Archive of Our Own

"We’re getting a new supervisor, you know," Sheila said, from the back of the lab. She and her friend, Mark, sat right at the back, under the large windows where the light was brighter. Ffion’s work station was near the door, under artificial light, but it gave her a good view of whoever was passing in the corridor. All three wore the beta uniform of grey shirt with the beta symbol on the breast pocket, grey trousers or skirt, and grey shoes. Alphas wore dark blue suits which were expensively tailored, and they wore dark blue shirts and ties. While the betas were restricted to grey, grey, grey.
      "How do you know we’re getting someone new?" Ffion said distantly, still dissecting the latest batch of shoots she had been growing.
"Sian told us," Mark said, in his usual didactic way.
"Oh well, if Sian told you it must be true," Ffion said. "It’s a pity though, I liked Elaine."
Mark pushed his glasses further up his nose. Ffion never took him or Sheila seriously. How could she when they went around together and were rarely seen apart. They wore the same design of spectacles and their hair was cut to the same style. She was sure that Sheila’s hair had originally been blonde, but it was dyed to the exact same shade of copper red as Mark’s hair. Ffion always wanted to laugh when they spoke to her, in tandem.
"You see, that’s your problem, right there!" Sheila said, triumphant. Ffion could have kicked herself. Why had she gifted them more ammunition against her?
"I have to agree with Sheila," Mark said. Well there’s a shock, Ffion thought, but kept it to herself.
"If you spent as much time with your fellow betas as you do with alphas, perhaps you would get on, be part of the team instead of on the outs."
Get on better with the betas? No thanks.
"Richard has been asking after you," Sheila said. Now Ffion did shudder. She seemed to spend half her off duty time in trying to avoid Richard, the leader of the beta agronomy technicians, and beta of the betas.
"Richard can ask all he wants," Ffion muttered, never taking her eyes off the dissected seeds. "Doesn’t mean Richard will get what he wants."
Sheila only sniffed, significantly.

      By the time her duty shift was over, Ffion was exhausted. The work was not too onerous, she enjoyed treating a batch of seeds to the latest new growth compound, and seeing what came up. Meal breaks were more difficult to endure. Having to sit in the beta side of the big canteen was to risk the danger that Richard and his little circle would swoop down on her. Sometimes in the past, if she was lucky, she had been able to snag a small table in the middle of the two halves in the company of Elaine or a couple of other alphas, Mac and Jenny, who were not too precious to be seen in the company of a lowly beta. But now that Elaine had gone, she felt she couldn’t really impose her company on them. It was a pity as she liked the canteen. It had huge, wide windows letting in even the weakest of sunshine, a gift after the unrelenting grey of the labs and corridors.
      It had taken a year, from moving into her new apartment in the accommodation block, to grow used to living near alphas. From the time her parents died at the tail-end of the war, she had spent her life in the company of betas. From the residential school the authorities enrolled her in when no relatives could be found still living, all the way to the university the school sent her to, to gain a degree in botany. Being interviewed for her job by three alpha scientists had been nerve-wracking, not to say terrifying. Her first taste of being around alpha people was so overwhelming that she thought about running away as fast as she could. Alpha supervisor Elaine’s friendship had been a pleasant surprise. Despite their obvious differences, they had similar interests. So when Elaine told her that she had found her omega mate and she would be leaving, Ffion was sad, but happy for her friend’s future.

      She joined the crowds leaving the labs and crossing the quad to the residential buildings. Six large, bulky grey concrete monstrosities housed all of the staff. Except the directors of each department of course, who drove away to their own homes near the town. The blocks were built for practicality rather than aesthetics. It made sense; after the war not long past, no one had the time to build attractive places to live. "Join the science division for a better tomorrow", the recruitment posters declared. But when would that tomorrow arrive, Ffion would like to know. The quad was a square of concrete slabs and anything green that dared to show itself was ruthlessly destroyed. As always, Ffion wondered why a few beds of flowers could not have been laid around the edges. Even a patch of grass, however small, would have been something to look at and a rest from the unrelenting grey.

      She pulled open the door to her corridor, a long, dark hallway with muted lights above each door. The dull, sombre green walls added to the depressing atmosphere. It contributed to the low mood she had been enduring for a week or more, with an awareness of her lone state. Was it because Elaine was going to be settling down with a mate, and all that implied: a home of her own, children, a family? Her loneliness was getting to be too heavy to bear every day. If it went on much longer, she could be driven to seeking out the company of other betas like Sheila and Mark.
      There was something going on at the other end of the corridor, near her apartment door. A tall man passed her, carrying three boxes stacked on top of each other with ease. He wasn’t wearing a uniform suit, but from his height and obvious strength, he had to be an alpha. It looked like someone was moving into the vacant apartment next to hers. A new neighbour? As she reached her front door, the one next-door opened and another man came out. Tall, very good-looking, and younger than the other man, he smiled at Ffion and she was so fascinated by the way his eyes narrowed, that she smiled back without thinking.
"Sorry if we’re making a bit of a din," he said. Even his voice was pleasant.
"That’s all right," Ffion said, "those apartments are not very big, you’ll be moved in in no time. Not much storage space in them though. So I hope you haven’t brought your entire library with you."
He laughed. "Hey Jacko," he called to the other man, "did you remember to bring the library?"
"What are you talking about Adam, you lunatic?" the man growled. He glared at Ffion, who took the hint.
"Well," she said, as she unlocked her door, "welcome to corridor 5."
"Thank you miss, em?"
"Davis, Ffion Davis."
"Thank you Ffion, I’m Adam," he said, holding out his hand. Ffion shook it, gingerly, then turned to go into her own apartment. As she went in, she heard the older man, Jacko, still growling.
"I hope you’re not going to get mixed up with betas," he said, all but spitting the last word. Charming, he was not. As she shed her coat and shoes in the living room, it occurred to Ffion that all while she had been talking to this James, she had been aware of a delicious scent of freshly cut grass; earthy, fresh, and rich.

      The day started badly when Ffion burned her breakfast toast, and then had to hunt through every drawer in her bedroom to find a pair of stockings without a run in them. By the time she found them, and finished dressing, she was already ten minutes late. She scrambled out of her apartment, still frantically brushing her hair. She would have to wait until she got there to plait it. It would have to happen on the day the new supervisor was coming to inspect the labs.
      As she locked the door, Adam came out of his apartment.
"Are you late as well?" he said, grinning. "Not a good look for my first day, is it?"
She was so exasperated that she handed him a black hairband and the hairbrush without thinking.
"Here," she said, "make yourself useful and help me plait this mess. We can go in late together."
"Stand still then."
He brushed her hair until it was shinier and smoother than usual, and rapidly plaited it. She turned around and around, feeling the difference from the usual untidy mess she made of it.
"I only meant you to hold those things for me. But you’ve done this better than I could. Thank you."
"I had a little sister," Adam said. "She liked me to do her hair. If I’d had a bit more time, I could have done you a French braid."
Ffion brushed some tiny flecks of dust and a loose thread from the shoulders of his jacket. "Yes, you’ll do," she said.
"Thanks mother," he said with a grin. "No, I take that back, you’re nothing like my mother. Thank goodness. Now come on, we’re 15 minutes late now. I’ll be hanged, drawn and quartered."
Ffion laughed. "Don’t be silly, you’re an alpha. The most they’ll do is make you drink our coffee instead of using the posh coffee machine."
      They were very late. There was no one else crossing the quad from the accommodation blocks and the silence was heavy. When Adam realised that Ffion couldn’t keep up with him, he slowed down and tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow.
"I could pick you up and carry you," he said, "that would be quicker."
"Don’t you dare," Ffion gasped, racing to keep up with his long legs. "I might bite you."
He gave her an odd smile. "I hope you do," he said. Wait? What?
      As they reached the entrance doors, Ffion suddenly remembered that it was the first day of the month and time for the director’s regular pep talk, and that the doors were automatic, and rarely quiet. The doors opened slowly as they approached them, whining as the motors went into action. The entrance hall was crowded. Rows of betas spread across the width of the hall, with alphas standing around the edges. Everyone’s head turned round to watch the latecomers. The director was in full flow standing on the dais, but he saw Adam and Ffion come into the hall. He gestured for Adam to come up and join him.
"Go on sonny," Ffion said, patting him on the back. "Keep your head up, speak up, and make us all proud."
"I will so get you for this," he said between clenched teeth. She chuckled quietly and moved to join the end of a row of betas at the back of the hall.
      The director was speaking again, as Adam joined him. "Here is the newest member of our family, Supervisor Wayland, who is, as I’m sure you know, the grandson of our most distinguished and generous benefactor, Sir James, whose generous contributions greatly contributed to the building of our....". Whatever else he said went over Ffion’s head as she suddenly felt hot and cold at the same time. The new supervisor, one of those Waylands. And she had let him brush and plait her hair. She hadn’t twigged when he said it was his first day. Such an idiot; who else could he have been? The woman standing next to her in the back row nudged her. Oh lovely, it was Sheila, with Mark, Richard, and the rest of their clan along the row.
"Everyone saw you," Sheila hissed. "You’re chumming with an alpha, again. Richard is not happy."
"Bully for Richard," Ffion said quietly. "Now shut up, I want to hear what Adam is saying." And watch him; he was good to look at. He made the regulation dark blue suit, shirt and tie look quite stunning. She stood still, wondering why he felt so familiar, and why she felt the urge to tease him so much. Was it just to make him laugh? He had a nice laugh. Betas didn’t make fun of alphas. Betas were stern, earnest, serious. Privately she added, betas are humourless. But Elaine had got her silly sense of humour. Elaine had been kind, letting her work in the isolation lab, or go back to her apartment when she was feeling off kilter. Ffion had to admit, she had felt lonely since Elaine had gone. Perhaps her low mood wasn’t just because she was still single and homeless, but because she was missing her friend.
      Adam was looking right at her as he talked; he knew she wasn’t paying attention. She would hear all about it later. But for now, it was fun, looking him up and down with her head on one side, and letting him see her do that. His lips were twitching, he was trying so hard not to laugh. She put on a straight-faced expression, nodding slowly, and he coughed. Someone passed him a glass of water. Ffion decided she had tortured him enough. She moved back and behind Sheila, out of Adam’s eyeline.
      By now he was winding down and ended with, "thank you for your warm welcome," and shook hands with the director. His ordeal was over. The director dismissed the audience and Ffion raced to get to the lift before Sheila et al could ambush her. She got to the lab and pulled on a lab coat that really should have gone to the laundry two days ago. Sheila and Mark stalked in, noses in the air, to the back of the room, muttering darkly. At least that meant they would leave her alone.

