(BL)Alpha Made-Chapter 501: New year, final confession
"If you need anything, just flare your pheromones out. I’ll be able to tell, alright?" Andrew heard what Maxwell was saying, but found himself more focused on the tiny details of the space around him.
It’d been a long time since he’d been in a waiting room in a police station. It would have been amusing if the station he was asked to have his recounting at was the one he’d spent some of his childhood waiting in after he’d ’rubbed shoulders’ with the shitty alphas of his past.
It was almost a fond memory. Almost.
Now, however, Andrew took a moment to appreciate how modern the station he was sitting in was, and how it wasn’t at the same time. It was an old brick building, but the interior had been modernized. There was a front desk, which could only be accessed from the backside. That was done as a safety concern for the desk clerk because it wasn’t like people were coming in for happy reasons when they were visiting police stations.
The colours were darker, or at least the accent colours. The rest were bright, not quite white shades, but made the space feel not as gloomy. That was quite the shift from the last time Andrew had been in a space like this.
The sound of phones ringing still filled the air, but instead of sitting on a plastic chair, Andrew was sitting on a nice, somewhat stiff couch in a blue shade while Maxwell sat next to him, holding his hand.
Andrew and Maxwell were waiting for a detective to come down from the upper level and get Andrew for his recounting. They were in the waiting room. The waiting room meant for people who were coming in willingly to do something hard.
That was what Andrew was telling himself, since there was no one else around. Granted, it was the beginning of the new year, but crimes were still committed. Was there just a back door that Andrew didn’t know about?
"Andy." Maxwell said softly but firmly, and Andrew turned to look at Maxwell. He was sitting there, dressed in his everyday suit, his winter jacket hung up on a coat hanger just in the corner of Andrew’s eye. His hair was combed and styled, his blue eyes made brighter by the dark shade of the suit he was wearing.
Andrew squeezed the hands that were in his own.
"I’m here." Andrew said, and watched as Maxwell’s brow furrowed.
"Are you feeling okay? Are you sure you want to do this if you are feeling like this?" Maxwell asked and Andrew let out a slow breath. Yeah, he didn’t want to do this. If Andrew was honest with himself, which he hadn’t been since he had been pushing this to the back of his mind, he didn’t want to be here.
He’d already recounted this several times at this point, and it was tiring. Each time was tiring. He wanted to just push this to the back of his mind and never speak of it again.
Andrew let out a long, drawn out sigh as he dropped his gaze to Maxwell’s hands and lap. He let go of Maxwell’s hand only to take it back into his hand and play with each of his fingers, memorizing each knuckle and groove.
"I’m just hoping this is the last time I have to recount this." Andrew muttered. "I’m tired of saying it. I just want to forget it even happened." Andrew admitted softly and didn’t look up at Maxwell’s face to see his expression. He heard the soft exhale from the other man, and knew that he had probably upset him by saying that.
"We’ll make sure that they record it so that you don’t have to say it again." Maxwell promised. "Oh, our lawyer just arrived. Hold on." Maxwell tugged his fingers away from Andrew’s attention and stood up. Andrew followed his movement with his eyes and watched as an equally smartly dressed man entered into the station. He looked like he was stepping off of a movie set for a law firm or something.
He had a scarf tucked around his neck, a set of leather black gloves on, and a long winter jacket on his body. A leather briefcase in one hand, his slightly greying hair styled back and out of his face. His deep-set brown eyes scanned the area with enough focus that Andrew knew he was taking in every last thing. Anything that could be used against someone.
When his eyes landed on Maxwell, they softened as he reached out his free hand and shook Maxwell’s offered hand.
"Maxwell. So good to see you." He said warmly and Maxwell gave him a tight smile in response.
"Sad that this is how we normally meet each other." Maxwell replied, and Andrew realised that he’d seen him at the Christmas party only a few weeks ago, but Andrew had been so focused on everything else that he hadn’t been able to give him the proper greeting he deserved.
Andrew got to his feet, feeling like a lumbering giant as he got to his feet and made his way over to the other two. Maxwell glanced at Andrew and his severe expression and his own expression softened.
"George, this is my fiancé, Dr. Andrew Knox. I am sure you two are somewhat familiar with each other, but it never hurts to do another introduction. Andrew, this is George Hunter. He’s been Dad’s lawyer for a long time. He’s here more as a formality, but you never know." Maxwell said and George let go of Maxwell’s hand and offered Andrew his hand.
