Alex started his New Year’s Day in his old apartment. His landlord had turned out to be very willing to let him extend his lease by an extra day or two, under the circumstances. Not that Alex couldn’t afford to stay the night in a hotel room by himself now, but he didn’t want to. Just because he was making decent money on two TV shows, and marrying into money, didn’t mean he needed to go flushing it down the toilet.

Buddy showed up early, a little more hungover than Alex was but that was okay. Alex was still recovering his stamina, so he didn’t drink as hard as he used to. Being on a liquid diet for six weeks had done a number on his system, but he was willing to live with it. Today was going to be the best day of his life. He didn’t want anything like a hangover to mar it anyway.

“You ready for this?” Buddy waggled his eyebrows at Alex.

Alex straightened himself up. He’d never been a morning person. This was going to be a challenge for him, just like staying upright for the whole day was going to be a challenge. He’d get there, though. It was worth it to him. “Ready as I’m going to be. I can’t help but be a little bit afraid they’re going to be there, you know?”

“Nah. Door security’s going to be very tight.” Buddy patted Alex’s back. He didn’t insult his intelligence by pointing out that Lena was in jail. Sure she was in jail. She’d gotten out before. It could happen again, and she’d shown she had some interesting associates.

So did Alex, and Buddy set his mind at ease by pointing that out much better than he could have any other way.

Alex had already showered. He got dressed very carefully, as though he’d never put on a suit before. Truth be told, suits weren’t his typical attire. He’d have been happy getting married in jeans and a tee shirt, or in a chef’s jacket. Even Jimmy Senior had given him a look of horror at that one.

Sol had been willing to avoid tuxedos, thank God. Alex understood he was marrying into a different world, but so was Sol. Sol was marrying Alex, and Alex was not a tuxedo kind of guy. A three piece suit in a beautiful shade of gray would be more than enough to satisfy convention.

Buddy had to help him with the cufflinks, though. “At least my time at the Hellion Club counted for something,” he groused.

“It got us a TV show, Buddy.” Alex grinned.

“That too.” Buddy chuckled and looked up at Alex. “Okay. Here’s the big emotional whatsits I’m obligated to do as your best man. I’m proud of you, Alex. I’ve known you since you were a skinny little kid on your second foster home in a year. You’ve grown into the strongest man I know. You’re the kind of example I hold up to other foster kids and say, ‘See? This sucks right now, but it’s not a dead end. Look at him. He’s doing well for himself, he’s helping people out, and he never forgets who he is.’” Buddy patted his shoulder. “And that was true even before you decided to marry Sol. It’s not the money. It’s the strength in you.”

Alex’s face burned, and he hugged Buddy tight. “I couldn’t do any of it without you, Buddy. You taught me how to do all of it.”

They beamed at each other for a long moment. Then Buddy passed him a cup of takeout coffee. “All right. The car’s outside. Let’s not keep Jimmy Senior waiting.”

Alex left his old studio apartment for the last time and followed Buddy downstairs. Jimmy Senior waited in a limo that blocked half the street, with little Maya in a car seat with him. He wore a suit that matched theirs, although it looked a lot more natural on him. “Let’s get this show on the road. I love weddings.”

Alex smiled and slid into the space beside his daughter. Maya squealed and held out a Cheerio for him, and he took it from her with exaggerated politeness. “Thank you for the gift, Miss Maya. Are you looking forward to the wedding?”

She clapped her hands with delight and offered Cheerios to Buddy and Jimmy Senior. She’d gotten heavily into sharing since staying with her grandfather during Alex’s convalescence. Alex supposed there was probably some kind of complex psychological reason behind it, but he didn’t know what it might be. He wasn’t going to look too closely. As far as he was concerned, sharing was a good thing.

