Thank you to all my reviewers I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you all love this story. To be honest I never expected it to get this much attention! Anyways thank you all once again and I will quit rambling for the next chapter!
Chapter three: Special Jewel
I wanted to faint, the most powerful couple in corporate America were standing in my room in all their glory. I could faint but I had more dignity then that.
Christian was holding a bouquet of yellow roses and I could feel my eyes water…more flowers?
"Daddy!" Phoebe squealed jumping up and into her father's arms he gave her a brief hug before holding her at arm's length.
"We have much to discuss about your misbehavior" he looked over to me and back down at her "you are very fortunate someone was there and not only had the courage to help you, now wait outside we are nowhere near being finished with this conversation" I could see her shoulders slump in defeat, she turned back to me and gave me a slight wave before leaving the room.
"Teddy dear" Anastasia exclaimed stepping forward and pulling him into her arms "you never come home anymore; it's so nice to see you"
I half expected him to pull away and give her a smart remark but he surprised me and picked his mother up and spun her around "So that way whenever I see you I miss you even more mom" her laugh rang throughout my room and I almost blushed at the total transformation.
"Mother" Christian said puling Dr. Trevelyn into a small hug and pecked her on the cheek he then turned to me "it's nice to meet you Miss Valentine" he noticed the bouquet of lilies in my lap "should I put these with the Cali lilies?" he gestured to the table next to my bed
"Please, thank you" oh god I sounded like a kid who is meeting sponge bob at a child's party.
Christian placed them next to the Cali lilies and pulled out his cell phone "Taylor, Bring me up a vase" he stopped and looked at the bouquet in my hands "make that two Vases from the gift store" and he hung up the phone abruptly.
"Thank you Mr. Grey but you really don't need to do that" I started but he cut me off.
"Nonsense" he waved his hand "you have saved my daughter, I cant imagine what could have happened if you weren't there" he sat in the chair next to my bed and stared at me with a look I had never seen in any of the tabloids. Could it be gratitude? "You're quite an impressive girl-"
"How does Chicken soup sound?" We all looked up to see Daniel step into the room holding a trey filled with food. "or I can come back?" he asked
Now of course my stomach would want to make an appearance when the room was silent in the form of a monstrous growl. My face reddened in a blush and my hand instinctively fell on my stomach as if I could cover its obvious protest.
"No that won't be necessary" Christian himself took the flowers from my lap and cleared the food desk, pulling it into place over my lap "eat" he said although it sounded more like an order to me, I nodded my head.
Daniel walked over and placed the tray in front of me, I could feel my mouth water. There was a steaming bowl of chicken soup two buns with butter for each and jello placed in the upper corner for desert. For a second I had forgotten where I was and dug right in not coming up for air, instinct had taken over and it was like I was attacking my first meal in days.
I glanced up at the clock, thirty more seconds. I picked up my pace opting to ditch the spoon and pick up the bowl to slurp down the rest of the broth. It burned, it burned bad but I only had a minute before dad came and took all the food away.
I stopped instantly and realized what just happened. I looked around the room to see astonished eyes all around me and my eyes started to water in embarrassment. I hastily put the bowl down and pulled my blankets up to my chest as if to block off their eyes.
I thought I had out grown this, it was a habit forced onto me from a young age. My father being the sadist that he was would place food before me only once a day, he would tell me I only had one minute to eat everything on the plate. If I didn't finish he would toss the rest of the remaining food in the trash and I would starve until a new game started the next day.
"What did you stop for?" Teddy's voice broke through my memory. I looked up to see him crossing his arms and looking at me with an annoyed expression "if you're hungry keep eating, no one cares how you do it"
"He is right darling" Dr. Trevelyn said placing a hand on my back. I jumped and moved my body away from the contact it made with my back. I tried playing it off by stretching but I couldn't stand the feeling. Whenever anyone touched my back it just reminded me of him…he was very fond of attacking when my back was facing him. She smiled and took her hand back acting as if she didn't notice "I'm sure Daniel wouldn't mind going to get you seconds even"
"It's no problem at all" he answered with a smile that warmed my heart. I looked over to find Christian giving me a look that I couldn't read. I chose to ignore it and bathe in my situation, all these nice people who were all complete strangers were sitting here and being more understanding then my father has been in over seventeen years. I nodded and began to slowly eat my food this time with more dignity.
"Do you mind if I leave this here with you" Anastasia asked holding the teddy bear "I should go out and talk to Phoebe"
"Please" I said finishing off the last of the soup I wiped my hands with a napkin and took the unbearably cute teddy bear "thank you very much" I accepted the bear.
