Ray

Since going to see Ana I have been on the phone almost non-stop to Carla. Nowadays conversations with my ex-wife are almost pleasant, despite the bad blood that had been between us in the past. Now however out conversations tend to involve her crying on the phone, begging me to find out what's going on with her, or her shouting at me about the same thing.

Right now she is crying with relief I think.

'Oh ray,' She sobs, 'Thank god she's ok. Have you seen her yet?'

She has asked this at least ten times during this one conversation.

'I haven't Carla no,' I say. I am not a man who gets annoyed easily but when Carla is like this even my patience is tested. Ana is going to have some work to do when she finally calls her.

It seems like a very long time before Bob finds her on the phone trying to pump me for information and convinces her to put the phone down. Unlike Steve, I don't resent Bob as much as I thought I would. Carla and I have agreed that while we are still fond of each other we are so much better apart. One thing is certain however, my life is so much better for meeting Carla, if only for Ana.

This inevitably has me thinking back to my wedding. Carla wore a simple white dress while Ana, then only four years old prances about in a Lilac dress with a white ribbon. Back then I never would have imagined how dear she would become to me. Back then she was Carla's little girl, rather than my daughter. I hadn't really seen much of her before the wedding but that was the day I started to adore her.

It was only a small service. Only Mine and Carla's close friends including Jose Rodriguez SR and his three year old boy. I had still been in the army then. Ana didn't even remember them when she met up with Jose Jr in college, but they hadn't much liked each other back then. Jose had pulled her hair that Carla had fixed in place with a white ribbon and Ana had cried and come running to me. Carla had smiled at that, a little sadly.

For eight years I had thought I was the luckiest man in the world and then the arguments had started. For a year after that it seemed that all that Carla and I did was moan at each other for one thing or another. I had told her that she took everything too personally, and she had told me that I lacked compassion. We had skirted around our issues for so long that this final year had been our downfall.

Ana was only thirteen when the divorce was finalised, and after that I only saw her very occasionally when she had managed to convince her mother to let her visit or me come down to Texas to see them.

Two years after our divorce came through Carla married again, and even though Ana never talked about it I am sure that he hit Carla. I don't think he ever did anything to Ana thank god, but soon after the wedding I had a phone call from my tearful daughter begging me to let me come and live with her. I had agreed on the spot, and Carla let her go. She has told me since that she did that to get Ana out of the firing line while she tried to sort out a way to get out of the marriage.

I am brought back to the present when the door opens to my hospital room and Ana comes in, with Christian following behind her. After the conversation with Carla and the days of worry I am not happy with her.

'Hi dad,' she says warily, obviously trying for nonchalance and I let my anger go.

'What the hell were you thinking?' I yell at her, 'I taught you how to shoot because I wanted you to be able to defend yourself, not so you'd go looking for trouble.'

I notice Christian's surprised but slightly smug expression as he quickly leaves the room, leaving me and my stunned daughter alone.

'Dad, I …'

'You could have gotten yourself killed. Didn't you even think about what could happen? Honestly Anastasia.'

'Dad.' She says again, but I just keep on going.

'I was just laying here for hours, wondering why you hadn't visited when Elliot came in and told me you'd shot someone and had been injured in the process. What is the point in having all the security you do when you don't tell them when you are in danger?'

She looks as if I've hit her. I have never been this angry with her before, but this time she needs to know that I am not going to put up with her just ricking her life.

'And I've had to deal with your mother,' I grumble, using my hands to express me exasperation and she pales a little.

'Dad, I'm sorry,' she pleads.

'And poor Christian. I've never seen him like that.' I carry on through her apology, 'He's aged; we've both aged years over the past couple of days.'

'Ray, I'm sorry.'

I should probably let her apologise now, and anyway I am out of things to say.

'Your mother is waiting for your call,' I say in a slightly more controlled voice.

She leans down and pecks me on the cheek, like she used to when I told her off as a child and my heart thaws.

'I'll call her,' she promises, 'I really am sorry but thank you for teaching me to shoot.'

