Chapter Text
“Oh we don’t let my uncle Tom grill.”
She barks out a laugh, but his face is deadly serious. “My grandparents were very ... traditional.” his eyebrows raise meaningfully. “So he didn’t learn to cook until Jake and Nat were born, and by then, well,” a shrug “it’s kinda hard to make filet minon if you’re juggling two newborns.”
“So...” she wouldn’t have thought Tyler would want anything to do with a relative who enforced those kind of strict conservative gender roles, but here they were on their way to the man’s home.
“He’s a surprisingly good baker! And he’s my main soup-dealer, they’re just” he does an exaggerated chef’s kiss, banging his fingers against the rear-view mirror. She laughs again. “Ow! Anyway. He can cook some things, but if he tries to hand you anything more complex than a hearty stew -”
“Avoid?”
“Small bites if absolutely necessary, find somewhere out of sight to toss it as fast as possible.”
They pull into the driveway of a large suburban home. It’s not a mcmansion, but it only just scrapes under the definition.
“They like to have room.” Tyler sees her stare, “my cousins will just move back in if they’re stationed near enough.”
He opens the door - which isn’t locked - without knocking. There’s the faint sounds of chatter, probably from the back yard, then the squeak of sneakers on the hardwood and a scream of “Unca Ty!” before the girliest little girl she has ever seen barrels into Tyler’s knees. She’s got curly blonde hair held back by a glittery alice-band, a pink tulle princess-style dress, and when Tyler picks her up she kicks out the cutest little kid-sized converse - also covered in glitter.
“Hey Princess!” The long-buried parts of her, the omega parts, melt, just a little bit, at the sight.
The girl twists in his arms and shouts back into the house. “Mommy, Mommy! Unca Ty!”
“Tyler!” a doppelgänger of her boyfriend appears from behind the staircase. And truly, he is an eerily identical copy.
“Jake!” he puts the little girl down and the two of them crash together with lots of thudding back slaps and unsubtle familial scenting.
“Kate, this is my cousin Jakey.” He rolls his eyes at the more juvenile nickname. She can hardly believe he’s an omega, but that’s what the little girl’s shouts, and her nose, are telling her
“Jakey, this is my Kate” he puts an arm over her shoulder, bringing her in closer. His voice does that high-giddy thing he gets when he’s excited, so she lets the casual possessive go. Jake smacks him in the arm for her before extending his hand.
“Kate, hi, Tyler’s told us so much about you! I’m Jake, I'm the better looking cousin.” Even their grins are the same. Jake picks up the little girl, who was still bouncing around their legs, dangling off Tyler’s arms and tugging on her mom’s jeans.
“This little nugget is Nikki.” Jake bounces her a little, where she's balanced on his hip. “You wanna say hi to Kate, baby?” The girl gives her a blinding grin and a little wave.
“Hi Kay, um, Katsie!”
“Hi Nikki.”
“Are you Unca Ty’s may - mate?” She chokes. So does Tyler. His arm constricts around her in shock before he lets go like she’s suddenly red hot. He also doesn’t answer.
“Uh…No. Nikki. Uhm. We haven’t. Uh.” How the hell do you tell a child you’ve started a company with a guy (okay, with an alpha. One that you’re already dating. Oh, and you’re beta best friend), but you haven’t even moved in together yet?
“Kate’s my girlfriend, Nikki.” Tyler is laughing. Traitor. “It’s like...” he chews his lip. “It’s something grown ups do when they like each other. Before they get mated”
There’s an excited gasp, and her mouth is a pink little O. “So you gonna get married?”
Revenge of the awkward silence.
“All right, that’s enough Nugget questions I think, if they come up with an answer when they unfreeze I’m sure they’ll tell you.” Jake swings her back down to standing. “Let’s go play keep the tongs away from Grandpa.”
“Yes!” she skips back out to the garden, hand-in-hand with her mother.
The silence persists for several moments as she and Tyler get their bearings back. “So, uh… That was Jake and Nikki.” Kate nods. “She’s five.” He offers as an explanation.
“Uh huh.” She can’t think of much else to say either. She doesn’t meet a lot of three year olds, a couple of her old co-workers at NOAA showed her pictures of their kids sometimes. They kind of all seemed like that. Glittery. Hyper.
She takes his hand, and lets him lead her through the house to the back yard. He gives her fingers a squeeze, and one last chance to back out before opening the door, “You know we can leave any time. They’re. They’re a lot. They’ll all understand if you need a break, or if you get overwhelmed.” She nods. She can do this. Walked into this knowing Tyler had a big family. She’d seen the photos in his parents house in Texas (a crowd of near-identical blondes grinning blindingly at a series of cameras over years), had met his parents and his three younger siblings.
The volume of hubub when they finally push their way through the patio doors still almost bowls her over. She’s a storm-chaser goddamnit! She can handle a little noise. Tyler squeezes her fingers again. And the world quiets.
It helps that the first person to bound up to her is Tyler’s sister Chelsea. They’ve met plenty before. Chelsea knows her mom, they’ve talked about college, and careers, and (once) about Chelsea’s crush on an omega boy in her lit class. The hug is familiar, which is a relief, relaxing the tight little knot between her shoulders just a fraction. It notches looser still at the next greeting. Scott and Chris should be around here somewhere too, adding to the tally of already familiar faces.
“Tyler! Kate!” The soft beta scent of Tyler’s mom envelopes them in a small bubble of calm. “You made it!”
Sarah Owens looks like such a perfect example of a southern housewife it would be painful, if the moment you found out she was an absolutely cut-throat lawyer didn’t make it laughable. She gathers them both in close, and the sheer mom-ness of the squeeze releases the last of the tension.
“I’m so glad you came” is murmured fervently against her hair. And the funny thing is, she is. Kate knows she is, honestly, glad that Kate is here.
“Come on, let me introduce you around!” She gets a grip on each of their arms and begins to wheel them towards the large wooden picnic table, topped at one end by an impressively smoking grill. The little girl from before, Nikki, is sitting on the table, kicking her sparkly sneakers, engrossed in conversation with an older alpha, with a shock of grey hair and wearing a thick flannel shirt even though its almost 100 degrees. She spots them before he does.
“Hi Katsie!” she waves, the strength of it shaking her little body. The older man laughs, pulling her into his arms when she starts to wobble off the table. She stands in his lap and keeps waving, twirling around when he pivots to face them. The resemblance to Tyler is - again - completely uncanny. This must be the infamous Uncle Tom.
“Tyler!” His voice is a jarring mixture of light and gravelly, it would be pleasant if he didn’t sound like he’d recently gargled rocks. “And… ?” He raises an eyebrow.
“Tom, this is Tyler’s girlfriend Kate! Kate,” Sarah squeezes her shoulder, “this is my brother Tom, our humble host.” Her grin is sharp. Tom’s eyebrow stays raised.
“I think that’s Pete, actually,” He points towards the scent of hamburgers and roasting vegetables, “my better half is manning the grill.” He gets the same sparkle in his eyes as Tyler when he thinks he’s said something clever. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Kate, Tyler’s told us so much about you.” There’s a beat before she realises he’s waiting for her to extend a hand first. Some traditional attitudes apparently stick longer than others.
“Good things I hope?”
“Oh absolutely, I’ve never heard him gush so much about someone besides himself!”
“Uncle Tom!” Tyler’s affronted gasp is hysterical.
“Come on Princess, Let’s go see how Daddy and Gamma are doing.” He swings the little girl over his shoulder - over her loud half-giggled protests of “Papa No! Gamma said no help!” - and is gone before Tyler can recover enough for a retort. He looks at Sarah, who shrugs.
“He’s got a point Ty.”
“Mom!” She bursts out laughing again.
Sarah points at Tom’s retreating back, heading towards the grill, which is being tended by another older man; short, brunet, fit looking under a tight white t-shirt, and a younger man who towers over him with a certified pornstache and the loudest Hawaiian shirt she thinks has ever been made. It’s got pink flamingoes on it. “That there is Pete, my brother in law,” the shorter guy, leaning over to kiss Tom, “and his nephew Bradley.” Pornstache. He's also ‘Daddy!’ according to Nikki’s excited shrieks, when he takes the squirming girl off of Tom’s shoulders.
Tyler suddenly grabs her hand and pulls her into the middle of the garden. “Kate, C’mon, there’s someone I want you to meet!” He drags her over to a beta couple, standing nose to nose in the middle of the throng and bickering.
“Aunt Jo! Uncle Bill!” They break apart, and Kate can see their grins, they each have an arm around the other’s waist. Tyler is nearly bouncing on his heels where they come to a stop, and he lets go of her hand to leap into the hug offered by the woman’s open arms. “Kate!” He reaches back and grips her hand again, “this is my Aunt Jo and Uncle Bill, they’re the ones who got me into chasing!”
“It’s good to meet you Kate, finally put a face to the name” Bill extends a hand, “Tyler says you’re also a meteorologist?”
She takes the offered hand. “Yeah, I’m - ” then it clicks. “Wait, Bill and Jo... Harding? As in, inventors of the Dorothy tracking system, Doctors William and Joanne Harding ?” Bill nods
‘Aunt Jo’ chuckles, “yeah, that’s us. Tyler says you’re working on radar systems together?”
All she can do is nod. Oh, she’s going to kill him. Javi will help her hide the body. Actually. Scratch that, he might kill her for getting to meet his heroes without him.
“I - ” she struggles, brain still mid reboot, “I’m a really big fan of your work… Doctors”
“Oh, none of that” Bill demurs, “we’re all family here.”
Jo smacks his arm and rolls her eyes “My family!”
“Yeah, by marriage!”
“So what does that make you, an in-law in law?” The expression on Jo’s face is so Tyler-like it takes her by surprise
“I’ll take it, John’s good fortune is my ticket to the barbecue.” They all laugh. She joins in, its easy.
“We can shop-talk later honey, go let Tyler show you around, I can tell he’s dying to. His dad was the same way first time he brought Sarah home.” She flashes them another Owens-grin, before chivvying Dr. Harding - Bill over towards one of the coolers.
“I’m going to kill you.” The bastard has the gall to keep grinning at her! “How could you not tell me ! I just made an ass of myself!” she smacks his arm.
“Nah, they already love you.” He snakes an arm around her waist. She resists a moment before she lets him reel her in.
“You know we have to tell Javi, right?”
He nods. “We will, Aunt Jo wants to meet him, talk radars. Promise.”
She kisses him back. He probably means it.
“Hey Airhead!” Kate jumps back like a guilty teenager. A petite alpha woman is marching towards them at the speed of a bullet.
Tyler, unfazed, opens his arms for her bulldozing hug. “Hey Tasha.”
“What happened to calling asshole?”
Tyler winces. “Sorry Nat, I guess we kinda just got busy.”
She smacks him, without letting go. “Not good enough. You scared us, dipshit.”
His shoulders slump, “I know, I’m sorry.” And then, because he’s a little shit at heart, he says “now you know how I feel.” And Nat hits him again, though it’s more of a light shove.
“Yeah,” she agrees softly, “no more suicide missions.” Kate meets Tyler’s eyes over the woman’s head. He’d told her about his cousins, their work for the Navy, the mission, years ago now, that they almost hadn't come home from. She’s seen the tension in his face during phone calls with family a thousand miles away, at sea, in a warzone, unreachable.
Nat turns her eyes to Kate, and stick out a hand. “Hi!” Her whole demeanour has shifted. “I’m Natasha, I’m this idiot’s cousin.”
“Kate.” She take Natasha’s offered hand. “I’m this idiot’s girlfriend.” Natasha’s eyes are sharp, but her face is warm and inviting.
“I think you’ll fit right in. Okay, I’m going in to refresh the drinks cooler, want me to save you anything before the terrors steal all the Truly?” She gestures at a flock of girls congregated around an empty firepit at the far end of the patio. She hadn’t been planning on drinking during this visit, anxious about making a good first impression on Tyler’s extended family, but she’s relaxed a lot since they pulled up in the rented car, so she accepts.
One of the girls notices their collective staring, prompting a round of friendly waves.
“The Terrors are Pete’s nieces” he explains, “they get the crazy from him.” Tyler points them out anti- clockwise. “That’s Meils - Amelia Simpson,” who has a dirty-blonde braid, two others, each with swathes of dark hair they keep tossing over their shoulders are “the Neven sisters, Vicky and Lizzie,” the one lying sunbathing on the stone rim of the firepit in daisy dukes is “Tina” and last one, kicking Tina’s ankles, is “Alex.”
The girls are distracted from the staring contest when Tyler’s brothers tumble into the back of one of the chairs tangled with a third boy. “That’s Cal, Amelia’s brother.” Ty explains, “Their parents should all be around here somewhere.” She’s definitely not going to remember everyone’s names.
They wander back towards the smoking grill, both definitely hungry by now. Bradley has abandoned Pete in favour of setting the picnic table with Jake and Nikki; laying out stacks of paper napkins and plastic cutlery next to big jugs of water and what looks like lemonade. Well, Jake and Bradley are laying out the table. Nikki seems mostly to be offering commentary from her perch on Bradley’s back. Bradley’s place at the grill has been taken by another tall alpha guy laying chicken breasts and links of sausage over the flames.
Pete’s face lights up when he sees them, he lets Tyler pick him up and hug him so hard she swears she can hear his ribs creak. Pete surprises her by pulling her into her own embrace, just as warm and welcoming as Sarah’s had been. “It’s so good to meet you Kate.” It’s been a while since Sarah intercepted them on the way in. She hadn’t realised how overwhelmed she’d been feeling, how badly she’d needed this. She hugged back hard. The other man reaches over and he and Tyler exchange a very manly handshake.
“Tyler, good to see you kid.”
“Thanks Beau.”
‘Beau’ nods at her without extending a hand, but he smiles and says “nice to meet you, Honey” so she figures he’s just old fashioned, like Tyler’s uncle.
“What can we get you guys?” Pete gestures at the grill behind him
“Are there any of your magic burgers uncle Pete?”
“Sure, coming right up. Cheese?” She and Tyler both nod. Pete hands them each a paper plate, layering open-faced buns and burger patties covered in molten cheese right into their hands. “Kate, you want veggies? There’s also corn and salad inside.” He’s laid two skewers loaded with peppers, mushrooms and onions on Tyler’s plate without asking. She hates mushrooms. Took an intro-mycology class in college and hasn’t been able to stomach them since.
“No thanks.”
“Hey Petey, I’m hungry.” Arms wrap around Pete from behind. An alpha woman hooks her chin over his shoulder to stare longingly at the burgers Pete is flipping off the grill onto a platter.
He snorts. “C’mon Allie, how old are you? ”
"I'm your baby sister, age doesn't count." He laughs and shrugs her away, “go bother Jan,” he waves towards a group behind him, where Sarah and John Owens are talking to a handful of people she still hasn’t been introduced to yet “or better yet call your monsters, we’re almost done.”
Pete shooes them away to make room for a couple wandering over from behind Pete. One of them is wearing a cowboy hat. It’s got the same tablet-weave hatband as Jake’s favourite one back home, the one he wears to every rodeo, but leaves in their bedroom when they go chasing because he won’t risk it blowing away. Tyler walks with her back towards the house without a word.
“So Beau is…?”
“Cal and Meils’s dad.” Cousins then. The two men at the grill hadn’t looked all that much alike, but both Beau and Ty’s Uncle Tom gave off the vibe of being just a bit too old fashioned to be comfortable letting Pete hang out that close to an alpha he wasn’t related to. Chelsea and Sarah are in the kitchen chatting with a brunette woman busy poking a fork into the boiling pot of corn on the stove.
“Ladies!” Tyler greets.
“Tyler! Good timing, these are just about done!” The brunette woman flips off the stove and steps back.
“Oh I see how it is,” tosses his plate onto the counter, “you only want me for my free labour!” He takes the potholders the woman holds out and heaves the big pot over to the sink in the kitchen island, balancing it on its rim to carefully pour out the boiling water. She watches his arms work as he lifts the pot again to tip out the bright yellow corn cobs into the broad serving bowl Chelsea places in front of him.
“Hi Sweetheart, I’m Penny, you must be Kate.” The woman holds a hand out for her to shake. “You can go ahead and serve yourself before we bring it all out for the masses.” Chelsea is already taking the plate out of her hands to do just that. Conjuring a knob of butter out of nowhere to slather on top.
“Go on, we’ll be out right after you!” She shoves them both back towards the patio while Tyler is still licking his fingers from lifting one of the freshly boiled cobs for himself without tongs.
“C’mon, lets go sit with Uncle Danny.” He guides them over to yet another eerily familiar blonde, perched at the end of the table. The same nose, the same pointed chin, the same twinkle in their eyes under the same chunky gold-blonde eyebrows. Uncanny. There is something delicate about Danny, a softness that simply cannot be attributed to his omegan nature alone. He’s deep in conversation, heads bent together, with yet another blonde, sitting kitty corner with him. This one has thick glasses and a plain blue henley. His smile is different than the Kazansky face she’s seen a dozen times already this afternoon. His jaw is a little squarer, his nose a little broader, and his smile is gentle, without the ever-present glimmer of mischief that seems to be a shared trait on both sides of Tyler's family. He’s also an omega. She’s counted more male omegas in this yard than she’s ever seen in one space before. Except college. But thousand seat lecture halls don’t count. Tyler nudges her to sit opposite glasses guy. He bends down give both men one-armed hugs, pressing his face together with the older man.
“Hey Uncle Danny.”
“Hi Tyler.” Danny brushes a kiss over his cheek.
“Bobby!”
“Ty.”
‘Bobby’ smiles at her over the table. “I’m Kate.”
“Bob.” They shake hands. Tyler looks unrepentant and Bob doesn’t look too bothered by different nickname, so she doesn’t comment. “Welcome to the quiet corner.”
She laughs, but before she can ask what he means, Penny, Sarah, and Chelsea come out with bowls of corn, salad, and potato chips. And a small, domestic kind of all hell breaks loose. The rest of the crowd, still strewn around the garden, descend upon the table spreading out the contents of the bowls and emptying the platters Pete and Beau set down as soon as they’re in arm’s reach. Neither the other two omegas nor Tyler moves. Quiet corner indeed.
A shadow looms over them, and she startles back against Tyler - who laughs, asshole - turning to see the most enormous alpha she thinks has ever existed settle next to Danny, laying plates down for both of them. Tyler’s used the opportunity to get an arm around her waist. She doesn’t feel like making him let go.
“Katie this is Danny and Sam.” The omega and the alpha wave at each of their names. “Last uncles, I promise. This is everyone.” Oh thank god. Somehow, even though TYler had told her he had a big family, she hadn't been prepared for this many people .
Sam loops an arm over Danny’s shoulders, and the omega leans into him easily. “Tyler tells us you went to OU?”
“You’re a sooner?” He doesn’t have an accent. His voice is a lot quieter than she expected, for an alpha that big. Lord knows Tyler can be her own personal tornado siren when needs to.
“Not me.” He turns to press a light kiss to Danny’s temple. She’s brought up short for a moment. Almost every other adult here, especially the one’s introduced with partners, had a mating bite or a wedding band. Even the alphas. But neither Danny nor Sam have either, despite the easy mingle of their scents as they sit together, the common notes that speak of cohabitation and intimacy.
“I went to pharmacology school there.” Danny’s cheeks are a little pink. She hopes she hasn’t been staring.
“Kate’s finishing up her PhD.” She can hear the smug pride in Tyler’s voice, it never fails to make her feel warm and tingly all over. “Best meteorologist in the whole damn world!” She elbows him in the gut.
“A whole doctorate and you’re out chasing tornadoes with Airhead here?” Natasha squeezes in next to Bob, laying down two plates that are mostly filled with the side dishes and slivers of the chicken Beau had added to the grill. They share a brief kiss. Tyler watches the plates Natasha brought suspiciously, and she catches his eyebrow raise when Bob reaches for the water pitcher, instead of the lemonade.
“Can’t just work with computer models, you have to get out there.” In fact, they’d had to replicate the effects of the silver iodide and sodium polyacrylate combo, this time with data. Javi’s P.A.R. units were incredibly accurate. It hadn’t been any less terrifying the second time. Her upcoming defence somehow still feels worse. Javi had been only too happy to make the pitch for their grant funding.
“Well, then we’ll have even more to celebrate!” Bob’s wording catches her attention. She can feel from the way he stiffens that Tyler caught it too, but it passes without comment.
When she finally gets to take a bite of her burger, she understands why Tyler called them ‘magic’. She must have made a noise, because they are all grinning at her, trying to hold back laughter.
“Ma’s secret is the seasoning.” Natasha breaks the tension, “he puts garlic and herbs and stuff in the mince when he makes the patties.” It sounds simple when she says it, but it tastes amazing.
“That why you’re not partaking then?” Tyler asks, “You finally admitting to the vampirism claims?” she flips him off.
The garden’s gone quiet while everyone else enjoys Pete’s grilling, the cacophonous din lessening to a dull murmur of half-speed conversations around mouths full of food. She steals a pepper off of Tyler’s plate, it bursts sweet and smoky and still a little crunchy on her tongue. He wrestles the chip bowl away from Chris before he can empty it and tips a generous heap next to her picked-clean corn cob. A couple of people get up to check out the cooler. One of the dark haired sisters bypasses it and heads back inside. She pauses on her way past Natasha and Bob, eyes scanning the table.
“You want me to grab you a seltzer Nat? I’m sure there’s still some left in the fridge.”
“No thanks Vicky, I’m not drinking right now.”
“Oh? Why not?”
Natasha looks at Bob and they speak without words. Then Natasha stands up. The low chatter slowly stops as everyone turns to look at her.
“Okay, so Bob and I wanted to wait a bit before we made this announcement, but you’re all way too nosy!” A smattering of laughter rolls down the table. Natasha looks at Bob again, he stands up and takes her hand.
There’s a beat of absolute silence. It’s the seconds before the storm hits, the moment the wind shifts.
“We’re pregnant!” They speak in unison, screaming with excitement, grinning like loons.
The table erupts. Pete jumps to his feet and races down the table to pull them both into a hug. He’s not the only one, even Nikki is jumping up and down, clapping excitedly. It’s unlikely she understands what’s happening, but the blooming jubilant scents are enough to sweep them all away on currents of joy. She finds herself laughing along.
Nat and Bob get pulled into a throng collecting at the middle of the table, the guy in the cowboy hat darts into the house and emerges with a pie in each hand, glass beginning to gather condensation where the chilled plates meet the heavy summer air.
Someone shouts “You’re next Ty!” from within the vortex of well-wishes. Jake is smirking at them both when she looks up. She turns to look Tyler in the eye, his smile is warm and full of promise, the kiss is heated. Someone - probably Jake again - wolf-whistles. Kate has plans for after her defence is finished. She’s been tracking her cycles and has got Tyler begrudgingly to do the same, they’re due to line up in the spring. It hadn’t taken him long to notice, and less time for him to talk to her about it; the future, their lives together. When Tyler wants something he chases, after all. They clink their cans together, and he pulls her back to lean against him while they watch the chaos.