The ride to the Cloisters didn’t take long, given the comparative lack of traffic. Alex’s foot tapped impatiently as they got closer. He still couldn’t believe it was happening. He wouldn’t believe it was really happening until it was over. The days when he was convinced Sol had only proposed because of the baby were fewer and farther between, but they still happened. He needed to get to a point where they didn’t happen at all, but that wouldn’t happen until they were safely married.

They pulled up in front of the old museum and ran up the steps, Maya in Alex’s arms. Frank and Vinnie waited in the back of the gathering room for them, acting as the evening’s ushers. They handed Alex a basket full of flower petals for Maya, who giggled and tried to put some into Vinnie’s mouth.

The DJ struck up the wedding march. Buddy marched out first, moving with measured steps. When Alex dared to peek out he saw more than a few admiring glances from the crowd. Buddy had always been a handsome man, and he still was. Maybe Buddy would find someone here.

Then it was Alex’s turn. He walked down the aisle on Jimmy Senior’s arm. Maya rode on his other hip, cheerfully throwing flower petals at people in the crowd, or up into the air, or onto her father and grandfather’s heads. It didn’t seem to matter to her, and it didn’t matter to Alex either. What mattered to him was Maya got to be part of the ceremony, and that she was photographed being part of the ceremony.

Someday she would have questions. She would want to know why she didn’t look like Alex or Sol or Carsten. She’d want to know where she came from, and why she was different from the rest of them. Alex wanted her to see that she’d been part of their family from the very beginning.

When he got to the front of the room, he let himself look at the rest of the family. Sol looked beautiful, as always. The dark gray suit set off his fussy little goatee perfectly, and his eyes. Alex got lost in those eyes now, just like he’d gotten lost in them so many times before.

Detective Staley cleared his throat, and Alex almost jumped. Staley winked and began to speak. “Honored guests, we’re gathered here today to witness the joining together of Alex Cary and Solomon Delaney in the state of honorable matrimony. I didn’t get to know Alex and Sol under the best circumstances. I’m a cop. I don’t get to meet people under good circumstances, for the most part.”

“That said, both of these men impressed me with their strength. They were so strong on so many levels. Of course, I don’t have to tell any of you that. You all know them. You’ve probably got more examples than I do.” Staley grinned, and the crowd chuckled. Even Carsten chuckled, in his little gray suit that matched the grown-ups’.

“One of the ways they impressed me was their commitment to family. Family can mean different things to different people, depending on how their lives have gone, but at the end of the day they both have a deep and abiding love for the people they call family.”

“Of course we’re not here to just join Alex and Sol. We’re joining families, too. We’ve got Carsten here to carry the rings, and Maya here to give flowers—”

Maya dumped the flower petals over Staley’s head.

“There we go. We’ve got Buddy, and Jimmy, and we’ve got Inge. We’ve got all of you. We’re all joining together to support this couple, and to be supported by them in return. They support us directly, of course, but they also support us by their example and the joy they show even in the face of adversity.”

Alex let Jimmy take Maya, who was still giggling over her stunt with the flowers. He turned to Sol and let Sol take his hands in his. Every eye in the place was on them now. Part of him wanted to run and hide, to make sure no one ever looked at him like this again.

The rest of him only saw Sol.

“Sol,” he said, and he pitched his voice to carry. “I’ve loved you since I was a kid. The first time you held me in your arms I felt safe. I felt warm, and I felt like I could handle anything, as long as you were there with me. I trust you, Sol, to be my husband. To stand with me through everything life throws at us, no matter what. And I promise to stand by you, to always put our family first, and to love you until the stars fall from the sky.”

Sol blinked a few times, and Alex wondered if the words had really affected him that much. They’d gone over them together, just so neither of them would feel embarrassed later. The rehearsal had been different, though. Alex could feel that, even though he hadn’t heard Sol speak yet.

“Alex.” Sol’s voice was rough and thick with emotion. “Alex, I never stopped loving you. It took me a while to figure out how to handle that. I will be your husband, and Alex, I will be by your side as long as we’re both alive. Hell, I’ll be by your side even beyond that. I will stand by you, I will always put our family first, and I will love you until the sun cools and the mountains crumble into dust.”

