After Dr.Kai signed him off, Ford left her office and made the ten-minute drive to ORT headquarters.Swinging his keys into his palm, he tucked his phone into his back pocket and headed through reception.
The main office was the only door in the building that wasn’t glass?impractical and expensive for a place that saw heavy weapon use, but smart for a building where vulnerable omegas were around alphas.The transparency of the doors had prevented more than one misuse of authority over the years, even the accidental behaviour sparked by a contact heat.
“What?”Wynna did not sound happy.
Ford opened the door and stepped into the room, leaning on the frame.“No new meds or Bittersweet.”
Wynna gave him her full attention from the documents fanning her desk.Though she looked confused, head in her work, a voice piped up from the corner of the room, “Hello?”
Stepping into the room, Ford peeked to the left to see little Philip Walker sitting at a table in the alcove where Wynna could see him but where he stayed hidden from anyone stopping into the office.
“Hey, monster.”He smiled at the way Pip’s eyes crinkled with momentary confusion before he stepped away from the table, hovering, as if he wasn’t sure whether to come closer.Ford had heard Wynna lamenting over her non-maternal daughter a few weeks ago.He couldn’t reconcile the stories of Hana’s lack of affection with this sweet button, but it was clear he wasn’t used to physical reassurance.He’d seen kids they rescued being clingy, no matter their age, once they found someone to trust and rely on.Pip reminded him of a kid who’d never known affection from his parents.
Unable to resist sad puppy eyes, Ford crouched beside Pip.“My name’s Ford.I work here.You’re Philip, aren’t ya?”
The boy nodded then shook his head.
“Ah.You prefer Pip, right?”His eyes lit up and he stared at Ford in wonder.“I know your uncle, Chauncey?”he said, not sure what name Chase went by with family.
“Uncle Chaun?”Pip seemed fascinated and Ford was happy to accept whatever Pip called him.It sure wasn’t a nickname for any of the other Walker brats—Cris, Orson or Zack.
“You wanna come up, while we talk?”He offered the contact Pip probably wouldn’t ask for, even if he was desperate.
Pip wrapped his arms around Ford’s neck and hugged him, silent and withdrawn.Seeking comfort and reassurance, like loads of kids who were emotionally starved, latching on like needy puppies until they realised their new source of love wouldn’t leave.His heart bled for the little monster.
Clearing her throat, Wynna reminded him of her presence.
“Dr.Kai says I don’t need Bittersweet no more,” Ford admitted, rubbing Pip’s back.“If I got Lucky and Chase, I won’t need meds, but I’ve to stick wi’ weekly appointments.”
Wynna lifted her hand to tap the end of her pen against her bottom lip.“You’re happy with that?”
“Fucking shinin’.”Ford didn’t care about anything but re-certifying and getting on with his life.Since therapy was his only way to do that, he’d take what he could get.“What’re you doing in here?”She wasn’t normally in the office, and she’d never brought the kid with her before.
“Darkin discharged a weapon in the locker room,” she complained, propping her hand under her chin.
Paperwork was the worst part of the job, especially when the questions and boxes only reminded him of the worst parts of the mission.“Want me to get lunch for Pip?”
The clock was creeping closer to one, and filing a discharged weapon report could take hours.
Wynna gestured to the papers on her desk.“Would you?I’m backlogged up the river with this, and I was planning to order in.I’m sure he’d prefer if you took him outside headquarters.”
Ford smiled when Pip lifted his head with hopeful eyes.“You wanna go see Uncle Chaun?”
“Please.”
Adorable bugger.Ford was surprised when Wynna silently mouthed,Thank you.He nodded, because Pip was a cute kid and no one deserved to grow up knowing they weren’t loved.Ford had been there, knew the shame and guilt of not being good enough to be loved, until he’d realised he wasn’t the problem.That had taken years, which this kid hadn’t been through.There was time to save him from that dark spiral.
* * * *
Chase
Ford had picked the noodle café where Chase and Lucky had first had lunch?what Lucky affectionately called their first date.
They must have arrived early, because there was no sight of Ford in the open café or what Lucky called Omega Corner.Since Lucky was still unbonded, they had to squeeze into Omega Corner to find a table big enough for three adults.Most of the booths were smaller and narrower to suit omegas and kids, whereas the decent-sized chairs were allocated to a single table meant for two, likely for courting alphas and omegas.
They found a booth at the window, where the window ledge could take their bags and coats.They’d just been given menus to look over when Ford appeared at the entrance, a head taller than most of the other customers.Lucky waved to let Ford know they had a table.
When he appeared past the dividing wall holding a child’s hand, it took a moment for the shock to fade and Chase to recognise his nephew.