      It was a quiet day. Ffion heard Adam’ss voice, talking to the technicians in the other labs. Sheila and Mark wandered in and out, earwigging for all they were worth. Ffion spent the whole day in the lab, drinking indifferent coffee and telling herself that she was not, definitely not staying in one place in case Adam wandered by. It was late in the afternoon, almost time to pack up for the day, before the new supervisor made it to their lab. The watery sun, what there was of it, had already passed by that side of the building. Her mind had wandered a little while she examined her latest experiment. The tray of tiny wheat sprouts was doing well with the new chemical compound she had added to enhance their growth. They didn’t need her help to go on with what they were doing.
"Come on little shoots," she whispered in a sing-song voice. "You can do it. You can grow as tall as you want and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You’re not betas or alphas, you’re just you."
      There was a shadow, someone was standing in the doorway, and she did not need to look up to know who it was; the faint scent of cut grass was unmistakeable.
"How’s it coming along, Miss Davis?"
Ffion looked up. "The experiment is doing well, sir," she said primly.
Adam smiled. "You don’t have to call me sir you know," he said. Ffion was sure her heart stopped beating when he walked into the room and, pulling a stool over, he sat beside her.
"Well, you don’t have to call me Miss Davis," she said, smiling at him.
"I could have cheerfully murdered you, trying to make me laugh like that," he said. He tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She blushed when his hand touched her face. His nose twitched and he raised his head, smelling the air.
"You look like a bloodhound," she said quietly. Sheila and Mark might have been on the far side of the lab, but they were straining to listen.
"Well you smell nice," Adam said, "lavender."
      Her scent was always a barometer of her emotions, making itself known when she would rather be scent-less, like the other betas. None of them broadcast their feelings all over the place, it was embarrassing. She imagined it as a curl of pastel purple, a gossamer, smoky swirl of colour and perfume, radiating out in front of her. Entwining itself around Adam. He stared at her, while his own scent pushed through hers. She imagined it as rust red, shot through with gold, intoxicating. He held her hand, concentrating on a scar on the palm of her hand. Clumsy is as clumsy does, she thought to herself. One moment of inattention and the scalpel slipped. But if it meant he touched her hand for a while longer, she couldn’t regret having cut herself. She was suddenly aware that the other two lab technicians had stopped their quiet chat and were watching her, and Adam.
"I was wondering," Adam said quietly, relinquishing her hand. "Would you have dinner with me this evening? I thought I’d pick up something from the canteen."
"Have you not been snapped up already?" she said, "First day and all".
"The director is under the impression that I’m on my last legs with exhaustion by now. So he suggested I get an early night and come back fresh in the morning. And early, he emphasised."
"No brushing my hair at the last minute," she said smiling broadly. "Would dinner with me lead to an early night?" She blushed bright red, realising what she had said. Adam laughed.
"Only if you ask nicely," he said. She shook her fist at him.
"Be sensible," she said, ignoring his plaintive "Why?". "Six o’clock, back in the barracks?"
"Perfect," he said and again that smile crinkled his eyes to half their size.
      A small group of alphas passed the lab, one of them looking in curiously. Adam raised his eyebrows and Ffion nodded. Yes, it really was like living in a goldfish bowl, with everyone taking careful note of who was talking to whom. Rumours were currency in the science division, and the demarcation lines between beta and alpha, technician and supervisor were rigidly enforced; perhaps less rigidly on the alpha side. They may have been well mixed up in the accommodation blocks, but once everyone was at work, the unofficial rules were upheld. And no one held to the rules most tightly that the betas.
      Adam went over to Sheila and Mark and asked them a few intelligent questions about their work. But when Adam had gone, the other two beta technicians came over to Ffion, as she knew they would.
"Why’re you talking to him?" Sheila said, pushing her spectacles further up her nose.
"He’s my neighbour as well as our boss," Ffion said, "it would be rude not to speak to him. Anyway, what am I supposed to do if he talks to me, ignore him?"
"Well it doesn’t do to be so friendly with people like that," Mark said. A patch of red appeared on Ffion’s cheekbones, which would have told anyone who knew her, that she was angry.
"I will talk to whoever I like," she said fiercely. "It’s no business of yours. I happen to like Adam, I mean, Supervisor Wayland. So if I want to talk to him, I will."
      Sheila and Mark looked at each other.
"I heard him ask you to have dinner with him," Sheila said. Mark looked down his nose in disgust. Ffion was astonished to see that he actually curled his lip. She didn’t think people did that.
"Yes you did," she said. "People have to eat you know, even alphas."
"The others are not going to like this," Sheila added. Mark nodded.
"I don’t much care what the others like or don’t like," Ffion said. "Yes, I am going to see Adam this evening, and they can just lump it."
Mark patted her shoulder. "You have to be very careful," he said, in what passed for friendly advice. "You have to live here. One day he’ll be off living his alpha life..."
"...in a fancy alpha house with his fancy omega mate," Sheila joined in.
Ffion grinned. "And if he does, I will be happy for him. Now go away and let me get on with this. Any minute now these shoots are going to, well, shoot up and I can’t miss that."
She took out one of the shoots and examined it under the microscope. Sheila and Mark retreated to the back of the room. It was the strain of staring unblinkingly at the shoots that made her eyes water, not anything those two had said. Obviously.

      Ffion rushed to her own apartment in time to shower and change before going next-door. It was lovely to get rid of the dull grey uniform and wear colours. She chose a pale blue pleated skirt and a white blouse, embroidered with blue flowers around the neck. She was outside Adam’ apartment at six o’clock. She raised a hand to knock on the door, then lowered it again. Get a grip loser. But Mark’s advice came back to haunt her, as it had all day. ‘One day he’ll be living his alpha life.’ And he’ll wonder why he bothered with a stupid beta.
"Gods," she said, "I’m my own worst enemy."
"Do you always talk to yourself?"
Why had she not noticed the scent of mown grass wafting around the hallway. Adam reached round her to unlock the door. Ffion forced herself to smile.
"Always, I get better sense that way," she said.
"Well don’t be your own enemy," he said as he opened the door, "There’s plenty of people willing to do that for you."
      The apartment was exactly like hers, and like hundreds of others, in the six accommodation blocks attached to the division. The door opened into a living room with the kitchen at the back. He hadn’t added any personal things to the room yet. The sofa, armchairs, table and wooden chairs were standard issue. Ffion had the same pieces, except she had added cushions, rugs, pictures, and vases of flowers. Adam saw her looking around.
"I’d like to make it a bit more lived in," he said. "But I can’t think what to do. Maybe you could help?" He took the bag of takeout food he was carrying into the kitchen and started setting it out on two plates. "Go and sit down at the table," he said, "this is nearly ready."
Ffion went into the kitchen and guessing that the cutlery and so on was in the same place as hers, she gathered up the wherewithal and set the table. With that done, she realised that it looked rather plain.
"Back in a sec," she called as she ran out of the apartment and into her own. She came back with a bowl of flowers and put it in the centre of the table.
"Nice," Adam said, as he carried the plates in.
They both sat down, and Adam was about to start when he noticed that Ffion had closed her eyes and held her hands out in front of her, palms facing. She didn’t speak, just sat for a moment and then opened her eyes again.
"Ancamna?" he said.
She nodded.
"Keeping the old ways, eh?"
"I know most don’t now, it’s not fashionable" she said, "but when my parents were alive, we always honoured Ancamna. I even go to the temple, when I can." She smiled and leaned forward a little. "Just don’t tell the other betas, they think I’m beyond the pale as it is."
"You and me both," Adam said seriously, and they both went on with the meal. Which was, in Ffion’s opinion, delicious. Adam had chosen mushroom risotto with slivers of lemon peel and parmesan cheese, and just a hint of garlic. Obviously from the alpha side of the canteen. How the other half live, Ffion thought. But as she was not a member of Sheila and Mark’s circle, she was not about to complain, not even in her own head.
      She helped to clear the table and they washed up, together, which was nice. Adam insisted on making coffee, in a genuine cafetiere. But eventually they were sitting side by side on the sofa. Which was also, very nice. But Adam looked pensive, nursing his cup of coffee. He hadn’t changed out of his work clothes after taking off his jacket; just removed his tie and unbuttoned his collar.
"Are you worried about something?" Ffion said.
"That obvious, am I?" he said, smiling.
Ffion decided to be honest. "Your scent," she said, "it’s changed a little."
"Isn’t it a nuisance?" Adam said, sitting back. "I can’t settle down to a decent fret without someone noticing."
"I wouldn’t worry, most alphas don’t smell each other, which I know sounds odd. But anyway, betas don’t have scents."
"You do," he said, looking at her, puzzled. "You can’t be wearing perfume, as it keeps changing."
"Like yours," she said, pointedly.
"All right, if you’re going to beat it out of me." Adam drank his coffee and put the cup back on the tray on the little table in front of the sofa. Ffion gave him her cup. Without thinking, she slipped her shoes off and pulled her legs up under her. Adam smiled.
"This helps, having someone to talk to," he said. "So, my mother didn’t want me to come here to work. People like us darling, she said, we don’t grub around for money. But I did anyway, only option I had really, and my brother Jacko, you met him, he agreed with me that I should go. And here I am."
"Here you are," Ffion said. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. Again without thinking. She sat up the next second, appalled at herself, but he gently nudged her head back onto his shoulder.
"You know those gods-awful assemblies they have, where alphas and omegas are supposed to meet their mates, if they can’t find one by themselves?"
Ffion nodded. She had heard of them. Betas didn’t seem to need such gatherings themselves, but she supposed that it must be more complicated when those sheltered omegas were involved.
"Well, my mother dear, has decided that since I’m such a hopeless case, I’m to go to the next one, in a few months. I got a note from her this morning. And if it does happen, gods hope it doesn’t, I won’t be able to stay here. I’ll have to go and live on the family estate. With my mate." He spat the last word out as though it was a curse.
"And you don’t want an omega mate?" Ffion said, puzzled. Wasn’t that the goal of most alphas, to find a nice omega and breed squads of little alpha-omegas?
"Well obviously I would like to find someone," he said "No one wants to live alone all their lives. But not like that. Not with parents and family watching. It doesn’t seem decent."

      Now that was strange, feeling sad at the thought of him moving away? It had been years since she’d had a crush on anyone. Did this count as a crush? There had been that boy in the 5th form at school. That was an unending source of misery right there, feeling frightened half the time, that she would not be pretty enough, clever enough, good enough. And he was just a beta. Now here she was, grown up supposedly, good at her job, and with a nice, new, shiny degree. And still feeling awkward. Still not good enough.
      "How did it get to this?" Ffion said. "It wasn’t always this prejudiced, was it?"
"I don’t remember it being as bad," he said, "until the war. Most alpha families were pleased to include betas as well."
"Of course, the war." She sighed. "So many omegas were killed in the bombing. They shouldn’t have been allowed to live in enclaves, and now they’re so rare they’re protected, and precious."
"Gotta protect those omegas. Pity the betas got overlooked in it all. I’m surprised your lot haven’t risen up in revolt. Throw us annoying alphas off our high horses. There’s more of you than there is of us, or the omegas."
"Ah well, you see we betas have a civilising influence on you uncouth alphas."
      A strand of his hair had fallen over his forehead. Ffion reached up and stroked it back in place. She tucked her head into the space between his neck and chest, near his scent glands. The cut lawn scent was fresher again, a lovely, relaxing fragrance.
"I could stay here forever," she said, sleepily.
"Why don’t you?" he said.
She smiled. "Be serious," she said.
"I am serious," he said, stroking her hair.
Ffion sat up. "Tell you what," she said, "let’s take the director’s advice. Let’s both sleep on it and talk about this again tomorrow. Right now, I can’t think straight, you smell so nice. If you asked me again, I’d say yes." She gently kissed him on the cheek, then put her shoes back on and got up to leave.
"Well, all right," he said, "but I will ask you again." He got up and walked her to the door. She opened the door and looked up at him, about to wish him "good night", when he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, a long, deep kiss that made her heart flutter. She almost lost her good intentions when she heard a door opening further down the corridor. It would not do for a beta to be seen kissing an alpha. So she gently disentangled herself from his arms and raced to her own front door. Her treacherous hands shook so that she fumbled with the key in the lock. But thankfully the door opened, just as the other person walked past her.
      Once inside and the door locked behind her, she should have gone straight to her bedroom and taken her own advice. But she stood with her back to the door for what felt like hours, legs trembling, and tears pouring down her face. Wishing she had found the courage to stay with Adam. Every nerve had shrieked at her to say "yes", stop being a coward, take a leap of faith for once.
"Faith can bite me," she said to herself, as she eventually walked to her bedroom. That made her smile, remembering what he said when she threatened to bite him. Maybe she would. Maybe one day.

