Heya everybody! Just a quick thing, a reply to a guest reviewer since I obviously have no reply address.
For the guest who asked 'How long is this story going to be because I can't wait for it. Does it have a happy ending? Why does eric uncle wanted to kill Phoebe?' This story isn't going to be too many more chapters as I have kind of gotten all the main points of the story across now, it's just a case of bringing it to an end. It does have a happy ending (in my opinion it's happy) but there is a bit more drama first. The information relating to Eric's uncle will be revealed over the next couple of chapters.
Chapter 21
Christian POV
Taylor and I get in the car and I can't help but feel like everything that happened inside was all a dream. I only know it was real because I asked Taylor to confirm it. After ten years, my wife has come home. I should feel happy but instead I feel angry, hurt, confused and surprisingly sad.
Angry because she left me to raise our children on my own. Because she didn't even say goodbye or tell me what was going on. Because she didn't trust me enough to tell me. Because she stayed away for so long. Yes I'm so fucking angry.
Hurt because she left. Because she didn't say goodbye. Because she didn't trust me enough. Because for ten years it's felt like my heart has been ripped out a squeezed until I couldn't breathe. I feel so hurt that someone could take her from me.
Confused because she left. She said she'd never leave and yet she did. I'm confused because I should feel burning rage towards her but I don't, I feel more love for her than I ever thought I could. I'm confused because it doesn't seem real that she's dead but she's alive.
Sad. I feel sad. Why? I don't know. She's home and I'm sad. Is because she didn't trust me enough? Because she didn't say goodbye? Maybe. What I do know is that I feel sad for her. She's had to spend all this time away from us, I can barely manage a day without the kids by my side so how she's managed ten years is beyond me. I'm sad that she's missed out on so much in their lives.
However, I can't deny that I am undeniably overjoyed. MY WIFE IS ALIVE! As soon as I find Phoebe I want to scream it from the rooftops!
Taylor drives us towards Richard Johnston's place with the hope of some knowledge on his son and possibly his brother. If anything happens to Phoebe I know it will kill me. Losing Ana nearly killed me and I can't go through that again. I just can't.
He pulls up in front of the house and I knock on the front door. Maria opens it and frowns at me.
"Mr Grey? What a surprise. Richard's not home yet," she says. I groan inside but realise I can talk to her.
"Ok, maybe I can have a chat with you? It's kind of important," I reply trying to stay calm. She looks unsure but lets me in, leading me to the living room. Taylor stands by the door.
"What's the matter?"
"Have you heard from Eric?" I get straight to the point.
"Eric? Why do you want to know about Eric?" she asks confused.
"I was just wondering if he had been in contact. I got a message from my security team that he and Phoebe were hanging out after school, today but I can't get hold of her. I was just wondering if you had heard from Eric." It's true. Sawyer tried ringing her cell but it went straight to voicemail. I tried as well but I couldn't get through either.
"No, I haven't seen or heard from Eric since he left for school this morning. He's normally home within the next five minutes so we can talk to him then. Is something wrong with Phoebe?" she asks putting the pieces together.
"I don't know. She and Eric went for a walk and my security lost sight of them." I take a deep breathe before I tell her I think Eric may have been kidnapped too. "The guard following Phoebe heard shouting and ran for the park but there was no-one there, except for an elderly couple who claimed to have seen a man force two teenagers into a van. Those teenagers match Phoebe and Eric's description."
"What?" she whispers, disbelieving. "Why would someone want to kidnap my Eric?"
"I think they were after Phoebe and Eric was caught in the mix."
"So you're daughter has got my son into trouble?" she stands and grabs a phone off the side cabinet.
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing I'm calling the police. Something you should have done already!" she snaps.
"My security decided to start searching for white vans around the area they were taken. It seemed more logical since they were already there and didn't have time to wait for the police."
"So I am supposed to trust your security team over the police? The same security team that let the kids out of sight and get kidnapped?"
"I know it's hard to believe but yes. You should. We have the best people working on the job and the one who fucked up is back at my home waiting to talk to me." She puts the phone down and glares at me. "What do you know about your brother-in-law?" I ask. Note to self: as soon as I'm out of here get a background check ordered.
"Robert? He's an asshole. Why?"
