
Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/762509.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Mass_Effect
  Character:
      Male_Shepard, Commander_Shepard, David_Anderson, Alistair_(Dragon_Age),
      Sten_(Dragon_Age), Charlie_Bradbury
  Additional Tags:
      Alpha/Beta/Omega_Dynamics, Alternate_Universe, Backstory, intro_to_my_au,
      implied_rape, Implied_abuse, Knotting, Mating_Cycles/In_Heat, Dubious
      Consent
  Series:
      Part 1 of Alpha/Beta/Omega_Mass_Effect_AU
  Stats:
      Published: 2013-04-15 Completed: 2013-05-10 Chapters: 4/4 Words: 7162
****** Street Rat ******
by Omuchgeekery
Summary
     Intro to my previously proposed alpha/beta/omega Mass Effect AU.
     This is John Shepard's backstory, and is intended to set up the
     universe.
     John Shepard was born an omega, and will eventually end up with alpha
     Kaidan Alenko.
***** Chapter 1 *****
Chapter Notes
     Gah, you little shits, you had to show a buttload of enthusiasm
     immediately when I posted my idea, didn't you? I even tagged it "not
     a fic" but you guys saw it and ripped it away with grabby toddler
     hands and started giving me great feedback and ideas! WHY DID YOU
     HAVE TO INSPIRE ME LIKE THIS?!?! I have a huge essay to write, a
     speech to prepare for, quizzes to finish, etc, (and I'm working the
     midnight release of Injustice tonight, yay I made a Nightwing
     shirt!), but I'm not doing important college stuff, NO!! I'm writing
     THIS!!!!! (gah. more angry with myself than you, i promise.)
     Thanks for all the great feedback so far and please continue to give
     me more!! I'm still undecided on a few important points of this
     'verse I'm creating thus far. (will list them at the end)
     I do not own Mass Effect, but I DO own this idea, and this is my John
     Shepard. (kinda. I've poked and prodded him to my own purposes)
See the end of the chapter for more notes
    When John Vanders Shepard was fourteen, he went into heat for the first
time.

    If he had been at home with his family on Mindoir, his siblings would have
distracted him until one of his Alpha friends were able to request time off to
help him and then get to him. His mother would have made sure he had taken a
contraceptive, and his father would have made sure the room specially prepared
for his heats was completely ready. But John Shepard wasn't from Mindoir.

    Had he been with both parents, his father would have kept him calm while
his mother found a suitable alpha to get him through his heat. The Alliance
would have made sure he was taken care of, as John's mother Hannah Shepard was
a respected commander. Unfortunately, Hannah and Mark Shepard had been killed
years before.

    John Shepard had been born on Earth, and had lost his parents at a young
age. He had been placed in a foster home with an overbearing alpha foster
father. Alan had little patience for the lonely, inquisitive four-year-old, and
Alan's wife Elissa was a timid doormat, too frightened of her husband to say or
do anything that could possibly upset him. John found out why about a month
after he came to stay - Alan was a nasty drunk. Every alpha he and Elissa had
fostered had run away within a couple months of arriving - the longest any
alpha had stayed had been nearly a year and a half, and that was because she
had barely been able to walk when they took her in. An older beta had taken the
young girl with her when she ran. Alan was a sexist in that he thought alphas
were the only ones who deserved to be in power. Betas and omegas should do
whatever an alpha told them - no questions, no refusals, and no resisting.
Alphas tended to be the most physically powerful and most aggressive, so
clearly they were the best. Betas were to do whatever an alpha wanted them to
do; work or housework. Omegas were little more than breedable fucktoys. He
didn't believe in owning guns, because what if the stupid betas (and the
occasional omega) got their hands on it? Someone could get hurt. As an alpha,
he deserved to be given whatever he wanted. He shouldn't have to do any more
than the bare minimum, but he definitely should be rewarded for others' hard
work. All the money given to Alan and Elissa for fostering children was spent
on Alan; gambling, booze, the occasional hooker, porn, and sometimes something
"sexy" (degrading) for Elissa or one of their foster daughters to wear.
Runaways were only reported if they were caught, and Elissa was sent to play
tearfully relieved mother figure for the police. Alan had once beaten a male
beta to death when he refused to give him a blow job; the just-orphaned nine-
year-old hadn't known what he was asking for.

    At four, John wasn't a true sexual target for Alan, though he did know that
he didn't like how Alan would sometimes squeeze or slap his rear, and he wasn't
looking forward to whatever Alan had promised to give him "in a few years". He
was also lucky enough to be spared most of the man's (usually drunken) wrath.
This was also partially due to Fillip and Kyle, two beta brothers who had
managed to stay together despite being sent to foster care. Fillip made sure he
took most of the abuse Alan doled out. He was also the one who stated to teach
John how to fight. When asked why he remained with Alan and Elissa instead of
leaving, Fillip responded that it would be harder for his uncle (who had been
overseeing a colony his company was funding) to find them should they leave,
and this way when their uncle (who was admittedly bad with instructions and
could sometimes take a while to get somewhere) finally found them, he would
also "take care" of Alan. When John questioned him on this, Fillip laughed and
told him that Alan was probably the perfect example of a bad alpha. His uncle
(and his late mother) was a wonderful, proper alpha, and would not stand for
Alan's treatment of non-alphas.

    When John was six, Alan found one of Kyle's knives - the 15-year-old loved
learning how to fight, and had excellent aim. As he needed a guardian's
permission to learn how to use a gun, he had contented himself with knives,
which he sometimes threw at a target Fillip had made for him. The brothers had
finally been able to get in contact with their uncle, and Kyle had been
understandably excited. Unfortunately, that caused him to forget to thoroughly
hide all weapons. John found it instead, and had been trying to sneak it to his
room to hide when Alan caught him with it.

