How They Came To Be
Written by: Addie Price
Summary: They weren't always a team.
Words: 2,130
Note: This fic revolves around how the Alphas team came together as a team. Each chapter will revolve around how each character joined the team.

Disclaimer: ALPHAS is the property of SyFy Broadcasting Company and its associates. I am in no way affiliated with SyFy nor do I own any of the characters depicted in this story.

NINA THEROUX

"Today seems brighter now that you showed up."

Nina was the first to join Dr. Rosen's team. She had been a wildcard when he took her into his care, a potentially destructive woman who wasn't in control of herself or her Ability. She could Push him to do anything she wanted him to, even kill himself if she got too upset.

But that was how they met.

Nina had been working in retail when Rosen walked into her store, nothing more than another vulnerable customer, waiting to make the biggest single purchase of their lives and walk out of the store, never knowing exactly what hit them.

"May I help you, sir?" The question was an innocent one, to give the air of a friendly woman just trying to do her job before she would pounce on her prey. She began to prep herself for the Push in the only way she knew how: by dredging up her own emotions and gathering them just on the surface of her mind.

Rosen nodded, looking relieved to have someone there to help him. "Ah, yes. I'm looking for a suit."

Nina smiled widely at him as she led him over to the more expensive suits at the front of the store. "May I ask what the occasion is?"

Rosen floundered for a moment, eyes wide before regaining his composure. "A funeral."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." There it was, in the till of her voice, the lilt of her head, giving every impression that she truly felt very sorry for the man when, in all actuality, she felt no sympathy for the man she was about to Push for all he was worth.

Rosen nodded lightly, clearly wanting to push the thought from his mind. "Yes, well," he looked down, trailing his fingers over a dark, navy blue jacket. "This one's nice.."

Nina reached over, grabbing Rosen's hand and pulling it away from the cloth. "Oh no, you can't go to a funeral with that ratty thing. Come here, I'll pick out the perfect suit for you."

It didn't take long for Nina to pick out an expensive suit. As Rosen when to check the price tag, she gently pulled it away from his hands and looked into his eyes, letting her own emotions spill forth into her words and eyes and threw everything she was feeling at him. "Don't worry about the price. You love this suit and you're going to look great in it."

The man took on the mindless look of someone whose thoughts were not their own. "Of course. I'll take this one, please. Don't tell me how much. Just ring it up."

Nina acted quickly, ringing up the man's purchase and charging his credit card before the effect of the Push could wear off and he could change his mind.

"We also accept tips," Nina said, Pushing him further. "Especially generous ones."

Rosen nodded mindlessly and pulled a very thick wad of cash from his wallet, a few hundreds in the mix.

Nina handed him the garment bag, his suit inside, and took the cash, smiling sweetly as she said, "Have a nice day, sir."

As the man left still in a daze and under the influence of her Push, Nina vaguely wondered if she'd maybe, just maybe, Pushed him too far.

It took a full hour for Rosen to come out of the Push. He just sat on a bench in the mall with his newly purchased suit, staring mindlessly at the people walking past.

When the effects of Nina's Push finally wore off, he had a slight headache and was very confused with no idea about what had happened after he walked into the store. All he knew was that he had somehow purchased a very expensive suit and lost all the money in his wallet, despite the fact that the receipt said he'd paid with his card.

He sat on the bench, wondering just what had happened to him in that store. It took him until the mall's closing time to realize he must've had an encounter with and Alpha. He'd been studying Alphas and their abilities for a few years, both working at Binghamton and with Agent Wilson to find and help train Alphas to use their abilities.

As he sat there, wondering why the clerk had used her ability on him, she walked by him on her way out of the mall, her shift over. Rosen stood and grabbed her gently by the wrist to stop her.

The woman flinched at his touch and turned wildly, one hand raised to fight him if necessary.

Dr. Rosen released her arm, face apologetic. "No need to fight me. I'm not going to hurt you.

The woman moved away from him, eyes wild. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice defensive.

Rosen ignored the question. "That's quite an ability you have."

She was more than just a little worried now, her emotions clear on her face. Rosen had to be careful; most Alpha abilities were triggered by emotion and he didn't know the exact details on how hers worked.

"Your influence," Rosen said, sitting down on the bench just to show her he wasn't a threat. "I don't even remember buying anything from you and yet," he indicated the bag at his feet, "I have a very expensive suit here."

The woman took a step further back from him, eyes wide. She knew that not everyone was susceptible to her Pushes, but she'd never had anybody peg her ability for what it was. "I don't know what you're talking about. You bought the suit from me, yes, but you were adamant about it."

Rosen could hear it in her voice and quickly averted his eyes from hers, looking at the floor. "It's called an Alpha ability," he said, standing up once more but keeping his eyes low. "You can do things that no one else can. You can influence people to do whatever you want them to."