"What kind of vehicle does he drive?" Taylor asks.
"Whatever he fucking nicks. Last I saw he was driving a white transit van-," her eyes widen. She grabs her cell phone and tries dialling a number and groans in frustration as I assume it goes to voicemail. "Rob, its Maria. What the fuck is going on? Where is Eric? If you have anything to do with this shit I will fucking kill you!" she snaps.
"Mr Grey?" Taylor takes my attention. "Ryan and Marx have widened their search but we have a small problem. They've found a van but we have no way of knowing if this is the van Miss Grey is in. There are also at least three others at the gas station they've found it." For fucks sake!
"Tell them to keep an eye on them. Mrs Johnston, do you know the registration for Roberts van?" she shakes her head. "Do you have his cell phone number?" I know this is true and she writes it down for me, not bothering to question why I want it. "Taylor?" I hand him the piece of paper and he knows what to do. The front door opens and Richard Johnston walks in. I remember what Ana said about him hiding his psychotic brother away from the police and suddenly I have no respect for him. However, I try to stay calm as my daughter is missing! He looks at me and starts back.
"Grey? To what do we owe this honour?" he asks.
"He came round to ask if we had seen Eric as he and Phoebe have disappeared off the face of the earth," Maria explains.
"Don't overreact Maria, I'm sure Eric and Phoebe are fine. Probably just playing tricks to make out behind a bush or something."
"No, Richard. Someone saw a man shove both our son and Mr Grey's daughter into a van and drive off with them."
"What?" he asks, not believing.
"You heard. After hearing some shouting Mr Grey's security team went to investigate and couldn't find the kids anywhere."
"Shit. Have you called the police?"
"My security team is on it," I say not wanting to be out of the loop.
"Your security team? The same fucking team that let them go missing in the first place?" he shouts at me.
"Don't shout, Richard. That will not help this situation," Maria snaps. Richard takes a deep breath to calm himself before she asks her next question. "Have you heard from Rob recently?"
"Rob? What the fuck has Rob got to do with this?"
"Rob drives a white transit van. The kids were shoved into a white van. His past crimes could be a hint. So I will ask you again. Have you heard from Rob recently?"
"Only when he came round over the weekend. Do you think he'd kidnap Phoebe and Eric? In case you've forgotten, Eric is his uncle who loves him very much."
"Your brother is psychotic!" she hisses. Richard glances nervously at me and turns back to ask her to talk in the kitchen.
"Don't bother, Richard, I know all about yours and Rob's past. If I find out he did have anything to do with my daughter's disappearance I will not hesitate to destroy you, especially if I find out you have helped him or is hiding him like you did years ago." I snap and leave their house. Taylor has been in contact with Welch about tracing that cell phone and has already sent a security team to it's location.
I just can't decide if I want to be right or wrong about this prick.
… … …
Ana POV
"Mom?" Nick asks. I close my eyes.
I haven't been called that in so long!
When I reopen my eyes I see the boys standing there frozen to their spot. Sawyer suddenly wraps his arms around me crushing me to his chest. How many more of these hugs will I go through today? It's only been my husband and security so far. I think I might actually die if the whole family does this.
"But you died," Sawyer says releasing me.
"I know. But it's a long complicated story and right now I would like to hug my sons," I say quietly so the boys don't hear me. Sawyer nods and steps aside so I can face the boys properly. Nick takes a step towards me reaching his hand out, unsure if I'm really here or not.
"Is that really you?" he whispers when he's standing right in front of me his hand held mid-air by my arm.
"Yes sweetheart. It's really me," I say, wanting so desperately to wrap my arms around him but unsure of how he will react to that. He gently touches my arm and as soon as he realises I'm real he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me tightly. I wrap my arms around his shoulders and pull him close, stroking his hair and shushing him gently as he cries into my chest. I look up at James who is still standing with his mouth hanging open. My, he has grown since I last saw him. My baby boy isn't a baby anymore.
Nick unwraps his arms and turns with my arm still around his shoulder.
"James, come here mate. Its fine," he says to his brother holding out his hand.
"But, you're dead," James says not moving. "How are you here?" he's shaking his head in disbelief.