    He was gone the next day, running as fast as his battered body could take
him. He managed to hide away in corners and guilt food off of people for a
couple weeks before being taken to the police. By that time, Alan had
apparently gone to police, battered and bruised and quaking with fear, and
admitted his wrongdoings. All the children in his care (save two) were sent to
other homes, and the ones not present were listed as "missing". The next year
and a half were rather uneventful in comparison, as John was mostly bounced
around between foster homes. When he was seven and a half (practically grown
up, if you asked him, which most people didn't), John ran away again. He had
been placed with another alpha/beta couple, and he didn't want to stay with
another Alan. It didn't matter that they seemed nice enough, Alan seemed nice
for the first week too. He felt a little bad about stealing money from them,
but they were receiving money for taking him in, so that would make up for
whatever he took, right?

    A couple days after John ran away from his latest foster home, he managed
to run face-first into an older alpha boy. The twelve-year-old took one look at
him and hoisted John back onto his feet, pulling him towards him. John was
understandably frightened by the blonde alpha - especially when he introduced
himself as Al - but quickly realized that Al meant no harm, and seemed very
softhearted. Al was also a runaway; his father had been in some position of
power, but had had an affair with a nobody beta who later gave birth to Al. He
had been sent to live with his father's brother-in-law, who had been nothing
but kind to him, but his "uncle" had eventually gotten married, and his new
bride was suspicious of the child her husband was caring for. Al had decided he
had likely worn out his welcome, and run away. He had been lucky enough to find
a kind man who willingly took him in and cared for him, and Al decided that
John needed to come and stay with them as well.

    John's new psuedo-foster father was a little surprised, but welcomed the
young omega into his home. Duncan made sure John and Al ate, took them to
school, and taught them how to defend themselves when they needed to. Duncan
had even contacted social services and legally (though John honestly had no
idea how, apparently he had some weird agreement or something with someone
important) taken John in. Al quickly became his best friend, and Duncan did his
best to teach them what was right. For the first time in years, John felt like
he had a family.

    Then Duncan was called by the Alliance. Apparently, he had been in some
kind of uber-special ops, and he was needed again. After a week of tension-
filled vid-calls and secretive discussions, he reluctantly assented. Duncan
left the two boys, now twelve and sixteen, with the promise of being back as
soon as he could.

    Al and John never saw Duncan alive again. When they found out he had been
killed on his way back to them by the vengeful cousin of a target he had been
forced to eliminate years before, they freaked. Grabbing what was important to
them, the two boys ran back to the streets, not wanting to be separated from
their best friend.

    Living on the streets was difficult for anyone, much less two young boys
when one was an omega. John quickly picked up how to fight dirty, and he and Al
did everything they could to stay together. Al could earn some money selling
himself out as a thug sometimes (despite that it crushed him to do so), and
did, John later reassuring him that if he had not roughed his "assignments" up,
someone else probably would have, and they would not be as gentle as Al. Even
with Al taking any and every job he could, the boys had difficulty making ends
meet, and were forced to turn to more questionable methods of earning money.
John became quick with his hands, and discovered an innate talent for hacking.
Between the two of them (and what money Duncan had given them that they had
managed to save), the boys got a tiny apartment. It was little more than a
closet with a bed in a building that looked like it would fall apart at the
slightest breeze, but it was a place to stay, and they made it home. They made
friends with others in similar situations - though they only knew of one other
runaway omega, a young redhead named Jane who seemed to have a thing for
turians - and life went on.

    Then, one day in June, 2168, John woke up feeling… off. It wasn't something
he could put into words, just a slight restlessness and something else. When Al
questioned him, he laughed it off and told him he was just still waking up. Al
cocked an eyebrow and gave him a crooked grin, before finishing his breakfast
and standing. Ruffling John's short hair, the 18-year-old told John he would be
back late tonight and to have fun with his friends and try not to do anything
stupid. John grinned at him, feeling strange and wanting… but squashed the want
down. Yes, Al was gorgeous, and had filled out nicely in the almost seven years
they had known each other, but he was his best friend first and had to leave.
Why was he feeling like this?

    John watched Al go with a strange longing, then shook himself and finished
his own breakfast, cleaning up and getting dressed to go meet his friends. As
the day progressed, John kept getting more and more odd looks from strangers,
and even a few from some of his friends. It wasn't until he bumped up against
an important-looking businessman with the intent of stealing his wallet and
ended up pinned to the wall by said businessman that he realized something was
going on. The man had trapped his wrists against the wall and buried his nose
in John's neck before John could register what was happening. As the man
inhaled deeply, he let out a low groan and started slowly rutting against John.
To John's horror, he felt something slide down the inside of his thigh -
something wet.

    I'm going into heat?! I'm going into heat!!! John's friends came to his
rescue, though the alphas seemed to immediately try to grab John for
themselves. One of his cleverer beta friends quickly realized what was
happening, and the betas turned their focus to getting John out of there as
soon as possible. An omega's first few heats were intense, and could be very
difficult for the omega if they did not have an alpha they trusted or were
unable to get somewhere secure. Alphas around them tended to revert to an
instinctual state, all wanting to find the omega and fuck. Once he had a clear
shot, John ran as fast as he could, not caring where he was going or if he
would be able to find his way home later, just wanting to get away. When he
came out of his blind panic, he was in an unfamiliar building, tucked away in a
corner. He tried to calm his breathing, but kept letting out involuntary whines
of need instead. Closing his eyes, John focused on slowing his breathing and
calming down, time slipping away from him.