      An interesting week passed after that evening in Adam’s apartment. At first, she expected that he would have kept his distance, but if anything, he seemed keener to seek out her company. They had dinner together every evening, in the canteen. A few alphas joined them at a table near the centre of the two sections, in no-one’s-land, mainly Mac and Jenny, who persuaded another two to sit with them. The nice thing was that none of the five alphas ever made her feel out of place. Her opinion was listened to, she joined in the conversation, and Adam made sure he sat next to her. While one of the others was talking, telling a funny story, he put his hand on hers and no one said a word about it. At morning break, Adam waited until Sheila and Mark had gone past his office, then he made coffees for him and Ffion. And usually managed to sneak in a kiss or two while they were alone. Perhaps it was not the way a supervisor should behave with a subordinate technician. But Ffion made sure that her work was as good as usual so no one could complain.

      Adam had spent the evening with Ffion, Mac and Jenny as usual, and all three had gone to their apartments by now. On the way into the residential block he found a letter waiting for him in his pigeon hole by the doors. Tearing the envelope open, he was surprised to see it was from Elaine, the previous supervisor. He had said a quick good night to Ffion, made sure not to omit his usual kiss, and now he was slumped on the sofa, tie off, shoes off, and collar unfastened, reading the letter that ran to ten pages.
      Elaine started her letter by giving him a bit of advice on how to deal with the various beta technicians. ‘Try not to take them in a group, just betas,’ she had written. ‘Too many of us forget they are individuals. The grey uniform doesn’t help. I did try to convince the Director that we should let them wear mufti, at least once a month, but he didn’t agree.’
      ‘The ones to watch’, she wrote on the third page of her letter, ‘are Richard, in lab B2, and Sheila and Mark in A3. None of them are particularly clever or intelligent, but they are sticklers for the rules. Richard, especially. He left university with a low third, but still thinks he’s king of the walk. Too many of them are happy to let him do their thinking, and he drags the other two around by their noses, if you see what I mean, along with a small coterie of other betas.’ Adam grinned, imaging Richard, wearing a crown, and Sheila and Mark with leashes attached to their noses.
      But onto the most important item in Elaine’s letter. ‘Now I get to Ffion, also in A3, my favourite beta and the one I was most sad about leaving. To begin with, she’s odd, as I’m sure you’ve already noticed. Her parents were isolationists and by the time they died in a bombing raid, and she was sent to a boarding school for war orphans, she was past the age when children find it easy to make friends. And it was the same at university, especially as she very nearly died of peritonitis right at the beginning of the first term. To be honest, I think there is something quite wrong. I won’t say what I think it is, I have my suspicions but I’ll leave that up to you to find out, and anyway I might be completely wrong. But she’s not like the other betas. For one thing, she is as much at the mercy of her personal scent as an omega. Every couple of months she has a day or two when she’s what I called "off kilter". On those days her scent broadcasts on all frequencies. To keep her safe I’d send her back to her apartment. Or if I couldn’t do that, I’d put her in the isolation lab. To keep her safe from the likes of friend Richard and one or two alphas who wouldn’t balk at taking advantage of her.’
      Adam put the letter down. There was a lot more advice, but that was the most important part. And now he had a lot to think about.

      The day had stretched on and on to the early afternoon. Ffion had just missed Adam when she left her apartment in the morning. Sheila and Mark had been in particularly annoying mood, needling her about why she preferred to have dinner with the alphas. Knowing that the answers would be relayed to Richard and his circle had made her tongue-tied. She had been reduced to throwing rulers and pens at them to shut them up, and she was ashamed at being so childish. And now the headache she had started the day with, had embedded itself at her temples. Sheila and Mark went off in a huff for their coffee break, and finally, Ffion could fold her arms on the desk and rest her aching head.
      A gentle hand stroked the back of her neck, followed by a feather-light kiss. Ffion smiled and lifted up her head.
"Is the Director pleased you’ve been coming in early every day?" she said.
"Giddy with delight," Adam said, grinning. "But you look terrible."
"Oh thank you. You look… Oh that’s unfair. You always look like you got a good night’s sleep."
"I didn’t really last night. I was reading something that kept me awake, thinking."
Ffion rested her head on his shoulder. He had caused the headache, he could support her poor head. He touched her forehead.
"You’re really hot," he said. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Not really," she said with a sigh. "I feel a bit spaced out and I have a headache. Elaine would say I was off kilter and she’d send me home to sleep it off." Ah, there was that phrase again, "off kilter". This was obviously one of those days.
"Maybe I should send you home too."
"No, I tell you what would be nicer. Why don’t we have dinner at my place. I don’t think I could stand the crowd in the canteen tonight. I’ll cook. And if my nice supervisor lets me bunk off half an hour early, I’ll do some shopping in the commissary."
Adam smiled. "All right, you’re on. Your nice supervisor is very nice, and he’ll let you take off now. If you ask nicely."
Ffion laughed, and kissed him. "Is that nice enough?" she said. Sheila and Mark chose that moment to come back to the lab, of course. Ffion wondered how quickly that would be relayed to Richard.
      The commissary was quiet at that hour of the afternoon, so Ffion whizzed round, finding all the ingredients she wanted to make primavera pasta. It would look pretty with all the colours, but wasn’t too heavy. By five o’clock it was in the pot, and she had showered and changed. Adam arrived at half past five, with a bottle of wine.
"That’s the one thing I forgot," she said. When he kissed her cheek, she kissed him back, a little warmer than she had intended.
"How’s the headache?" he said, as she went into the kitchen area.
"Oh much better thanks," she said, glad she could hide her blushes while she searched for a couple of wine glasses. She knew there was two glasses in one of the cupboards from when Elaine called round with wine, for a farewell drink, and had left the glasses behind.
"I still feel a bit weird though," she said. "And no cheeky comments please."
      Adam was looking around her apartment, at all the brightly coloured cushions, throws and rugs. He sat down on the sofa, laughing.
"Yes, I know it looks like an explosion in a bazaar," Ffion said. "But I get so tired of all the grey."
"I don’t usually go around in dark blue all the time, it is a bit monotonous," he said. "Hey, day after tomorrow, it’s saturday. Would you like to go to town, show me around? I was told there’s a bus from outside here, at 10."
"I’d love to," Ffion said. "Now come on, dinner’s ready."
She placed the large pot of primavera pasta in the middle of the table, with a bowl of salad beside it. The plates were not the standard issue plain white, but decorated with bright patterns. Once again, Ffion quietly honoured Ancamna while Adam waited. Then they each served themselves from the pot.
"This is so good," Adam said. "Where did you learn to cook?"
"Boarding school," Ffion said. "It was fun, and apart from botany, about the only thing I was any good at."
"Me too. Botany that is, I was never any good at cooking. Not that mother let us try. Above us, you know. Something only servants do. Gods, I hated growing up spoilt like that." He sighed. Ffion smiled and put a hand on his.
"If it’s any help, you don’t seem spoilt to me."
"The civilising influence of you betas," he said.

      After dinner, Ffion made coffee.
"Sorry it’s only instant," she said.
"Next time, I’ll lend you my machine," Adam said, sipping gingerly at the inferior coffee.
Ffion curled up on the sofa next to him.
"I’m planning to go to the temple tomorrow afternoon," she said. "Did they tell you, we don’t work on friday afternoons?"
"They did," Adam said. "Why is that?"
"All three temples are open on friday afternoons, and we’re supposed to have the time to go, if we want. But hardly anyone actually goes from here. No omegas here, so no one goes to the temple of Nemetona. Most of the technicians reckon they don’t believe any more, science versus faith you know, so there’s usually only me at the temple of Ancamna, and some people from the town. I don’t think many alphas go to the temple of Loucetios, but you could if you really wanted to."
"I haven’t been for years," Adam said. He slipped his shoes off and lay down on the sofa, with his head in Ffion’s lap. She stroked his hair, her fingers lightly traced his nose, cheeks and mouth.
"I could stay here all night," he said.
"Why don’t you?" she said quietly.
      Adam sat up. "Are you serious?" he said.
"I was a coward," she said.
"No you weren’t," he protested. "I mean, you’d only known me for a few days. What if I turned out to be, I don’t know, an axe murderer?"
Ffion laughed delightedly. "Idiot," she said, affectionately. Again she laid her head on his chest, near his scent glands where she could smell his lovely scent of grass, getting stronger every second. She still felt strange, as though she didn’t quite inhabit her own skin, but it felt rather nice, not frightening or unpleasantly prickly as usual.
Her own scent was suddenly very strong, stronger than she had ever known it before. She groaned.
"Are you all right?" Adam said.
"I don’t know. Yes. No, I don’t know."
Adam put his hand on her forehead. "You really are burning up," he said.
"Adam, stop it, please."
"Stop what?"
"Your scent, it’s too strong, I can’t cope with it."
Adam lifted her head and looked at her. Her eyes were dark, the pupils almost completely dilated.
"Ffion," he said slowly, "I suppose you are a beta?"
"Don’t be silly, of course I am." She began nuzzling at his neck. She was trying to undo the buttons of his shirt with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.
"Ffion, do you…?"
"Yes."
"Would you…?"
"Yes."
"Did you suggest we had dinner here, so you couldn’t walk away?"
"Damn it Adam, yes, a thousand times yes."
"Well all right, and this time I am going to pick you up. Just don’t bite me yet."
He slung her up into his arms, carried her to the bedroom door, and kicked it open.