"Trust me honey" she smiled "this is not how we thank people in the Grey household" she gave me another one of her heartwarming smiles and left the room.
"How do you feel Natalia?" Daniel asked looking at my arm with concern.
"Great now that you and Dr. Trevelyn helped me" I waved my arm around to emphasize it was ok but the Doctor took my hand in hers.
"Let's not push it dear" she patted my hand and took out a chart "and while we are on the matter please call me Grace. Anyone brave enough to feign off attackers in the name of my granddaughter can call me Elmo for all I care"
I blushed "it really is not that big of a deal" I looked to my hands now feeling guilty. I remember what I was thinking before I helped her, I remember the selfish thoughts going through my head. "I'm sure if any other person besides me would have been there they would have helped a lot better than I did"
"that's not the point" Christian broke in "The point is it was you, you were the brave girl who happened to be in the same alley as my daughter, you were the person who didn't walk away from the situation like any other person really would have done, and it was you who inevitably prevented any harm from befalling her" he laughed a humorless laugh "you even escorted her to the safest place you could and left without demanding any kind of payment, I'm sure you knew who she was at the time yet you didn't utter a single request"
He looked up at me with admiration so easy to read I had to blush. Christian Grey CEO of Grey enterprises was looking at me with a look so opposite of what I had seen in the media that it really felt like a dream. "You are an amazing person Natalia Valentine, and we intend to repay you in any way possible for your heroic acts"
I shook my head. No. this is not going to go over very well with my life style. These people will figure me out to be the fraud I am. A broken girl undeserving of their gifts and lifestyle is what I really am. Before I can answer there is yelling outside the room.
At first I can't make out anything and all eyes fall upon the door but a single voice breaks through and I feel my blood run cold. No. No. No. Not here, not with these very important people.
I shove the food desk away from me and kick the covers off in the same motion leaping from the bed and making a run for the door.
"Natalia!" Grace yelled out in a disapproving tone. I ignored her and pulled the door back confirming my fears.
There on the floor being restrained but an unfamiliar man was my father. I could smell the booze off him from where I stood. Looking up Anastasia and Phoebe stood behind an unfamiliar man who was holding two vases.
"Dad" I said in shock
Both men on the floor looked up at me and I could see the rage building in my father's face with each second he stared at me. "This is how you greet your father after he went out of his way to come check on you!" he yelled out.
I instinctively flinched at his tone knowing what was going to come. The man holding him down looked at me with confusion but a voice called out from behind me. "Let him up Taylor" Christian said standing behind me looking unusually stiff.
As soon as my father was up on his feet he snatched my arm where I had just been bleeding from earlier and began pulling me through the hallway "I don't know who told you that you could try upgrading to some hospital sweet but it aint happening kid" he barked as I followed along like a diligent dog, tears rimmed my eyes from the pain of his grip as my face burned with embarrassment "I aint paying for this shit!"
"Robert Valentine"
My father stopped and looked back at Christian Grey who stood in the middle of the hallway, a fierce look upon his face. "Who the hell are you" my dad barked out
"Dad, that's Christian Grey" I whispered in an urgent voice, my dad was ignorant and pretty much a caveman when it came to mannerisms but that was no excuse to insult Thee Christian Grey.
"You shut up" he barked tightening the grip on my arm. I bit back my lip and looked to see some blood becoming free of the gauze.
"You let her go!" I looked up to see Teddy marching over to my dad but was stopped by Christian. He looked at his father with rage but Christian wouldn't break eye contact with my father.
"currently unemployed and a widower for the past thirteen years" Christian started speaking "your wife died in a car accident that involved her and her four year old daughter where only your daughter survived. You live in the lower part of town and your bank accounts are all over drawn and your credit score makes it impossible for you to get a decent store card never mind a big name credit card. You are forty three with no health insurance" how could he possibly know all of this about my dad? Where was he even getting at with all this information?
"What the hell do you want mister?" my dad bit out now looking a bit off his game. He was probably getting scared now being at the disadvantage he was now at.
"How much?" Christian asked simply
"Christian!" both Grace and Anastasia yelled out at the same time. What was he talking about? Confusion was a major feeling right now, apparently my dad understood because he pulled me closer to him with a knowing smirk marring his face.
"I'm sorry Mr. Grey, you're going to have to be a little more clear" he began petting my hair and I stiffened expecting him to pull my hair and begin his assault here and now. The fact that he hadn't done anything to me so far was unnerving and my body began to tremble not being able to withstand the anxiety of waiting for an assault it was quite used to.