    His eyes shot open when he heard the unmistakeable sound of footsteps, all
of his instincts screaming "alpha."
Chapter End Notes
     FIRST OF ALL. who should those footsteps belong to? I kinda want Al
     myself , but it could also be one of John's alpha friends or a random
     alpha that John does not know. (Al - as I will refer to him until
     someone else correctly identifies him- was originally just supposed
     to have a short cameo , but this plot bunny kinda turned into a giant
     radioactive mutant bunny all on its own. I am kinda hoping to
     actually make Al an important part of John's life.)
     In addition, it has sparked another plot bunny (i'm thinking it's
     actually a tribble at this point, y'know, born preggers), an au of
     this (don't look at me like that, i've seen aus of aus before) where
     Kaidan is the one who stumbles upon John. I will probably write this
     eventually, but it WILL NOT HAPPEN in this series. This is because of
     reasons.
     I hate to do this, but i won't update this fic until I get responses
     on this - I CAN'T because this is what is happening next!!
     UNIVERSE DECISION: should alpha females be futas, or should they just
     "develop" a peen depending on their sexual partner? I kinda want to
     make them futas, but as they can get pregnant from other alphas (or
     beta males, though sometimes might need some help), that might make
     giving birth a bit uncomfortable. Then again, maybe they usually get
     c-sections because of it.
     UNIVERSE DECISION 2 (not as important): Krogans will tend to be
     alphas, with the occasional beta (who is slightly less hormone-
     driven, slightly less aggressive, but also have more success
     reproducing/had more success before genophage. Perhaps Eve is a beta?
     hmm. idea.). Asari can be alphas or betas, but alphas do NOT have a
     peen. (they are monogendered, and they reproduce via mind meld. they
     would not have peens) Salarians, Drell, and Quarians can be alpha,
     beta, or omega. Hanar and Elcor are just the same as in the game, I
     really don't want to touch that. Haven't decided if Batarians will
     have omegas. (haven't really seen a female batarian, though. Perhaps
     monogendered like Asari?) Turians will have alphas and betas (betas
     are basically just normal for whatever species). SHOULD TURIANS HAVE
     OMEGAS? (should batarians be monogendered?)
     Do you people mind if I (continue to) play haha-let's-steal-that-
     character-and-drop-him/her-in-my-universe?
     BONUS POINTS to anyone who can guess the cameos EXCEPT kris1126, who
     is already aware of them.
     FUNFACTS - John's middle name (Vanders) and his father's name (Mark)
     are both references to Mark Vanderloo, default!Shep's model.
     Yes, that Jane IS a reference to default!fem!Shep. I was actually
     going to keep her as a potential cousin or something, but then I
     forgot and then liked my little reference too much to take her out. I
     made sure I never gave her a last name, though, so I can still use a
     Jane Shepard if I wish (though it will be a different Jane than the
     one who appears in this fic)
     I would love to hear your thoughts/ideas on this so far!!
***** Chapter 2 *****
Chapter Notes
     Clearly Mass Effect does not belong to me, or it would be much less
     wonderful. And most of the characters would be gay/having gay sex.
     mmm, gay sex.
     If anyone wants to read the amazing fic that first made me seriously
     think about writing an alpha/beta/omega fic, it is As the World Comes
     Down by lj_todd. It is an Arrow fic (Slade Wilson/Oliver Queen), so I
     don't know how many people who are reading this would also read that,
     but it is AMAZING, and the sex is just DELICIOUS. here is the
     address: http://archiveofourown.org/works/755834
     On a more fic-focused note, kudos to LauratheLittle for correctly
     identifying Al as Alistair from Dragon Age! Thanks Laura and
     Screwtherules for giving your input, Anan for making me flesh out the
     rules of my universe a little more, and lcook77 and three anons for
     leaving me kudos!!! I'm glad you people are reading/enjoying my
     story! So sorry about the length of the notes last time, and sorry
     for taking up so much this time. Onward to the chapter!!
     WARNING: DUB-CON!!! CROSS-SPECIES SEX!!! UNDERAGE SEX!!! KNOTTING!!!
     IF ANY OF THESE SQUICK YOU, TURN BACK NOW!!!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
His eyes shot open when he heard the unmistakeable sound of footsteps, all of
his instincts screaming "alpha."

    John froze, trying not to make a sound. Glancing around, he realized he was
in an empty conference room - with the door still open. His only hope was that
he was far enough away from the door and that his scent wasn't too strong to be
missed, and that the alpha would miss him in his search. Then he might be able
to escape and find a way to contact Alistair or one of his beta friends, like
Charlie. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw a shadow in front of the
doorway. He pressed himself as far into the corner as he could, not daring to
breathe. The alpha - a human male - stalked by the door, pausing briefly before
continuing on. John waited a minute before releasing his breath, panting
slightly. Faintly, he thought he heard someone calling his name. He started to
push his way to the window, but stopped when he heard a low rumble. Whipping
around, he realized the human alpha had not been the only alpha drawn to him -
in the doorway stood a male turian, grayish with blue face paint, or whatever
it was. Looking to be in his mid-twenties, the turian was dressed in armor with
a sniper rifle attached to his back, a strange visor-like eyepiece covering one
eye. The turian entered the room, locking the door shut behind him. John backed
up as the turian stalked toward him, back hitting the wall. The turian was
close enough that his pheromones were affecting John, plunging him further into
his heat.

    The turian yanked John towards him, proceeding to tear his clothes off of
his body. John struggled weakly, but his clouded mind could not recall why he
had to resist. There was an alpha here now, one willing to help him, to fill
him up, to take that emptiness away. The alpha was not too hard on the eyes,
either, and while he was removing John's clothes a bit roughly, he was not
hurting John in any way.