      Ffion was working at her desk, oblivious to Sheila and Mark’s annoyed expressions. Finally Mark had had enough.
"Davis," he snapped, "will you stop that singing?"
"Was I singing?" she said, laughing. "Sorry, I didn’t realise."
"Well all right, you were singing under your breath, but it’s still annoying."
"What are you so cheerful about anyway?" Sheila said.
"My headache has gone, it isn’t raining this morning, and I’m going to the temple this afternoon. So, lots to be happy about."
"Anything else?" Adam said, leaning against the door jamb. Now that was interesting. She hadn’t been so aware of his scent so didn’t realise he was nearby.
"Maybe," Ffion said, grinning.
Sheila and Mark bent over their microscopes, heads close together. By the sound of the faint mumbling, they were earnestly discussing something important. Adam sat beside Ffion. While the other two were distracted, he quickly kissed her.
"In case I don’t see you before you go to the temple," he said quietly. "What are you doing afterwards?"
"I don’t have any plans," she said, equally quietly.
"Come back to mine? I might even shock you and cook."
"Really," she laughed. "If you’re going to boil eggs, don’t forget to put water in the pan. And don’t let it burn dry…"
"Cheeky little beta," he purred in her ear. The sound tickled, and made her shiver with delight. As Sheila and Mark were obviously straining every nerve to listen, Adam kissed Ffion on the cheek and left.
      Mark sauntered over to Ffion and sat on the stool Adam had left.
"You know, we get it," he said, keeping his tone friendly and concerned. Sheila glared from the back of the lab.
"What do you get?" Ffion said.
"You miss your friend Elaine, even though she was an alpha," Mark said. "And now there’s another alpha and he seems nice and disposed to be friendly. So we understand, you think he’s a friend. But you couldn’t be more wrong."
"Disposed to be friendly?" Ffion said. She laughed, "Oh very friendly." She suddenly remembered one or two choice moments from the wild night she had spent with Adam, and she blushed.
"Oh, I see," Mark said, significantly. "Oh dear." He wandered back to Sheila. "No good," he said to her, "it’s too late."
"Will you tell Richard, or shall I?" Sheila said.
"Damn Richard!" Mark shouted.
Sheila sniffed.

      The temple was quiet, only a dozen people from the town. Ffion spotted two others in beta uniforms from the science division. She had rushed to her apartment to change out of her uniform and was glad she had. The two technicians looked out of place in their drab grey. They looked uncomfortable as well, this was obviously their first visit to the temple of Ancamna. A young priest was on her way to talk to them though, so they would be well looked after. Ffion hoped they would visit again. It would be nice to not be the only beta to go to the temple. She briefly toyed with the idea of asking Adam to come with her one week. Now that would fun; an alpha in the temple of the betas.
      Ffion moved through the quiet nave towards the statue of Ancamna at the apse of the temple. There were several rows of benches in semi circles in front of the statue; Ffion’s favourite place. She loved to look up at the graceful, serene woman, towering over Her worshippers. Her golden hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, her head circled by a band of shells. Her smile was secretive, contemplative, and a sacred pool of water bubbled around her feet. There was no one else within the apse, Ffion felt that she was completely alone with the Goddess. She had been taught that Ancamna held the wisdom of countless millennia and would guide Her people and she sorely needed some guidance.
      She sat on a bench closest to the feet of the Lady and concentrated on calming her mind. Was it right to go on with a relationship with Adam, though he was an alpha and she a beta? When she was with him, she knew, absolutely, that she was exactly where she wanted to be. But she had to admit, now and then, Mark and Sheila got under her skin and made her wonder. She heard the soft sound of bare feet walking towards her. A woman sat down beside her, dressed in flowing robes. The woman was older than the other priests in the temple. Her hair was pure white and her face was lined, but her blue eyes were clear as she also gazed upwards at the face of the Goddess.
"You have a question child?" the woman said gently. Somehow Ffion could not be offended by being called a child, not by someone so old.
"Yes," Ffion said. "Is it right to care for someone, when you’ve known them for a very short time? And is it normal, to meet someone for the first time, but be sure that you’ve known each other, well, forever."
The woman smiled. "My dear daughter, time means nothing. A week, even a year, can last for barely a moment, while an hour feels like a lifetime. Ancamna holds all the circles of life in Her hands, and it may be that your circle and his have connected in other times." She laughed. "You love this man so much?"
"How did you know?" Ffion stammered. But the priest merely smiled. Her smile was exactly like that on the face of the state of Ancamna. Perhaps Her priests grew to resemble Her after years in Her service.
"Your scent, sweet lavender, surrounds you, and fills the temple when you think of him. Ancamna approves, though he is not of our kind." She gave Ffion a long look. "And neither, child, are you."
The priest got up. "Sit a while longer child, you are always welcome here, whatever you may be." Then she left, silently fading into the shadows of the pillars. Where she had sat there was a water lily on the bench. Ffion picked it up, and sat for a while, listening to the sound of the water flowing in the sacred pool for a few minutes. She stood up and carefully placed the lily in the water. Then she walked back through the nave to the open doors.

      Adam was waiting outside their accommodation block when she returned.
"No need to ask you if you like going to temple," he said, with a smile.
"You will be glad to know that Ancamna approves of you." Ffion said, seriously.
Adam laughed. "Well, I’m happy about that. Perhaps I should ask Loucetios what He thinks of you."
Ffion sighed. "He would probably tell you to hold out for a nice little omega, like your family want."
"About that," Adam said. When Ffion looked at him, he shook his head. "Never mind, it’s not important right now."

      Adam managed to cobble together a surprisingly decent dinner, without burning the bottom of a pan. Afterwards, while sitting on the sofa with their usual after-dinner coffee, Adam reached out and touched Ffion’s hand.
"You’ve gone a long way away," he said. "Is there something wrong?"
"I’ve been putting two and two together, and I still can’t come up with the right answer."
Adam laughed. "We’re botanists, remember? Maths is far too hard. What is it you’re puzzling over?"
Ffion sighed and put her empty cup on the tray.
"It was something the priest said, that I am not of her kind."
"Her kind being beta?"
"Yes, I would presume so. And last night you asked me if I was sure I’m a beta."
"I did. Come here. You’re sitting too far away."
      Ffion moved closer and before she could sit down, Adam pulled her onto his lap. She laughed, and kissed him.
"Don’t be cross," he said.
"When could I ever be cross with you?"
"Listen, lassie of mine," he said, "we’re going to town tomorrow, right?"
She nodded, smiling at his nickname for her.
"This is why I don’t want you to be cross; I’ve made an appointment for you to see the doctor in town. Not the one here, I thought it would be better to get away from this place."
"Why do I need to see a doctor?" Ffion said thoughtfully. All right, she should be angry that he’d been so high-handed, but oddly, she was not. If she was honest with herself, it would have been her next suggestion.
"Those headaches you get every couple of months," he said. "Your scent is really strong then, and you feel like you just want to crawl into bed and hide."
"Have you been talking to Elaine?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes, and she was worried about you as well. Lassie, when were you last code tested?"
"Oh that! I’ve never been tested. I was meant to be when I went to school, but there were so many of us after our town was bombed, that I suppose they just forgot. And when I went to university…"
"You had peritonitis, yes, Elaine told me."
Ffion stared at him. "Laddie of mine,"she said, "do you think I’m not a beta?"
"I think it’s possible you’re a hybrid. If you were a full omega everyone would know about it. But I think you’d want to be sure. So how about it? Shall we see Dr. Eliot tomorrow? I’ve heard she’s really nice. And she won’t automatically tell personnel here about the results. You can chose if you want to tell them."
Ffion smiled. "All right, we’ll both go. Adam, why are you so nice to me?"
Adam kissed her. "Well, it could be because you’re a cheeky beta, or a cheeky whatever, you’re still cheeky. Because you’re the brightest spot in my day. And because…." He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. She giggled.
"Well why are we still sitting here?" she said, "Early to bed, early to rise…"
"Makes an alpha nervous and shy?"
She rushed into his bedroom.
"What a forward little hussy," he said. "I don’t know what the world is coming to. I’m shy, remember?" He started laughing as he followed her. "And will you please not leave your clothes all over the floor again?"

      The saturday town bus was packed. Rows of betas in the front half, and rows of alphas in the back half. As they got onto the bus, Ffion walked behind Adam, holding his hand, as he led her past the other betas. He found two seats in the back row next to each other. Ffion looked around, with so many alphas around her, she felt like a tiny elf creature sitting amongst giants. Not one of them, man or woman, was under 6 feet tall. Adam still held her hand, and Ffion took notice of which alphas grimaced, and which were indifferent.
      The alphas were mostly quiet during the journey, while the betas buzzed like so many bees. Ffion spotted Sheila, Mark and Richard sitting near the front, heads together. Of course they would be there. She couldn’t have just one day away from the Trio. She leaned her head against Adam'ss shoulder. He smiled absently, and kissed her forehead. Was he also thinking about her appointment with Dr. Eliot? If it was true that she was a hybrid, whatever that was, would she have to leave the science division; no omegas allowed? What was a hybrid anyway? Both of her parents had been betas. There were too many questions whirling around her head. So she relaxed, and watched the scenery going by. Trees, heavens, there were trees. It was worth going to town just to see something green and growing.