"It's a long story. One I will tell everyone when the time is right but for now I want to give you a hug. Can I?" I ask holding out my other arm. He suddenly bolts towards me, wrapping his arms around me just like Nick did and I return the favour, releasing Nick in the process.
"I can't believe you're here." He leans back. "You're so pretty." I smile and take Nick back into my arms and we embrace each other. I see Gail and Luke smiling as they watch us. Thank god they're not mad at me. Though I haven't told them my story yet, so they may change their minds about me. But for now I will just enjoy holding them in my arms.
It feels so good after ten years.
When we finally pull away we end up walking into the living room and sitting on the couch together. I take a moment to really look at them.
Nick has gorgeous brown hair and beautiful grey eyes, a clear sign that he is Christian's son. He is pale but then he was pale ever since he was a little boy. Poor soul got my crap complexion. James' hair is darker than I remember, still coppery but darker. He has my pale blue eyes, just like I remember and I can't help but smile. He was lucky and got Christian's natural tan looking complexion. He will definitely be a heartbreaker when he's older, just like his father.
"Wow, you two look so grown up," I comment and they smile.
"You look the same, kind of. Your hairs lighter than I remember," Nick says. James looks down and I swear I see tears in his eyes.
"James? What's wrong sweetie?" He sniffs.
"It's just- Ten years have gone by and I don't even remember you. All I've ever had was the pictures dad keeps up around the house and what the others remember but I don't have any memories of my own. And yet you're sitting here in front of me and I really wish I had my own memories to think about." I wrap my arms around him and hold him close, kissing the top of his head.
"I'm sorry, baby boy. I'm so sorry," I whisper.
"We've missed you. Especially Phoebe. Have you seen her yet?" Nick asks.
"No, not yet. But I hope to soon," I say, deciding not to tell them their sister is missing until Christian gets back. He knows them better than I do so he should have a better idea of how they will take it. Technically, I only met them twenty minutes ago. "Boys, I want you to know- no. I need you to know that even though I haven't been here for ten years I have never stopped loving you and I thought about you every single day. I wouldn't have stayed away so long if I didn't think it was for the best."
"For the best?" Nick asks. Oh no, I can see Christians anger bubbling up inside him. "On what planet is staying away from your family for ten years the best thing to do? Do you have any idea what we've been through? What dad's been through? What about Phoebe? She witnessed everything and she was on her own to get over and recover from it but you still stayed away. Aunt Kate is in therapy now because she couldn't deal with the pain of losing you. Grandpa Ray had a heart attack a few years ago because of his grief. Was all of that for the best?" He snaps. Yes, definitely Christian's son and I can't bring myself to tell him off for his behaviour. He doesn't know me, I don't know him, we are practically strangers and I think my telling him off will make him angrier. Besides he has a point.
I did leave it to Christian to help our daughter through her ordeal. I never considered how anyone would react when they discovered that I was really alive, I just upped and left as soon as I was strong enough because Caroline convinced me that was for the best. Kate in therapy? I can't quite believe it but I guess it would make sense. We were always like sisters. Oh shit she will hate me for this! Maybe I shouldn't have come back. Ray had a heart attack? Oh my God is he ok? Lost in my thoughts I barely hear Gail speaking to my son.
"Nicholas Grey, you do not speak to your mother like that. Apologise right now!"
"No, Gail its fine," I say. "I guess I've screwed up yeah?" I ask him. He takes a deep breath and wraps his arms around me.
"Yeah, you did. But from what I remember you always did things for a reason. I'm sorry, though. I shouldn't have snapped," he replies. I smile and kiss his head.
"So, why don't you two tell me about yourselves? And not about who your family is because I know all that," I say to move the conversation along. They laugh.
"What do you want to know?" James asks.
"What are your likes? Dislikes? Favourite food, favourite sport, favourite thing to watch on TV. Your friends, your school. I want to know as much as I can about the pair of you."
And with a smile, they each tell me as much as they can think of about themselves. I know it will take time to get to know them again properly but some basic information can help me build a picture.
They are complete opposites but somehow so similar. I don't know how that works. Nick loves videogames and James likes playing with him but they always seem to end up arguing. James like to play some sports but Nick seems to be a couch potato. From what they're saying though, they both seem to love food and have a really big appetite so I know Christian never has trouble getting them to finish their meals, unlike Phoebe, who I remember used to pick at her food almost afraid to touch it.