Alex buried his face in Sol’s chest. He got it now. It was definitely different to hear those words, those vows, in front of a hall full of witnesses than it had been in an empty room. Sol held him tight for a good minute, until Staley cleared his throat.

“Carsten, you have the rings.”

Carsten looked positively angelic as he passed the rings up to them. Alex took Sol’s ring and slid it onto his finger. “With this ring, you’re my husband, forever.” They simplified the traditional words of the service, on the grounds they weren’t living in the sixteenth century anymore, but they still had an aura of majesty to them.

Sol slid Alex’s ring onto his finger. Alex wouldn’t take it off, unless swelling forced him to. He wouldn’t think about that, though. Not right now. “With this ring, you’re my husband, forever.”

Staley put his hands on their shoulders. “With the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you married. You may now kiss your husband.”

Sol cradled Alex’s face in his hands. Yesterday, Alex had been terrified that their public kiss would be awkward and humiliating. Only actors kiss well in front of an audience, after all, and Alex was no actor. When Sol’s lips touched his, there was no room for any other thought. There was only Sol.

The crowd cheered, and now it was time for the reception.

Most people got to enjoy a cocktail hour, but Alex, Sol, and the family had to have wedding portraits. Alex was okay with the arrangement. He hadn’t eaten anything but the lone Cheerio all day, and his stomach was still getting used to solid food. He didn’t want to have more to drink than his body could handle.

He knew the pictures would come out beautifully. The photographer was known for her magazine covers and celebrity photo shoots. She took a special interest in the kids, and in getting pictures of the kids together. Alex tried not to feel a pang about that. If the baby he’d been carrying hadn’t been lost, it still wouldn’t be part of that. He’d still be pregnant. He probably wouldn’t even be showing.

Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what if.

Sol came up to him while he watched the photographer watch them. It seemed like he could read Alex’s mind, because he wrapped his arms around Alex’s waist and rested his chin on Alex’s shoulder. “I’m thinking about the baby too,” he admitted quietly. “I cried when they told me.”

Alex leaned back into his husband’s arms. “Did you?”

“I had failed so badly at keeping you safe. I was sad for the baby, for the baby I’d made with you. And I was sad because I knew you’d be sad. And of course, I was sad because you were still in surgery and it wasn’t looking good.”

Alex turned around and looked up at Sol’s face. “I wish you hadn’t had to go through that.”

Sol snickered. “Out of all of us, I think I had to go through the least. A little bit of guilt is nothing.”

“It’s not going to do me any good to say you don’t have anything to be guilty about, is it?” Alex stroked his cheek. “We’re alive. We’re getting through it. We’re going to keep getting through it. And hey, we can try again.”

Sol lifted his eyebrows, just a little bit. “Is that safe? What about scar tissue?”

Alex kissed him. “There’s no way to tell with omegas, but they tried to do the repairs in such a way to minimize scarring. There’s only one way to know for sure.”

“What’s that?”

Alex put his hands on Sol’s hips. “It’s to practice. Every chance we get.”

Sol put his head back and laughed. “I think that’s a plan I can get behind.”

The flash from the camera was Alex’s only indication that the photographer had noticed their conversation. She showed them the preview of the picture after she saw it, and Alex stared.

They looked happy. Flirtatious. They looked like any other couple on their wedding day. Alex didn’t look like a damaged omega, and Sol didn’t look like he was mired in guilt. “I think this one’s my favorite,” he said. “We’ll blow it up and put it in the entry, what do you think?”

Sol wrapped him up in his arms again. “Anything you want.”

Alex looked up at him. “All I want is you.”

