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When you’re a sickling, and everything seems like is against you, there are no hopes of anything decent or good.
That’s why Rachel didn’t want to grow old gracefully; she wanted to grow old without pain. That was all.
Jared and Jensen and their idiocy? That was never in her plans even if no matter what she’ll be there for them. It brought Misha into her life over and over. And it made her grateful
After all Jensen had been a blessing for her, with his soft kind smile and his attempts to change the one law that made her a broken doll.
She remembers the hushed voices since she was 14, first everyone was worried for presenting so young, then everyone was worried she was now useless, have you any idea what it feels like to be said you have no use in life? Not like they cared her life was at risk… NO!
She couldn’t bear offspring safely, and it made her feel like a commodity her family couldn’t sell.
She went to college knowing the second she’ll leave the house she was on her own. And it happened, Nicki came when she had no one either, another one running away from forced mating, that’s why they became fast and best friends.
Nicki shared dorm with her and was always ready to help and defend her, but also she let Rachel take care of her, because just like pretty much any Omega children that was meant to mate soon she was sheltered and tended for. Rachel never had that, the second she was tagged as non-asset she had to deal with everything by herself, her parents only cared for her two siblings.
At the time they were finishing school government gave them some money as omegas not mated and alone in life, at least to Nicki, Rachel’s money came from her family, as a way to let her know they won’t have her back. And Rachel did what she knew best, she endured the pain and used the resources given to her and made them work. Nicki after all was very driven and that’s how Meg’s was born.
Meg’s comes from the derogatory term Megs, used for omegas in rural areas, when an omega rejects a mating, against the society, the mate and their parent’s wish it’s –yes, IT- is sent to a public omega House, known as megs-house. It was started just in time to be diagnosed, finally diagnosed and the world crumpled over her.
So Meg's was their Megs-house, in an ironic way, it was safe haven for omegas; there was Nicki, the hurt one, Rachel the damaged one and Jared, the lost one.
Jared came as the lost thing that was only there because he needed something, the guy that always came in a track suit and never said a word told them about him when he saw Rachel on a bad day struggling to help Nicki even with the smallest tasks. At first they thought he was offering his own omega, but he was so flustered when he said he was just trying to help someone else.
Nicki wasn’t convinced, neither was Rachel but Jared… he was curious and sweet and kind and hungry… how could they not like him? That heat… those lost days, Rachel cried for first time in decades that night, thinking about what happen to those who can’t fight for themselves.
Then came Jensen and even if she was supposed to hate him, he was kind and sweet and fucking gone for Jared: though, apparently only Rachel saw it.
She had her grand ball, as every fairy tale princess has, she for once in her life had only herself to worry about, and Nicki and her spent a whole afternoon acting like normal girls
Jared had Jensen and after several attempt Tito started dating Nicki, after one night they were together for good, not like it wasn’t obvious… Tito and Nicki had been playing doe eyes and giggly kids for as long as she remembers and Rachel is not jealous. NO!!
Nicki deserves Love and Tito… who refused to mate because it didn’t feel right, well… he deserves it too. Even if there’s nobody for her at home, or at the bakery, or anywhere, not even at the party.
The blue eyed guy, with his intentions to save the world one act of kindness at the time made her wish she was normal for once.
Misha spent his life devoted to his daughter, because that’s what a mate does when their true mate dies.
He met Hannah on their first day of college, he was a perfect nobody, and she was a princess, a princess in converse shoes and ripped jeans. He went searching a way to make the world a better place. She went trying to find her path. Who‘d knew her path was searching a way to make the world a better place…
The mating had angered Alan and the other Kathryn, but delighted Richard, the second Son, the funny one, Jensen was too young to actually understand or care.
They were the perfect match, the perfect couple, guessing each other desires, anticipating anything the other needed. So much that it was Misha groaning at the smell of bacon, his usual favorite; that was what gave it away. They were pregnant.
Hannah and the young Kathryn were his world, he might have come from a broken family that ended up disappearing by the time he finished college, but he had his girls now, and he just knew he’d be happy forever more with them. Until the ever after changed, the second baby was coming, and it was a boy!