They can both tell jokes and make me laugh so hard, I struggle to breathe. I haven't laughed this much in a long time and it feels so good.
Gail comes in with some drinks and some snacks before leaving us again. I make a vow to catch up properly with her later on and get as much information as I can about my children and husband from someone who knows them well. Also to see how she is getting on around this place and how things with Taylor are going. I'm assuming they're still together, but you never know what can happen in the time limit I've been gone. After an hour, Gail comes back and tells them it's time to do their homework so we all move to the kitchen. I suddenly feel awkward as I sit at the breakfast bar while they take their school books out. Gail is cooking something over the stove offering help whenever the boys ask a question. They do ask me for help occasionally but since they know Gail better it only makes sense to ask her. I do give my input every now and then though.
After a few minutes I decide to explore the house a little, as they are busy and Christian isn't home yet. Standing I head towards the door, saying I'll be back in a bit and wander down the hallway to Christian's study. I open the door and it is exactly as I remember it. His dark oak desk in the same place, his big black leather chair standing proudly behind it. Couch to the left and two big armchairs in front of his desk. I smile. He's not a fan of change so it's nice to see he kept something the same.
Next I decide to head downstairs, to the basement cinema, gym and the kids playroom. The home cinema hasn't changed much and there's more gym equipment which I assume was bought so the kids could join in with workouts. The playroom however is a mess. Scraps of food all over the couch and game controllers scattered carelessly on the floor. Game boxes and disks scattered around the TV and the Xbox. I shake my head. Teenagers.
Heading back upstairs I see the door to the library and next to it my old office. Do I really want to go in there? The library I could probably manage but my office? I have no idea if he left everything as it was or if he tidied it up or even got rid of it altogether and turned it into some other room for the family to use. Only one way to find out. I open the door.
My white desk is still in its spot opposite the door with my comfy chair sitting behind it. The cream couch is still there and my bookshelf looks untouched. Whereas everything in Christians office stands proud and dominates its space, everything in my old office looks sad and in need of some love. How can inanimate objects look like this?
All the paperwork has been straightened up and neatly placed on my desk and as I go through it I realise a lot of it is missing as it was work relating to Grey Publishing. Thank god they thought to sort that out for me. I leave the room, deciding to come back later and go through it properly. That's if Christian will let me stay. Shit! I never thought of the possibility of him kicking me out, saying they don't need me anymore. I ignore that thought wanting to live in my fairy-tale a while longer.
I head upstairs and decide to look at the bedrooms, intrigued as to how they look now. There is no way my kids have those baby decorated rooms anymore and I want to get some idea of what they are like, now. Each of the kid's doors have a plaque on them saying whose room is whose.
I open Teddy's door and I'm surprised at the amount of stuff here considering he's on the other side of the country for college. Oh yes, I did my research on my family before coming back. Couldn't keep away. His walls are blue, not too light but not too dark and he has a wooden floor. There are posters of all sorts of sports people on the wall but what catches my eye is the photo frame hanging on the wall above his bed. There are photos of me, Christian and the kids all smiling and happy at whatever we were doing in those photos. I see one of me and Teddy at the park when he was about eight kicking the ball to each other. I'll never forget that day and how Christian was freaking out about forgetting Phoebe's reins and making sure they all drank enough water. Everything in this room is immaculate and in its place. I smile.
Nicks bedroom seems to be a green and black theme and while I may think it sounds like a weird combination, it looks good. Three dark green walls and one white wall with black furniture and a light grey carpet. Luckily he has quite big windows to let in a decent amount of light otherwise I think the room would look too dark. It looks good, except for the mess. Clothes sprawled all over the floor, every surface covered with junk and I'll actually be surprised if he can get into his bed later on tonight. There's posters on his wall of some sort of rock band. There a photo frame on his bedside table with a young pretty brunette, both looked dressed for a school dance or something like that. Out of curiosity I look in his closet. There are so many clothes I actually wonder if he is able to keep his room clean with the amount in here and on his bedroom floor. I shake my head and leave the room.