"Mr. Valentine, how much money is your daughter worth to you?" I froze and looked over to Christian Grey in shock. What the hell was he doing? Apparently I wasn't the only one. His whole family was staring at him in disbelief.
"Christian you can't possible ask a father that" Grace said appalled
"He's no father" Christian bit out "how much? These hospital bills will be quite high, I can take care of all that. I can take over her living expenses and her Education, I can give you one set price any one you so desire and you will hand Natalia over to the Grey family no questions asked"
My dad scoffed "please you couldn't possibly give me any number I ask for"
Christian smirked "try me, or do you not know where to start? How about fifteen hundred for every year of her life? That's a quarter of a million dollars when it's all added up"
"Christian this is far enough" Anastasia called out "you're insulting this man"
"Deal"
All eyes turned to my dad in shock, including mines. "Dad?" I whispered "your joking right?" I knew my father didn't love me, I knew he hated my existence and I knew I was not the fondest of him but to really sell me off as if I was cattle? To put a price on my head like this? It was far too much for me to comprehend.
I turned back to Christian who was now writing out a check. I felt like this was a dream. I was being sold? "Dad this is a joke right?" I asked looking back at him.
He shrugged me away and walked up to Christian who was now holding out the check, after snatching it away he started walking back towards me "have a great life kid" he mumbled walking past me.
"Dad!" I yelled out. It felt like I was having an out of body experience. He was still my dad; he was still the only living parent I had! Was he really doing this? Selling me! To strangers?! I chased after him "Dad!" my voice was becoming horse as a lump began to form.
He made it to the elevators and I followed "Dad! Please wait" tears were now blurring my vision "please don't do this" I begged standing outside the doors "your still my dad, your all I have" I whispered
"how about I leave you with a gift" he smirked as he pocketed the check "the day your mother died? She was running away from me. She was going to be with her one true love" he spit out the last words like acid "her one true love who got her pregnant then left her alone leaving me with no other choice but to take her in" he crossed her arms "pregnant with you"
With that last sentence the doors started to close and he was gone from my vision, probably for the rest of my life. My feet collapsed under my weight unable to hold my weight as they trembled. I was faintly aware of arms taking hold of me and voices calling out my name but I couldn't place them.
My world has just been turned upside down. My dad who has always been there in my life, the man I grew up with, the man who has ruined my childhood and probably my mental state for the rest of my life…was not my real father?
The world started to become a dark place for me and I welcomed the cold darkness, anything to escape this reality.
xoxoxo
Warm arms pulled me to them and I turned to look back at my mother's warm smile "Bed time darling"
I crossed my arms "No!"
My mother began to stroke my hair and pick me up from the window sill "Mommy will tell you the story" she said walking to a cute pink room at the end of the hall. Gently she placed me in my bed and smiled at me "mommy loves your hair because it's like daddy's" she said playing with my curls.
"Silly mommy" I laughed "daddy doesn't have curly hair"
She smiled sadly "I guess mommy is tired to"
I pulled my blankets up to my chest "No sleep until you tell me the story!"
My mother nodded "no sleep until I tell you the story" she reached over to my nightstand and pulled out a picture book and opened it beginning my bedtime story.
"Once upon a time a prince in disguise snuck into a poor man's town. There he met a beautiful poor man's daughter and they fell in love. They were very happy for a long time and planned to live happily ever after. Sadly the prince's father became sick and the prince needed to go back home for a while. The poor man's daughter knew he would never leave to his kingdom if she told him she was carrying a very special jewel. So when the prince left for home the poor man's daughter ran away to a whole new kingdom with the special jewel where she met another poor man like herself. She decided if she loved the prince she would let him forget her so he could take care of his kingdom and she would keep the jewel selfishly as a beautiful memory"
I smiled and wiggled in the bed waiting for my favorite part "and then what happened mommy?"
My mother smiled and started tickling me "And then the Jewel turned into a beautiful princess to keep the poor man's daughter happy for the rest of her life" I squealed in glee and soon my mother laughter died out "it's time to go to bed princess" I nodded this time fully content with sleeping now that I heard my story.
So this is a dramatically short chapter from the others (about 1000 words shorter) but I had this part of the story stuck in my head I couldn't wait to post it. It actually took a turn I myself didn't plan out but I think I know where I am going with this. Haha lets all hope! Anyways let me know what you think!