* * *

The new house up in the Bronx proved to be a bit of a challenge for everyone at first. Carsten was reluctant to sleep in his own room on the grounds that it was “too quiet.” Inge had a hard time finding her way around, and Sol disliked having to take a car to the office every day. Alex felt dwarfed by the massive house.

They all got used to it, eventually. Carsten and Alex were delighted to be in the Bronx, which made them very willing to put up with the silence and the vast spaces. Sol rode in with Alex once production started up on the show again, which made riding instead of walking extremely pleasant indeed.

They did get a security system for everyone’s peace of mind. The only person who didn’t seem to be affected by the events from last November was Maya, and even that might have been stretching it a little bit. Maybe the people who had hurt them weren’t in a position to do it again, but Sol wasn’t willing to put his faith in “maybe.”

Alex and Buddy’s show performed even better than Woodham expected. The country was ready for a wholesome, positive show, and the drama with Alex’s injury and recovery helped to drive up initial ratings. Sol wouldn’t have used family tragedy to market a show, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth either.

Alex’s second show took off too, and Buddy soon got a second show of his own. Buddy also had some good news on the personal front. He had, in fact, met someone at Sol and Alex’s wedding. Detective Staley was a beta, but he was also a bisexual beta. Buddy’s childbearing years were long behind him, and he and the detective had hit it off.

They got married in June, just before Lena Fletcher’s trial for Denise Cary’s murder began.

Sol had been dreading the trial. Her trial for her role in Alex’s attempted murder would have to be delayed, because it was a lesser crime, but it was coming down the road. Alex would have to testify, because his mother’s deathbed testimonial had come to him. He would have to face the woman who had ordered his death, who had broken his jaw, who had tried to stab him.

And Carsten would be aware of all of it. They could try to insulate him from the trial and everything that went with it, but Inge didn’t think that was the best idea. “He’s going to hear things, from people at camp and whatnot. We can’t control that. What we can control is how the information is explained to him.”

And, as always, it fell to Alex to explain it all. By now, Carsten just called Alex Dad. Sol felt guilty about that, because Stuart might have been a terrible parent but he’d still carried Carsten under his heart; still, it was just a natural thing to happen under the circumstances. “How much have you learned at school about the justice system?” Alex asked him.

“Not much. Policemen take the bad guys to jail and that’s it.” Carsten looked down at his plate. That hadn’t been “it” in his grandmother’s case, and they all paid the price.

“It’s not quite that easy, sweetheart.” Alex pulled a shaky smile from somewhere. “See, the police haul someone away, and hopefully it’s the person who did it. Then there’s a trial. You get a jury, which is twelve people like you and me. And you’ve got two lawyers—one for the state, who tries to convince the jury the ‘bad guy’ is guilty, and one for the ‘bad guy.’ Because the police might have gotten the wrong person, so that guy needs someone to defend them.”

“Anyway, the jury listens to all the facts and then decides if the person on trial is guilty or innocent. That’s what’s going to happen with your grandmother. I’m going to go and give evidence—that means I’m going to go and tell them what I saw and heard when my mom got killed. And other people will give evidence too. And hopefully the jury will see that she’s guilty, and the judge will say she has to go to jail and stay there for a really long time.”

“Okay. And what if the jewelry says she’s not guilty?”

Sol snickered at his son’s mistake. “Then she goes to jail anyway, because she’s got to wait for the trial for what she did to you, Inge, and Alex.”

Alex did go and testify at the trial. Since his show was already on the air by now, the event caused a certain amount of media stir. His handsome face wound up on more than a few entertainment websites’ leading pages, which only made him squirm.

“I look ridiculous in that suit,” he complained. “The only suit I ever looked good in is the one I wore for our wedding.”

“And you looked fantastic in that one,” Sol told him. “But you look good in this one too. Look, they’re describing you as ‘Heroic Hunk.’”

Alex blushed at that, and Sol tucked the information away for later.