James has a much lighter room. Its light orange and it makes the room look so bright. His furniture is dark wood and unlike his brothers he has a single bed rather than a double. I wonder why that is? His room is also much tidier than Nicks and only has a few clothes thrown on the floor but that's because his washing basket is overflowing. I smile for some unknown reason. There's not much in here that could give me any indication as to what he's into other than the three DVD racks filled with movies. There's a photo of him and Phoebe on his nightstand and I smile. They have their arms wrapped around each other and they're both smiling widely at the camera. I can't tell what the reason is but I decide to leave it be.
Finally I make my way into Phoebe's room, which is right down the end of the hall away from the boy's room, opposite mine and Christian's room. I frown and wonder why that is. Christian wouldn't have moved our daughter out of the room opposite Ted's for no reason. I open the door.
The walls are dark pink and one wall is covered in silver wallpaper with pink roses on it. There is a small flat screen on the wall opposite her white bed which I was surprised at considering Christian said he wouldn't allow the children to have televisions in their room. But thinking back, there was one in Teddy's room, but not Nick and James'. Her furniture is white and on top of her chest of drawers is her jewellery and some sketches.
Wow! These are really good and I see a couple of the ones I drew years ago of my husband and children. She's tried recreating those using different techniques and I must say I'm very impressed. I open the double door walk-in closet and almost laugh at the sight. Her closet is half-empty, an obvious fact that she doesn't own as much clothes as her brother but she does have a lot of shoes in the bottom. There's an old shoebox on one of the shelves and I take it down and open it. There are some old photos in here so I walk out to sit on her bed to go through them. However the picture on top of her bedside table distracts me. It's a picture of me. Just me on my own smiling at the camera, eyes glowing at something happening in front of me. My hair is long and glowing in the sunlight in our meadow but I don't remember it being taken. I smile and turn back to the box.
Inside are lots of pictures of me and Christian and times from when the kids were younger and we were all one big happy family. There's one of me and Christian on our honeymoon, one of us on our first holiday with Ted and Phoebe abroad.
One of my favourites is one where Christian and I took Ted and Phoebe to Disneyland and Phoebe wanted to be Queen Elsa from Frozen so Christian bought her a dress and I plaited her long hair. Teddy wanted to be the mad hatter from Alice in Wonderland so Christian saw that he was properly dressed, great big bow tie and all. It was getting late that day and Ted had seen the Alice in Wonderland characters but we hadn't yet seen Elsa and Anna and Phoebe was getting upset as she thought she wouldn't get to see them after she was all dressed up. By the time we got to where they should be, they had already gone to get prepared for the parade. We were going to watch the parade at the end of the day so she would see them then, but she wanted to meet them and show off her new dress that daddy bought her. She was crying on my shoulder and Christian disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a smile on his face. I asked what he was up to but he just smiled and tapped his nose.
Soon the parade started and everyone cheered and luckily Phoebe had perked up a little. When the Frozen characters walked along Olaf the snowman came right over to where we were standing and looked at Christian, who nodded his head. Olaf turned to Phoebe and asked if she wanted to meet Queen Elsa and Princess Anna. Phoebe squealed with delight as she, Christian, Ted and I walked with Olaf to the Frozen float where Elsa made a big fuss of how beautiful she looked in front of the whole crowd. Christian snapped a photo of me and Phoebe with Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, my little princess smiling the biggest smile I have ever seen.
Tears start to fall down my cheeks. I have missed so much.
"She misses you, you know," Nick says from the doorway. I look up and wipe my tears away. "I mean, we all miss you, but Phoebe the most I think. Next to dad, anyway. It's been really hard on her."
"It's been hard on all of you, Nick. Don't try to be brave for me. I know you must be feeling a range of emotions right now."
"True. But mostly I'm confused. Angry, happy but confused. Why did you stay away so long?"
"I thought it was for the best. I thought I was keeping you safe."
"Safe? From what?"
"From whatever or whoever was after me. I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me, Nick." He comes and sits next to me.
"Dad said he would never let anything happen to anyone ever again. He could have kept you safe too," he explains and I brush his hair back, out of his eyes.
"I know. And I should have given him the chance too. But I was scared. I woke up in hospital all alone and was told everyone thought I was dead and that I couldn't tell them because it would cause too much pain. I wish I demanded more to see your father and come home then. These last ten years nearly killed me."
