Thanks to everyone for the amazing reviews! I was so excited to read each and every one of them and they were very inspiring.
Warning- this chapter includes some language, so it is rated a strong T...because we all know how Christian Grey is.
I hope everyone enjoys!
"You idiots really dropped the fucking ball!"
Charlotte flinches at Christian's voice, rubbing her temple. On her left is Luke who volunteered to sit with her while Christian threw a total shit-fit on the guards and on her right is Elliot, both men trying to comfort her.
"What the fuck do you mean you were playing a card game?! You had one job- one fucking job: you just had to sit on your asses and watch a damn camera!"
When Christian had arrived home- Luke called Christian and Christian demanded that Charlotte be removed from the home and she be brought to GEH. When she arrived, Charlotte promptly burst into tears and Christian frantically checked her for injury and held her until she could gain her composure.
Charlotte hasn't felt fear like this in so long. It's the kind of fear that makes people tremble and think unreasonable things and makes it hard to breathe.
She never thought this would happen. She was sure she was safe- that she was out of harm's way. She thought she'd never see Peter again.
"Do you want something to drink, Grey?" Luke asks, his voice weak. "Want some water?"
Charlotte shrugs, continuing to run her aching head. "Yeah. Water will be fine." Then, she looks up to Elliot who is nervously bouncing his leg and looking between Charlotte and every possible exit as if he will run with her in the event that something should happen.
"You want something, too, Elliot?" Charlotte asks. "You look like you're going to have a heart attack."
Elliot nods. "I'll take a water." His voice is hoarse and Charlotte assumes that he's absolutely scared out of his mind. Charlotte would know- she is.
There's a moment of silence until the door flies open. Charlotte nearly throws herself into Elliot's arms and Luke and Elliot are startled, staring at Christian with wide eyes.
"Both of you- fired! You're fucking fired!" Christian bellows at the two guards in the meeting room, chest heaving up and down from losing his breath from screaming. "What the hell are you two sitting there, for?! Get out! Get out of my damn meeting room!"
Charlotte watches as the two guards run from Christian. Then, Christian follows close behind him, hands balled into fists. She's surprised that he hasn't beaten the hell out of them.
"And don't think for moment you're safe! If something happens to my child, I'm coming after you two dumbasses first!" Christian then stomps back into the office, breathing shakily and he closes the door.
Charlotte gives Christian a weak smile. "Do you feel better now?"
"Yes- a lot," Christian says. Then, his face morphs into one of anger. "We probably could have caught Peter today hadn't it been for those two idiots. We could have avoided this entire thing."
Charlotte huffs, leaning back against the chair. "What will we do now? He knows where I am...who I am."
"You'll be staying with Nana and Pops," Christian says, drawing a chair to sit in front of her. Charlotte feels a little better that she won't be in the apartment anymore, but she knows that there's still a threat.
Charlotte nods. "What about school?" She knows what Christian will say- he won't put her in public school anymore. If Peter can break into her home, he'd be able to wriggle his way into a public school.
Christian sighs. "We're going to home school. Tomorrow, I'm going to talk to the tutor we had before and see if she's still available. Okay?"
Charlotte clenches her jaw a little and tears sting at her eyes. She doesn't want to cry- she's done it much too often today. "Okay."
Christian reaches up, touching Charlotte's cheek. He smiles weakly at her. Charlotte knows that he's petrified right now. "It is going to be okay, Charlie. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you."
"I know," Charlotte says, releasing a shaking breath. "I'm just really scared, Christian."
"I know," Christian soothes. "I'm scared, too. It's going to be okay, though." Christian stands up, carefully pulling Charlotte with him. "We're going to leave and get you settled in at Nana's. Of course, I'll be staying the night and your dimwitted uncle is staying, too."
Elliot throws an arm around Charlotte. He tries to make the mood lighter by being funny. "We can stay up all night and best Christian at Mortal Kombat.
Charlotte smiles lopsidedly at her uncle. Then, she looks up to Christian. He carefully touches her cheeks before nodding at the door.
"Let's get out of here, okay?" Christian offers a small smile before taking his phone out, dialing a number.
There's a few moments before there's an answer. Then, Christian speaks. "We're leaving the building. Watch the sidewalks and follow us as we leave. And so help me God, I'll fire every one of you idiots if I see anybody doing anything other than staring at the damn road or watching my child."
…
Charlotte keeps herself locked away in her room.
