People Like Us Part III [MxFxM]

05

Night was beginning to draw in when Victor and Lako showed up to take Varian's kids home. They needed a good night's sleep, and a somewhat decent meal, though he knew it wouldn't be what they were used to.

Silently he promised them a good home cooked meal whenever he and Nathan could get home for more than an hour and actually spend time together while doing it. His mate hadn't left the hospital since he'd been there, and Varian had only done it once and walked outside a few times.

Their kids weren't getting the things they needed, and he hated doing that to them, but River was taking precedence right now, and he knew that while it meant neglecting the others, he'd be able to fix that once something happened with their brother. They had to all be worried, he was worried himself, but he did his best not to show it.

River's heart monitor beeped feebly and so irregular it'd gone off a couple times, prompting the female doctor and nurses to rush in and stabilize him while Grant, Nathan, Dr. Warren, and Ace had disappeared into the lab.

It left Varian with Charlie and Adrian's parents as the only new additions to the room. Megan and Cameron stood by their daughter, Charlie's mother next to her and stroking her hair gently. She'd just gotten out of work, so Varian wasn't surprised to see her in a button-up shirt and skirt accompanied with heels that made her shorter stature look taller. She was significantly more dressed up than her mate, in a pair of jeans and collared shirt.

Ailani and Makoa stood out in the room, dark like their son, Adrian's mother next to him on the couch while his father stood nearby. They, unlike Charlie's parents, seemed to coordinate outfits to a degree, Varian noting long sleeves and jeans. It seemed to Varian that the guys in the room were more comfortable standing, maybe to give room for those who wanted to sit, maybe because it was just their nature, he didn't know and didn't ask because there were other things going through his mind.

"If it's alright with you guys, I have something important to discuss with your children." Varian started, looking Charlie and Adrian's parents over carefully before he settled on Charlie. "Is it okay if your parents take the babies with them? I'd rather you didn't have any distractions."

It earned him an unhappy look from Charlie, but Varian didn't care. What he had to discuss needed to be thought through carefully, even if it didn't end up coming to pass. He felt it'd be best to discuss it all.

"That's fine with us." Megan nodded, moving to take one baby from Charlie while her mate moved to take the other, kissing the top of Charlie's head before he straightened back up and followed her out.

Ailani and Makoa didn't complain either, both nodding in kind and they left shortly after, following behind Cameron and Megan. Once all four of them were gone, Charlie looked up at Varian and tilted her head a little.

"What's so important that our parents didn't need to hear?" she asked curiously.

"I know that all of this is hard on you and Adrian," he began, turning to lean back against the railing of River's bed and dipping his hands into his pockets to give himself something to do. "Probably you the most, Charlie, not that Adrian's feelings don't count, but you're River's mate. And, while things are looking up a little for now, I'm going to ask both of you to consider something you would probably never want to. Just in case."

They turned to look at each other at that, Adrian's look almost completely blank while Charlie's was slightly concerned. Then her eyes were back on Varian, but quickly drifted down to his feet, unable to meet his face.

"You're, asking us to consider what happens if, River can't be helped, I'm assuming," she said quietly.

"There's a possibility that River won't make it yes," he started again. "You have children with River, Charlie. You're his mate. If he flatlines for more than three minutes, your bond will break and your tether will retract. You're already in the natural order, but you won't have a mate. However, your children, our grandchildren, will keep you tied to this family."