    The turian turned around, pushing John's naked torso to meet the surface of
the large table in the room before spreading John's legs. John started, mewling
as the turian probed at John's wet entrance with a finger. As the long, tapered
finger entered him smoothly, John moaned, ass rising to meet the digit. He let
out a frustrated sound - it wasn't enough, he needed more! As the turian
started a steady rhythm of withdrawing his finger before thrusting it back in,
John let out a high-pitched keening whine, wordlessly letting the alpha know
that he wasn't satisfied yet. A part of his mind registered that someone was
yelling his name, but it was smothered by the need to be filled, the need to
submit to the alpha.

    Groaning, the turian removed his finger, much to John's dismay. He tried to
reach behind him, wanting it back, but his hands were batted away before
something bigger was placed at his entrance. John gasped as the alpha thrust
into him, holding his waist tightly. he could feel a slight bump at the base of
the alpha's cock - the knot getting ready to inflate, reacting to the thick
pheromones of an omega in heat. The turian withdrew almost completely,
eliciting a whimper before slamming back into John's all-too willing body. He
let out a moan, almost drowning the faint thundering he could hear. His hands
fought for purchase on the smooth wood, but could find none. As the alpha - his
alpha? - repeated his motions over and over, John realized the breathy moans he
could hear were coming from him. His mind quickly got over his surprise, John's
world narrowing to the thick turian cock inside him, opening him up and
splitting him apart in the best way. His moans and the turian's rhythmic grunts
joined the sounds of the alpha pounding him into the table and the banging on
the door in a wonderful symphony. Banging on the door? Who was banging on the
door? Why- the cock inside him rammed against John's prostate and he keened,
mind going blank.

    As he tightened around the alpha's cock, he felt the knot swell slightly.
The turian picked up his pace, his knot stretching John's entrance more with
every thrust, the slightly swelled knot driving John insane. He didn't even
notice the door giving way to its attacker, though the turian did, hands
tightening on John's waist as he snarled at the intruder. John's eyes fluttered
open just in time to see another alpha fly at the one fucking him open, ripping
him away from John. John let out a cry of protest, needing that cock back
inside him, wanting to feel the knot stretch him. A beta darted in, grabbing
John and pulling him away, resisting his struggles to get back to the turian
who had been filling him up. He had never felt so empty! John let out an
agonized cry, but the redheaded beta pulled him away, wrapping a blanket around
him as she placated nonsensically, trying to guide him away from the two
alphas. The human seemed to have a slight advantage over his turian opponent,
even though the turian was clad in armor and he in street clothes. In addition,
John's cry seemed to have drawn his alpha's- the alpha's, his mind protested -
attention back towards John, allowing the blonde to viciously punch the turian
in the face. Snarling, the turian attempted to retaliate, but the blonde alpha
kneed the turian in the groin, causing him to curl up instinctively. The blonde
then slammed his elbow into the turian's head, knocking his opponent out.

    John was still letting out soft whimpers, the redhead guiding him from the
room. Another alpha was waiting, a large black man who looked vaguely familiar.
John tried to climb onto the alpha, needing to be taken, but the alpha rested
large hands on John's much smaller shoulders, keeping him at a distance. John
let out a frustrated sound, reaching for the man's pants only for the man to
gently bat away his hands. Suddenly, John was yanked backward, his captor
snarling at the other alpha. The larger man simply raised an eyebrow, speaking
in a controlled voice to the alpha holding him. John's hips rubbed backwards,
allowing him to feel the alpha's cock and drawing a hoarse groan from the man's
throat. A hand grabbed John's hip, stilling it while the other arm encircled
his waist, pulling him closer. The alpha buried his head in John's shoulder,
smelling the pheromones his young body was letting off. John whimpered, hips
squirming slightly, then moaning as the alpha behind him thrust against his
rear.

    The beta tried to say something, but the alpha just growled at her,
attention leaving the larger alpha. The giant said something to the beta, then
yanked the alpha from John. The beta grabbed him and ran, dragging John down
the hall and into a room where she pushed him onto a couch, barely stepping out
of the way in time for the blonde alpha to miss her, going straight for John.
John reached for the man's pants, ineffectually trying to rip them off when the
man sank two fingers as deep into John's opening as they could go. John's head
fell back at the sensation, and the alpha attacked it, drawing out breathy
moans as he sucked and nipped at John's neck. John barely registered when a
third finger was added, only crying out when his alpha withdrew them. The alpha
- Al, Alistair, my friend -  paused after positioning himself at John's
entrance, looking John directly in the eyes. John nodded, and Alistair sank
into him, both groaning at the feeling.

    After a moment, Al withdrew halfway and thrust back in, filling John up
amazingly. John's ankles locked together around the blonde's waist, arms
reaching up behind the man so that his fingers could dig into large shoulders.
One hand left his hips to pull his head back, letting Alistair capture his lips
in a kiss, devouring his whimpers and gasps. The hand then retreated down
John's body, grasping (nearly covering) his heavy cock. Al's hand began to jerk
him off in time with his thrusts, twisting every so often, but John's 14-year-
old body could only take so much, and he came with a cry, toes curling with
pleasure. Al was far enough gone that he just buried his face in John's neck
and gripped his hips, speeding up for a minute before coming with a deep groan,
knot expanding and tying the two together. John sighed happily, feeling
wonderfully full as his head finally started to clear. He stay silent for a
couple more minutes, simply enjoying the feeling of Alistair filling him up.