It was a boy
When a mate dies the one remaining doesn’t wither if something has to be done, like raise a kid; the reason why Misha hadn’t withered away as he wanted was that Kathryn needed him. It gave his life meaning.
The trick? Once she was able to deal by herself he’d die.
The same happened with pretty much everyone else around the globe that lost their true mate. The same will happen to Alan, of course since Richard and Alaina will never be totally okay they’ll need him. So his decay was slow and painful, the signs of withering could be seen in the way he handled himself and how weak he was.
Misha didn’t fear death, he was ready, his girl was amazing and strong and no matter what she’ll never be a toy in Ackles’ game. He raised a good soldier, just like he had been, one that would fend for herself, a kind soldier, one that actually might want her match, so she won’t end up like him, the last piece of a broken set, the one without a companion.
Until the smell of soft strawberry pulled him to someone, at a party, at Jensen’s birthday, at Jensen’s table, Her laughter, her dry wit, the fact that the brunette were already on Kathryn’s good grace… Misha was stunned.
They didn’t move away from each other the whole night, even after they had to go in aid of a friend they kept each other’s at arms’ length. At the end of the night both left that night scared, Misha because he knew that Hannah was his true mate, and you respect your bond even after death and Rachel because Misha had no idea she was broken, and she feared his reaction to it. They always leave when they find out.
They didn’t expect to but Jared and Jensen being real asses had them together over and over, until once Misha just popped at the bakery to ask her out. “You don’t have to say yes…” he said waiting like the perfect soldier for her to get over her surprise.
Misha hid his surprise when she served him coffee a couple days later in a wheel chair.
Their dates were awesome, it was like they knew exactly what the other was about to say. It was like Misha just knew what made her smile and she knew when he needed reassurance that he deserves to be happy.
The day Jared’s news were out, when the audio of his “plan” was out they fought for the first time. They were both too old to call themselves boyfriend and girlfriend, but the night Jensen pretty much ran Jared out of his penthouse they broke up.
“Jensen would never do that if there weren’t a good reason!” Misha tried to explain.
Rachel showed her teeth in a humorless laugh. “Yeah… he just wanted to save face for the mayor and now that Jared is no longer useful… he’s out the door huh?” the always present sarcastic smile, humorless smile was on. “he discards him as a used toy, now that he has everything he needs.”
Misha pursed his lips angry. “Jensen wouldn’t do that, not even to a media whore like Jared.”
“Excuse me!!” have you ever heard of the tranquil water saying? Well… Rachel almost never gets upset, she’s a darling who deals with her stuff quietly; she even thanks her burden because it helps her to see the joy of life. Okay? So the raging protective momma bear
Misha found in front of him made him rethink his existence. “Who threw him to the media after a forced mating that he tried to hide?”
“I’m just saying that Jared is not all innocent in this…” he said placating. “Jensen is not bad, he’s just… lost. And I have to be on his side, Wouldn’t you defend your brother?”
“Not if my brother was a rapist!! He mated Jared by force!!”
“It was not what happened!! Both were out of themselves!”
“You’re just looking for excuses!”
Misha crossed his arms. “Why you think I need excuses? Why would I even be here if…” but Rachel had heard that part before, she just nodded and spoke over him.
“If you don’t want to be with me, say it! I don’t want your pity!”
Rachel wasn’t even looking at him, and he had seen her like this before, he wanted to say something, make plans sometimes talk about where they were going and she just acted as if it were not important to her. “We’re too old for this, this kind of stuff… kids’ drama, is not…”
“I get it!!” Rachel turned around. “If you want to go, leave!”
The fight ended with Misha storming out and Rachel calling Nicki to help her to her chair. Rachel doesn’t cry, because she never cries; with her life, she’d be out of tears if she cried for anything: losing Misha brought tears to her eyes.
The second he left she understood he was right; after all, it was Jared who went with a specific deceiving plan even if the whole ordeal had started because of Jensen. But Jared swore he had abandoned the so-called plan long before all this.
