Chapter Text
"Mommy, I don't want to go." Sherlock pouts in the backseat.
"I know my sweet boy. I know." Her words are ones she's repeated time and time again but her inflection is one that holds genuine empathy.
When they arrive they're flagged onward to visitor parking. Observing all the men in uniforms Sherlock sulks harder.
"I don't like so many new people."
"But look at how handsome they are," Vivian exclaims trying to lift the painfully shy boy's spirits. "You're going to live among these brave soldiers who will protect you, isn't that exciting?"
Sherlock responds petulantly, "Soldiers are mainly Alphas and Alphas are stupid and dull, everyone says so."
"Everyone, or just Mycroft?" Vivian Holmes turns around and smiles. Her pale blue eyes, retroussé nose, and large curls a perfect, mirror in her youngest son. Except for the color - his towhead blonde turned chocolate brunette when he was seven.
"Daddy too," came Sherlock's retort. His father frequently expounded on how Alphas are no better than barbarians, dumb brutes who can't think for themselves, their modus operadi is simply food and sex. If they aren't barking out orders they're blindly following them, falling in lock-step. Their nature craved not the arts or sciences, but violence and danger and sex, but without flare or grace.
Vivian's heart-shaped lips flatten somewhat as she replies tightly, "Yes, well, your father has a particular reason to dislike Alphas. Come now. Out you go."
They're right outside the visitor entrance when a cold shiver of fear suddenly spooks Sherlock. He tugs on his mommy's skirt and whines.
"Why should I have to leave you and daddy and Mycroft and Eurus? It's hateful." He bites out the last word in his tiny child voice.
"Sherlock! Watch your language."
Vivian bends down to be at eye level of her little boy and softens her voice. "You are a Holmes and I expect you to act like a good little boy and do as you're told.
"But why do I have to be the one to leave?" Tears glitter in his eyes and Vivian's heart breaks for the thousandth time.
"Because, my little one, you are special. So special." She sifts a hand through the boy's feather soft curls.
"You are too young to understand everything about he world, and besides," she pinches Sherlock's pale apple cheeks causing a high-pitched giggle from her son, "knowing you as well as I do you'll simply delete anything distressing from your mind."
"However, you are clever enough to be told certain truths no one else in the family wanted to explain to you. Moreover you deserve to hear them. Your father has made several poor, not so clever choices in life that have left our family on the cusp of bankruptcy."
"The councils are now run by Alphas and they enjoy taxing Beta families like us."
"Because we are rich and own lots of lands."
"Y-yes." The boy is definitely too perspicacious for his own good, she thinks. "But it is terribly unfair, not least because they don't even care about such things. All they really want are special people like you."
"Me?" Sherlock's voice is very small and he looks down at his feet, unable now to keep the tears unshed.
She cups the boy's face and lifts it so he sees she is crying even harder. "The world is a cruel place and we all have demons we must face eventually and I'm so sorry yours are here.
"Listen to me, my little Sherlock, if I had my way you would stay at home where you could play your instruments and dance and play in the high grasses to your heart's content. And when the time came I would marry you to a rich old Beta who would let you do as you please, buy you fine clothing and every knick knack under the sun, and who...who couldn't hurt you or treat you so roughly...when..."
"Roughly?"
Sherlock shivers unconsciously.
Her son's distressed voice brings Vivian back from her dark thoughts. She wipes her eyes and holds him with both hands.
"Nevermind that last part. Delete that Sherlock." She commands, and in the next second Sherlock's face brightens, tears stopper, and the dark confusion lifting like a fog.
Amazing. Such an amazing talent of his mind. Having seen it before many times she still can't help but be amazed at his natural defense mechanism.
She takes a deep breath. "All you need to know, Sherlock, is that you're doing a brave grown-up thing today. And you're doing it for your family. You want to help your family, don't you?"
"Yes, Mommy." His voice is still thin but more assured than before.
"Good, now let's go in and meet your new masters."
The visitors section is blocks away from the main buildings, once they get checked in they're directed to where they'll meet Sherlock's escort.
John stands at attention outside the Omega Female Relation's Building.
He's burning up inside his uniform. It's not actually hot outside, quite cool actually, but anxiety and nerves and Alpha biology have John sweating up a storm.
Military staff and members of OFeR pass by but John just nods keeping his eyes peeled for someone new.
It's impossible not to stare when he first lays eyes on her. She is easily the most beautiful women he's ever seen, and for a moment he thinks 'she's the one.' He flicks his eyes back down to his clipboard to remind himself he's looking for a boy.
He's so distracted by her graceful, delicate beauty it isn't until she approaches him not ten feet away that he sees her.
A tiny child, undoubtedly a girl, peeks out from around her mother's skirt.
His stomach drops and a familiar disappointment fills his veins before getting replaced with a groaning anger.
Of course. It makes sense.
Sherlock did sound like a strange name for a boy, strange for a girl, too-- but why did Uncle Sholto bother lying to him?
"Mrs. Holmes?" The woman nod, her curls bouncing gently but even that pretty movement can't soothe him anger. He half snaps, "I thought you were dropping off a male Omega, not a girl Omega."
Her blue eyes go wide at the aggressive behavior of such a young Alpha. "I- Sherlock isn't..."
"I'm not a girl!" The small child steps out and stamps her his foot.
"Alright, fine. You're a boy, but our records say that he's supposed to have presented and be bondable."
"I never gave any false information. Sherlock was reported as being pre-presentation. An agent of the council came by the house to inspect him himself, and he was deemed highly desirable to claim for the state. All those record should be in your notes, young man. Let me see what they say."
John growls softly to himself. "They only say 'male omega,' but I was personally told he was old enough."
Vivian pointedly glances at John's name badge.
"Well, Lieutenant John Watson, I suggest you go speak to whoever gave you misinformation, but in the meantime I expect you will escort my son to his new home."