A/N: almost forgot to post this.

"Dad?" 

Keigo's gaze flickers up from the screen of his laptop but his fingers keep on with their tapping and typing away as Shouto pokes his head in from the door; he's almost done writing out the new terms and conditions to be met in order for him to even consider renewing a contract with his current management team. Good people; mediocre representation. 

"Hi, baby. You're home early; you didn't have class today?" 

Shouto lets himself into the study, dragging his bag behind him as he goes to plop down in the extra chair near the bookshelves. "I did but I wasn't feeling well so I left early today. Went to check on mom before I came in here but he was taking a nap. He's been sleeping a lot lately; is he doing okay?" 

"Oh---mommy's fine, sweetheart. It's just been a very long time since he's had to carry and his body needs a little time to adjust to the new pup. He had a hard time with you four as well but the doctor said everything looks fine right now. I'm keeping a close eye on him; I promise." Keigo reassures him, hands pausing abruptly as he takes his attention away from the screen. The faint scent of distress wafts him and Shouto seems rather nervous as he sits there and chews on his nails. Keigo doesn't call him out right away, instead deciding that his paperwork could wait. 

"You said you weren't feeling well earlier. Are you feelin' alright now, baby?"

A shrug. Keigo hums and plucks the glasses from his face to sit them down on his keyboard. 

"Is there something you want to talk to Papa about? You know you can tell me anything at all---it'll stay right here in this room with us." 

This seems to coerce the omega into relaxing about, the contemplative expression on his face a rather obvious giveaway that he needs to get something off of his chest. 

"I-I just...I know you probably don't care since you and my sire aren't at all on good terms but...I haven't heard from daddy in days and she was supposed to meet me the other day but she never showed. The lady at the hotel she was staying at said she hasn't checked out yet so...I...I mean…" 

"You're worried about Rei." He supplies, quite surprised when Shouto offers a shake of his head. "N-No. I mean...I know she isn't in any trouble. It's just...why would she be avoiding me like this? What did I do wrong? I thought we were doing better but now she doesn't want me anymore…?" 

Shouto's voice cracks and Keigo feels a tug at his heartstrings. He feels horrible that they haven't told him about Rei being arrested or what she'd tried to do to his mother all those days ago---guilty to have let Shouto believe that Rei had simply abandoned him again but it honestly feels like the lesser of two evils. He had wanted to spare Shouto---to leave him with whatever image of his father he'd had that day instead of breaking his heart---but is this really any better?

His poor baby is crying. What the fuck is Keigo supposed to do? Is there really a correct decision to make? He doesn't want to stress Enji out with this---not while he's carrying the baby. They're already preparing for a high risk pregnancy. He doesn't want to lose this pup---he can't. 

"Oh, Princess. C'mere, baby." He stands from his chair, arms wide open until he sits next to Shouto embrace him. His fingers card through mismatched strands of hair, rocking him from side to side in an attempt to comfort him. He can feel warm tears staining the collar of his shirt and, more than anything, Keigo wishes there was a way he could protect his children without hurting them in the process. He never wanted it to be this way. They were supposed to be happy. 

"You are perfect, my sweetheart. Don't you ever forget that to me and to mommy and Touya---to us, you're so perfect and we're so lucky to have you. Your sire isn't a good person. I think you know this too, don't you? It's not your fault and you've done nothing wrong. It's okay to love her still. But it's for the best that you not see her again." He says, pressing a kiss into the crown of Shouto's head. The teen sniffles and reaches up to wipe his eyes but more tears just come to replace them. 

"Part of me knows that. I-I just...I don't understand. It felt like she was trying a-and...I thought things could be different until she came here. Seeing how she treated mama and...after hearing what she said about Katsuki...I wasn't sure of how to feel anymore. I guess there's still part of me that wants her to turn out good so badly that it hurts, you know?" 

Keigo releases a sharp sigh. He can't do this. He can't sit there and lie to Shouto's face---can't let him believe that Rei simply just ran off. If he finds out the truth from someone else when Keigo knew all along, he'll never forgive him. 

Fuck it.

"Listen, sweetheart. I need to tell you something, okay? Something that's going to upset you. I don't want to see you hurt but it would be so much worse to keep this from you. I just want you to know that mommy and I just want to protect you---we want what's best for you. We love you so much, there's nothing more important to us than you and your siblings. Okay?" 

Shouto lifts his head and Keigo reaches over to grab the box of tissues on his desk and hand them to him. 

"I don't really know how else to tell you so I'm just gonna say it. There's no delicate way to put this. Rei is currently in jail and will be going to prison." 

He's fully prepared for the way that Shouto's face scrunches and he pulls away, an incredulous expression slapped right onto his face. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"You're looking at me like you think I'd lie to you, Sho." 

"N-No, I just---what did she do? Is it...is because of what she said the other night? About Katsuki?" 

Keigo wishes it were that simple. He wishes that what she said had been enough to add child abuse and kidnapping to her charges as well; there's no way that she didn't have something to do with Katsuki's disappearance all of those years ago. He made sure to put a bug in Yagi's ear about that. All he can do now is cross his fingers. 