I think of what could have happened if I hadn't, and then how good her aim must be if she had managed to hit his knee while she was nearly unconscious and uninvited parental pride swells within me.

'I'm glad you can shoot straight,' I say gruffly, trying desperately not to think about what could have happened if it weren't for those many, and sometimes frankly life threatening lessons I had with her. 'Now go on home and her some rest.'

'You look well dad,' she says, doing her usual trick of trying to change the subject. I have known her since she was small enough to sit on my shoulders, does she think I don't recognise her distraction techniques.

'You look pale,' I respond sulkily, worried that she isn't quite as recovered as she is leading me to believe. Should she be out of bed?

She takes me hand, as if able to hear my inner thoughts and squeezes 'I'm ok. I promise I won't do anything like that again.' She'd better not, or I may actually convince Christian to keep her locked up in that big apartment of theirs, although knowing how clumsy she is she would probably still find a way to cause herself some injury or other.

I squeeze her hand back and pull her into a rare hug, feeling her warm in my arms and taking away my usual reserve that I have with everyone.

'If anything happened to you …' I can't finish the sentence. It would break me if I lost her.

'Dad, I'm good, nothing that a hot shower won't cure' she mumbles again, trying not to cry I think. I'm grateful. As I have demonstrated on countless occasions I am not good at dealing with weeping. I can't even make tea here.

The rest of her visit goes by quickly, her asking about me and my recovery, talking about friends back home in Montesano and reliving memories from our time there. Christian deems it safe to come back in almost as soon as we have run out of people we know to talk about and soon they are saying their goodbyes. I smile after them. I don't think that they will be like Carla and I. My little Annie has done herself proud with that one.


Christian

Ana's conversation with her mom was not a short one. I can hear Carla's sobs of relief through the phone, and even I can tell that Ana's reassurances are futile in this area. Carla keeps going on about how worried she's been and how if Ana ever does that again she is going to move in with us to make sure she never does anything so stupid again. Ana only manages to stop her tirade by promising that we will visit soon. Well there is something I need to plan then.

Taylor pulls up in Escala's garage to avoid paparazzi, and Ana is helped out by Sawyer, looking sheepish and shooting him an apologetic look. I wonder what he will say to her when he gets the chance. I am trying not to worry about Welch, and Ana seems to sense this, as she doesn't ask what's wrong again.

'Glad to be home?' I ask her as the doors open to the elevator and she confirms it, only to be proven wrong seconds later.

I had thought that Ana was ok after this, since she hasn't been particularly emotional since she had woken up. I find that this is nothing but an idle dream when almost as soon as the elevator doors shut her whole body begins to shake.

'Hey,' I say, worried. I am stupid for not realising that this in inevitable. After all she has been through, and after hearing her recount it in such vivid detail I am guessing that the reality of what she has been through is just now crashing into her with some force. I take her in my arms, feeling her shaking hard, and keep her pressed tightly too me.

'You're home,' I say, trying desperately to reassure her, 'You're safe.' I kiss her hair and it seems to break down some kind of Dam.

'Oh Christian,' She sobs and the flood gates open. She begins to sob inconsolably and I have never seen her cry like this, not even the last time we were in the play room and she safe worded. I try to whisper things to her, but nothing helps. I don't think anything will stop this until she is all cried out, and I am helpless. Out of control completely.

Her breath hitches over and over again as memory after memory seems to assault her. When the doors open I pick her up, keeping her pressed to me and nodding at Gail, who is regarding us with concern. She wraps her arms around my neck, not taking er face out of my shirt, as though she needs me to ground her to the earth.

Quickly I get her into our bathroom and gently place her onto the chair, where she curls up like a pil pub and folds her arms around her knees defensively. I don't know what I can do to make this better, and I search my mind desperately. In Portland a bath helped so I suggest it. She shakes her head violently, not able to speak.

'A shower?' I say, still more desperately, achingly worried about her, and I move quickly to turn the shower on as her sobs continue to echo through the room. She doesn't even seem to notice what I've done and I kneel in front of her so I am at a level with her.