Lena’s attorney tried to cross examine Alex. The guy apparently hadn’t done his homework, because he seemed to think Alex would wilt under questioning or something. He tried to shout, and he tried to accuse. “Didn’t you have a grudge against Mrs. Fletcher?”

“Well, I wasn’t her biggest fan after she stabbed the nanny in front of Carsten, no.”

The courtroom observers laughed, but the lawyer scowled. “In a custody dispute on behalf of her son. Her son, who married Sol Delaney immediately following your engagement to him.”

Alex shrugged. “Seems kind of stupid to blame her for Sol’s choice, doesn’t it? And I honestly understand why Sol made the choice he did. I don’t agree with it, obviously, but I understand it, and I forgave him a long time ago.”

Sol could have lit the whole courthouse after hearing those words.

“So you didn’t have any reason to lie about your mother’s words?”

“Nope. And even if I had, there was a witness who heard them too. She should be next up on your list. I noticed it when I read over your shoulder.”

Even the judge laughed this time.

In the end, Lena was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder. Denise’s deathbed declaration was damning. So was the testimony of a jailhouse informant, now released, who saw the deal being made. A forensic accountant proved that the money had been transferred to a lawyer who had filed paperwork on the killer’s behalf.

She still had to face trial for her role in the kidnapping of Alex and Inge, and the attempted murder of Alex. “We don’t want her to be able to get out, ever. Even if the conspiracy conviction gets overturned, we want her to rot.” Staley explained it to Sol as they sat on one of the patios at the Bronx house watching the kids just before the trial began.

Sol expected this trial to run longer, and indeed jury selection seemed to take forever. The defense seemed to object to every potential juror, usually without explanation. The judge finally told them they were out of objections and a jury was selected in November, one year after the attack.

Even a few months in jail hadn’t been good to Lena. Her face, once so tight from Botox she’d kind of looked like a chipmunk, sagged in lined folds. Her hair was lank and disheveled. She had to use thick glasses, because she didn’t have contacts in prison. The look of absolute hatred and spite she directed at both Sol and Alex showed her time at Bedford Hills hadn’t taught her much.

Her new trial attorney tried to pin the blame for the attack on Stuart in opening arguments. “No one is trying to deny that Mr. Cary was shot. The fact is, however, that Stuart Delaney shot Mr. Cary in self-defense. Lena Fletcher was present to exert a restraining influence on her son, nothing more. What happened was violent, but it was a disaster largely of Mr. Cary’s own making.”

Alex narrowed his eyes at the lawyer, but kept his mouth shut in the gallery. Sol admired his forbearance.

Sol had to testify against his former mother-in-law. He reported events as he’d seen them, to include Lena’s attack on Alex and her direct order to Stuart. He would have thought that would be enough, but the defense lawyer had to try to twist it up.

“So, you don’t think that Mr. Cary threatened Mr. Delaney in any way.”

“No. I was there. Alex was tied in a stress position to the stove. He couldn’t have threatened anyone.”

“Do you think his baby was a threat to Mr. Delaney?”

“No. I don’t. I don’t think an embryo is a threat to anyone. It doesn’t have arms. It doesn’t have legs. It doesn’t have a brain. It’s a collection of cells that looks a little bit like a dried bean. He shot Alex because he was told to, by his mother.” He pointed to Lena. “That’s what happened.”

“Motion to have that testimony stricken from the record.” The attorney scowled and turned to the judge. “The witness is giving opinions, not facts.”

“Motion denied.” The judge rolled her eyes. “It’s called science, counselor.”

Sol felt a little vindicated by that.

Detective Staley gave identical testimony to Sol’s, and Alex corroborated both of them. So did the forensic evidence. Sol held Alex’s hand while they sat through the forensic evidence. He couldn’t imagine looking at his own blood in a pool up on the screen, or his own insides, as evidence.

Lena was once again convicted. She screamed hatred at Alex and Sol as she was led away. “This would never have happened if you’d just done what you were supposed to!” she spat at Sol.

