Dean had been doubtful that Roman Enterprises would follow through on its promise to provide legal support for all of its employees, but the beta who arrived that morning to escort them to the police station was nothing shy of professional. She had them in and out within two hours, and the officers who had given them the runaround the night before were suddenly more than helpful when she dropped the Roman family name.

The company had extended a leave of absence to Max and a representative of Reece Roman’s had called the omega that morning to reassure him that his job would still be there when he’d recovered.

By mid-afternoon, Dean was waiting outside his truck as Max and John said their goodbyes, and he told himself he wasn’t going to interfere. He meant it, too, no matter how much effort it took to stay put while John embraced his unwitting mate.

The beta’s eyes met Dean’s as he finally pulled away and offered his hand to the Alpha. “Nice working with you, Dean. You ever get tired of other people telling you what to do, you’d make a pretty decent private eye.”

Dean smirked, returning the handshake. “You ever get tired of playing detective, you wouldn’t make a half-bad cop.”

To Dean’s surprise, John pulled him in for a hug, but as the beta leaned in to whisper in his ear, he realized it was no fond farewell. “You hurt him and I’ll come all the way to Amish country just to kick your ass, and trust me, I know how to hide a body.”

Dean chuckled, pulling away. “I’m sure you do. Take care, and try not to point that toy gun at anyone unless you mean it, alright?”

The beta flipped him off before getting into his car.

Max looked up at Dean, smiling despite the sigh of judgment that passed his lips. That morning, he looked like a whole new person. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that Chris was in protective custody at the hospital and on his way to prison as soon as his wounds healed over. There would be a trial, which Dean was sure would bring its own challenges, but sometimes justice prevailed and for the time being, this was one of them.

It was the reason he’d taken the job and moments like this made him realize he’d made the right decision to stick with it. “You ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Max said, even though Dean could see the nervousness that came over him. “Are you sure his social worker is okay with it? I don’t want to break their rules.”

“I’m sure. I talked to her this morning,” Dean said, helping Max into the truck. The omega’s things were in the back, and while he’d only packed a bag for the week, Dean found his thoughts drifting to the idea of taking his omega back to Pennsylvania on a far more permanent basis.

Once they got on the road, Max seemed lost in space. Dean wished he could say something to comfort the omega, but the truth was that he was just as nervous. He’d already grown to love Gavin during the short time he’d spent with the kid, and Max’s wellbeing had taken precedent over his own from the moment he’d laid eyes on the omega. He didn’t just want this to work out for both of them, he needed it to. So much time had elapsed, and there were so many questions to be answered and words to be said. The road ahead wouldn’t be easy for either of them to navigate, but Dean had already sworn to himself that he would do whatever it took to support them both, even if that meant staying on the sidelines.

Even if “the plan” meant doing the exact opposite in public. Max was right about one thing: if the Newports decided Max wasn’t a fit parent and wanted to take it to court, the court would be torn at best when it came to prioritizing a single omega over a married couple. When they looked at him, they would make the same mistake Dean had made at first and assume that his past would affect his ability to give Gavin the stable life he needed. They’d see a month of normalcy and respectability compared to twelve years of flitting from one ruthouse to the next and assume Max had chosen that life rather than dealt with it because it was the only way he could survive.

They’d be wrong, just as Dean had been, but he knew that it would take more than an emotional plea to convince them. His plan, assuming Max was willing to go along with it, was to ask the omega for his hand. Dean might not have had the first clue as to how to raise a kid, but he had a stable job and a solid reputation within the community. It was only a matter of time before his involvement in Chris’ arrest made the court start asking the right questions, and rather than deny his attachment to Max, Dean had decided to capitalize on it. He still wasn’t sure if admitting that he’d imprinted on Max was wise, especially since the omega had already been pressured into a relationship with one Alpha in the past, but he knew that Max and Gavin had to at least meet before any of them moved forward.

“Can I ask you something?” Max asked halfway through their drive.

“Sure. What is it?”

“What’s he like?”

Dean smiled as he took the next exit. Another fifty miles and they’d be in Sage. “He’s got your eyes, and I can tell he gets the stubborn streak from you, too. He’s really smart, too. I mean like rocket scientist smart, if he wanted to be,” he said with a laugh. “Kid’s got a lot of potential.”

“He sure doesn’t get that from me,” Max muttered.

“Doubt that.” Dean glanced over at him. “You managed to stay off Chris’ radar all these years. Roman Enterprises seems to think pretty highly of you, too.”

“I just want to do everything I can to repay them for giving me a chance,” he said softly, gazing out the window. “I hope Gavin never has to find out what kind of person I was.”

“You’re a survivor, Max. Nothing to be ashamed of about that, but this is a fresh start for both of you.” He paused. “You know, you have something else in common.”

“What’s that?”

“You never give up on the people you love.” He smiled a little. “Must be in your blood.”

Max’s smile turned sad. “I don’t know about that. My parents gave up on me pretty easily.”

“Their loss,” said Dean. “That’s what my mom would say.”

“Are you sure she doesn’t mind me staying there while I’m in town?” he asked worriedly.

“You kidding? My mom lives to entertain,” he scoffed. “You’ll have a hard time getting her to let you leave. I know she’s gonna fall in love with you the second she meets you.”

God knows I did…

Max seemed to relax, even if his nervous energy spiked by the time Dean pulled up in front of the colonial. “You didn’t say your house was this big.”

“There’s no reason to be nervous. Not on my family’s account,” Dean promised, going around for the omega’s door. He helped Max out of the car and tried not to fixate on how right it felt to have his mate’s hand in his.

The front door opened when they were halfway up the path, and Claudia appeared first, a welcoming smile on her face. “There they are!” she cried, ushering someone out of the house. Gavin appeared a moment later, and the boy stood frozen on the doorstep as he stared at Max and the omega stared back.

For a moment, neither of them made an attempt to move or speak. Dean could feel Max’s love and heartache and terror through the faint but growing link between them and knew it was only a matter of time before the omega stated to realize it was there. Max was the first to take a faltering step towards his son, and even though he seemed to talk himself out of taking another, it was enough.

Gavin took the steps in one leap and didn’t stop running until he’d reached Max, throwing his arms around the omega’s neck. Max broke down the moment he returned his son’s embrace, and Dean could see the tears streaming down the boy’s cheeks as they held each other without saying a word.

Dean’s heart swelled with joy at the reunion that had been so long in coming. Now that it was finally here, he knew it was a moment Gavin and Max needed to share together. He quietly excused himself and went to meet his mother at the door.

There were tears in the older omega’s eyes as she reached up to touch her son’s cheek. “I have never been prouder of you,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “You did a good thing.”

Dean smiled, looking back at Max as he fussed over his son, tears streaming down his face. Their reunion was characterized by all the love and overflowing joy Dean had hoped it would be, and his fear that the distance between the two of them would stand in the way dissolved.

For the moment, he decided that it didn’t really matter whether Max ever returned the feelings that were growing in Dean’s heart by the day. All that mattered was that the omega was home, and Gavin finally had his answer: he was not only wanted, he was loved.