'Hey,' I coax, and pull her hands gently away from her eyes and cup her face so that she looks at me, with tears still falling freely down her face, 'You're safe you both are.'

To my horror my words only seem to bring on a fresh bout of crying.

'Stop now, I can't bear it when you cry' I beg, but she can't stop. I know she can't stop. I have cried like this before, when I was four years old after the pimp hit me, when I saw Ana lying on the ground, when I thought she had left me. She can't get control over her emotions because she has no control over what has happened to her. I wipe her cheeks in a vain attempt to clear her tears but new ones replace them, causing tear tracks to form.

'I'm sorry,' she chokes through her tears, and I smile sadly at her, 'Just sorry for everything. For making you worry. For risking everything. For the things I said.' She is only making it worse by saying these things.

'Hush baby, please,' I whisper against her forehead, 'I'm sorry. It takes two to tango Ana.' I smile at her, thinking that maybe humour will help this, 'well that's what my mom always says. I said things and did things I'm not proud of.'

Can you say understatement of the year?

'Let's get you undressed.'

She wipes her nose with the back of her hand, trying desperately to regain a little composure. I help he to her feet, and quickly but gently take her clothes off, being careful not to hurt any of the angry looking bruises that shadow her skin, or knock her head. I help her into the shower and remove my own clothes and get in behind her, pulling her into my arms and just hold her, while her body continues to shake with sobs. The water cascades down onto us, providing a calming influence. I just rock her back and forth, occasionally kissing her hair, not knowing what else to do but hold her.

After a while her crying suddenly ceases, leaving heaves in their place. I breathe a sigh of relief as she pulls out of my arms and gazes up at me, a strange expression on her face.

'Better?' I whisper and she nods.

'Good,' I say, 'Let me look at you.' I've been waiting to do this since she woke up. Both needing and not wanting know what the visible damage is. She looks confused but doesn't move to stop me. I take her hand carefully and examine her arm. There are bruises on her shoulder and then scrapes along the rest of her arm. I plant kisses on each injury and then grab a washcloth and the jasmine shower jell, filling the shower with the perfumed scent.

'Turn around,' I say gently, dreading seeing the marks on her usually flawless skin. Her back seems to be unmarked and I wash it, taking care when I reach her shoulder and arms not to hurt the bruises or grazes there. I trail my fingers down her side, feeling her flinch when I reach her side, where I not know the fucker kicked her. The bruise there is large and angry looking and stretches down to her hip and I am filled with an anger that I manage to control, whistling through my teeth. IT must show in my face because she speaks quickly.

'It doesn't hurt.' From the way that she just flinched from my touch I know that she is lying to try and calm me down. I don't even think about believing her for a second.

I slowly raise my head to meet her gaze.

'I want to kill him,' I say in a low voice, 'I nearly did.'

I don't say anymore, stopping myself from the anger begging for release.

She frowns at me and I quirt more shower Gel on the wash cloth and get to work, cleaning and examining the rest of her with gentle caresses. I kneel to wash her legs and feet, only pausing a little to kiss the bruise obvious on her knee. She runs her hands through my hair as I work to make her feel clean and better, and soon after she starts I stand up, running my hand over the largest bruise above her ribs. Somewhere I haven't even dared go close to yet. I inhale sharply when I think how lucky we've been that this didn't result in an even worse consequence.

'Oh baby,' I groan, the thought filling me with equal parts fury and dread.

'I'm ok,' she says again, still trying to reassure me and she pulls me head down to hers. I don't know where she is going with this and I hesitate before letting myself be pulled to her lips. When her tongue asks for entrance I feel another part of my body respond to it and I stop.

'No,' I whisper against her lips and pull away from her, assuming a determined demeanour. I cannot even think about sex with her after seeing how hurt she is. She pouts a deliciously sulky pout at me and it breaks me out of my dark mood. I grin widely at her and kiss her chastely on the lips.

'Clean,' I emphasise the word, 'Not dirty.'

'I like dirty,' she says, still sulky, but trying I think for a note of seduction.

'Me too Mrs Grey,' I say, serious once more, 'but not now. Not here.'

She continues to pout as I resolutely start to wash her hair.


