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foreversecrets · 1 year

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Gerrymandering

Chapter 1 Hope

Ransom Drysdale x OC (Alice)

Summary: Ransom watched the mates of the pack not with envy but with almost a sense of relief that he dind't have to worry about doing right by his own mate because he met her years ago and purposely pushed her out of his life. But she's his true mate, could they reallly keep apart?

With Steve and Lloyd having successfully found their mates, the brothers had all started taking bets on who would be next, bets were on him. But Ransom knew it wouldn’t be him, because he met his mate long ago and he’d pushed Alice away; she was never coming back and part of him was glad for it. He’d saved her a life of pain and sorrow with him and his shitty family but part of him wonders if she’d be accepted by his new family now. The Thrombey’s would have never welcomed her into the pack but after seeing how Emma and Rebecca had been integrated and cared for he thinks she would have been happy. He hopes that she found an alpha similar to his brothers, someone to take care of her in the ways she deserves.

They’d met freshman year in college, even through the drugs, stress, and alcohol they’d known they were true mates. He’d tried to be a good alpha but even before things got started he knew he couldn’t be good enough for her, probably why he’d never given her his mark. From the get go they poorly matched him, the rich, playboy, asshole coasting through life while she was the fat, struggling, poor girl. Even before they tried dating he warned her fidelity wasn’t his strong suit, but credit where credit is due he remained faithful throughout the entirety of their relationship. One place that had seen eye to eye was never wanting pups, neither of them ever having learned how to be nurturing or loving because their parents had fucked them up enough, they didn’t need to do that to offspring. She had big dreams of being a career woman while he didn’t even know what he wanted to do with his life.

“Ransom, are you alright?” the tired voice of Emma breaks him from his nostalgia. He looks up at Emma to see the exhaustion on her face. She’s been struggling with the terrible twos and work, Steve’s been doing his best to help around the house when he’s home but he still gets pulled away frequently for missions with the Avengers.

“I’m fine,” he growls out, not really angry at her but angry with himself and all the shit he’s put people through in his life. The pout on Emma’s face makes him sigh in exasperation, “I’m sorry Em, I was just in my own head.”

“Anything I can do to help?” true omega fashion, trying to fix things.

“Not this time,” he kissed her on the cheek and headed into Sarah’s room to check on the toddler. She’s sleeping soundly finally, she’s been sick-a minor cold but between Sarah being sick and James teething Emma hasn’t had time to herself. Steve is resting now to relieve her soon but with the chaos of their household he, Andy, and Ari have been stopping by to try and give the couple a break. Lloyd and Rebecca are still gone off doing God knows what for their honeymoon, probably taking down drug cartels.

“Ran, didn’t know you were still here,” Steve yawns exiting the master bedroom and tugging on a t-shirt. “Where’s Em?”

“Kitchen, she’s looking ragged.”

“I’ll get her to bed and take over kid duty, thank you again for stopping by and helping out.” Steve gives him an earnest look before heading towards the kitchen. A sense of longing enters him as he hears the whispered adoration between husband and wife followed by a reminder that he could have had all of this too if he had hung on and waited for Steve to come along to bring him and his omega into his pack.

💸💸💸

Alice smiles down at her daughter, brow furrowed as she struggles with her homework. She’s been having a difficult time with math which luckily for Alice she’s a pro at. Kind of a requirement when you're an accountant, even the kind that works from home. A knock at the front door stops Alice’s staring, investigating she finds the one person she wishes would forget about her and Madison. She opens the door, a fake smile plastered on her face.

“Linda, I wasn’t expecting you, please come in.” Alice gestures to the apartment. She knows she doesn’t have to invite Linda Drysdale into the apartment, it's technically hers but she keeps up formalities to keep her happy.

“Grandma!” Maddy cries in happiness, rushing to the door at having heard Alice speak Linda’s name.