      The bus pulled up at the town square, already busy and crowded.
"Hold onto me," Adam said. "I’ve never been here before and I might get lost."
Ffion looked up at him, grinning. "You really are silly," she said. The sight of the Trio standing at the side of the bus was not going to make her mood sour. She was here, away from work and the grey, brutalist concrete monstrosities, and she was with Adam. So the rest of them could just take a running jump.
      Adam had obviously looked up the route to the town’s medical centre, evading market stalls, groups of gossiping shoppers, and even a parade of children from the local boarding school. Poor things, they were all betas and already forced to dress in grey with the beta symbol prominently displayed. Knowing that their future was likely to be more unrelieved grey made her want to weep for them. There had to be something better to look forward to. A day in town, not having to wear the grey uniform, was lovely but really not good enough. Just a week ago she had thought that all she had to look forward to was rising through the ranks to senior technician, and settling down with some beta mate. Who probably wouldn’t approve of her going to the temple, or enjoying the company of alphas.
      While her mind did it’s best to depress her, they had reached the medical centre. It was a pleasant building, an old terraced house, and the only one in the street left undamaged. It was surrounded by flower beds all in bloom, despite the dull sky. Inside, it was quiet with just a few patients waiting. Adam walked up to the receptionist.
"Hello," he said to her, "name of Davis, we have an appointment with Dr. Eliot."
"Oh yes," the receptionist said, "she’s waiting for you, just go down that corridor and it’s the third door on your left."
      Adam knocked on the surgery door and a woman’s voice asked them to go in. She looked startled as they walked into the room.
"I think there must be some misunderstanding," Dr Eliot said, "you said you wanted someone to be code tested? But aren’t you both a little old for that?"
Adam laughed. "I know who I am, it’s not for me. It’s my mate, Doctor, she has never been tested."
They both sat down at the desk.
"So why have you not been tested?" the doctor said. "It is mandatory, you know."
Ffion sighed. "My parents were isolationists," she said.
"Ah yes," Dr. Eliot said, "that explains a lot. I know some. They are rather intractable. It’s a battle to get them to agree to test their children and some of them go untested every year."
"They died, the war. I was sent to a boarding school."
"And there would have been so many of you, a few fell through the cracks. It’s a common enough story. But what about when you turned 18."
Adam chuckled. "She was so awkward that she just had to nearly die of peritonitis."
      "All right," the doctor said. "I’ll do a blood test today, but it might be a while before the results come back. Do you have any symptoms I should be aware of, that might lead to you thinking that you may not be beta? For example, have you experienced going into heat?"
Ffion was glad that Adam was willing to take over that part of the conversation. It was silly to feel so embarrassed, but she really did not want to discuss what had happened in her apartment two nights ago.
"Miss Davis," Dr Eliot said when Adam had finished explaining, "surely you must realise that it is not usual for a beta to have a personal scent?"
"I know, I tried to ignore it. And usually I’m not aware of other alpha’s scent. Just Adam," she said, smiling at him.
The doctor looked at Adam. "She really doesn’t understand, does she?" Dr Eliot said.
"Well, she went to a beta school, not an omega one."
"‘She’ is right here you know," Ffion said quietly.
Dr Eliot rummaged in a drawer and pulled out a small booklet. "Here," she said, giving the book to Ffion, "I usually give this to omega teenagers, but I think it would apply to you too."
"Then you think I am an omega?" Ffion said, startled.
"A hybrid, which I believe you mentioned when you made the appointment," the doctor said to Adam. "I think you were right. Now, I’ll do the test."
Ffion rolled up her left sleeve and the doctor drew a small vial of blood. She labelled it and put it into a plastic envelope.
"I’ll get this sent to the testing centre right away," she said. "I’ve been doing some tests on the schools around here, so I can slip it in amongst those. No one needs to know."
"And you don’t need to tell the personnel officer at the science division?" Adam said.
"Quite right, if Miss Davis wishes them to know the result I can tell them. But for now, it remains confidential."
She stood up and shook hands with them both.
"Don’t worry Miss Davis," she said. "If you are indeed a hybrid, then you’ll be very rare and entitled to the same protection as a full omega."
      They left the doctor’s surgery, and walked out of the medical centre into the grey, dull day in which a light rain was drizzling. They walked in silence, Ffion not noticing where they were going. She felt the need to keep moving, to hold back the moment when she would stop and have to begin thinking. When she woke up to her surroundings, she was sitting in the bandstand in the park with Adam. No one else was nearby, the constant drizzling rain kept most people away. Bands rarely played there and the little pre-war building was shabby.
"If I am a hybrid," Ffion said, "would I have to leave the science division?"
"I should think so," Adam said. "Hey, what’s with the tears?"
Tears were pouring down her face. "Don’t you understand?" she said brokenly. "If I leave, I have to leave you." She covered her face with her hands.
Adam pulled her hands away and hugged her to his chest.
"You’re the one who doesn’t understand," he said. "Did you not hear what I said to Dr Eliot? I said you are my mate. I mean it. You are mine. Didn’t you notice the bite on your shoulder? You bit me too, as I remember."
"Well, I did warn you I would," she said, smiling through her tears.
He took a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and wiped her face. "Mother always said I should keep one with me. I didn’t realise she meant I was to use it to mop up pretty girls’ tears."
"Did you really mean that? About me being your mate?"
"Of course. You’re mine and don’t forget it. I can’t be bothered with pure blood omegas. I want some beta in my omega mate for a bit of spice. Now read the book the doctor gave you and see if it answers all your questions."
      Ffion opened the book. The title was embarrassing; ‘So You’re An Omega. Chapter one; omegas and alpha mates.’
"Oh lovely, "Ffion said. "Those poor omega teens are probably cringing their way through this right now. Why don’t you just give me the edited highlights. Before the ground opens up and swallows me."
"All right, but if you go bright red and explode, don’t blame me. Remember the other night?"
"Indelibly etched on my brain, go on."
"Your scent became extremely strong. I was surprised people on our corridor didn’t come knocking on the door and complaining."
Ffion nudged him in the ribs. "Yours wasn’t exactly subtle," she said.
"Because we could smell each other’s scent so strongly meant that, well….." He ground to a halt and went bright red in the face himself. Ffion grinned delightedly.
"Yes, well? Do you feel like exploding?" she said in a mock-innocent tone.
"It means we’ll be together for life, live together and maybe have nice little alpha-beta-omega babies." He spoke all in a rush. "So don’t worry about leaving me behind here. If you go, I go. And if I go, you go. And while I think of it, lets move in together now."
"What here? In the bandstand? A bit draughty, isn’t it?" Ffion giggled.
Adam sighed. "What have I let myself in for? No fool, I mean, move in with me, live with me."
Ffion smiled. "Yes please," she said.

      The early bus back was not so packed, and mercifully the Trio were not on it.
"Now how shall we do this?" Ffion said, as they walked along the corridor to their apartments. "My stuff in your place?"
"That would work, "Adam said, "but not all your stuff. Why not keep some back in your place, then we can switch them around."
Ffion laughed. "All right tactful, I know, you think it’s a bit much. I wasn’t planning on moving the lot. There wouldn’t be room for both of us. Just a few cushions, and rugs, and a picture or two."
"And those nice plates of yours. Better than my plain white."
      For the rest of the afternoon they went from one place to another, propping the doors open to make life easier. A few people walked past and were curious, but no one said anything or tried to stop them.
"It isn’t against the rules?" Ffion said, when they had finally finished moving things, which included some arguments about what to leave behind in her apartment, and were sitting on the sofa in Adam's apartment.
"I shouldn’t think so," Adam said. "Mind you, someone might think it a bit odd that I’m your supervisor and you work in one of the labs I look after."
"Then I’ll just have to add supervising you into my day to make it fair. Hmm, I could supervise you in the shower. I could supervise you all day there. Let me just look it up in the dictionary. Here it is, ‘to observe and direct the execution of a task or activity’. Oh now, I could definitely supervise you all night. Give you marks out of ten perhaps. What would I write on your end of year report? Performs adequately perhaps."
While she had been talking, Adam was convulsed with laughter. "Marks out of 10?" he wheezed, "Performs adequately? Oh you’re for it now Miss beta-maybe-omega."
"How about a demonstration?" she said primly, "so I have a basis for future comparison."
She recognised that look in his eyes and ran to the bedroom. He gave her a two second start then he chased after her.

      It was a fun week, settling in together, learning about each other’s funny little habits. Ffion discovered that she had to be very quick in the mornings to get access to the bathroom sink before Adam started shaving. He was very finicky about getting the most absolutely closest shave possible. But Ffion had to admit, the result gave him a lovely strokable and kissable face. Which slowed down getting ready to a crawl some days. He came to her rescue with his skills at plaiting when, fed up with her flyaway, untameable hair, she threatened to have it cut short. Somehow they managed to work out who was doing breakfast and who was cooking dinner, or getting takeout from the canteen. There were a few tiny spats, that always ended with cuddling on the sofa and laughing. Ffion could scarcely believe she could be so happy, and at the back of her mind, was always the nagging fear that something would happen to take it all away. She tried to tell herself that there were plenty of other war orphans like herself, who grew up in a residential school, and who probably had exactly the same fear. But she found it hard to ignore.
      At the end of that lovely week she had got back to the apartment late, when an experiment had not gone according to plan. When she went in, the living room was dark. In the gloom she could just make out Adam sitting on the floor beside the sofa. She dropped her bag and coat on the end of the sofa and sat down beside him. It didn’t take a degree to notice that something was wrong. Especially as he was holding a glass of whiskey, when she had never seen him drink anything stronger than wine.
"What’s wrong laddie of mine?" she said softly, stroking his hair.
His lips twitched in a small smile, but it swiftly vanished. He leaned forward so he couldn’t see her face while he talked. "I’ve had a letter," he said, in a strange, hard voice. "From mother dearest. It seems she’s heard something."
"About me?"
"About you. People have been talking, and someone has been kind enough to let her know."
Ffion stroked his back, then leaned her head against him. "Come on sweetheart, tell me the worst."
"She’s coming here in a few days," he drained the glass in one gulp. "And she’s bringing the big guns, my brother and an uncle or two."
"She can’t force you to go, what does your father think?"
Adam leaned back and pulled Ffion closer. "Who knows? I haven’t spoken to him or seen him since he left when I was 15." Ffion wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his chest.
"You know," she said carefully and quietly, "if this is going to cause so much trouble…"
"No! I am not dropping you for some insipid omega. You’ve got me for life, lassie of mine."
He kissed her, a long, deep kiss that made her heart flutter.
"I wouldn’t let you go," she said quietly, once they were in their right minds again, "not for a thousand alpha mothers."

      That night, while Ffion lay curled up against Adam's back, she thought through a list of who could have informed Mrs. Wayland about her son’s indiscretion. Sheila and Mark would not, she was sure. They were in awe of the great lady and her impressive connections. The people in the lab next-door were always interested in the latest gossip, but they were nice enough. A few alphas disapproved, but most took no notice, and Mac and Jenny would put them right if they did. Richard; now Richard very well might. Although she had tried to ignore it and pretend it did not exist, she was aware that Richard had harboured some feelings towards her. Feelings that she could never have reciprocated. Perhaps it had been the omega side of her that was unable to respond to the attentions of a beta, when an alpha was all she wanted. It was worth thinking about, when she had got the results of the blood test back. The rumours must have spread like wild fire. They had failed to be discreet enough or were too obviously happy, and the gossipers would have eagerly seized on just a hint of a relationship between an alpha and a beta. And now it had led to this, from a beginning with so much hope, to the end of hope.
      Adam rolled over and pulled Ffion onto his chest.
"Hey, what’s this?" he said, "I’d started dreaming I was being slowly drowned, one drop at a time."
Ffion smiled, through her tears.
"I worried you, didn’t I?" Adam said. "I’m sorry lovely, I never meant to worry you. Just leave my mother to me, I’ve had years of handling her. In fact, you gave me an idea. I think I’ll get in touch with my father."
      He sat up. "Well, I’m not going to sleep now. Do you want some camomile tea?"
He got out of bed and headed for the kitchen. Ffion snuggled down under the quilt, smiling. The end of hope? That was overly dramatic and pretty silly too, but then things always seemed darkest at night. Adam came back with a tray loaded with a teapot and two cups. Ffion sat up and kissed him.
"What was that for?" he said, grinning.
"Because I have the nicest, most adorable, sweetest mate in the history of well, forever," she said. "And you’re cute as well," she added.
He got back into bed, laughing. "All I can say to that is likewise, especially to being cute."
      Ffion sat up and took a cup of tea from him.
"Right," Adam said, "a council of war. What to do about my annoying, overbearing mother."
"So, she’s going to turn up in a few days, along with your family. Whatever we’re going to do we’ll have to do it quickly. It won’t take long for absolutely everyone to know what’s going on in this place, and then we’ll be sunk. I suppose we have to be sneaky?"
"Oh yes, very sneaky. I looked up the rules and regulations this afternoon, when I heard she was coming. And there is absolutely nothing saying that alphas and betas cannot be mates."
"So we’re not breaking any rules," Ffion said, and she drank the delicious golden tea.
"Not as such, no. Just breaking public opinion, and that can be stronger than the rules at times."
      Adam slipped a hand under the back of Ffion’s pyjama top.
"Well this alpha is wide awake now," he said, nibbling at her neck. "and I’m about to get all uncouth on your lovely beta-omega body."
Ffion giggled, the war council was over for now. "Make love, not war, hmm?" she said, with difficulty, as his hands roamed around under her shorts. Well, she had no objection to that. Planning could wait until tomorrow.