I am waiting in the great room for Welch to arrive. After some talking, food and a full on Anastasia Grey 'I want sex now' tantrum she is now sleep peacefully in our bedroom, and I am waiting to hear news that I both can't wait to hear and am dreading.

He finally appears led by Taylor, who looks about as nervous as I feel.

'Welch,' I say holding my hand out to him and he shakes it briefly. 'My study.'

We walk down the hall and gesture him to sit as I take my usual seat behind my desk. For a moment he looks uncomfortable.

'Spit it out Welch,' I say, my anxiety clear in my tone, 'Tell me what you found out.'

HE nods and puts his briefcase on the desk, opens it and pulls out a file.

I listen numbly as he tells me about my time after I was found, the foster home and the month I spent living with Jack and several other children. I am reeling. I don't remember any of this, although I am told that Grace and Carrick visited me. I only remember my first official meeting with them, and of course seeing Grace for the first time in the hospital when I was brought in.

I take the photos he hands me without question. I recognise Jack in the group picture of everyone who lived in the house. He looks angry even then, scruffy and arrogant and I know that look. He is just a kid like I was, scared and alone with an uncertain future ahead of him.

He leaves quickly, and Taylor leads him out of my study, while I sit stunned at the revelations of the last half hours. It takes me a long time to move, and when I do I head to the only place that can give me any comfort at the moment. I head to our room and to Ana. I pull up a chair quietly and just sit and watch her as she sleeps.


Grace

Mia is doing so much better today. She has been talking to Ethan for the past hour on her mobile, apologising over and over for the fact that no one thought of telling him that she was in the hospital and he had to find out from the news. I feel bad that we all completely forgot to tell him, and I am glad that I do not have to have that conversation

Carrick and I are just sitting down to a rare Saturday night in without any functions or obligations when the phone rings and Carrick gets up, grumbling about how typical it all is. When he comes back into the room five minutes later her looks stunned.

'What is it Carry?' I ask, startled by his expression.

'That was Christian,' Oh, I prepare myself for another tail spin moment 'He wants us to come over. Welch discovered a connection between us and Hyde.'

I sit up a little straighter. 'Oh? What is it?'

'The foster home in Detroit. Jack lived there.'

I close my eyes as I remember the little boy who asked us to take him with us. It doesn't surprise me that I didn't remember him, but instinctively I know that that was Jack Hyde.

'I'll go and get Mia,' I say determined not to let her further away from me than a few rooms for the time being.


As soon as we leave the elevator we see Christian and Ana standing at the threshold of the great room. I move forward and gently wrap her in a hug. This girl is the reason that our lives haven't fallen apart. I still have my daughter and my son is finally acting his age.

'Ana. Ana darling Ana,' I whisper, 'Saving two of my children. How can I ever thank you?'

When I pull away I can see that I have embarrassed both her and Christian. I manage to catch myself before I say 'you'll soon see that it is a mother purgative to embarrass your children.'

Instead I whisper it into Christian's ear as I hug him too, while Carrick hugs Ana too.

When both Carrick and I have pulled away Mia launches forward with her usual amount of thought and pulls Ana into a hard hug. I see Christian glare at her when Ana winces.

'Thank you for saving me from those assholes' she says loudly. This is the first time she has seen Ana since it happened and I remember that for a brief moment Mia had though that Ana had been shot. I am about to say something to her when Christian speaks.

'Mia careful, she's in pain' he says, giving her a reprimand in a way that can only be given by a brother.

'Oh sorry,' She gushes, releasing Ana immediately.

'I'm good,' Ana mutters obviously relieved to have been let go.

For a few moments we take each other in. Christian and Ana looking at Mia and us looking at them. Soon the moment is over and Mia races towards Christian, putting an arm around his waist. I think I see him squeeze her as he puts his arm around her too, before his other arm moves and he is holding a photo out to me wordlessly.

I look down at the photo and gasp as my eyes are immediately drawn to Christian as he was back then. Sometimes I forget how thin he really was with time, and this is painful to remember. I feel Carrick put his arms around me as he looks over my shoulder looking too at the picture of our son. I feel him inhale sharply against me and I look up at Christian who looks confused, and still has an arm around Mia.