For all her faults, Alice has to admit that Linda has wormed her way into Molly’s heart and developed a true affection for the girl she once thought was going to ruin the perfect image for her family. She’s a good grandmother but a shitty person. Alice plays the cordial but she can’t help the resentment she harbors for the woman who completely controls her life. The rules she follows have been set by Linda in exchange for his financial assistance in raising Maddy. Because of Linda Drysdale she’s never gotten the chance to repair things with her truth, not even been allowed to date because ‘I won’t provide for another bastard pup,’ was thrown in her face. She’s only allowed to work when Maddy is at school but even their Alice has to be there on time everyday for pick up and drop off because ‘Maddy needs constant care, and I give you more than enough to provide for the two of you.’ Linda Drysdale is the worst thing to have ever happened to her but she does have her moments of humanity, mostly centered around Maddy. She’s always available to take Maddy during her heats, while she suffers at home alone barely getting by and she’s never missed anything involving her granddaughter, from school events to holidays she’s always present. But it's just her, no one else knows about Maddy and she’s made damn sure of it.

“Hi pumpkin, grandma missed you.” Linda talks in a baby voice as if Maddy is still a toddler but Maddy just giggles and wraps her arms around Linda affectionately.

“I missed you too!” Linda pats her on the head. “Why don’t you take your homework in your room while your mother and I have a chat?”

Maddy pouts at Linda before sighing and looking to her mother, “If you get stuck on anything, make a note and we can go over it together later.”

Maddy treks off leaving Alice alone with Linda in the kitchen, Alice trying to avoid whatever bad news Linda has by stirring the spaghetti sauce. But Linda doesn’t even seem phased as she makes herself comfortable at the dining room table, a ‘gift’ Linda had given them when Alice allowed her to take Maddy on a weekend trip a couple years ago.

“Is everything alright?” she breaks the silence for them, knowing Linda is waiting for her to ask. The control freak of Linda wanting the attention and respect Alice so badly wants to refuse.

“Fine, I just need your help.”

“Of course, anything I can do to help you, you’ve done so much for us.” there’s too much sweetness in her voice, even she can tell it's painfully obvious she’s forcing it.

“Cheer up, you’re getting what you always wanted, a chance to reconcile with my son and introduce him to his daughter.”

Alice drops the wooden spoon, her gaze falling on Linda as she waits for an explanation. She’s begged and pleaded for years for Linda to at least allow Ransom the knowledge he is a father, even if she wouldn’t let Alice see him. The night she ‘broke’ his heart by storming out of a Thrombey family dinner and running away from Ransom the constant excuse for why Linda didn’t want Alice in Ransom’s life. Truly that night had been the night Ransom broke her heart and it wasn’t until her roommate in college helped her see another perspective that she realized Ransom pushed her away out of some selfless act to protect her from his shitty family. When she’d tried to reach him she was met with the immovable wall that is Linda, and when she found out she was pregnant Linda had tried to force her into terminating the pregnancy. It was in those months, the reasons Emma had given her made the most sense of Ransom’s actions.

“What?”

“Ransom has cut all ties with his family, you are going to make him see reason and if he does I will allow Madison to be part of his life.”

“You’ll allow it? And what if Ransom wants nothing to do with us? More than likely he will resent me for keeping this from him all these years when I never really had a choice in the matter, did i?” she snaps.

“Watch your tone with me you little bitch. I can-”

“Yeah, yeah, take everything away from me but you know what I’m starting to think. A life of struggling is much preferred to having my life controlled by a narcissist like you.”

Before Alice can react Linda is up from her chair a stinging on her cheek indicating she’d been struck. “Now I’m going to allow that outburst because I understand this is a delicate situation. But you are going to bring Madison to this address at this time for a party.”

Alice looks down at the piece of paper, her confusion evident on her face. “This is Emma’s address.”

“My son joined her husband’s pack years ago,” Linda looks confused now. “How do you know Emma Rogers?”

“She’s my best friend.”

“So you haven’t been keeping away from my son.” she accuses.

“I haven’t seen him since that night, I didn’t know he was in her pack, she never talks about him. She didn’t even know we were ever together.”