      Ffion put a cup of fruit tea onto the tray she was carrying and added a plate with three shortbread biscuits.
"Hungry?" Sheila said from beside her. Ffion smiled.
"They’re not all for me," she said. "Two of them are for a certain alpha, who seems to have the appetite of a horse."
Sheila scowled. "I thought we already told you, it doesn’t do to be so friendly with people like that."
"Oh you told me," Ffion said. "There’s no law that says I have to take any notice. Now excuse me."
      She carried the tray to the alpha side of the canteen, with her head up, where Adam was sitting at a small table. It hurt her heart to see how he sat completely alone, as though he had some contagious disease. The news about the imminent arrival of his mother must have got around already.
"Hey laddie of mine," she said, noticing how many alphas stopped talking to watch her. "Want some company?"
Adam smiled and pulled a chair out for her. "For you, lassie of mine, always," he said. "Hey shortbread! You angel, I was feeling nibbly."
Ffion laughed. "You were feeling nibbly last night, as I remember," she said. She put two of the biscuits on one plate and pushed it over to him.
"You keep feeding me shortbread and I might get nibbly again tonight."
"I’d better get in a pile of them before everyone knows they cause nibblyness and they go out of stock," she said, laughing at the nonsense. Now that was interesting. Hearing her laughter, several alphas were craning their necks to see what was going on.
Adam watched her dunking the teabag into her cup several times and then neatly placing it on the saucer. "No coffee today?" he said.
"No, odd, I don’t seem to like the taste of it now. Fruit tea is good for you, you know. You should try it."
"I’ll pass," he said, drinking his cup of coffee.
"Do you feel like you’re being watched?" she said, noticing the attention they were getting.
"The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up," Adam said quietly. "I felt pretty exposed sitting here on my own. Thank you for coming over to this side. That can’t have been easy."
"I’m not letting anyone pick on my lovely boy," Ffion said.
Adam picked up her hand and kissed it.
"Don’t look now," he said, "but you’re getting some evil looks from the folk on the beta side."
"Oh ignore them, I do. Now, do you have any ideas about our problem?"
      Adam finished the biscuits. "I have, in fact I’ve started doing something about it. I wrote a long letter to Dad, telling him all about you. And about mother. I don’t know if it’ll do any good. I haven’t heard from him for years."
"Well, you never know. He might come through for you after all. But we should have an alternative plan, in case he doesn’t reply in time. Maybe pack a go-bag in case we have to make a run for it."
Adam nodded. "I keep getting ETA’s from my fellow supervisors. They seem to think it’s important to keep me informed of how long it is until mother dearest lands. Oh they’re giddy with excitement."
"What for? Is she as important as all that?"
Adam grimaced. "Well, her father-in-law paid for most of all of this, Dad stepped back, so they treat her like royalty." He waved a hand to indicate the whole building. "So I guess she feels she owns most of it, and everyone who works here. Likes throwing her weight around, that sort of thing. I never wanted to come here to work, you know, but I was desperate to get out from under her shadow and couldn’t find another choice."
"Now there’s a horrible thought," Ffion said. "I might never have met you. What did you want to do?"
"I wanted to work in environmental conservation, not agriculture."
"Fixing the problems caused by the war?"
"Exactly. What did you want to do? You said your degree is in botany."
Ffion smiled, a faraway look on her face. "I wanted to grow flowers. I had to live in some pretty utilitarian places and I missed my parents’ garden."
"No wonder you like to fill our place with vases of flowers. Now, I think break is over and I’d better get back to work. Do you want to walk out with me? I don’t want to leave you here sitting on your own."
Ffion drained her cup. "It’s about time I went anyway."
      They both stood up and started walking through the beta half to the doors. As they went, they were aware that everyone was watching them. Especially as Adam was holding Ffion’s hand. Once through the doors, before they went in different directions, Adam kissed her, right at the moment when Mark and Sheila came out of the canteen.

      Ffion arrived at their apartment first that evening. Now that she had a copy of the key, she didn’t have to wait around in the dark, draughty hallway. Once inside, she noticed that the red light was flashing on the message box. She took off her coat and shoes and sat on the sofa to listen to it.
"Hey lovely girl," it was Adam's voice. "Sorry but I’m going to be late this evening. Put my dinner in the freezer. I’ve been shanghaied by a group of alphas. Now don’t worry, it’s nothing sinister. Just a bunch of people who aren’t as enamoured of my mother as some are. They know we’re having problems and they just might be able to help. Anything’s worth trying. So don’t wait up for me, I think this is going to go on for a while. And while I think of it, I do have some good news. Dad still hasn’t replied, but I have a cousin in the communications division. I sent Caroline a quick message to say hello and she replied. She might be able to help, she’s sure to know where he is. I’ll get onto her in the morning. See you soon my lassie."
      Ffion drifted around all evening, unable to settle to anything. From having lived on her own for years, it was strange how quickly she had become accustomed to sharing her life with Adam. Even eating dinner alone seemed like too much effort, though she was ravenous. She rummaged around in the fridge and made herself some toasted cheese, the sort of thing she used to make Before Adam. After that she had a shower and put her pyjamas on, her new pale blue ones, with a short-sleeved cotton top and shorts. She was disgusted at herself for being so feeble without Adam's company. She went into the bedroom to find a throw blanket and the library book she had yet to get on with. With Adam around, there was always so much to talk and laugh about that the evenings never seemed to drag. The few arguments that flared up always ended in laughter and kisses. The silly discussions on how to grow purple wheat, or rambling about nothing at all. For two people who had grown up in very different families, they had a lot of similar beliefs and ideas, and she missed him when he was not with her. Ffion settled down on the sofa with the blanket over her legs and searched for where she had got to in her book.

      She was startled awake by the centre light suddenly being switched on. She yawned and stretched as Adam came in. He crouched beside her.
"I said you shouldn’t wait up for me," he said.
"I didn’t. I just fell asleep with this book."
He gently took it from her as two men and a woman, alphas all, still wearing their work suits, come into the apartment. She sat up, noticing that one of the men and the woman looked rather uncomfortable at seeing her in pyjamas and bare feet.
"They didn’t expect me to be here, did they?" she whispered to Adam.
"I don’t think they quite grasped the situation," he replied with a smile. "Does anyone want coffee?" he said to the others as he stood.
"I’m off to bed," Ffion said, and she got off the sofa and headed for the bedroom door.
"Hey lassie of mine," Adam called after her, "don’t I get a goodnight kiss?"
"Come here then laddie," she said, laughing. The two men pointedly looked away as Adam wrapped his arms around Ffion and kissed her. But the woman stared. As Ffion went into the bedroom, and before she closed the door, she heard the woman speak to Adam.
"Does that beta actually live here with you?"
"Yes, she does," Adam said, just the tiniest bit defensive. Then Ffion closed the door and climbed into bed.

    &bsp; It was 1am before Ffion was jolted out of a doze, hearing the front door close as Adam's guests left. He came into the bedroom, stripping off his clothes and dropping them in an armchair.
"Are you awake?" he whispered.
"Yes, I am now," she said.
"I’ll just nip into the shower then I’ll tell you all about it."
He wasn’t away for long. He came back wearing a t shirt and boxer shorts, and towel drying his hair. He climbed into bed and snuggled down, resting his head on her breasts.
"Ah, that hits the spot," he said, sighing. Ffion laughed and stroked his hair.
"So, tell me what that was all about," she said.
"One of them works in the same section as us, but the other two are in genetics."
"She seemed a bit put out that I live here."
"Yes, I gather they’re all a bit formal and strict in their little group. Fundamentalist followers of Loucetios. They don’t get into relationships until the mating rituals, and not even then. You and I are immoral sinners, my love."
Ffion laughed. "Not according to the teachings of Ancamna, we’re not. I told you, she approves of you."
Adam looked up at her. "So you’ll put a good word in for me next time you go to temple?"
She kissed his forehead. "I always do, my laddie."

    &bsp; Adam moved back up the bed. "Okay," he said, "this is what they talked about. Hang on to your hat, it’s a good one. They had to water it down so this ignorant agronomist could understand it."
Ffion settled into a more comfortable position, thinking how cute Adam was when he was being serious.
"Baldr told me; that’s his name, poor sod, Baldr. Genetics have been looking into the origins of alphas, betas and omegas. This is from way back, before the war, so y’know, it might be true, it might not be. Most of the research they did back then has gone. They reckon that the alphas were the default. Everyone was an alpha, this is hundreds of years ago mind, thousands probably. They tinkered around with their own genes to create betas and omegas."
"This is big," Ffion said. "Why did they do that?"
"Who knows," Adam said, "some people just can’t leave well enough alone. Anyway, Baldr and his group are worried that if the directors get to hear of it, well, they won’t just make it disappear, they will disappear as well."
"The directors being all alphas from the government of course."
"So, Baldr said if you and I are determined to go on with our immoral and unnatural behaviour..."
"...which we are," Ffion said, smiling.
"Oh yes we are. So if we are, and mother is on the warpath, Baldr and his pals reckon they can help us get away, as long as we take the information they have, with us."
Ffion turned onto her back. "Either way, it’s a bit risky," she said. "But I’m willing, if you are."
"You don’t mind, leaving this place?"
"Not if it means I leave with you," she said. Privately, she reasoned that everything that had happened to her so far, had been guided by Ancamna, to lead her to Adam. And who was she to go against the wishes of the Lady? Ffion wriggled closer to Adam and rested her head on his chest.
"Go to sleep laddie," she said, "we have plans to plan in the morning."

    &bsp; All through breakfast, showering and dressing, they both wracked their brains, but couldn’t come up with a good plan. Somewhere around the second cup of coffee for Adam and ginger tea for Ffion, they decided to shelve the problem for a while. Ffion was busy checking through the specs for a new compound when Adam came into the lab. He looked around consiprationally, but Mark and Sheila were not there.
"They’ve gone to check their latest experiment," Ffion said.
"Good," Adam said, "I have News. I wrote to my cousin, sent in the early mail, and she got in touch with Dad. I haven’t spoken to her for a good while, but she was really pleased to hear from me. Reading between the lines, I think she’s got beta problems of her own."
"What are you like, you Waylands?" Ffion said, laughing. "You’re a bunch of rebels."
"Anyway, she reckons Dad can help." He started laughing, and nearly fell off the stool he was sitting on. Ffion smiled and batted at him.
"Cut it out you loon, the twins will be coming back soon. What else?"
"All right, but it is quite delicious. You’ll laugh when I tell you. You know there’s a grand reception being held for mother tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yes, alphas in the main conference room, betas all squashed into the smaller one. Do you want to go? Because I was thinking…."
"Shush woman, let me finish! It’s going to have to go on without her, or be postponed. Her, get this, pet Pekinese, who is the bane of my life the spoiled little rat, has a cold. She won’t leave her precious TrickiWoo, not when he’s at death’s door. So she’ll come in a day or two, when the little horror is better. So, we’ve got a bit more time for planning."
    &bsp; Ffion put on a fake pout. "What a shame, when I was so looking forward to wearing my new dress."
Adam laughed. "Well, it can still have an outing. I don’t want to go to anything put on in mother’s honour. Since no one’s going to be working tomorrow, I thought I’d take you to town, to somewhere nice for lunch, and we can plot and plan in peace."
    &bsp; Ffion would have kissed him for having such a lovely idea, but the geek twins came back to the lab. Sheila looked down her long nose at the sight of Adam sitting next to Ffion, and both laughing. Mark pursed his lips. They looked at each other with delighted disgust, and passed on to the back of the lab.
    &bsp; As Adam left, Sheila stood up.
"You’d better make the most of him being here," she said. "He’s not going to be around for much longer. There’s been complaints made. We’ve been talking and the others don’t like this, this relationship, at all. It’s not right and you’re letting all of us betas down. Someone said you live with him now?"
"That’s right," Ffion said, "I thought you would have known, I moved in with him weeks ago."
"Degenerate," Mark said, "evil, wicked woman. No morals, no decency. We won’t have to put up with you for long either."
Ffion got up from her stool. "I can’t be bothered with either of you today. Go and complain to the supervisor about me bunking off early if you like. Oh yes, that would be Supervisor Wayland, Adam. The man I live with. Good morning."