"While your sire had definitely said some incredibly fucked up shit, it wasn't enough to get her arrested." 

"Then what did she do?" 

Christ.

"She tried to hurt your mother, sweetheart, she tried to hurt him really bad and he would have lost the baby. I can't tell you exactly what happened---not right now. I'm sorry."

Because he'll blame himself for it. 

"It's not my place to do that but when your mama is feeling a little better, you two can sit down and talk---" 

"No! N-No, you have to tell me what she did!" 

"Baby---" 

"Don't keep doing this to me---please. You guys are always tip-toeing around me and I hate that I'm the only one who doesn't understand what the fuck is happening in my life! I don't want to be left in the dark anymore---Dad, just tell me. Please." 

This is hard---one of the hardest things Keigo thinks he's ever had to do. He thought that they were doing the right thing, keeping this from him. They thought that they were protecting him but all they've done is drag out the inevitable. He doesn't want to have to do this---to rip that band-aid off of a wound that never closed. 

But if he denies Shouto right now, he'll never trust him again. 

Keigo relents with a heavy sigh, fingers tugging through his hair. 

"Alright. Where do you want me to start?" 

"The beginning. I want you to tell me everything you've been keeping from me." 

"Are you sure you don't want to have this conversation with your mother present?" 

Shouto shakes his head. "It's like you just said. Mom's having a hard time right now. I don't want to risk making him sick with this." 

Precious boy. Keigo loves these kids so damn much it hurts. 

"Okay. I understand." 

He may as well get comfortable. They're going to be there for a while. 

#

"Hi, baby! Oh, you look so pretty today. Thank you for wearing the dress I made you." Masaru greets Katsuki with a tight and warm embrace, lightly scenting him as he always does. He'd read that it would help with building bonds with his little one and even though Katsuki isn't quite a pup anymore, he'd try anything if it meant they could be a family when this is over. Just him and Katsuki. 

Katsuki smiles, leaning into his mother with a soft purr as he nuzzles against his collarbone. Touya stands a few feet away to allow them their moment, snapping a photo from Katsuki's phone that he's sure his little lover would appreciate once he got the chance to see it. He looks so happy whenever Touya takes him to see his mother---he even pays for a car to pick Masaru up and take him home so that it doesn't show up on his and Mitsuki's joint bank statements. Masaru thanks him every chance he gets but it's not a big deal for Touya. No mother should be deprived of the chance to see their children. 

Masaru kisses Katsuki's forehead as he pulls away and beckons for Touya to give him a hug as well to which Touya happily complies. Masaru reminds him so much of his own mother---meek and almost overbearingly protective but willing to do anything for his children. He can imagine that Masaru has mutely refused to give Mitsuki any more children. He hates that he's stuck with that monster until this is all over. 

Masaru pulls away to hold Touya's face in his palms, the raven having leaned down to press a kiss of his own onto Masaru's crown. He smiles up at him and Touya can't help but feel incredibly warm and fuzzy at the look that Masaru gives him. 

"What's up, mama?" He asks curiously and Masaru's smile broadens. "Nothing. Just thinking of what a handsome boy you are. You and my Katsuki are so perfect together." 

Touya's cheeks bloom bright red and he's aware of Katsuki giggling at his side as the alpha chuckles and adverts his gaze. It's the first time he's ever been complimented by the parent of someone he's dating. His past experiences usually lead to being called a juvenile delinquent and told he was a horrible influence. That one old guy even called him a degenerative chicken shit and told him to 'stay away from his Juliet'. 

Whatever. She was a slut anyway. 

"I-I-I, uh, think our table is ready." 

Masaru releases him with a pat on the shoulder. "Sure, sweetie." 

Touya's really gotta work on taking compliments. 

#

"I told you that I didn't have anything else to say to you." 

Toshinori artfully ignores Tomura, sliding into the seat in front of him. Shota isn't far behind him, pulling a chair from a nearby table to sit at his partner's side. Tomura is visibly anxious, scratching at his wrist. 

"We're not here to antagonize you, Shimura---" 

"Don't call me that!" 

"Okay. Okay, we won't. Relax. We're here because we're trying to help." 

Tomura stops his scratching, eyes flickering up at the alpha with a narrowed gaze. "Help? How the fuck would you be trying to help me?" 

Toshinori pauses, wanting to choose his next words carefully. One false move and he could ruin any chance that he has of getting the omega to cooperate. 

"Well...we know that you're not a criminal." 

Tomura scoffs, rolling his eyes. "I'm not? Are you sure? You called me a crook and told me I'd wish that you had let me die and now you're simply just going to come here and tell me that you were wrong?" 

"Could you blame us?" Shota sighs, leaning back in his seat. He's exhausted and going through serious caffeine withdrawals but he, more than anything, wants to set this right. If Tomura really cares about Katsuki at all, he'll help them bring Mitsuki Bakugou and several other rich bastards to justice. "All of the evidence pointed to you. All of the evidence pointed to cold hearted murder and the kidnapping of an innocent child." 