    "Sorry," he said guiltily. Al let out a chuckle at this, shaking his head
as he pushed himself up enough for the two to see each other's faces. John
gasped as the cock inside him shifted ever so slightly with the movement.

    "Not your fault," Al told him, voice still somewhat hoarse. "I'm glad you
were able to stay lucid enough when it first hit you to get away from everyone
around you. I'm glad you were hanging out with Charlie, today, too, because she
followed you most of the way here. She just didn't know which building you were
in, and she made sure I knew what was happening."

    "The-the other alpha-" John started, and Al blushed slightly, a sheepish
look on his face.

    "He should be fine, once he wakes up?" John snickered slightly, and
Alistair grinned at him.

    "Glad to see you are lucid again," a deep voice stated, and John eeped,
burying his face in Alistair's chest. Al chuckled, holding John to him as he
turned the around and rearranging them so that he was sitting on the couch,
John straddling his lap. A blanket wrapped around the two of them, and John
peeked out to see Charlie smiling at him. Standing behind her was one of
Alistair's friends who John had met a couple of times. The older man - Stane?
Sten? something like that - had been trying to get Alistair to join the
Alliance, but Alistair continually refused. John was pretty sure he was the
reason Alistair was still struggling to make ends meet; when they were younger,
the two had talked about joining N7 just like their foster father.

    "Ya think you can make it home before the heat takes you over again?"
Charlie asked, looking slightly concerned. The slightly older beta had been
helping John to hone his hacking skills, and had tried to help him teach Al,
but the blonde was unable to get the hang of it, only frustrating himself in
the process.

    "If we take a taxi, I can probably restrain myself. Unless the driver is an
alpha." Al frowned.

    "We can't move right now," John protested, squirming in Alistair's lap,
knot still connecting them. Charlie giggled, even more so when Alistair let out
a groan, hands stilling the omega's hips.

    "No duh, dorkus," she teased. "I mean after his knot goes down. Y'think you
can keep from jumping him till you get home, short stuff?" John glared at the
nicknames, causing Charlie's grin to grow.

    "...Maybe?"

--

    The taxi ride to their apartment was torture, John's pheromones filling up
the cab. Charlie sat between him and Al, Sten riding shotgun. Luckily, their
driver turned out to be an omega herself, and kept shooting John sympathetic
looks every so often. When she had first realized what was happening, she made
sure her passengers knew to call her if anything like this happened again. By
the time they reached the apartment, John was panting heavily, body aching once
again. Charlie pushed John out of the cab, yelling a thanks to the driver over
her shoulder as she hustled John towards the building's door. Alistair quickly
followed, completely focused on his younger friend, while Sten tried to pay
their driver. She refused, telling him she was glad to be able to get them home
safely and that was enough for her. Sten tried to get her to take the money
again, but as she firmly refused, he capitulated, thanking her for her
generosity.

    Meanwhile, Alistair had John pinned to the wall, thrusting his clothed
erection against the omega's groin. Charlie managed to get the door to their
apartment open and then grabbed their arms, yanking them toward the apartment.
Alistair's arm wrapped around John's waist, carrying him into their small abode
and grunting his thanks to Charlie, who then vacated the apartment herself,
rolling her eyes as she shut the door.

