"Do you trust me?"

"With my life."

"Good, that's your hint."

"What was?"

"Your response."

"What about it?"

"It's so automatic, don't you think it might come from somewhere?"

"Well...maybe."

"No, absolutely. Who are you?"

"I-I'm Alfred."

"Who's Alfred?"

"I...don't know."

"Find out! Find out quick!"

"Why are you angry at me?"

"I'm running out of time."

"Time for what? Are you in danger?"

"Please find me...it hurts..."

"It's my fault...It's all my fault."

Alfred awoke with a jolt this time. He slapped his hands over his face to make sure he was in fact solid, then threw the covers off of himself and tripped over to the sink. He gazed into the tiny mirror there, finding nothing different about his wide eyed reflection. He shook his head quickly and bent over the sink, feeling as if he might vomit.

Once the sensation had subsided, he straightened up again to look in the mirror. He needed to shave. With a sigh, and a mournful glance at his bed, he walked over to the tub and began to prepare a bath. There was no way he was going to get back to sleep now, and judging by the dimness of the lights, it would be a good amount of time before any scientist would break in to work with him.

While the tub filled, he shaved his face smooth, and removed his clothes. They had allowed his to transfer to real clothes not long ago, and sweats and a t-shirt was much better than a hospital gown. That didn't stop him from bunching them together and chucking them at a wall. To his annoyance, the fish behind the glass were unfazed by the soft mound. The experiment scowled, and marched over to the offending wall, banging the glass with his fist until he saw some of the small creatures dart around in panic. Satisfied, he made his way back to the tub.

The water was too hot, but he didn't care and sunk into it anyhow, his head becoming pleasantly light. The water stung his flesh, but he turned his attention away from it and to the security camera.

He wondered if he was being watched, by Arthur, or strange men in white coats. He hated that thought. They were at a distinct advantage, and though they claimed to be helping Alfred, he knew that was a lie. The truth was he was alone. Even Arthur could be against him.

"It's all my fault..."

He had been training physically with the orbs for the past couple of weeks, hadn't seen Arthur at all, and was only able to sneak out twice. He hadn't even made it to the room one of those times, and the other he ended up spending huddled next to that stupid tube. It was getting frustrating that he couldn't find out anything else.

He twitched, then shook, then jolted: all so violently the water moved. His breathing became heavier, and he glared at the security camera. The thing seemed to blink back at him. Was that the thing that would kill him if he misbehaved? Would it suddenly open up and release a toxic gas that would make him panic until he ran out of breath? Would that be the thing that watched his body twitch as he let out his final screams of desperation while clawing at the door in agony?

He clenched his jaw and held his breath until his head became hot, and he felt as if he may faint, only then did he take in a large breath and repeat the process.

His thoughts wandered to the key he could use to get out of his prison, but the pin hadn't signaled him to leave yet, which meant it wasn't safe.

We wanted to get out of here.

Then, the most ingenious idea struck him. It was perfect, he knew how to escape.

He smiled at the security camera and let out all the air he had been holding.

Then he sunk under the water completely.

And stayed there.

tick,

tick,

tick.

"Alfred, I need you to trust me on this, do you trust me?"

"With my life."

Everything was very suddenly cold, and then it all hurt.

Alfred could only hear muffled voices around him.

"He's hadarelapse!"

"Wehaveto operateemediatley."

"Butitsmuch too earlyforthat!"

"We havenochoice!"

"I'm so sorry Alfred...This is all my fault. You trusted me..."

When his vision cleared, he was staring wide eyed at bloody instruments on the table next his bed. There was a woman washing her hands in the sink across the room. The security camera was still staring at him and his entire body began to tremble. The pin he had inserted into his hip once was laying alongside the other bloodied tools.

Fear struck him, and then panic.

He screamed and the woman ran to him. There were hands on him in an instant that he hadn't seen people for, and a sharp pain in his arm was the last thing he felt.