      When Adam came into the apartment in the afternoon, he was dismayed to see Ffion curled up on the sofa, crying broken-heartedly. He said nothing, but sat beside her, stroking her back until gradually she quietened. He pulled her onto his lap with his arms around her and her head nestling on his chest.
"You shouldn’t let them get to you," he said quietly. He found a handkerchief in his pocket and gave it to her.
"I know, but they just needle me and pick, pick, pick. They said you won’t be here for much longer anyway." She wiped her eyes and blew her nose, and tucked the handkerchief in a pocket in her trousers.
"Wishful thinking, lovely," he said. "No one has complained about me, not even my boss. The only way I’m going out of here is when mother drags me out, kicking and screaming. Or if you and I leave under our own steam." He sat for a while, cradling her and listening to her jagged breathing slowing as he continued to hold her. He stroked her hair back from her face. "The woman in the lab next to yours told me what happened," he said, keeping his voice quiet and calm. "Seems she’s not a big fan of Mark and Sheila either. So anyway, I bunked off early as well. I’ve been to the commissary, and I’m going to make us some sandwiches, and then we’re going to go out on the bus. Get away from this place. Go to the sea, listen to the waves. Get some sand between our toes. You up for that?"
Ffion smiled. "Sounds lovely. Have I told you today that I love you?"
"Hmm, you probably mentioned it when I was half asleep, but I can stand to hear it again."
She whispered in his ear; he smiled and kissed her.

      The bus was standing outside the complex. Ffion and Adam made it just in time and walked down to the back. As this was the bus from town, they were the only passengers from the science division. Ffion had picked up her post on the way out, two letters, and shoved them into her jacket pocket. She felt too tired and washed out to read it, even though both letters had the return address of the medical centre on the backs of the envelopes.
      As the bus slowed down, having reached the terminal, Ffion woke up, befuddled and confused.
"Hello sleepy," Adam said quietly. "You had quite a nice nap on my shoulder."
"Sorry," Ffion said, stretching and yawning. "I don’t know what’s up with me today. I could sleep for a week."
She followed Adam off the bus. There were only two other passengers besides themselves, which was not surprising as there were no houses here. Just a rundown cafe, and the bus terminus. It was a bleak place, especially without the sun to give it some cheer. Further along the beach there was a shelter with a bench; pre-war, all flaking paint and splintered wood. Adam and Ffion took off their shoes and socks, and walked along the rain spattered sand to the shelter.
      Adam took out a handkerchief and brushed sand off the bench.
"How many of those do you keep in your pockets?" Ffion said, smiling.
"I always keep a clean one handy, I never know when I’ll have to mop up tears. It could make a bandage if you fell over and cut your knee. Or I could wave it to surrender if you start beating me up again."
"When have I ever beaten you up?" Ffion protested, laughing.
"That’s better," he said, wrapping arms around her. "I was beginning to worry that my sunshine girl had vanished. Now then, I’ll unpack the sandwiches and you can read those letters that’s sticking out of your pocket."
"I’d almost forgotten them," Ffion said, accepting a roll filled with boiled egg and lettuce from Adam. She pulled the flap of the first envelope open and took out the letter, headed with the name and address of the medical centre. She read it quickly; it was short, barely two lines long, and very much to the point. Then she read the second letter and took even longer over its one line, to make sure her eyes were not deceiving her, and finished her sandwich.
"Adam," she said slowly, "I think you’d better read them."
"Why’re there two?" he said.
She fiddled with the torn flap of one of the envelopes.
"Okay, now I’m confused. Why are you blushing? I was right there when you saw Dr Eliot."
"Not the second time," she said, so quietly he had to learn closer to hear her. "I took a personal day, well, a morning. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure, and I had to be sure because…"
"Just tell me," he said gently. "I guess you went to see Dr Eliot again. Why?"
"It was not liking coffee suddenly, and being hungry all the time. You’ve no idea, I’ve been hiding Mars Bars in the drawer in the lab. And I kept feeling dizzy, and bursting into tears over nothing. Mark dropped a beaker and it smashed, and I had to run out of the lab to the ladies so I could have a good cry."
      She gave Adam both of the letters and he read them. He was quiet for so long that she began to worry. But then he smiled, the biggest, brightest, loveliest smile she had ever seen. He began to laugh.
"Sorry lassie," he said when he saw how confused she was. "But this has to be the biggest joke against my mother I have ever seen."
"I’m not a joke," Ffion said quietly, a little hurt. Adam kissed her forehead, suddenly serious.
"No, you’re not a joke, sorry, that wasn’t exactly tactful of me. I used the wrong word. Forgive me? Please don’t cry." he added as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I can’t help it, everything makes me cry lately. And now you know why."
Adam looked at the letters again and read them out aloud.
"First letter, Miss F Davis: code beta-omega hybrid. Well, that isn’t a surprise, we expected that. It’s the next letter that was such a shock. So, my little beta-omega, you’re knocked up, I bred you, you’ve got an alpha bun in your beta-omega oven."
Ffion laughed so much she nearly fell off the bench. Adam grabbed her and held her close.
"Looks like I’d better step up my game and look after you a bit better. No wonder you’ve been so tired. Right then, plans." He gave her another roll and demolished another two himself. "First off," he said, "you can’t work in that lab any more. Oh don’t argue," he said as she looked like she was about to do just that. "Say yes Adam, like a good girl. You can’t work with compounds and chemicals and whatnot when you’ve got junior in there to look after."
"Yes Adam," she said with a smile, and kissed him. She sighed. "no whatnot. You’re probably right, it wouldn’t be safe."
"And we have to let the Director know. We could have kept your hybrid code to ourselves, but not with you being pregnant. And don’t start worrying, you’re not going anywhere without me. I think an urgent message to Dad is called for."
He scrunched up the sandwich wrapping paper and looked around for a rubbish bin. Surprisingly, there was one, and not overflowing with detritus either. Clearly this place was looked after, despite the bleak aspect. They sat in silence, watching the waves brushing the shore. The sea was as grey as the sky.
The bus back to town pulled in and the driver got out to stretch his legs.
"Want to go back?" Adam said.
"Yes, it is getting a bit chilly now," Ffion said. "I’ll try not to fall asleep on you this time."
"Fall asleep on me as much as you want. Think of me as your pillow."
She patted his head. "Yes, stuffed with feathers." She ran laughing, across the road to the bus terminus. When he caught up, he wrapped his arms around her and swung her around in a circle. The bus driver chuckled as he climbed back onto the bus. Once again they sat right at the back, the only passengers on this route. Taking no notice of the scenery, just kissing, cuddling and whispering nonsense. When they arrived at the science division bus stop, the driver stopped and turned round.
"Are you two getting out here?"
"Wish we didn’t have to," Adam said as he and Ffion walked down the bus.
The driver smiled. "I guess you have to face up to reality sometime," he said.
Adam saluted him. "Sir," he said, "you are a poet and a philosopher."
"So my mate tells me," the driver said, laughing as they left, and he closed the door.
They stood on the pavement looking at the lights going on in the agronomy floor.
"Fancy a dose of reality?" Adam said.
"Why not!" Ffion laughed.

      The Director’s secretary gave them a long look through her spectacles.
"Is he in?" Adam said.
"He has a couple of people with him at the moment. He’s very disappointed about your mother postponing," the secretary said. Miss Finch, that was her name, Ffion suddenly remembered her from the interview days. What was the Director’s name? She searched around in her memory but couldn’t find it.
"I’m not," Adam said, smiling.
"No, nor am I," Miss Finch said, drily. Two alpha supervisors came out of the Director’s office, chattering. They took no notice of Adam and Ffion waiting to go in. Was that a good sign or a bad one, Ffion wondered. Miss Finch pressed a button on the intercom on her desk. "Sir, Supervisor Wayland is here to see you, with a beta technician, Miss Davis. Do you have time?" The Director’s answer was unintelligible, but Miss Finch obviously understood it.
"Go right in," she said, looking curiously at Ffion, who held on to Adam's hand.
      The Director looked equally curious as both Adam and Ffion came into his office.
"Have you heard anything more from your mother?" he said.
Adam frowned. "I’m not here to talk about Mother, but no, not a word" he said.
The Director gestured for them both to sit down. All three waited, expectantly. After a long pause, Ffion took out the letters from her coat pocket.
"I think I’d better start," she said. "I’ve been code tested. Yes, I know it should have been done sooner." The director searched through his computer for the personnel files.
"Here it is, Ffion Davis, ‘probably beta’? What idiot wrote that? Probably? So what are you then?"
Adam started laughing.
"Sorry," Ffion said, " he’s been laughing like a loon ever since we found out." The director’s lips twitched.
"Put me out of my misery," he said kindly.
"It seems that I’m a hybrid," Ffion said, "beta and omega."
"I see, well that is quite a surprise. I don’t think I’ve ever met a hybrid before," the director said, sitting back in his chair.
"Oh it’s worse than that," Adam gasped, still laughing.
"Laddie, be serious for once," Ffion said sternly. "Please forgive him, sir, he’s giddy with excitement. The fact is, sir, I’m pregnant. And yes, this lunatic is the father."
"I see," the director said, again. "And I take it Mrs Wayland is not aware of these facts?"
"Not at all sir," Ffion said.
"Well, this is going to be an interesting meeting." The director smiled. "I would love to be a fly on the wall when that happens."
Adam sobered up swiftly. "I would prefer it if we were long gone before she turns up. Sir," he said.
"I’m sure you would. Yes, on second thoughts, I would like to be a long way away too. Have you thought of contacting your father?"
"I’ve been trying, but can’t seem to pin him down. My cousin Caroline has tried too, but he’s not answering."
"Well I can help with that," the Director said. He pressed a button on his intercom. "Mary, put a call through to Edwin Wayland please. Tell him it’s urgent." He turned to Ffion. "So, I’m about to lose one of my best technicians."
"Sir?" she said, confused.
"Richard Trowbridge is head of agronomy technicians I believe? Yes? Didn’t he tell you, you were about to be promoted."
Typical, Richard had not told her.
"When we made the rule to ban omegas from working here, we thought that would prevent this sort of thing from happening. But it seems we didn’t reckon with a hybrid." He laughed. "Well, they do say that nature abhors a vacuum."