Andrew took it, shaking the man’s hand firmly and George gave a soft smile as he scanned Andrew’s stance.
"We’ve never formally spoken, but I’ve seen him at the Christmas parties that last two years. He’s been so busy that I’ve never been able to introduce myself properly." George said with a slightly sly grin. Andrew nodded.
"I’ve also seen you. A pleasure to meet you finally." Andrew said and George chuckled.
"I don’t quite believe you. No one really wants to see me around. I’m practically a harbinger of bad news, or tragedy." He didn’t sound upset about his job description though. Andrew guessed that he wouldn’t. Anyone who had been working with Thomas for so long would probably relish in the cases that he would put before him. "Nervous?" He asked and Andrew swallowed before he nodded.
"I just...I’m tired of recounting this story. I just want to get this over with. The longer we sit here waiting, the more anxious I get." Andrew admitted, before he smiled slightly. "After all, the last time I was in places like this I was getting berated for my actions." Andrew said and George looked mildly surprised by that. He glanced at Maxwell who smiled smugly.
"He was beating up bad alphas for being bad. He was a beta at the time as well." Maxwell said for clarification. George seemed impressed by that.
"No charges?" He asked cautiously and Andrew shook his head.
"Not anything I’m aware of. Not even community service. Guess it was too embarrassing to admit that you got your ass beat by a beta who was constantly surrounded by omegas." Andrew said with a shrug. George glanced at Maxwell again and Maxwell chuckled.
"He’s loyal, George. He was raised by a single, omega Mom. He was just overprotective." Maxwell defended, but Andrew understood why he was worried.
"Max is my one and only. My Mom would kill me if I had any other plans in my mind. I don’t want to be like my father." Andrew said, not sure if he needed to say the last part, but he needed to for himself. George nodded slowly, glancing around before he gave a soft exhale.
"Alright. If you’re getting antsy, I’ll check in with the front desk and see where that detective you’re supposed to speak to is, alright? I’m here, let me make myself the bad guy." He said with a charming, panty-dropping smile. Andrew chuckled nervously.
"Please, don’t make them too upset. I’m already at a disadvantage." Andrew joked. George’s eyes widened as Maxwell blinked, before gently smacking Andrew’s stomach.
"Andy, they wouldn’t fucking dare in my presence." Maxwell rumbled, while Andrew didn’t quite agree, but hey, he was feeling a little too nervous.
"I’m just going to go sit down again." Andrew said, walking himself back to the couch. Maxwell joined him again only a few minutes later.
"I told George to keep whatever he heard to himself, and that we wanted it confirmed that it was being recorded. He has to see that it was." Maxwell said, reaching out and squeezing Andrew’s hand. Andrew nodded, grateful that he was with him. Andrew almost told him that he could do this on his own. He was glad that Maxwell saw through the bluff he wasn’t even aware he was putting on.
"Thank you." Andrew said, meaning it. Maxwell chuckled, leaning in and pressing a kiss against his cheek.
"Who else is going to take care of such a big, sweet baby but me?" Maxwell asked, and Andrew melted. Who, indeed?
~
Turns out, the front desk clerk had thought that she had messaged the detective, but he had never received it. He thought that Andrew was no showing him when Andrew had been there for over 20 minutes. It was a lot of apologies on everyone’s part, but Andrew just grinned and bore it. He wanted this over with.
The Detective was a nice man, with a stern expression but there was still some kindness in the depth of his gaze. He introduced himself, but Andrew already forgot the name. George let him know Andrew’s terms for speaking to them, and the Detective didn’t seem surprised in the slightest.
"Don’t take this the wrong way, Dr. Knox, but lots of people just want to get it off their chest and forget about it. I’ll make sure that we have two recordings going for everyone’s peace of mind." The Detective said and Andrew let out a breath that carried the tension in his body with it. He was glad that the man got it.
Maxwell said goodbye at that point, leaving Andrew to go with George and the Detective into a relatively small room with a warm cup of tea in a paper cup in his hand. Andrew felt nervous without Maxwell around him, and excused himself as he pulled out the small square of fabric that held Maxwell’s scent.
He had walked into hell several times up to this point but this time recounting it felt...more real. This was the police station after all. This was making it official.
He was telling them what had actually happened to him to begin to get justice for himself. That was a big thing to do, and it was scary. Andrew was allowed to be scared. He just needed to remember that if it got overwhelming, Maxwell would be on the other side of the door willing to calm him down.
That thought was what kept him grounded.
