold outside, though there’s no snow yet.

“He woke up unhappy and has been crying almost all morning.” Zeke pulls the boy closer again. “Hey, little man, do you want someone else to carry you?”

He looks up at me. “Please? My arms are tired, but as soon as I stop moving, he starts screaming.”

“Sure.” I reach out and Zeke hands Danny to me.

The little boy starts sniffing and I can already feel him tense his body to start screaming, like Zeke said. I start bouncing him up and down a little, and then follow Zeke back to the kitchen table.

“Morning.” I nod at Aiden, who looks exhausted.

“Morning.” He yawns. “Sorry about the crying baby.”

“It’s okay.” I keep walking through the kitchen. “Is Wes around?”

“Wes and Clay are dropping the kids off at school, and they’re going to do some grocery shopping after that. Seemed easier now than doing it after we get back from court.” Zeke sighs. “I wish this was over yet. It’s… It’s tiring.”

“Yeah.” I slow down my movements a little, it seems that Danny has calmed down some. “We all wish this was over.”

Over and done with. Our lives shaping into some resemblance of normal, even though we’ve not had that before.

This craziness has been our ‘normal’ from the start, but I’d like for all of it to settle down so that we could at least get some time in together that’s calmer.

I guess that we’re getting all the stress out of the way before we get to normal, it has got to make life easier later on.

Has to, right?

***

I keep my arms around Zeke and Wes as we walk into the courtroom, getting to our places at the front.

Wes has been really quiet the whole way here and I know that he’s taken something to calm himself down, but I’m still a little worried about him.

If we never have to be in court again, if Wes never has to have a panic attack about losing Zeke ever again, it would be far too soon. I hate seeing my mates like this.

Sarah is already sitting in her chair at the end of the table and she takes Wes’ hand for a moment. “It’ll be okay.”

He nods, but I still feel the tension in his body.

We sit down and Ezra quickly joins us too.

“Any news?” Zeke looks at Ezra.

“Some. But I don’t know how it’ll play out.” Ezra doesn’t look very happy though.

Last week, the doctor who ‘treated’ Zeke when his parents were trying to force him to mate with Jonah was arrested. But apart from some news that day, we’ve not heard anything since.

I don’t know if that should be worrying us or not. But it does make today a little less predictable in terms of what’s going to happen.

“Okay.” Zeke nods, looking at me a little. His eyes are dark with worry. Then his eyes flit to Wes.

“Let’s swap chairs.” I squeeze Wes’ arm a little.

“What?” He looks up, confused.

“You and me, let’s swap. That way you can sit next to Zeke.” I know that that usually calms Wes down more.

No matter how much I like being in the middle of them, it’s usually safer for me to let one of them be in the middle. Their bond is much too strong to get between. And I know that this goes double for Wes.

“Why?” Wes blinks as I stand up.

“I’d prefer it.” Zeke smiles softly at Wes.

Wes nods and stands up, sitting in my chair as I take his. The difference in Wes is immediately visible as he takes Zeke’s hand.

Sarah taps me on my shoulder. “How are they?”

I look at my mates before I look back at her. “I don’t know.”

She nods, her eyes dark. “This can’t be good for them. For anyone, but especially for them.”

“I know.” I’m hoping that after this is all over that I can take my mates to our own home, at least for a couple of hours.

That way I can just be with them without any interruptions. We’re going to need it. I know that already.

Looking at Zeke and Wes, we’re going to need some quiet time together later, because they seem extra stressed today, both of them.

Zeke’s parents and Jonah come in, sitting down at the other table. Zeke eyes them for a moment, but then deliberately looks away from them. Zeke’s parents also look a little rattled, though Jonah still looks as sure of himself as ever.

The room goes quiet as the judge comes in. It’s starting.

Another day in this room, another day of being told some of the most horrible things.

Another day in court.

***

“Wes.” Zeke leans to him, a note of anxiety in his voice.

Zeke’s parents’ lawyer doesn’t look back at the table, instead, he asks the next question of their ‘expert’. “So, in your research, did you find that Omegas who are in promised mate relationships do better or worse emotionally and physically than those who are not?”

This ‘expert’ apparently was able to validate the arranged and forced mating by somehow insisting that Alphas and Omegas in them were happier or healthier or something like that.

It’s bullshit. But of course, if you just poke or squint at the research enough, you can basically prove anything, even insist that marriages based on inequality and oppression are somehow good for the abused partner.