"I think it nearly killed us too," he wraps his arms around me and rests his head against my chest and I feel him shaking with sobs.
"Hey," I coo softly, wrapping my arms around him tightly. "It's ok, I'm here now. I know it will take some time, but I'm here and we will get through all of this together." I kiss the top of his head and rock him gently.
"I love you mom," he whispers and I can't help it. My tears fall.
"I love you too, Nick."
… … …
Christian POV
I arrive home just after six to find James sitting at the breakfast bar finishing his homework, though I can tell he's distracted by something.
"Hey, James. You alright buddy?" I ask concerned. He just nods. "What's wrong?" He sighs.
"It's- I have a mom," he states, not quite believing it. Shit! Yes, I need to talk to him and Nick and then contact Ted.
"Yes, you do. I think me, you and Nick need to sit and have a long talk about this."
"What about Phoebe?" he asks. I know I can't keep the news of her disappearance a secret for long but right now he and Nick don't need this on their plates.
"I'll talk to Phoebe separately. I think she'll need to be eased into this one gently, don't you?" he nods. "So where's Nick?" I gesture to his open homework book.
"He went upstairs to look for mom. She went to have a look around." Of course she did. I should have known she'd want to see the house. I should have stayed and showed her around properly and let security do their jobs of finding my daughter. However, I just can't give up the control, especially when it comes to Phoebe.
"So, have you spoken to her?" He nods. "What was she like?" I know he doesn't have any memories of her so I want to see what he thought of her now he's met her.
"She's… I don't know. She seems cool. We sat and talked for what seemed like hours, me and Nick telling her about ourselves and what not. She's pretty, no she's beautiful! I have a faint memory of her being beautiful. She has a great laugh. It's like music, dad. It feels right her being here but it's also weird. She's kind of a stranger."
"I know, son. But we will all work together and get through this. It will be a long recovery but I'm confident we'll get through it. "
"I suppose."
"Tell you what. Me, you and Nick will sit down together and talk about this and everything else that's bothering you, ok? But just remember, mom's home and she's not going anywhere again. I'll lock her up with Phoebe if I have to." James laughs a little. "I'm going to get Nick. Why don't you leave your homework for tonight and go and watch TV or something? And don't worry about school, tomorrow. You're not going in and neither is Nick." James just nods and goes into the TV room. I head upstairs and hear voices coming from Phoebe's room. I stand next to the door and listen, out of sight.
"Dad said he would never let anything happen to anyone ever again. He could have kept you safe too," I hear Nick say.
"I know. And I should have given him the chance too. But I was scared. I woke up in hospital all alone and was told everyone thought I was dead and that I couldn't tell them because it would cause too much pain. I wish I demanded more to see your father and come home then. These last ten years nearly killed me."
"I think it nearly killed us too," Nick whispers and then I hear his quiet sobs.
"Hey," Ana coos softly. "It's ok, I'm here now. I know it will take some time, but I'm here and we will get through all of this together."
"I love you mom."
"I love you too, Nick."
Tears pool in my eyes, hearing this exchange. I clear my throat and enter the room.
"Nick, can you go downstairs, please. James is watching TV. Don't worry about homework as you're not going to school tomorrow," I say. Nick nods and leaves his mother's embrace. Ana suddenly looks frightened. I want to be angry at her but I can't. I just can't be angry in this moment. Maybe the anger will come later. I walk into the room and hold my hand out to her. "Come."
Nervously she puts her hand in mine, still obviously trusting me, and follows me out of our daughters room and into our own room. I haven't changed it one bit and she smiles gently as she gazes around the room. I sit on the bed and pull her down next to me.
"I think we need to talk," I say. She swallows nervously and nods.
… … …
Ok I know this doesn't explain what happened to Phoebe but I figured this one was long enough and I can go back to Phoebe in the next chapter.
This one may seem boring but my point was meant to be Ana's reunion with her youngest sons and her seeing how much has changed in the time she has been gone. I did want to have this finished over the next few chapters but if I decide to change my original plan it may take a few more chapters to finish as I will need to talk about their recovery.
Please review but please no hating.