"Arthur! Help me!"

"Stop it...He won't come."

"Arthur where are you?!"

"Listen to me, nobody can hear you. You're just screaming in your head."

"Where are yoooouuuuu?!"

"I know it hurts, I know but please listen-"

"AAAAuuuuuugghhhhh!"

"Stop! You'll make it worse!"

"W-what's happening?!"

"Hold on! just a little longer I promise."

"ARTHUR!"

When Alfred awoke he was in a hospital gown, strapped to the bed. Tubes ran out of a large machine next to him and into his arm. This time, he knew that was a bad thing.

He blinked his wide eyes around the room, finding the security cameras were gone.

He was alone.

The experiment let the situation sink in for a moment before horror struck him. He was back at the beginning...He had ruined everything

"It's all my fault."

Guilt consumed him, and he sobbed.

He lost track of how much time had passed, but the lights had dimmed, and he was still sobbing and watching a newly added manta ray glide freely through the water. It looked so beautiful and happy, even though it was actually in a tank. A prison.

He wished to be in that tank. To swim aimlessly and carelessly.

He had never minded being a prisoner too much until now. He wanted to die.

The door opened and closed loudly.

Alfred pretended to be asleep even though he knew it was useless.

"You skipped a heat sweetheart..."

Alfred's eyes snapped open. "A-Arthur?"

"That's not a good thing Alfred...It's dangerous."

"Arthur...I'm-"

"In your condition...They need to let you rest for awhile, there will be no more training until your heats return to normal."

"Arthur, please lis-"

"I will remain by your side until that time comes, I am to comfort you by whatever means necessary."

Alfred hesitated for a moment as he felt Arthur unbuckling the many straps on his body. When he could move his head again, he looked at the doctor's face, then froze, watching as the damaged man went about freeing him, mumbling something about leaving the IV in. "I'm sorry Arthur...it's all my fault."

The man shook his head, scratching at a bandage there, before continuing on. "It wasn't your fault. Their method was wrong, and they placed stresses on you that you couldn't handle in your current state. This caused a chemical shift, and your mental state was affected by it."

"No Arthur...You're hurt."

"That isn't your fault poppet." The man said quickly.

As soon as he was unstrapped completely, he lunged forward and hugged the other man tightly to his chest. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault, I lost her, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, please forgive me."

"Hush." Arthur carded his fingers through Alfred's hair, and the experiment drifted into calm. "You've done nothing wrong sweetheart. There is nothing to forgive. It is I who should be asking your forgiveness..." He gently guided Alfred back onto the bed, and lay next to him, cooing softly and caressing his head. "Stay calm..I'll protect you."

"But-"

"Do you trust me?"

"...With my life."

"It hurts..."

"What hurts?"

"I can't leave. I'm stuck. but I'm not supposed to be here...I need to go. Please let me go."

"Am I keeping you?"

"Not you."

"Then who?"

"Please hurry."

Arthur hadn't left the room for a couple of days now. Alfred didn't mind at all, but he couldn't help the sudden panic attacks. Arthur would always mutter something about imbalances, and adjust something on the machine. When the lights dimmed they would lay close to each other on the small bed, and Alfred would wonder if this meant they were both prisoners.

"Arthur?"

"Hm?"

"Why is it bad for me to skip a heat?"

Arthur let out a long sigh. "The balance you're in is delicate."

"What do you mean by the balance?"

Arthur opened his eyes and his voice became hushed. This happened quite a bit actually. though the security cameras were gone, Alfred figured there must be a voice recorder of some sort in the room. "They have used chemicals and...devices...they make it so your heats happen more frequently. Right now they are once a month, when in reality a male omega should have his heats biannually."

"That was a big word."

Arthur smiled slightly. "It means two times a year."

Alfred blinked. "Two times a year? But I have them all the time."

"Yes, well...They are hoping that having me close will re-balance your hormones."