    Alistair tossed John onto the bed, practically ripping his own pants off
before covering the omega's body with his own. John's hands darted under the
alpha's shirt, pushing it up until Alistair grabbed it, yanking it from his
body. John was still somewhat loose from earlier, and Alistair sank easily into
his eager body once more.
Chapter End Notes
     There we go! I think that's all we will see of Shepard's heats for a
     while. The next chapter will be a jump forward a couple of years, and
     will be seeing our two boys through N7 (though not at the same time).
     Hopefully, I will also get John through Akuze, but if not, I'll just
     add another chapter.
     the turian was written in especially for BLACK_GEAR_026, who wanted a
     Garrus/John scene. No, the turian wasn't really Garrus, but I tried
     to describe it so that you could pretend it is, because I'm not sure
     if I will be able to put it in the fic.
     (I chose Sten because he would totally be able to keep control of
     himself, even if an omega in heat was trying to climb him like a
     tree, haha. And Charlie is a totally kickass hacker from
     Supernatural.)
***** Chapter 3 *****
Chapter Summary
     Shortly before John Shepard turns 17, he and Alistair get an
     unexpected visitor.
Chapter Notes
     still don't ACTUALLY own anything here other than the idea and vague
     rules about this verse.
     Sorry this took so long - it's finals week (last week was "preparing-
     for-finals-and-the-first-few-finals" week), and I just bought a few
     new video games (COUGHfourCOUGH), so i haven't really been playing
     Mass Effect much. (ON THE OTHER HAND, STAR TREK IS ONLY 18 DAYS AWAY
     OMG OMG OMG)
     this chapter is kind of a filler, I guess? it's mostly preparing John
     for Joining the Alliance. (I can't remember - do they call the
     Alliance soldiers marines? (would that make n7 the space SEALs?) i'm
     an idiot, you see.)
     also, thank you Screwtherules and kairiesaysrawr1 for your comments,
     LauraheLittle, Screwtherules, tajjer, kairiesaysrawr1, and 6 guests
     for leaving kudos, and xopollyxo307 for bookmarking my fic!!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
John Vanders Shepard was sixteen (but actually closer to seventeen than not) by
the time his heats had evened out enough that he could safely go on
suppressants, and he jumped at the chance.
The first heat he had on suppressants was milder than past heats he had
experienced, the next even less intense, and by the third month he was on
suppressants, John barely felt anything. (Sure, he was a lot more easily
aroused during that time, but he didn't have that horrid ache anymore.)
By John's seventeenth birthday, he was comfortable enough without an alpha
being nearby just in case. (Read: Alistair was comfortable - or had finally
given in to John's pleading and complaining - leaving him alone, and by
"alone", he meant only having a trusted alpha like Sten come and check in on
John every so often.) Alistair, now 21, had enlisted in the Alliance, and John
was hoping to follow the next year. The two had been surprised when a tall,
well-built black man (though not as big as Sten, but then, very few were) had
tracked them down a little over a month prior, surprising them in their
apartment.
John and Alistair had been starting dinner (which John cooked, but not because
he was an omega so much as neither male liked food poisoning enough to eat
Alistair's cooking) when they heard the knock on their door. Thinking it was
Charlie (she had a habit of stopping by randomly around dinnertime, as she knew
they were both kind enough to let her have some food, and hey! free food!),
John had gotten up and opened the door (which really only took a second, he had
finally hit his growth spurt, and while he wasn't as tall as Alistair, he
wasn't a short little waif anymore), only to freeze at the authoritative-
looking older man. Alistair tensed as well when the man spoke.
"Alistair Theirin and John Shepard?" the deep voice asked. Every one of John's
finally-developing muscled tensed before Alistair's hand grabbed his arm and
yanked him behind the taller blonde.
"Who wants to know?" the younger alpha asked. To anyone who didn't know him,
Alistair would've sounded casual, like he was slightly curious but not too
worried about the elder's answer. He also would have appeared mostly relaxed,
but to John - and the older alpha, judging by the raised eyebrow and upward
tilt of one corner of his mouth - it was obvious that he was tensed, ready to
attack if he felt it necessary.
"The name's David Anderson. I knew Duncan, worked with him. He was a good man."
John and Alistair were both startled at the mention of their late foster-
father. The man - Anderson - smiled at their shocked silence. "It's been tough
to track you two down. May I come in?" Still stunned, Alistair nodded before
beginning to step back, only to stop a moment later.
"Why? You're not taking us in. I'm too old to go to another foster home, and
I'll be damned if I let you throw John in one," he challenged, refusing to back
down when the elder man simply raised an eyebrow at the declaration.
"I have no intention of separating you two. I just wanted to make sure you two
were alright, offer some help if you needed it. Not," he immediately added,
raising his hands to still any protest, "that I'm saying I think you need
charity. I mean if you boys need help, I'm here." Still eyeing the man warily,
Alistair stepped back, letting the man enter.
"Please, sit," John offered, gesturing at their modest dinner table. "Would you
like something to eat?" he asked, already moving to the cupboard to get out a
plate for their guest.
"That's not necessary, I-"
"I didn't ask if it was necessary. I asked if you wanted one," John cut in,
leveling his gaze at the darker alpha. The man blinked, then threw his head
back in laughter.
"Fair enough. If you don't mind, then yes, I would love to have some food."
Anderson nodded his head in thanks as John placed the plate in front of him,
and waited until the younger men were seated to begin talking. "As I was
saying, I knew Duncan. He had wanted to make sure the two of you would be cared
for - that's why he was so reluctant to do those last few missions. He knew the
two of you were good friends, and wanted the two of you to stay together if
possible. I promised him I would do my best to ensure that, however it was a
bit difficult when the two of you ran as soon as you heard he was hurt."
"We heard he was dead, sir," Alistair countered, eyes sharp.
"Good as. Duncan was never one to let someone else get hurt if he could stop
it, even at the risk of his own health. He took a hit that left him hurt bad
enough he knew he wouldn't survive. The doctors did their best to save him, but
he couldn't pull through. Anyway, I had promised him to look after you two the
best I could, which was difficult given no one knew where you were."
"We were worried we would be separated, sir," John said softly.
"Please, call me Anderson. And I understand completely. That was Duncan's and
my oversight, not letting the two of you know that if something happened to
him, you'd be taken care of." Anderson waved off their protests, taking a bite
of his food before continuing. "I'm just sorry I couldn't help you earlier. No
child should have to grow up on the streets, and no omega should have to go
through their first heat so unprotected." He raised a hand when Alistair
started to protest "I'm sure you did your best, son, but I would have preferred