When she first started staying with Carrick and Grace, which was quite often, they prepared a room for her. Charlotte loved to have her own space here, and she loves it even more now because she can avoid everyone smothering her. The moment she stepped through the door, she was swarmed by Grace who worriedly checked her over and gushed out comforts. Charlotte was in no way amused, but went along with it because Christian would have gave her hell if she didn't.
She stayed downstairs for a while- long enough to play Elliot at a game of pool in the game room and have dinner. Then, she fled upstairs where she couldn't be crowded or coddled.
Here, she doesn't have to think about Peter or how horrid her situation is. She doesn't have to worry about being safe or watching her tongue. This is her last safe place in the world. These four walls are her protection and her shelter. Here, Peter will never be mentioned nor will he be her fear.
She just wishes all the bad things in her life were over with.
Charlotte is drawn from her thoughts by a knock on the door. She looks to see Christian entering the room, giving her a small smile.
"You've been up here a long time," Christian says softly. He closes the door behind him, joining Charlotte on the bed. "Mom and Dad were missing you and I had to deal with Elliot by myself. He wanted you to play the play station with him."
"I wanted to be by myself just for a little while," Charlotte says. "Everyone was making me nervous."
Christian's hand settles on her shoulder. "We just want you to be safe, Char. Besides, you know how overbearing Mom is…"
"I want everyone to stop treating me like I'm helpless." Charlotte sits up in bed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was being watched as if I'd burst into tears. Nana would practically hold me whenever she got around close to me."
Charlotte drags a hand through her hair, looking up at Christian. "I want everything to go back to normal. I want to go to school and I want to be able to see Thomas and see my friends. And then everything is screwed up for you! We can't stay at home and you won't be able to go to work without the entire police department following you! And everything you have with Ana…"
Christian's hands grasp her face and he tilts her head up. "Look at me, Charlotte. It's scary and I know we're in a bit of a mess right now, but we're going to be okay. We always have been." Christian's hands drop to her shoulders and he gives a small smile. "Do you remember when I first got you, and I had to take you in to do an identification on Peter?"
Charlotte nods weakly, thinking back to that day. She had been swarmed by so many horrific emotions that she begged Christian to take her home.
…
"Christian, no! I don't want to! Christian!"
Since Christian had brought her in, Charlotte has done everything to get him to take her back home. She thought that she could be brave and identify Peter for the cops, but she was wrong.
She doesn't want to face him. She just wants Christian to take her home.
Charlotte feels Christian pull her off to the side, grasping her little hand in his. "Charlotte, it's okay. It's okay. He's behind bars and can't reach you."
"He's going to know who you are! Then he's going to find you and me and he's…" Charlotte stares up at Christian worriedly, nearing full-on hysterics.
Christian gives her a sad smile. "No, he isn't. Peter will be going away for a very long time, Charlotte. He will be somewhere that he will never escape. He won't find me or you ever." He smoothes Charlotte's blonde curls, trying to offer some comfort to her.
"I need you to be brave, okay? You go in there and tell those detectives who he is so we can make him pay for what he has done to you and all of the other little girls and boys." Christian dries her tears, lifting Charlotte into his arms.
"What if he does something to us?" Charlotte asks, resting her head on Christian's shoulder as she sniffles.
Christian shakes his head. "He won't. You know why?"
Charlotte gives Christian a look. "Why?"
"Because you have me and I have you. We're going to keep each other safe," Christian says with a smile. "Got it?"
Charlotte nods eagerly, winding her little arms around Christian. "Got it."
…
Charlotte flashes a weak smile to Christian. "You have me and I have you. We keep each other safe."
"That's my girl," Christian says, hugging the teenager close. "Don't forget it, okay? As long as we have each other, we're safe."
Charlotte hugs him tightly, her head resting on his shoulder. She almost thinks that she can fall asleep like that when Christian pulls away. "It's well passed midnight and you should be sleeping."
"I was, but you moved," Charlotte grumbles, glaring teasingly at Christian.
Christian smiles, taking a pillow and he knocks Charlotte over. "I'll see you in the morning, Char. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Christian. See you in the morning," Charlotte says, tucking the pillow under her head as she crawls beneath the covers.
Christian leaves the room soon after and Charlotte lays still in the darkness, trying to fall asleep. She must toss and turn for hours until she finally falls asleep, repeating Christian's words in her mind.
You have me and I have you. We keep each other safe.