      The intercom buzzed. "Mr Wayland is on line two sir," Miss Finch said. The Director switched the call through the speakerphone.
"Edwin, Archer here. I have your son with me and he wishes to speak to you."
"Adam, what’s up? I’ve been getting frantic messages from Caroline."
"Then why didn’t you answer them?" Adam said.
There was silence for a few seconds. "Fair point," Mr Wayland said. "But isn’t this something your mother could deal with? She told me she was going to go all out to find an omega mate for you. I didn’t think it was a great idea, but she was convinced you needed her help. So what’s all the fuss about?"
"Just a minute Edwin," the Director said. "Miss Davis, why don’t you and I go into the outer office and Mary can make us some tea. Leave the Waylands to thrash this out between them."

      The Director closed the door behind them.
"Mary, I think this young lady could do with a cup of tea," he said.
Miss Finch smiled. "Of course sir, the kettle is already boiling." She busied herself making tea in the little kitchen next to the office.
"So Miss Davis, a rare hybrid and pregnant." Miss Finch’s eyebrows raised alarmingly as she came back into the room with a laden tea tray and she poured out three cups. "Young Wayland hasn’t been here five minutes and he’s playing havoc with the technicians."
"Only one technician sir," Ffion said, grinning. "Just me."
"Well I suppose we should be grateful for that. We didn’t think to put in a nursery when we built this place."
Miss Finch coughed to cover a laugh.
"I just don’t understand how a hybrid could have got through the screening process without being flagged up. Oh I know Miss Davis, I take your point that it was a difficult time and you were one of a large new uptake. Mary, can you find out who filled in the profile forms and wrote "probably beta" on Miss Davis’s form. If they were not sure, they could have scheduled a code test with our own medical staff." Miss Finch nodded and made a reminder in her notebook.
"And now we’re losing young Wayland as well," the director continued. "To be honest Miss Davis, his heart was never in this place. You know, he told me at his entrance interview, that he didn’t want to be here. I think that’s why I took him on. I had never met someone so frank about not wanting to work in the science division."

      The door of the Director’s office opened and Adam walked out of it.
"Well, that’s sorted," he said. "I had to explain everything three times, Dad couldn’t quite grasp what it was all about." He went into the kitchen for another cup and poured out some tea. Ffion marvelled at how casual he was, in the offices of the Director himself. Like all betas, she believed the Director to be a formidable, unapproachable alpha man. She would certainly never treat his offices like her own. Perhaps it was because Adam was also an alpha, and a member of one of the most important families in the country; in several countries. It was not arrogance, more like great confidence, a faith in himself that came from being from a very privileged part of society. And by falling in love with him, she had added herself to his sphere. Suddenly Ffion felt rather small and frightened.

      "So, here’s the plan," Adam said. "We pack up this evening. If you feel up to it lassie. She’s been feeling a bit tired and washed out," he added.
"I’m not surprised," the Director said dryly. "You’ve managed to spin us all on our heads since you got here. Miss Davis probably feels like she’s been swept up in a whirlwind."
"Do you, lassie of mine?" Adam said.
Ffion laughed. "Just a little," she said. "But that’s all right. Sometimes we all need to be swept up by a little whirlwind now and then."
Miss Finch giggled. "A little whirlwind, am I?" Adam said with a dangerously cheeky look in his eyes. "Anyway, as I was saying, we pack up everything, and Dad is coming here in the morning with a van to pick everything up. And we’ll go off with him." He turned to the Director. "I’m sorry I can’t work my notice out, but I think it’s probably best if we’re not here when mother arrives."
"I couldn’t agree more, and we can’t have a pregnant technician about the place," the Director said. "Well, I suppose it’s down to us Mary. Hopefully Mrs Wayland won’t kick up too much of a fuss in public. Would you like me to pass on your good news?"
"Would you please?" Ffion said. "That’s really very kind of you. I feel terrible for leaving it all to you."
"My dear," the Director said, patting Ffion’s hand, "it is no trouble at all. I will have bragging rights as we’ve had a beta-omega here for over a year and no one noticed, until this reprobate turned up. I may be able to use this to argue for allowing some omega technicians to work here."
      He got up, indicating that the meeting was now over.
"Hopefully I will see you both before you leave in the morning," he said as he showed them out of the office. "But if I don’t, I do wish you well. Let me know if you have a boy or a girl. And please, don’t send them to work here when they’re old enough. I don’t think I could stand another Wayland turning this place upside down."

      Ffion brought a box into the lab. Not a large one, she had never kept many personal items in her workstation drawer. Truth be told, the only personal items she owned were the soft furnishings in her apartment. The war, the aftermath and everything in-between had meant that mementoes of the past were lost forever. But she refused to mourn them. She was not the only one who had lost everything of value, sentimental and otherwise, and she gained so much more. Sheila and Mark came in while she was packing up.
"Well, you got what you wanted," Ffion said cheerfully. "I’m leaving."
"Were you fired?" Mark said unctuously.
"Fired?" Ffion said, laughing. "No, it was just obvious I had to leave when I found out I’m pregnant."
"You’re pregnant!" Sheila yelled. Either her yell had reverberated around the labs, or Richard had been waiting nearby. As he came into the lab, Sheila grabbed his arm excitedly.
"Do you hear this?" she exclaimed.
"All it is," Ffion said, "is that I found out I’m a beta-omega hybrid, and I’m pregnant."
Richard stared, actually open-mouthed with shock. Adam walked in, carrying a box.
"You all packed up?" he said. "I’m all done. Mac and Jenny were sad we’re leaving, but they are more than delighted for why we’re going." He noticed Sheila, Mark and Richard, still stunned.
"Did she tell you?" he said, "We’re having a baby."
"You, you," Richard spluttered, pointing in Adam's vague direction. "You and her?"
"Me, and as you say, her. I can’t wait to see what we have."
Ffion laughed. "Silly man," she said affectionately. "You’ve got months to wait yet."
      Adam grabbed Richard’s hand and shook it, then moved on to Mark. Sheila carefully side-stepped out of reach.
"Well," Adam said, "we’d better be going. We’ve got a lot to pack up before we leave in the morning. You’ll be getting a new supervisor in a day or two. From what Jenny said, I think she’s going to be taking over."
"Is she?" Ffion said. "Oh you’ll like Jenny."
"Come on then," Adam said, "or I’ll have to carry you."
"Oh you will, will you? And what did I say last time?"
      The last the agronomy technicians saw was Adam carrying both boxes, while Ffion laughed and went on ahead to call the lift.
"Just don’t say a word," Richard said as Sheila tried to grab his arm again. "I don’t want to hear it."
"But Richard….." she wailed as he stalked out.

      Packing up was like the day they moved into Adam's apartment, in reverse. Ffion looked at her large collection of bric-a-brac and sighed.
"I’m going to leave some of these behind," she said.
"Well, I won’t argue, there is a lot."
"I just thought that someone else might like them. It’d save them from having to buy things."
She looked around her former apartment. "I was reasonably content here, before you came. Not happy, exactly, but it was a refuge. I could shut the door and keep everything else out."
Adam came over to her and rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Refuges are all very well," he said, "but they can turn into prisons if you’re not careful. You can get so stuck into one that you can’t even see there’s a different way to live."
She looked up at him and smiled. "When did you get to be so philosophical?"
"When I met a beta who happened to be an omega in disguise. That would make anyone philosophical."
Ffion swatted him with a cushion. She dropped her soft, squidgy weapon on the sofa and leaned her head against Adam. "It’s getting late and I’m wiped out. Let’s go to bed."
      They closed and locked the door of Ffion’s old apartment and went next-door. Ffion was asleep virtually as soon as she got into bed. Adam lay for a while, holding her against his chest, and thinking on the subject of prisons, and refuges. Moving in with mother again would be condemning them both, and whoever came along, to a lifetime in prison. A luxurious, gilded prison, but still a prison. But would living with his father be any better? He remembered how he felt, the day his father left. He envied Ffion being able to put aside her worries and sleeping through the hours to the morning.
      "Pull yourself together Wayland," he muttered, "you’re an alpha so act like one." Having someone else relying on him; two someone elses; was terrifying. But perhaps Ffion had the right idea. Shelve the problem for another day. Nothing he could do about it, in the middle of the night. Look after her, and let the rest sort itself out. He thought about his Grandfather, James, who had fallen in love with an omega when his father repudiated omegas. Grandpa had taken care of his girl and didn’t care about anyone else’s opinion. So, all he, Adam, had to do, was follow Grandpa’s example and take care of his girl. Simple really. Time to follow Ffion’s example and go to sleep.

      Everyone had walked past them from the residential blocks, while they sat on a bench, bags and boxes around them, waiting.
"Of course this being Dad," Adam said, "he could turn up at any time. We could be sitting here for a long time. Sure this bench isn’t too hard for your little behind?"
Ffion smiled. "Well if it is, I could always sit on your lap. And thanks for calling it little."
A pair of technicians raced across the quad.
"You’re late!" Adam shouted at them, while Ffion giggled as the automatic doors of the entrance hall did their usual screech and whine. At that moment, a white van pulled up in the quad, followed by the most expensive looking car Ffion had ever seen. All gleaming dark green and gold trim, with tinted windows. The driver and his companion in the van got out and began packing the boxes and bags away. Adam walked over to the car. Ffion behind him, once again feeling small and more than a little scared. If she had never met Adam, she would have been safely working in the lab this morning. Trying to convince herself that she was fine, she was where she wanted to be. Nothing to see here, move along.
      Adam opened one of the doors for her.
"Go on," he said, "it’s just Dad, he won’t eat you."
"I prefer toast and marmalade for breakfast," a voice from inside the car said, "not little betas."
Ffion climbed in and sat down, while Adam walked around to the other side and got into the car from that side. Which meant he was sitting opposite his father. Ffion frankly stared. Adam looked almost nothing like his father. Edwin Wayland was medium height; tall for a beta though only just on the small side for an alpha. Wayland senior was broadly built with a shock of black and grey curly hair. He caught Ffion staring from one to the other and he laughed.
"He looks like my father," he said. "Spit and image. You look even more like him now." he added, turning to Adam, taking note of the way Ffion sat close beside him, and Adam held her hand in his.
      The driver of the van appeared at the window.
"Okay," Mr Wayland said," your belongings are all stowed away, so we can get going.
Ffion looked back, at the concrete blocks, the stone quad without a blade of grass. She remembered what her life had been like, just a few short weeks ago. She remembered the children from the orphanage marching two-by-two, dressed in grey. They would safe, she told herself. There was always work for a hard-working beta and somewhere to live. But will they find someone to love, and be loved in return? And will that somewhere to live be a home if they don’t?
"Regrets?" Adam said quietly.
Ffion smiled. "Not a single one."