“People keep telling me that,” Sol murmured to Alex and Staley. “It’s probably time to look into my dad’s finances.”

Staley stroked his chin. “Fortunately for me, that’s state and federal stuff. I know a guy or two.”

Dad sent Sol a message three weeks later. He wanted to meet up at the Hellion Club. Sol hesitated. He’d told his father he didn’t want any further contact with him, and he’d meant it. What if his father had decided to reform, though? What if he decided he wanted to have contact with his grandchild, and with his son? What if he decided, miracle of miracles, that he’d been wrong?

He told Alex where he was going and why. “I don’t want you to think I’m going there just to ogle young omegas.”

Alex snorted. “I’m sure that’s not all that goes on there. It just seems like it.” He kissed Sol. “I trust you. I’ll see you when you get home.”

Sol got a drink on his way in to meet his dad. It would be nice if Dad were willing to turn over a new leaf, but he wasn’t willing to bet the farm on it.

Dad had two glasses of scotch ready and waiting for their meeting. He pursed his lips when he saw that Sol had gotten a drink for himself. “Don’t you trust me, Sol?”

“Not really. What’s on your mind?” Sol sat down across from his father.

Dad curled his lip. “Hm. I called you here to talk about this ridiculous vendetta you have against the Fletchers. It’s causing me quite a jam.”

Sol closed his eyes, keeping his drink close to his chest. It had been a mistake to come here. “We have laws in this country,” he said, speaking slowly. “Shooting people is against the law. Murder is against the law. Kidnapping is against the law. It’s not a vendetta, it’s basic public safety.”

“There was a time when the lower classes respected their betters. And they knew we were their betters because everyone did their part.” He gestured to Sol with his drink. “They didn’t go airing everyone’s dirty laundry in the papers, and they didn’t go having family thrown into prison on the slightest pretext.”

Sol sipped from his drink. “I think you’ll find your grasp of social history is faulty. But that’s not really why we’re here. What’s really going on? I know you didn’t have an affair with Lena Fletcher. So why were you so keen to have them in your orbit?”

“That’s my business.” He shifted position. “I’m being investigated by the authorities.”

“I’m shocked, I tell you.” Sol rolled his eyes. “The person who harbors murderers in his house is being investigated by the authorities? Whatever is this world coming to?”

“Don’t you sass me, boy. I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.” He pointed at Sol, and then he dropped his arm. “They’ll manufacture some claptrap about me. I’m sure of it. They’ll try to claim I was laundering money through the Fletchers or some nonsense like that.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. You’ve already got more money than Midas. You had to go and launder it too? Through them?” Sol pulled away in disgust. “That’s really why you sacrificed me to them? Because you were laundering money through them? You know Stuart came home with drug-resistant gonorrhea, right?”

“You would have benefitted eventually. It’s not like I have any other heirs, and all that alimony gets expensive.” He glowered. “It’s not like you were sleeping with him anyway.”

“Well no, I’m a sensible guy who takes reasonable precautions. And when I got wise to what he was doing, I was strictly hands off with Stuart.” He shook his head. “My own father. I’m not a profit center for you, and I’m not a cover for your money laundering schemes.”

“Nonsense. It benefits both of us. Now, I’ve found another family with an omega son they’d love to get off their hands. He’s eighteen, he’s probably fertile—”

Sol got up and walked away. He called Staley on his way home and told him everything. Staley knew the right people to tell.

One week later, Alden Delaney was found dead in his bedroom. The medical examiner performed a cursory examination, because it was an unattended death, but Alden was an older man in a high-stress situation facing a high-stakes investigation. They called it a heart attack.

Sol didn’t know anything for sure. He had the body cremated immediately, just to be on the safe side. He sold the house to Jimmy Senior for twenty five dollars and turned his back firmly on the past.

He went back to the Bronx and to his newly pregnant husband, The future beckoned, and it was bright.