'Oh darling,' I breathe and reach up to touch his face. He leans into me. He has come such a long way in such a short time, I think yet again.

I am somewhat annoyed when Taylor enters the room and announces that Elliot, Kate and Ethan are all on their way up.

Christian frowns and acknowledges the information before moving away from Mia when she tells us all that she invited them.

All of us except Ana glare at her when she says the words 'welcome home party.' She knows why we're here. I let her know when I told her she needed to get ready to go out.

'We'd better get some food together,' Ana says, saving yet another situation, 'Mia will you give me a hand.'

Unsurprisingly Mia accepts without question and they move into the kitchen as we go into the study with Christian.

'What do you want to know son?' Carrick asks after a moment's pause.

'Anything you can tell me,' Christian replied in a voice so confused that I couldn't stop myself from moving towards him and taking his hand in both of mine.

'Christian darling sit down,' I said gently, leading him to the white couch. Together we sit, while Carrick sits in the office chair facing us quietly.

'I wanted to take you home from the very first moment I saw you,' I tell him, because knowing my son he probably thinks we were having doubts, 'but we had to wait two months to see if you had any relatives who wanted to claim you.'

'Why?'

'It's the law,' Carrick says, 'We were already approved to adopt you because of Elliott thank god or the wait would have been longer.'

He nods, still looking confused, but accepting what we tell him without question.

'We came to visit you every week as much as we could.' I say, and then take a deep breath, knowing that he might explode at my next words. 'When I heard that … that that man lived with you there I remembered him. He asked me if we could adopt him to.'

Christian blinks at me surprised, and then to my amazement squeezes my hand.

'Mom, it was a long time ago, and he was eight. I just wish I remembered. I thought that the first time I met you all together was when I came to live with you.'

'Oh darling,' I whisper, 'it might come back to you.'

He nods again, and I don't know what else to say, but Carrick saves the situation.

'The first time I saw you was three days after you met Grace,' HE says gently, 'you were so small and confused, and you stole my heart right then and there, Elliott's too. You were sitting on the steps of the house, waiting for us. The colliers must have told you that Grace was visiting. You looked terrified when you saw me, but it was Elliott who walked up to you first.'

He smiles slightly at the memory.

'He had a teddy bear that we had bought you in his hand, and he came and say next to you on the stairs. He said 'I'm your new brother,' like it was the best thing in the world and you smiled and took the bear from him.'

There are tears in my eyes as I remember. Elliott had told me before we left that the other children at his school had told him that big brothers were meant to protect their younger siblings and that it was his job to look after Christian.

'He was thrilled,' I say gently, 'we all were. After that first time you used to walk up to me with books and look up at me expectantly. I read to you every time. The colliers adored you too. Mrs Collier said that you loved to be read to, and that you never went anywhere without your blanket and your bear.'

He nods again at us, obviously straining to remember.

'I think I remember some of it.' He says slowly, 'She could cook. I remember the food and the older girl who was there. They were nice to me.'

I smile and nod at him. I hope he can let this rest now he knows more about it. I don't think that he'll ever remember fully what happened but with Ana's hope he should be able to let this go.


Kate

Ana is unprepared when I arrive at the apartment. I storm into the kitchen after Taylor leads us there; ignoring the arm Elliott puts out to restrain me.

'What were you thinking Ana,' I yell at her, and she steps back, but then looks mad.

'Kate please,' She snaps, 'I've had the same lecture from everyone.'

I glare at her for a moment, struggling with the impulse to shout at her some more, but then I think back to the last time I saw her, lying still in the hospital bed and relief swamps me. I am so happy to see her standing in front of me in one piece that the fight goes out of me and I wrap my arms around her.

'Jeez, sometimes you don't have the brains you were born with,' I mutter, fighting back tears. I pull away and kiss her cheek. She must see the tears in my eyes because she looks at me concerned.

'I've been so worried about you.'

'Don't cry,' she says, holding her hand up, 'You'll set me off.'