Misha wanted to go back, wanted to stay with her, to tell her he was sorry, she had a point, it made sense; he thought the same when first meeting Jared. But sometimes, when you cannot name a feeling the one you actually know wins, in this case, loyalty beat whatever it was he felt for Rachel, the girl only months younger than Jensen. He shouldn’t even consider her a mate. He shouldn’t even been considering a mate, he had a mate and she died, and it wasn’t Rachel. He was fine, he was fine taking care of his daughter, that’s all he needs…But there was emptiness in his chest he didn’t feel since Hannah passed away.
He pined for her the way she pined for him, she had dreams where she was cooking with him, he had dreams where she occupied the place Hannah had before in front of the counter on their kitchen; the fear for her dreams made her ask her doctor for sleeping pills, so the dreams will stop; the guilt for this dreams had him working extra time and now that Kat had gone away to college he thought his time had come to an end.
Rachel believed in Jensen’s idea and helped him with his campaign, and tried to help him to get together with Jared, once more ignoring her own feelings.
Until the Gala, the day the first OHC center started working with the “To Live with Dignity” program.
“Hello…” Misha was wearing the most absurd dark brown jacket ever, and his lack of style made her smile, the most adorable dork ever, she thought.
One word… one word; that was all these two needed to start over, the synchronic rhythm they shared started over, it was like they didn’t spent months apart.
Some people took pictures and there was some gossip saying that the one omega campaigning for “To live With Dignity” was actually Misha Collins’ new mate.
It was so awkward it broke her heart, he ran away scared. Misha still promised he’d be in touch, but it didn’t happen.
When Felicia attacked them, she hoped, she had read many corny love stories, those where the mate is revealed at the end when a mirror injury call them together and she wanted to believe it’ll happen to her.
No, she does understand that being non-asset means she won’t have it legally, she won’t be the first choice of anyone… but every girl has a dream, right?
The knight in shining armor, though was Jensen, for Jared, not for Rachel, and the mirror injuries were on him, not in anybody else, and not for her; she cried that night, feeling lonely.
After that night, she stopped seeing Misha for almost a year, it was at Juliette’s birthday that they saw each other again, Misha left to a different city and she was left behind.
Then came Jared and Jensen’s coming back together, they joined friends and family that summer and Misha sat next to her until Kathryn ran and sat between them, even pushing her to a side, Misha apologetic smile was enough, she could deal with it.
Then he went back to Chicago and Rachel went back to be the broken doll in display at Meg’s.
Until her phone buzzed.
14:02 CollinsMisha: thought about you all day
Five words made her smile for days. Not like she didn’t reply right away.
14:05 RachelMiners: should I worry?
14:07CollinsMisha: yes, I can’t stop
Misha was honest, and very happy with the answer.
14:10 RachelMiners: JJ JJ <3
It was when Jensen and Jared had the promising dinner that he had the guts to ask her out again, but had to rush to Haiti and stood her up.
When the ceremony she cried because Misha didn’t arrive and she was once more the only one alone.
Misha had to pay a private plane in order to get there in time and only got fifteen minutes late, thanks God Jared hasn’t arrived yet or he’d be dead meat, he was after all Jensen’s best man.
His eyes were glued on Rachel, in a red and black dress she looked like an angel.
By the time the priest asked Jensen to mark his mate she was already crying, knowing this will never happen to her. Until Misha stood in front of her and asked her to move with him, no courtship, no more romance than that.
“I don’t know if I’ll survive the withering… my daughter is an adult now…” he said. “And I don’t want to regret not giving us a chance if that happens…”
Rachel shook her head no. “I’m damaged goods Misha, I’m non-asset.”
“Who cares…” Misha smiled and those earnest blue eyes twinkled. “I’m not asking you to have my babies, I’m asking you to share my life…”
“For what little time it could be?” she asked.
“Even if it’s a day… I just want ONE perfect day with you.”
Yes… you guessed right, she said Yes.
Rachel danced that night, and felt like the princess in fairy tales the prince falls for.
Misha held her tight against him, as if scared to let her go, protective as a guard, a soldier taking care of her; for a while… even if not permanently, he was part of a set again.
They didn’t have an Ever After either, but at least their story wasn’t a tragedy anymore.
The end.