I don’t know where they found this guy, but I’m not surprised that they did.

“After interviewing Alphas and Omegas in promised mate relationships and those that found their mates some other way, I found that Omegas in promised mate relationships were more secure in their role and that their Alphas also were more content with the relationship.” His answer makes my stomach churn.

This is not even… ‘More secure in their role’? What the hell?

I take Wes’ hand and feel how much he’s shaking already. Oh, no.

“Do you believe that a promised mating is better for an Omega? That it’s healthier?” Zeke’s parents’ lawyer keeps asking these stupid questions.

“Yes. I do believe that. Omegas growing up and living in a system where they feel secure in their role and in their purpose in life are happier and healthier.”

How can the guy be so convinced of this? How can he just sprout these utter lies?

Wes’ hand tightens around mine and when I look at him, he’s really pale.

I meet Zeke’s eyes, who nods at me.

“Wes. Let’s step outside for a moment.” I slowly stand up.

“I’m good. I don’t…” Wes’ voice is tight.

“It’s okay,” Zeke whispers.

“What’s going on?” The judge’s voice is strict, interrupting whatever the ‘expert’ was saying.

I quickly look at the judge, not sure what to answer.

“My partner isn’t feeling too well. It would be better if he could leave the room for a while.” Zeke’s voice is steady and strong.

The judge looks at Wes for a moment before he nods quickly. “That looks like a good idea.”

“Zeke,” Wes whispers, keeping his hand.

“It’s just so you can have a little quiet. Nathan is going with you. You’ll be okay.” Zeke gives him a quick kiss and then looks at me. Let’s hope we can avoid a full-blown panic attack.

Wes nods, just a little, and lets me guide him out of the room.

Clay almost stands up as we pass him by, but I shake my head.

He needs to stay. He needs to be there with Zeke, he needs to be here to keep an eye on things. I know he wants to protect his younger brother, but that’s better done by staying here and making sure that things here go according to plan or at least an extra pair of eyes in case things do go wrong.

The hallway is quiet and I help Wes sit down on a bench.

“Love?” I kneel down in front of him, trying to get him to look at me.

Wes shakes his head, still really pale.

“It’s going to be okay.” I go up a little, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him close.

“How can it. How can things be okay when that guy is…” Wes’ voice breaks. “He’s saying that…”

This has got to be extra hard on Wes today. The ‘expert’ is somehow claiming that Omegas who are forced into marriages they don’t want and being abused by their ‘mates’ to conform to certain roles are happier than those who choose their own mates freely.

Wes was abused by his ex-husband. He may have originally chosen the guy and mated with him, but that doesn’t take away that what happened after that was messed up, especially the ways that his ex forced him to be the ‘perfect Omega’.

To hear an ‘expert’ say that Wes’ ex was doing the right thing by forcing him to conform to stupid roles is horrible.

I keep my arms around Wes tightly, trying to keep him grounded, trying to make sure that he doesn’t go down the dark road in his mind. I’m not sure how well it works, but I’ve got to try something.

Wes is quiet, very quiet, not moving.

“Love?” I pull back a little, trying to see his face.

Wes has his eyes closed tightly and the shaking of his body starts again.

“Love?” I touch his face, but he’s not responding. “Wes, please.” This isn’t good.

The whimpering starts low, slow, and it breaks my heart to watch it happen.

“Love?” I sit down next to him and then pull him into my lap.

How can anyone advocate for people to be abused? How can anyone advocate for people to hurt others so much that they’ll live with the scars, emotionally and physically, for the rest of their lives, forever casting a shadow over everything that they do?

I hold Wes tightly, trying to let him know I’m there for him, but I know that when he’s this deep inside the panic that it doesn’t help anymore. But it’s the only thing I can do right now.

“I love you. I love you so much. I love you more than anything in the world. You’re safe. You’re safe here.” I keep whispering, I keep repeating the words, hoping that at least hearing my voice may help somewhat. Hoping that it may get through to him on some level.

We’d hoped that leaving the room when it got too much would help. But it was already too late. It was already too late to stop it again.

Now I can only try to help him feel better and wait until he pulls out himself.

I hate it when my loves are in pain and I can’t do anything about it.

I hate it.

I wish I could protect my mates better. But it’s not always as easy as it seems.

And that’s fucked up.