“Well then you showing up for the party shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, should it?”

“Please Linda, let me go without Maddy. It will do more harm than good for both of them. The shock of learning he has a daughter will probably force him to withdraw from me too and introducing Maddy to her father only to have him ripped from his life again will destroy her.” The begging is back again, Linda had taken her pride long ago but having to beg this woman still hurts her more than anything. Which is probably why Linda actually listens to her argument and concedes.

🧾🧾🧾

When she arrived Emma was pleasantly surprised, they’d texted about the party for Sarah’s birthday but as Linda wasn’t fond of some of Steve’s friends-specifically Bucky, Emma hadn’t bothered to invite her knowing it would be a no. Emma didn’t know names or who was involved but they’d been close friends since their freshman year in college when they shared a dorm room, so she’d endured all the venting Alice had done throughout the years and grew to hate Linda just as much as Alice. But Emma understood the need to provide for one child, there isn’t anything she wouldn’t do for Sarah or James and one of those kids wasn’t even talking yet. Alice placed Sarah’s gift on the proper table and blended into the background, content to observe Ransom as he interacted with the children present. When Linda explained Ransom had been part of Steve Rogers pack for the past five years but only over that last six months did he completely block everyone from his family apart from Harlan. A big no-no in Linda’s book which is why she was almost desperate to get back into her son's life.

He’d been thinking of Alice a lot recently, so he assumed his mindle was manifesting that cedra and honeysuckle scent that was entirely her. He didn’t look for her in the crowd because he knew she wouldn’t be there but what would he say if she were here? I’m less of an ass now, let's try again? Or maybe explain he had a family that would respect and genuinely care for her, welcoming her into the fold simply because they were kind people. He’d just taken James from Steve so he could help Emma serve cake when he saw what he thought was a hallucination but he was entirely sober. No drugs or alcohol since Steve and Andy had helped him get clean years ago before bringing him into the pack. That couldn’t be Alice staring at him from the other room, barely enough line of sight from the dinning room to the living for him to make out those brown doe eyes he’d been so fond of.

“Ransom,” she said softly, he shouldn’t have been able to hear her from the other room but that’s all he could hear.

“Andy, take James.” Ransom ordered, passing the infant off to Andy before rushing into the living room and grasping the shoulders of his imagination. “You're real.” he breathed.

“Yeah,” she chuckled. “Hi Ran.”

“How are you here?”

“That’s a complicated story but I’m just on my way out.” Alice tried to pull away but he refused to let her go a second time. Instead he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her chestnut hair to hide the few tears that slipped. “Ransom I can’t do this, you’re so happy I can’t participate in hurting you even if it costs me.”

He pulled back enough to meet her gaze, “You could never hurt me, please let's get out here, sit down and talk. So much has changed-”

“Ransom, you’re mother sent me here to coax you into opening a dialogue with her again but you’re so happy here I can’t help bring toxicity back in your life.”

“My mother? You are in contact with my mother.” he took a step back connecting dots. “How much is she paying you?” he growled out. “Never seemed like a gold digger before but things really must have changed.”

“Don’t you dare!” She raised her voice enough to earn the attention of the married Rogers pair. “I have endured so much shit because of your mother, you don’t get to paint me as the shallow villain.”

“So you are taking money from her,” he pushed her away from him.

“Ransom! That’s enough!” Emma snapped coming to check on Alice before narrowing her eyes at Ransom, understanding registering as all the stories Alice had ever told her clicked into place. “She has done what she had to in order to support-”

“What happened to that fancy degree you were so insistent on? Decided you didn’t want to work so you could just siphon money from my mother.”

“I did it for your fucking daughter you asshole!” Alice screamed, everyone's attention on them now making her trying to calm her tone and tears. “I have endured so much humiliation, abided by her absurd and invasion rules, all to properly provide for your daughter I was forbidden from telling anyone about. So don’t you dare diminish my character Hugh.”