I grin sheepishly at her and wipe my eyes. I take a deep breath, letting calm flood my body and I am under control again.

'On a more positive note we've set a date for our wedding,' She grins at me, 'We thought next May, and of course I want you to be my matron of honour.'

Her grin falters a little. 'Oh Kate, wow congratulations.'

'What is it?' I ask, showing my ability to spot a problem from a mile off.

'Erm, I'm just so happy for you. Some good news for a change.'

She hugs me, and I decide to drop it. I think I know what's going on and if I'm right I am certain that Elliott knows all about it. He's going to be having a long conversation with me in the car.

Elliott hands Ana a glass of champagne which momentarily puts a wrench in my theory, until I see the glint in his eye. The one that means he's up to no good. I keep an eye on Christian when the three of them reappear and he glares at her. My best friend has been keeping things from me.

Its a few hours until leave. Ethan and Mia holding hands. Finally Ethan has worked through his stupid issues. He'd be an idiot to let her slip through his fingers. I hope that he is a calling influence for her; god knows she needs it.

Once we've dropped Ethan off at the apartment we head off towards Elliott's place and I start in my line of questioning.

'Ana's pregnant isn't she?' I say and he nearly crashes the car in his shock.

'What?' For a minute I think I was wrong and he didn't know but then he says 'How do you know?'

'It's obvious!' I say loudly, 'She froze when I told her when our wedding it, about eight months from now, and she was warned of alcohol. I'm not an idiot.'

He grins at me, 'I know that baby, I just think she wanted to tell you. I would have told you baby, it just wasn't my secret to tell.'

I nod at him and grin.

'Why did you let me plan the wedding for May?' I ask

'What was I supposed to say?' HE asks, 'Sorry baby I don't want to get married in May. I'm allergic to that month.'

I laugh, and look out the window to find ourselves closer than I thought to his house.

'I think we should get married at the end of June then,' I say and he nods.

'I thought you'd say that. I can't imagine Ana not being involved in the wedding, and there would be a chance that my best man would be called off to witness the birth of his child.'

I laugh. It looks like I won't be married on the forth of May after all.

He parks the car and we pull up in front of what can only be described as his bachelor pad. As we walk through the doors I ask a question that has been bugging me for ages. Since the first time Christian said it the night we got engaged/

'Why does Christian call you Lelliot?' I ask, and he pauses, surprised I think. He takes me coat from me and hangs it up, and I am beginning to think that he's not going to answer when he does.

'Christian couldn't say my name when we were younger,' he says looking uncomfortable, 'When I was eight and he was six he said it for the first time.'

I stare at him. I know that Christian was four when he was adopted.

'He didn't say it at all for the two years before.'

He shakes his head. 'He didn't say anything for the first two years. The first time he spoke was the day Mia came to live with us. I was listening at the door when he said her name.'

I imagine a little curly haired boy listening at the door to his brother speaking for the first time he's heard. It must have been horrible for him before that.

'That night he came into my room. We had rooms next to each other so it was easy to do it without our parents noticing. I told him ghost stories under a sheet with a torch, and our parents came in.'

He grins at me, 'They were all ready to tell us off but Christian stumped them. He said 'Lelliott was telling me stories.' It was the first time he said my name and the first time he'd ever spoken directly to them. They let him sleep in my room that night.'

I match his grin with one of my own. I am starting to like Christian now that I know more about him, and see how happy Ana is most of the time.

I hug him close.

'I hate to say this,' I mutter as his arms go around me, 'but I think I'm starting to get along with your brother.'

He laughs.

'It's about time,'


This is going to be the last chapter from the books (except you know … the birth scene) but if you want me to do another one with one of the last scenes let me know and I'll see if I can do it :) IF not it's just my imagination after this.

Thanks for all the follows, favourites and reviews as always. When I get back from the music festival I'll post more chapters that I've written there. They should all be written so all I'll have to do will be type them up so they'll up. I still have Monday and Tuesday to post, and maybe Wednesday. The next one after that will be on Sunday. Sorry, but no internet connection or laptop available.