"And you decided that it didn't because?" 

"Because Katsuki told us about what you'd said to him during his last visit here with you and recent events have a occured that support the fact that you were not the one to abduct Katsuki Bakugou." 

This seems to catch his attention. 

"...does anyone else know?" 

"No. He didn't tell anyone else and the only other person he knows that isn't us is the captain. We're trying to do what we can to protect him. We need your help. Please." 

Tomura doesn't say much of anything in response, leaning back in his seat with a skeptical stare. 

"...if he told you everything that I told him then there isn't much else I can tell you." 

"That's not true. You can give us names. Descriptions. We have our suspects. We just need confirmation." Toshinori corrects him and Tomura raises his hand to scratch at the scar on his neck. 

"Names...I didn't know anyone at that party. I didn't even know his parents' names. I can't tell you what that other Alpha's name was---the one who bid on him first---but I remember what she looked like. I remember everyone gushing over the fact that she was some famous model. About six feet tall, bleach blonde hair. Almost looks white. Dark colored eyes. Really fucking annoying, kept calling herself a thoroughbred Alpha." 

Just like they assumed. 

"Rei Fujiwara." 

Tomura grunts out a non-committal affirmation. "Rings a bell. Maybe. Could be anybody though." 

"I'd say the same if she didn't admit to being there the night that Katsuki came up missing. Katsuki's mother confirmed that she was there as well; he even called her by name. It's enough to add child trafficking to her current charges." 

"Current?" 

"You'll hear about it on the news." Shota assures him, as it will only be a matter of time before Rei is unable to keep the press from finding out about her arrest.

"There's one more thing we need from you in order to try and bring this all to a close. Katsuki mentioned that...your husband was there. A bidder. You mentioned that he won the bid and was the one to take Katsuki home. You held him at gunpoint, took the baby and ran." 

"I'm not admitting to shit, fuck you." 

"We're not here to use that against you, Tomura, we just need to understand what happened. Your husband. What was his name?" 

Tomura groans, wiping a hand over his face in exasperation---not because they're asking but because he knows their search for his estranged husband would be futile. Besides…

"I don't remember. All of the years that I was kept prisoner with that disgusting fuck and I never even knew his name---not his real one. I remember what he looks like, though. I'll never forget it---not when he beat and raped me all the fuckin' time. Not after he knocked me up and ripped every single one of my pups from me. I still see that bastard in my nightmares." 

A bitter laugh. He'd tried to forget---drugged himself until he was numb---but it was stuck there, imprinted into his memories like a tattoo. 

"He's about six feet and three inches tall. Dark hair. Hazel eyes. Looked like any regular bastard you might walk past on the street except he wore this mask all of the time, a mask and white gloves. People who worked for him called him Overhaul. That's the most that I knew about him." 

Overhaul? A nickname? 

"...I see. Thank you for your cooperation. You're helping us bring Katsuki some justice and help other children who've suffered the same fate and weren't as lucky to be rescued. You're a good man." 

Tomura grunts, exhausted with the conversation. 

"Sure. Is that all? Can I go now?" 

Shota gets ready to tell him that he's free to go but Toshinori stops him with a subtle tap to the leg. 

"The bodies in your basement. Katsuki said they were to be the bodies of people who had been sent to retrieve you. That you'd been found by your husband and they came to take you and Katsuki both back. Among them was a detective. Detective Nighteye---" 

"Wasn't sent by my husband but was equally disgusting. I'd come to him for help when I'd first started noticing that we were being watched. He promised me protection and then tried to rape me. Said if I wanted my baby to be safe then I'd just let him and keep my mouth shut. I'm not standing back anymore to let my body be taken against my will; I do not regret killing him." Tomura grits out, very pointedly glaring in Toshinori's direction as if he'd committed a personal atrocity against him. It's close enough, it would seem. 

Toshinori, absolutely floored, almost scoffs. Nighteye? Straight collar and by the book? Does Tomura honestly expect him to---

"The cameras in your home. They were functional?" Shota asks. 

"Yes." 

"Alright. You're free to go now." 

He waits until Tomura is out of earshot before he turns to face his partner. 

"You should be ashamed of yourself." 

"I didn't say anything." Toshinori counters but Shota lightly kicks him in the shin. "No, but you were thinking it. Tomura doesn't give a shit about spending his life in prison; you think he'd lie about something like that? 

Point taken. 

"Get up and let's go. Somebody's gotta go ring in these new charges for Fujiwara and get a headstart on finding out who the fuck the Overhaul guy is." 

He can sense that Shota is cross with him. 

"Uh...sure. You take Fujiwara?" 

"Absolutely not. I'm getting coffee and headed to Records to start digging. Have fun with the baby killing rapist." 

Shota doesn't give Toshinori even a split second to object, leaving him sitting in the chair as he turns and saunters off. 

He supposes he should go on and get this over with.