- Mycroft, are you ready? Look at you, all handsome-oh Sherlock, don't pick your nose! And what is that in your hair..?! – Violet Holmes had her hands full that morning. Her eldest, Mycroft, was 10 years old, and his class in his school was about to have its most important day, the Presentation.

It truly was a big day. Of course, the entire family knew since Mycroft's birth, and Sherlock's too, that the boys were not average. The mandatory genome testing showed that the boys would present either Alpha or Omega, but that could be known only when the boys' bodies were developed enough, which usually was at the age of 9 or 10.

- I bet he will present as a stupid Alpha – Sherlock chirped, letting his mom pick the remains of his latest experiment out of his hair.

- Alphas are not stupid, darling – Violet explained – And neither is your brother.

- Thank you, mother – a very serious ten-year-old Mycroft nodded – However, I do agree with Sherlock, I believe I will present as an Alpha.

- Stupid Alpha – Sherlock giggled.

- When the time comes, you will present as a smelly gnome, I am sure – Mycroft rolled his eyes.

- Boys! – Violet tried to break up the upcoming fight.

- You already are a smelly gnome, and now you'll be a stupid Alpha, too! – Sherlock yelled, insulted – You'll spend the rest of your life running after some smelly stupid Omega and you'll be a slave to your Omega no matter how stupid the Omega is! And you won't even know!

- Enough! – Violet pushed the unruly little whirlwind that was Sherlock out of the room. One glance at Mycroft was enough to realize that Sherlock's words had hit him in a sensitive spot.

Once the two of them were alone in the room, she approached her elder son and gave him a gentle hug.

- Don't worry, darling. I am sure you are perfect, and as such, you partner will be perfect, too.

- What if Sherlock is right, mother? What if really, because of all those..hormones..I will not be able to look at my partner objectively? Maybe I will be deluded into thinking my partner was perfect, when in fact the Omega's smell will play tricks with me?

- You are perfect, Mycroft – Violet look him in the eyes – And I will not let anyone who is less than perfect near you. You deserve only the best. You're my golden boy.

- Thank you, mother – Mycroft hugged her back, still feeling a lump in his throat.

A few hours later, his posh school had the Presentation event. There were a lot of excited parents, all of them from noble and rich families, watching proudly as the results of tests were being officially published.

Mycroft was presented as Alpha.

He shortly nodded in acknowledgment, while his mother and father were clapping, both close to tears. Sherlock was in the audience, too, and he didn't miss the opportunity to yell "stupid Alpha" and mimic a whip being cracked.

Deep inside of him, Mycroft sighed. Childhood was over and the troubles had just begun.

….

A few days later, a Presentation Day was held at a more humble school than Mycroft's, thousands of miles away. Lora was wearing her best dress, and her father made sure he would get the day off of work.

- What do you think, Alpha or Omega? – Lora asked her father for the hundredth time.

- I think Omega, but it really doesn't matter – her father, Ivan, smiled. – I'm still amazed that we have any kind of such genes in the family. Everybody's plain old Beta, but no, my little sunshine's something else!

- But I doesn't really mean I'm so different? In school, they keep on saying we're somehow better than ordinary kids.. – Lora said, her cheeks reddening – I wish I could go to a normal school like the kids from our street-like you did!

- We've talked about it, darling. It's the law. When you were born, your tests showed your genes are a bit special, and the law says you have to go to a school with kids like you, so you can learn all those rules for later on..but don't you ever forget, it doesn't mean you're any better than the next person.

- I know, dad – she agreed.

- I wish your mom could see you now, so pretty and such a good kid – he hugged her.

- Me too. I miss her, dad.

Lora was presented as Omega.

Her dad cried a bit, and she did, too. She didn't know exactly why she cried, it was an unclear feeling of both excitement and fear of an unknown future that was going to be impacted by a world of strange rules. However, one thought was clear in her little 9-year-old head: there was an Alpha out there for her. Who it was and what kind of person that would be, she didn't know. She just knew the Alpha was out there, and her life would irrevocably changed once they met.