Alfred opened his mouth and closed it again. He was starting to feel confused. He wished for clarity. "Arthur."

"Hmn?"

"Will you help me remember?"

The Doctor didn't respond.

Alfred pouted and burrowed his face into the pillow. All was quiet for a long while until the tinkle of a chain caught his attention. The experiment looked up and saw that the Doctor had pulled a chain from around his neck, two wedding bands hanging from it. He silently slipped the silver one onto Alfred's finger and the gold one on his own, then kissed the Omega's forehead.

Alfred stared wide eyed at his hand, and that's when everything got a bit splotchy. Then it was all black.

Alfred was staring at his ring finger with an uncontrollable grin on his face. Arthur had to tap his shoulder to get his attention for the kiss.

As their lips pressed together, Alfred could hear applause from the small group that had been watching, and his smile grew.

The next thing he knew, he was standing next to Arthur under a flowered arch on a summer day. The Doctor looked rather handsome in his white suit, his eyes vibrant and green as the grassy field behind him. Multiple people had come by to say congratulations, but for Alfred all their faces sort of passed by in a pleasant blur until one that looked a lot like his own tackled him to the ground.

The Omega let out a squeal of protest as they rolled down the green hill behind the arch. "Mattie!" He whined. "This is a rental!"

"Oh calm down, I'll pay for it." The honey-blond laughed. He hugged the shorter of the two close, still flat on the grass. "Congratulations Alfred."

Alfred smiled softly, knowing this was one of the most sincere moments in their history together. "Thanks Matt." He hugged the other back for a time before he peeked up to see Arthur making his way down the hill looking a bit panicked. "Come on, get off." He finished nonchalantly. "I think you gave the groom a heart attack."

Mathew grinned wickedly. "Shouldn't you get used to having an Alpha on top of you sooner than later?" He teased.

Alfred felt his face heat. "Eeeeeew! Matt!" He shook his head and pushed the other off, rolling onto his knees. "Don't remind me." He said pathetically.

Mathew punched the Omega's arm playfully. "It was just a joke. But seriously, I can tell you're nervous, calm down okay? You'll be fine ya little virgin you."

"Is it that obvious?"

"You can't lie to the nose." Mathew said with a smirk. "Plus I've been around you my whole life, I can tell."

"Alfred are you alright?" Arthur said quickly, kneeling in front of him.

"Yeah I'm fine. Matt's just happy to see me. Oh, and don't worry about the grass stains, Mattie says he has it covered."

The taller man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

"Blimey, be careful would you Mathew?" The man helped his mate to his feet.

"You too Art." The Alpha smirked.

"Are you alright Alfred?"

The Omega trembled in response, but he nodded still.

"Really? Alfred...you know we can wait if you're not quite ready..." Arthur said with the most sincere eyes Alfred had ever seen.

"No, I can handle it...I love you."

The doctor hesitated. "I know you do...but do you trust me?"

The Omega stared up at his mate for a long while. "With my life." He finally answered.

Arthur smiled and kissed the man beneath him. "That's all I need to know."

"It hurts...you have to let me go...please..."

O-14 opened his eyes and gasped. Arthur was unmoved, still before him. He said nothing.

"Arthur..."

"Yes?"

"Are we..." He lowered his voice and leaned closer. "Are we in love?"

Arthur smiled sadly. "I surely hope so."

"Are you...Are we mates?"

"Yes."

"And we're married?"

"Yes."

"And I have a brother..."

"...Yes."

"You hesitated on that one."

Arthur sighed. "I can't...say anything more about him right now."

"Why not? Did you forget about him? His name is Mathew."

"Yes, I know what his name is."

"So why can't I know about him?"

"You're not ready for that information yet..." The doctor quickly slid the silver wedding band from the experiment's finger.

"But I-"

"Alfred." He said firmly.

"...Yes?"

"Do you trust me?"