to know he was safe and protected - and preferably not on the street when his
first heat hit him." John felt his cheeks heating and ducked his head. "I'm
assuming you're on suppressants now? From what Duncan told me, neither of you
are dumb enough for you to not be, though sometimes these things slip people's
minds…"
John felt like his cheeks were on fire at this point. "Yes, sir, I've been on
suppressants for almost four months now." Anderson nodded at this, deep in
thought.
"Have you thought about what you want to do with your life - either of you?"
"I want to join the Alliance," Alistair started, amending his statement at a
glare from John. "We both do." Anderson frowned, turning back to John.
"You're aware that you won't always have access to suppressants in the
Alliance? Pills anyway."
"You are NOT going to chemically castrate John!" Alistair nearly roared,
leaping out of his chair with a murderous look on his face.
"Calm down, son! I wasn't even thinking that!" Anderson waited until Alistair
sat back in his seat, jaw clenching, to continue. "What I was going to suggest
was that John try an implant. They're technically not on the market yet, but
they are in the final testing stages, and from what I can tell, they have
little risk, and they're not sure if it would cause an increase in, ah, heats
if taken out. They would be a bit more expensive than suppressant pills,
especially at first, but you would only need to get them replaced every couple
of years once they found the right chemical combination for you." When Alistair
looked like he was going to comment at this, Anderson waved him quiet. "They
know what chemical combination works best for humans, but everyone is
different. The company that is making these - the one I'm thinking of - has a
lot of Salarians, and true to the stereotype, they do tend to be
perfectionists. They simply want to make sure that the implant is as good for
the person as it can be. There are other companies making implants, but this is
the one I'd trust the most. And yes, I have researched it."
"While I appreciate the help, si-- Anderson, I don't think I can do that right
now."
"Don't worry about the cost. I'll cover it if you want to try it out. And I
don't want you trying to go out and get this done yourself - some of the
companies out there looking for volunteers do not have the best products -
they're still just starting their testing. This company I only know about
because I was asking around, and I, ah, have a few connections most don't."
"Would you be willing to take care of John--"
"I do NOT need to be TAKEN CARE OF like some child-"
"I didn't mean--"
"Yes you DID, or you wouldn't have said-"
"BOYS!"
Alistair and John both froze, eyes locked on the elder alpha. "Of course I'd be
willing to check in on John from time to time, Alistair. Am I correct in
assuming you were hoping to join the Alliance?"
"Yes, sir," the blonde replied, straightening. "I just want to make sure no
alphas decide that since there's no alpha staying with John, they have every
right to do whatever they want with him. Not," he added quickly "that John
would let them. I just don't want them bothering him."
"With the right products, that wouldn't be much of a problem." When the two
younger men looked at him questioningly, he elaborated: "You can get sprays and
soaps and well, practically any product that will keep you from actively
smelling like an omega. Not that that implant I mentioned wouldn't help, but
some deodorant or shampoo or something certainly wouldn't hurt keep some sex-
crazed knotheads from pawing all over you all the time. They'll just assume
you're a beta - unless they already know you're an omega, of course."
Several weeks after that, Charlie had watched their apartment while the two
went with Anderson - who was a Commander, how cool was that? - to get John's
implant. John had had to stop his suppressant pills immediately, as he needed
the chemicals from them fully flushed from his system before the implant was…
well, implanted. This of course caused him to go into heat (which Alistair
helped him through, of course, shut up, Charlie!), but once he had the implant,
Alistair was willing to leave him, but only on the condition that both Anderson
and Sten check up on John periodically (which John thought was completely
unfair to Sten, I mean, come on, the guy has to have a life, or something,
right?).
By the time John (now going by Shepard, hoping to dissociate himself from
little omega John as much as possible) turned seventeen, Alistair was preparing
to leave for basic training. Sten, who had honestly not thought about joining
the Alliance before, had decided he might as well enlist, but was persuaded by
Charlie and John (after being baffled by Alistair's outburst) to at least wait
until John was 18 to do so. (Charlie could not be persuaded to enlist - not
that anyone was particularly surprised - but instead suggested that John and
Sten come stay at her place for the year before they enlisted. The two agreed
while Alistair pouted, as none of them had ever actually seen Charlie's place.
It turned out to be big enough that while it would be a little cramped, the
three could comfortably live there for the next year without feeling like
sardines.)
Anderson sent John some schoolbooks so that John wouldn't feel "like a complete
idiot" (John's words) compared to his peers the next year, and made sure the
trio had enough money to get by - which, thanks to Charlie, wasn't really much.
Apparently, she had only stuck around because she had a soft spot for them -
and because she had fun teaching John the basics of hacking, and laughing at
Alistair when he couldn't comprehend it, and "because you guys are decent
gamers, and it's easier to just play against you then try to find new friends
who might not be good at it at all, duh" - rather than just moving around,
making money by writing new software for people and such.
Also, with the money Anderson provided with, John and Sten were able to get
themselves in good physical shape (not that Sten really had to do much, John
thought) during the next year, not having to worry too much about having a job,
or if they would have enough to pay rent, etc. John also may or may not have
caught Sten going through some of the books Anderson had sent him, but he
didn't really mind. He wanted to make sure other street kids got them once they
left, so that they could use them, too.
By the time John turned eighteen, he was more than ready to join the Alliance.
The week after, when Anderson came to pick them up to take them to basic, he
couldn't remove the grin from his face, no matter what anyone said. His whole
body was practically tingling with excitement - this felt right. This is what
John Vanders Shepard was meant to do. Silly as it sounded, he couldn't help but
feel that he was on his way to his destiny.
Chapter End Notes
     Yay Anderson!!!
     I hope I got him in character. once I typed up him knocking at their
     door, the resulting conversation pretty much just flowed out. I
     wasn't really intending that to be most of the chapter, but hey, I'm
     mostly satisfied with it. I don't like the ending too much, but meh.
     I decided that the next chapter would be with John in the Alliance.
     Sten was kinda like, "I shall go with my friend" but Alistair and I
     were like "Nooo! you need to stay with John!" Being Sten, he didn't
     really argue too much, just kinda raised an eyebrow at us.
     So I am planning on Alistair being in N7 too, and I don't really