It was like they had never been apart as Ransom felt every ounce of her pain even as she rushed away. Ransom couldn’t focus on anything but the fact that he had a kid he’d never known about. Steve’s pleas for him to go after Alice went unacknowledged, with Emma’s urging Steve went after Alice while Emma sat Ransom down and tried to explain things. Emma Mentals kicks herself for never having pieced this together before, a wealthy family in this area that had connections in New York where she’d been relocated by the mother of her true mate she’d never see again.

“Ransom,” Emma’s soft voice drew his attention to her features but he wasn’t sure he was actually hearing her. “Alice has endured years of having no control of her life because of your mother. She’d told me something happened and when she went to make amends with you, your mother threatened her with legal actions to keep her at bay. When she found out she was pregnant your mother tried to bribe her into getting rid of it.”

“What?” tears are falling freely down his face now as he processes the information.

“I remember asking her why she decided to keep the kid, she was adamant that if she couldn’t have you, she could at least have a part of you. So, she kept Madison in doing so Linda took full control of her life. In exchange for house, medical insurance, and really no financial stress at all Alice had to follow every request, endure verbal harassment-though I saw that bruise on her cheek bone and I think there may be physical abuse as well.”

“Request, what request?”

“Alice wasn’t allowed to tell anyone who the father was, she’s not allowed to date, she has to abide by a strict social schedule, she’s only allowed to work four hours a day, she can only go out without Madison once a month and even that is usually taken away. The only time Linda truly lets her have alone time is when she’s in heat and she even has strict rules for her to follow on that.”

“She can’t fuck with an omega’s heat.” Ransom growls, his mothers an alpha but surely even she knows how sensitive those times are.

“Alice hasn’t been allowed to have a sexual partner since she agreed to keep the pup, and Linda won’t let her get any toy or aides because she didn’t want Madison accidentally stumbling upon the items.”

“That’s cruel.”

“So, maybe now that we all know, we can help her out of that situation.” Emma reassures.

“You can’t,” Alice whispers, her eyes are red and puffy. She looks exhausted as she leans against Steve, whose eyes are focused on his wife now looking for clues to know what to do. “Linda said if I ever tried to end our arrangement she’d take Maddy away from me.” The tears are back, her voice is thick but she maintains her composure. “I can’t afford the legal teams she can to keep her and Maddy is all I have.”

Steve sends Ransom a look, nodding his head towards Alice trying to convey what he should do and say but Ransom hesitates. He’s not sure he deserves another chance with her, not sure he deserves to meet the kid she’s raised. Maddison is no doubt better off without him around fucking up her life but there’s that look in Alice’s eyes, that look that she’s reserved for since they met. It's a look that says she completely trusts him and relies on him for a feeling of security, that she sees his flaws and would still choose him every time.

“Andy!” Ransom shouts drawing the other man into the room, still holding James with a mock confusion look on his face as if everyone hasn’t been listening in. “What can we do?”

“I would need to see the documents of Alice’s agreement with Linda but as a grandparent, unless she can produce clear evidence of Alice’s shortcomings as a mother, the probability of her getting full custody is slim.”

“I’ve never had legal trouble or a substance abuse problem and my whole life revolves around my daughter but anytime I make a decision Maddy doesn’t like she calls Linda with those fake tears… Linda records those calls.”

“So what you're saying is my mother doesn’t even let you raise our kid?” Ransom’s rage is for his mother but he can’t help feeling a little resentment at her for not telling him. He couldn’t have provided for them just as easily as Linda has without the restrictions. He reminds himself the last thing he said to her that night was cruel, ‘I could never love a fat, poor, bitch. It's been fun but it runs its course.’ Why would she reach out to him after he’d insulted her with her insecurities and her deepest fears?

“I can’t lose her Ransom, I already lost you and practically all my friends-my family.”

“She doesn’t let you see your family?” Steve’s grunts, his anger rising too. Alice shakes her head no.