Alfred remained still for a long while, then let out a long sigh of resignation. "With my life."

"Everything will become clear soon, I promise...I just need to find a way to get us out of here...And I can't risk your health declining again."

"I don't understand...but...I trust you."

"Thank you Alfred."

A long silence passed in which they both closed their eyes to rest.

"Arthur?"

"Yes?"

"If were married...could you um..."

Arthur opened his eyes and lifted an impressive eyebrow. "Um?"

Alfred blushed, and he timidly tapped his lips. "Um..."

Arthur gently pressed their lips together for moment. "That's called a kiss."

"But...It's like that but...um..."

"Um?"

"Yes...Could you give me an um?"

Before Alfred could gather his thoughts, The doctor had wrapped his arms around him and locked their lips together in a frenzy of...something.

Something Alfred could definitely get used to. And for some reason, he knew exactly how to respond.

When they broke apart, they both inhaled deeply.

"Is...That an 'Um'?" Arthur asked.

"Y-yeah...That's an 'Um'." The Omega replied breathlessly.

"I can live with that." Arthur said fondly.

"May I have another?"

"Yes you may."

"It hurts!"

Alfred jolted so violently that his head hit the fish tank on the wall.

Arthur acted quickly, jumping to his feet and rolling Alfred onto his back. The doctor gently held his hands on both sides of Alfred's face as he examined it. "What happened Alfred?" He asked calmly.

"I-I don't know...I...I heard...But I'm awake so..."

"Calm down, it's alright...What did you hear?"

"I heard...her voice..."

"Who's voice?"

"Her's...It's a girl...she sometimes talks to me in my dreams...But...This time I was awake...And it was so clear." Alfred gulped. "But nobody else is in the room."

Arthur's eyes widened as he considered the information. "What did she say?"

"She said something is hurting her...She...she's been saying that a lot lately. Then she'll tell me to find her."

"How often does she speak to you?"

"Every night almost."

"Do you know how old she is?"

"No...She sounds little though."

"I see...Has she ever said anything else to you?"

"Yes...She said once...That I would find out who she is after I found out who you are..." He hesitated. "I know who you are now...But I still don't know who she is...That's strange don't you think?"

Arthur stood and turned away, scratching at the stubble that had grown on his chin. He was quiet.

Alfred sat up. "Arthur?" No answer. "Arthur are you okay?"

The Doctor waved his hand in the air in response, and that's when a thought struck the experiment. "Arthur do you know who she is?" The Alpha cringed. "You do know don't you?"

"No...I...I have a theory...But I don't understand how...or why..."

"Who is it Art?"

"I can't...I can't say. I really can't."

"Arthur."

"Alfred you need to trust me."

"...I do trust you...But I don't like not knowing when you do."

"I know but...Please bear with me a little longer." He walked to the machine next to the bed and adjusted something. Soon the experiment felt hazy and tired. "I need to check on something...I'll be right back I promise."

"Wait...Ar...I..." And then everything was black.

Wow. I sincerely apologize that it took me so long to finish such a short chapter. and for those of you who are following WTLO I'M SO SORRY! It will happen eventually. I'm just in the middle of endless projects right now! I know it's my fault for getting myself into it but...uuuuuugh. Sorry. I'll do it soon I promise!

As for this chapter, Yes it was supposed to stress you out. Everything is cut so short cause that's how Alfred feels right now. It's been brought to my attention that this story needs more hints, and this chapter was a bit more flashbacky and relationship focused then it is focused on the lab and Alfred's experiment status. But the hints will come in more heavily next time. This chapter actually has quite a few big hints depending on how closely you read.

As always I would love to read your predictions...Hmmm. Maybe whoever guesses correctly (I won't be able to tell you right away though to keep the mystery alive) but Whoever guesses right I will draw you a picture o something! :)

My tumblr is: amaryka. tumblr. com. ((which I intend to go through and make it mostly an art blog from now on.))