     think Sten would have much trouble with doing it either, but I'm not
     sure if he should join N7. Also, should Kaidan and John meet before
     the events of Mass Effect, or when they've both boarded the Normandy?
     I am also tempted to have Alistair have a part in the Mass Effect
     fic, but I'm not sure. I do have plans for him, though, and I know
     that he will at some point join the Normandy's crew in the ME3 fic.
     (Which I honestly did not intend when I first decided to use him in
     what was supposed to be a short cameo where John had a "family" for a
     little while. Alistair was certainly not meant to stay with John, but
     alas, I have a soft spot for him.)
     I doubt we'll see much of Sten next chapter, and then if he appears
     again in this verse, it will probably be a very short appearance
     (unless you guys tell me otherwise). Charlie will be mentioned next
     chapter, but she probably won't appear again until possibly ME2.
     Again, if you don't like this, please tell me! (this note has gotten
     too long. later, bitches! FRIENDS. i said friends!)
     I ALMOST FORGOT. this isn't really a fic, but it is effing HILARIOUS.
     it is titled "Alphas, Betas, Omegas: A Primer" and is basically a
     handbook to writing a/b/o verse. I just found it today, and I
     couldn't stop laughing!! here's the address: http://
     archiveofourown.org/works/403644
***** Chapter 4 *****
Chapter Summary
     John Shephard's Alliance Career
     (it is about to be painfully obvious how little I actually know about
     military careers, now excuse me while I sob)
Chapter Notes
     First of all, let me say that I am so sorry that this took so long! I
     knew what I wanted to happen, but I had no idea where to start.
     finally, about an hour and a half ago (at 1:30 am, dear GOD i'm
     insane), i had a little idea and decided to do as much as i could.
     this is what came out.
     it's a lot shorter than I wanted, but it bridges the gap between last
     chapter (which was mostly filler anyway) and the events of Mass
     Effect.
     if it sucks, please keep in mind that I have been awake for 35 hours,
     before which I had a nasty stomach bug, and I need to be at work in
     about 10 hours. Oh please kill me.
     Also, thanks to simbelmyne and one guest for the kudos, and
     screwtherules for the comment!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Basic training was tough, but not as tough as the physical training Sten (with
Anderson's advice) had put John through in the two years he had until he was
old enough to enlist. Thanks to the implant (and a couple scent suppressant
toiletries he used just in case) and the muscle mass he had gained, no one
seemed to think he was an omega. Part of him loved the freedom, while the other
part detested the stereotypes people still ascribed to omegas. Sure, omegas
were welcome in the armed forces, and while there was still some
discrimination, it wasn't as bad as some people would have you think. Omegas
still didn't often occupy a high rank in the armed forces, though this may have
been because they didn't mind stepping back and letting others take the lead
nearly as much as alphas did. (To be fair, the majority of high-ranking
officials were, in fact, betas, who could keep a level head more easily than
alphas.)
Shepard got along with his peers, and - even without his natural omega scent -
seemed to draw others to him. He managed to accrue a small group of close
friends, though he remained on friendly terms with many others as well (even if
he couldn't always remember their names). One of his closer friends was a
fellow "Soldier" named Chris Toombs. Chris always had a smile on his face, and
loved to joke. The two were of similar abilities and strengths (ignoring the
fact that Chris actually was a beta, and everyone just assumed John was a beta
- if anyone asked him straight out, he'd shake his head and/or roll his eyes,
and start talking to someone else), and managed to stay in the same group
throughout training, after which they were assigned to the same squad.
A couple of years down the road - Shepard was 22 - they were sent to Arcturus
Station for a short leave before being given new orders. Much to John's delight
(and later horror), Alistair - and Sten - were also on leave there (the horror
came when Alistair began making up embarrassing and ridiculous stories about a
young John to his squad mates, much to their delight). Alistair was especially
excited because he got to celebrate John's 23rd birthday with him (he managed
to get John drunk enough that he still only remembers flashes of that night).
(Sten remained unaffected, though everyone present swore he had at least as
much to drink as everyone else did. Alistair got a suspicious look on his face
before asking his friend if he was truly human, to which Sten merely raised an
eyebrow.)
A couple weeks after Shepard turned 23, Alistair's squad was sent Elysium, and
Sten's to Torfan several days after that. Shepard' and Toombs' squad got
another week and a half (which Toombs dubbed "recovering from Alistair time"
and the rest of the squad dubbed "shut up Toombs, at least his jokes were
funny", much to Chris' "horror") before the squad of 54 were sent to Akuze to
check up on a colony.
Within three days of their arrival on Akuze, John Shepard was rescued, the only
survivor of a devastating thresher maw encounter.
After recovering, Shepard started his Interplanetary Combatives Training at
Vila Militar in Rio de Janiro. A few months later, he was awarded an internal
designation of N1 and an invitation to return to continue his N training.
Lieutenant Commander John Shepard would go on to gain the coveted N7 status by
the age of 26 and a half years, after failing his N4 training once and nearly
failing N6 twice. Alistair (who had also managed to be invited into the ICT,
though as of yet only had a rank of N4) celebrated by showing up unannounced
and getting Shepard spectacularly drunk (which Alistair seemed to thoroughly
enjoy doing, Shepard would come to realize years later).
Several months later, Anderson contacted Shepard and asked him to be his XO on
his new ship, the prototype Normandy.
Chapter End Notes
     Hope it was acceptable (it definitely was NOT "good" in my mind, this
     is not one of my best works, but this chapter gave me a lot of
     difficulty and i'm super tired.)
     I know some of you didn't want Alistair to be in N7, but he was
     headed that way ever since he charmed me out of just giving him a
     cameo in the first chapter. if you'll recall, Duncan was part of a
     "special tasks" group - he was in N7 (alongside Anderson, though i'm
     not sure if he was actually N7 or not); John and Alistair were
     inspired by him to try to get into N7. Alistair will likely not have
     more than a brief appearance (if he makes an appearance) in the Mass
     Effect and Mass Effect 2 fics, and Sten will henceforth be regulated
     to mentions - though if you guys want his ever-amusing-stoicism, I
     will be glad to try to fit him in.
     Unfortunately, it may be a little while before the Mass Effect fic is
     posted - I want to get the fic outlined and at least a good portion
     written before I start posting.
     Besides which, I have no idea what to call the fic itself. (oh dear,
     my sleep-deprived brain just thought up "Mating Effect," though that
     would technically not be apt until later fics...oooooh, ideaaaas!)
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