"I call it Pushing," the woman said, correcting him. She was in control of herself now, the sound of what she had called the Push gone from her voice.

"You can't control it completely, can you?" He risked looking up at her face again, ready to plunge his eyesight once more as soon as heard any change in the timbre of her voice.

The woman sat down on the bench, clearly overwhelmed by Rosen's words. The action alone was enough of an answer for the doctor.

"I can help you," Dr. Rosen sat on the bench next to her, placing a gentle hand on her arm. "I can teach you how to control your ability. You don't have to live like this anymore."

The woman looked up at him, gratitude glinting in her eyes. She put out her hand and he took it, giving it a firm shake. "Nina Theroux."

He smiled at her. "Dr. Lee Rosen."

"You can't take her!" Nina didn't know whom Dr. Rosen was speaking with or why he wanted her, but she did know that she didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave Dr. Rosen. Even though she had only been under his care for a few months, it was enough to change her completely. She almost had complete control over her ability now and rarely Pushed anyone without meaning to, rarely hurt anyone anymore.

But then this man showed up, insisting that Nina go with him because of an incident that happened long before she began her sessions with Dr. Rosen.

She hadn't meant to kill him. She was upset and not in control of her emotions then. Because of her Influencing Alpha Ability, her emotions were wild. And she was angry, so angry. She couldn't help it. She hadn't even understood her ability then.

"Why don't you just go kill yourself?" The suggestion combined with the Push had been more than enough. He did it. He killed himself.

And now this man was here, wanting to take her to a place called Binghamton, where, as she understood it, she would be locked up for her own safety.

"She's a danger to everyone around her! Including you, Lee!"

"She's learning, Don! She's in much better control of her Alpha Ability now. She won't make the same mistake again!"

"She killed a man, Rosen! I can't trust that she won't do it again!"

Nina could hear Rosen moving around in the other room, could hear his angry footsteps as he stomped around, presumably towards the other man.

"I promise you, Don Wilson, if she hurts anybody, I will take full responsibility. Because she won't, not while she's training under me."

Silence reigned for a full ten seconds. And then, "Fine. But if anything happens, Lee, anything at all, I'm coming for your head. And I'm taking her to Binghamton."

Nina released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"I promise you, Don, that will not be necessary."

She confronted him about the matter the next day. She only had to knock once before he let her in, smiling kindly at her. "Yes, Nina?"

She sat in the chair opposite his desk as he settled himself behind it. "I overheard you talking with that man yesterday." She didn't say anything else. She didn't have to.

"Ah, yes. Agent Don Wilson."

"He wasn't happy, was he?"

Rosen sighed. "He isn't happy whenever something is out of his control. Especially when that something can't be predicted."

"Like me."

A nod. "Yes, Nina, like you. He thinks you're a wildcard, Nina, something that no one can control. And he wants to control you, Nina. Wants to control every aspect of your life."

Nina kept silent for a moment, eyes focused firmly on the ground. "What's Binghamton?"

Rosen stared at her. He knew this conversation was coming as soon as she mentioned Wilson. He had done everything he could to avoid telling her about Binghamton, about the facility where she'd be forced to go if she ever stepped off the path he'd set her on. If her training ever failed.

He heaved a sigh before answering, deciding the best way to breach such a delicate topic.

"Binghamton is a … facility where Alphas go to get control of their abilities."

"Why don't they stay here with you?"

"Most of the Alphas I send to Binghamton don't even realize that they have their abilities. Or they do and cannot control it in the slightest way. You were different, Nina. You were different. You were aware of your ability of Hyper Induction and you knew how to use it. Granted, you did sometimes get out of control or Push people too hard, but you could Push when and how much you wanted to.

"But Wilson thinks you're a threat to him, Nina. He doesn't like things that are outside of his control, especially Alphas. He wants to send you to Binghamton so he can control you."

Nina kept silent for a moment, her eyes focused hard on the carpet of the doctor's office. "You talk about Binghamton like it's a disease."

Rosen nodded. "I used to work at Binghamton. In the areas where the less dangerous Alphas live, everything was fine. Alphas were well taken care of and it generally wasn't a problem. But beneath the surface, they ran tests on the more dangerous Alphas. They tortured them when they're abilities would get out of control. I tried to stop it, tried to change the way things were run there but they wouldn't have it. I was fired. It was then that I started the search for Alphas on my own. If I can train them without the help of Binghamton, if I can help them to get control of their abilities, well, then they can live normal lives. At least, as normal as they choose them to be."

"How did you get mixed up with Alphas in the first place?"

Rosen gave a sharp laugh but the action didn't quite reach his eyes. "That, my dear, is another story for another time." He rubbed his hands together in mock enthusiasm. "Now, who's ready for lunch? I know a great calzone place."

Nina smiled. Maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright.