"Someone looks happy?" I smiled at Habibi as we left the Del Mirasol residence. "I guess we won't be going to Batangas after all."
"Ah!" Aahmes looked at me apologetically.
"It's fine, knock yourself out, I'm happy as long as you're happy." I reclined my seat and sighed. "Come to think of it, I'd much rather stay at home and get some rest after all that happened lately."
And that's exactly what we did.
Aahmes went straight to the lab as soon as we got home. I, on the other hand, stripped down to my boxers and went straight to bed.
We could finally take it easy now that Dan's behind bars. Not to mention, the Grinch is still looking after Louie's family. I doubt anyone would mess with them now.
I hugged a pillow and snuggled beneath the covers, looking for the perfect spot. Soon, I'm fast asleep and dreaming of my brother, waving happily at me. He's holding a bunch of bananas and handed me two pieces. It was while I was peeling it that I noticed that they were twins.
"Tito Eric, are you ready?" he asked me.
I looked up to ask him what I was supposed to be ready for, when I noticed him pouting and looking sadly at me.
Then I woke up from something heavy landing on top of me.
"Oof! Wahh... what the...!"
"It's a positive!" Aahmes exclaimed on top of me.
He held my face in both hands and started kissing me repeatedly.
"What's positive?!" I asked, alarmed.
"The test! It's a positive! His estrogen hormones are way past normal levels!" he hugged me tight and kissed me again. "I need to get his MRI to make absolutely sure, but I guarantee you that we'll definitely find a miniature womb inside him!"
"Just what are you talking about?" I asked while stifling a yawn. "What womb? Who are you talking about?"
"Nathan! I just checked his blood sample and I discovered that his estrogen levels had gone up! He's showing changes that a budding omega manifests before the emergence of a miniature womb!"
"A what? Nathan?"
"Yes, professor! This is the scientific discovery of the decade! I am about to prove that an alpha also has the capability to develop a womb!"
I stare at Aahmes with my jaw hanging open.
He's breathless with excitement, his round eyes shining in the half darkness of our room.
"Habibi, get some sleep, you're just hallucinating."
I tried to pull him under the covers with me, but he gently pushed me away.
"Eric, I am not hallucinating! This is actually happening right now, and I can prove it! Come with me to the lab, professor!" Aahmes pulled me out of bed. "Hurry up, professor!" He goes back to calling me professor whenever he's excited.
He dragged me over to the laboratory and sat me in front of the electron microscope, never mind that my eyes were still swollen from sleep.
"There, take a look for yourself!"
"Okay, okay, hold your horses!" I rub my eyes and yawn some more. "Just what are you talking about?"
Aahmes peeped at the microscope, adjusted it a little, and looked back at me.
"Just take a look!" he said proudly.
I finally peeped at the slide.
"Hmm... so this sample is from Nathan?" I asked.
"Yes. Do you see it? His estrone levels are over 2,000! That is well above 60 picograms per milliliter which is the normal level for pubescent males!"
"True, but that is not enough evidence to imply that my nephew is turning into an omega."
"Of course, not!" said Habibi, "He's not turning into an omega after all, he's just developing a miniature womb and an unpaired ovary."
"Pshh, is that even possible?" I couldn't help but laugh. "He's an adult alpha, a dominant even! It's impossible for a fully matured dominant alpha to grow a miniature womb and a single ovary which only occurs in preadolescent boys turning to omegas!" I insisted. "If that was even possible, then why are there no prior cases of alphas growing wombs and giving birth? I mean, there are numerous cases of alpha-alpha pairs since some purists look down on omegas and even women. Why are there no news of them growing an ovary?"
"True, but there has never been a pair with a dominant omega top and a dominant alpha bottom," explained Aahmes who looked so proud of himself.
I give a deep sigh and slowly shook my head.
I don't want to pop his bubble, but what he's implying is simply ridiculous.
"Okay, then, do you have any other evidence to back-up your theory?"
"As of now, this is all I have to show, I am still at the process of analyzing his genetic code to see if there are any alterations to it."
I look at the clock and realize it was already 9 in the evening! Where did the rest of the day go?
"It's 9 already? Why didn't you wake me up?" My tummy suddenly grumbled. "Have you eaten already?"
"I ordered some take-out since I was busy here in the lab. Your food is currently in the fridge, just reheat it in the microwave."
"You ate dinner without me?" I asked with a pout.
"Not yet..." He paused for a second. "Let me order something else..."
"Don't bother, let me do it."
"Okay, thank you."
Aahmes went back to his research.
I watch him mumble something as he checked the microscope and smiled. I went downstairs instead to prepare something to eat. Good thing the fridge was stuffed with food. I took out half a kilo of beef steak and cut the sirloin into strips, then took out a head of broccoli that was starting to turn yellow at the edges. After stir frying and adding some seasonings, I plated the dish and went back to the lab to feed my habibi.
"O, take a break first, let's have some dinner before you continue your work."
"Ahh, that smells good!" said Aahmes who went to the sink to wash his hands. "It is quite refreshing to have you cook for me and force me to eat," he said with a laugh.
"So, have you seen any mutation in his DNA?" I asked as we ate.
"None yet. I'm still looking for changes in his genes that would have trigger the growth of his womb."
"Hay, like I said, that would be impossible. Nathan's way passed his alpha growth stage. In a sense, his inside's too old and tough to grow anything new."
"Yet, it is the adult moray eels that change their gender when their partner expires," Aahmes replied, "and is it not from that certain species of eels that the famous Filipino professor, Dr. Dalisay, formulate the Covid22 vaccine he discovered?"
I suddenly fell silent.
It is true that the emergence of the Secondary Genders could be trailed from the vaccine Dr. Dalisay discovered from a certain species of moray eels. Moray eels, after all, are immune to all types or coronavirus infections.
It was good that the virus and its mutations was eradicated along with the common cold, but no one ever thought that this very vaccine would trigger a mutation in the human genome some 15 years later.
"Okay, then, just tell me if and when you find something suspicious in Nathan's genetic make-up," I said, ruffling his hair. "And if you DO find anything growing inside him, which I doubt you would, then I'll do anything you wish for."
"Are you sure, professor?" Habibi asked with a serious expression on his face.
"Of course!" I grinned at him. "Just finish your dinner first, you're probably planning to stay up `till morning."
'Especially since you won't be finding anything anyway,' I thought to myself.
And that was exactly what my Habibi did, for the rest of the week.
Every evening, we would head home after work to continue our own research. I would then cook dinner since Aahmes would be stuck in the laboratory, looking for discrepancies in Nathan's DNA records.
It seems he's still wary of the people at work since he refuses to bring even his notes to the office.
I have to admit, though, I myself have my own suspicions. I mean, it's hard to believe that someone was able to pirate the terminus drug in such short notice.
I know that Habibi thinks that Pilar is the culprit, but I just can't bring myself to think that she could actually do something like that.
We've been together for almost 5 years.
She's not the kind of person who would betray us.
I don't even want to think badly of her.
That's why I simply put the Terminus issue aside.
No.
I don't want to think about it anymore.
Let's just wait for Aahmes' experiment to fail.