Ransom approached wrapping his arms around her, “You don’t have to do this alone anymore, maybe it was fate that brought you here today because you are all I’ve been thinking about lately. How I would make amends for past transgressions and finally give you my mark and now you're here and I have that chance and a kid I need to get to know. Say the word and I’ll help you get through this with or without us rekindling our bond.” She buries her face into his chest breathing deeply of his scent and nodding against his chest. “Andy, can my girl get that family discount?”

“I don’t typically do family law.” The pleading in Ransom, Emma, and Steve’s eyes are unnecessary because Andy is already thinking of contacts he can reach out to assist. “I have a few friends who owe me favors, I’ll call them up and get their assistance on this, in the meantime I suggest you pack up anything Linda hasn’t purchased and relocate you and your daughter.”

“I don’t have the funds to move, and New York is expensive.” Alice sighs looking over to Andy but not removing herself from Ransom’s arms.

“I have a nice place, I can convert one of the guestrooms into a room for Madison and …” he doesn’t want to assume she’ll welcome the idea of a shared bed but he doesn’t want to have this conversation in front of his chosen family. “There is more than enough room for you and Madison at my place.”

“Ran-” she starts but when she meets his gaze, it's almost like she’s back to her freshman year in college meeting her mate for the first time. She leans up and forces a kiss to his lips, Ransom only takes a second to reciprocate. It's clear from the way they move against one another she’s out of practice but he still remembers what to do to make her melt in his arms. A throat clears and they break apart, “thank you.”

“There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.” he promises.

With the mood now settling, Ari and Lloyd let the three year old Sarah enter the room following behind her. “So we're going to talk about how I won the bet?” Lloyd asks.

“Technically you didn’t win Lloyd,” Ransom moves himself and Alice to the couch for her to sit on his lap. “Alice and I met in college so I met my mate long before anyone else here.”

“A technicality since she doesn’t bare your mark.” Ari points out.

“I’ll rectify that tonight if she’ll let me,” he looks at her, surprised when she nods, not even hesitating to consider.

“Uh, Ransom, I hate to burst that bubble but there are rules you’re forgetting.” Rebecca looks uncomfortable as she reminds everyone.

“She’s the mother of my kid.” Ransom counters.

“Laurie is the mother of mine,” Andy reminds solemnly.

“Are you really going to deny me my true mate?” Ransom asks.

“I’ve known Alice for some time now, she has my blessing.” Steve offers a reassuring smile to the confused omega sitting in his brother's lap.

“That’s great for you but this is the first time the rest of us are meeting her.” Ari reminds me.

“It only took you twenty minutes to approve of Emam.” Ransom accuses.

“And it took three months before anyone would budge on Becca.” Lloyd reminds him. “We need time to get to know her and make up our minds.”

“No, you decide here and now because if you reject her you reject me.” Ransom stands, placing Alice back in his seat. “I came into this pack-”

“Ran no!” Alice pops up understanding what he is about to do. “Ransom they are your family, they make you happy. I’m not going to be the source of tension between you and them, I can” hear lip trembles. “I’ve been dealing with Linda for 8 years, I can handle another 10.”

“I’m not letting you go back there.”

Ransom barks at the same time Ari shouts.

“She has my blessing,” curious looks from the others. “She clearly puts his happiness above her own, she wasn’t even going to do what Linda sent her here to do. When Ransom spotted her she tried to run out to the front door so he wouldn’t get to her.”

“No one has to be unhappy in this situation.” Lloyd sighs. “I give my blessing.”

All eyes turn to Andy, “I’m sorry Ran, I’ll help with the custody battle with your mom, I’ll help with the move, I’ll support the relationship but I’m not ready to give my blessing right now. It was because of a kid Laurie and I got married and mated in the first place so I can’t, not yet.”

Before Ransom can rebuff him Alice speaks up, “we understand, thank you. We don’t have to be mated yet but you truly won’t mind me being with Ransom?”

“Hey he’s your problem now.” Andy tries to joke before retreating, remorse washing over him as memories burn in his eyes.

“Alice, come home with me tonight, we can figure things out and come up with a game plan for how to handle my mother."

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