Chapter 26 – Saving Grace
By some miracle, Grace breaks out of her trance. The mother of the bride turns and faces her daughter confidently, giving her a most loving, trouble-free, smile worthy of an academy award.
"Mia dear, everything is fine. Why don't you stay here with your maid of honor and finish getting ready. I'll take the rest of the bridal party out in the hall with the other three for some last minute wedding march prep," Grace says. Mia relaxes.
"Sure, mom," the bride-to-be smiles warmly.
Grace instructs the bridesmaids to follow her out into the hall, heading in the direction that Ana, Kate and Martha went in a short time ago. When Grace and the girls come around the corridor, they find Kate and Martha consoling Ana on a bench. The three girls turn their heads to see Grace and the other bridesmaids. The expression on the mother of the bride's face is more than stern.
"I don't know what just happened back there in the bridal parlor, but let us get one thing straight right here, right now. You will not ruin this day for Mia. Do I make myself clear?" Grace toughly addresses Ana, Kate and Martha in particular. The three ladies gape at Grace with fear in their eyes. They all nod slowly in compliance.
"We are going to pretend just for today that nothing happened back there in that room. You will all march out there, put big smiles on your faces, and you will not give Mia any cause for alarm. Do you understand?" Grace lays down the law in a no-nonsense manner, looking each bridesmaid in the eye.
A chorus of murmured Yes's and Yes Ma'am's fill the hall.
"Good. Go ahead and line up in the waiting area. The wedding will be starting soon," Grace says without a trace of a smile on her lovely face. One by one, the ladies disperse. Grace catches a blushed-faced, red-eyed Ana before she leaves with the others.
"The moment Mia and Ethan drive away to their honeymoon, I will get to the bottom of this. Rest assured," Grace gives in a hard-nose warning. Ana shamefully looks downward.
….
Saturday afternoon, Christian's lead attorney walks into the quiet district attorney's office. Standing in the lobby to greet him are a female prosecutor and Detective Clark.
"Thanks for fitting me in on a Saturday. I apologize for cutting into your weekend," the attorney greets them both. He stands tall, lean and confident with salt and pepper hair wearing a light gray suit, sans tie. He gives the detective and prosecutor each a firm handshake.
"It's no problem at all. If anything, I hope you're here to make our weekends even better. Let's all go to the meeting room," the woman beams at him. The three eventually settle in a spacious conference room. Christian's lawyer places a very thick Manila envelope on the glossy wood table.
"Here's everything that our team pulled together concerning proof of drug trafficking and the overprescribing of medication. In here are details on the three witnesses we spoke about earlier who are willing to testify against Dr. Fuller. One of them is a recovering addict who formerly abused Adderall and will openly admit to paying Dr. Fuller a significant amount in cash for a surplus of the controlled substance," Christian's lawyer presents. The prosecutor appears pleased.
"Excellent. We also have additional witnesses on tap. Right now, we're in negotiations with two other potentials that are currently in custody on drug abuse charges. They are willing to testify against Dr. Fuller for lighter sentences. I'd say with what you've gathered along with what we have, the case against the drug dealing doctor is sure to be a slam dunk," the prosecutor grins wide. Christian's lawyer tightens his mouth in a reserved smile.
"Are we going to pursue a rape charge in this case? We heard about your client's toxicology screening results from New York. He was heavily drugged and a child was allegedly produced as a result of that night," Detective Clark says in a no-nonsense tone of voice.
"No, my client will not be pressing charges. We feel that the drug trafficking charges will be enough to put Dr. Fuller away for a very long time," the lead attorney says plainly. The prosecutor gapes at him.
"But why won't Mr. Grey consider pressing rape charges?" the prosecutor says with concern.
"As both you and the detective know, the rape kit results in New York came back with no additional DNA evidence present. It will be very difficult for you to make those charges stick," the attorney says.
"However, we'll have the toxicology results and we have a baby with Mr. Grey's DNA. Any jury will be able to put two and two together," the prosecutor argues.
"I've discussed it with my client and he doesn't want to chance it. He also doesn't want to take the stand. He's a very private man," the attorney reveals.
"I think he's making a huge mistake. I know it's odd for a man to come forward in a sexual assault brought on by a woman. However, I think he'll be doing not only a good service for himself, but for the community at large. He'll be bringing awareness to something that not too many people know about," the woman counters.
"He doesn't want to be a poster boy for any cause, he just wants Dr. Fuller behind bars so he and his family are safe from her devices," the attorney says. The prosecutor shrugs in disagreement, but lets the topic go.
"No worries, I don't see Dr. Fuller skating past these drug charges at all. This woman has made a hell of a lot of money by causing harm to her patients. The medical board's going to have a field day with her," Detective Clark says almost lightheartedly.
"I'll be meeting with the board first thing Monday. I'm sure we can get an arrest warrant issued for her sometime in the afternoon," the prosecutor assures.
"Excellent," Christian's lead attorney says gladly.
"We'll have some of our guys on surveillance along with your client's team to make sure that she doesn't flee," Clark says.
"I got a call a short time ago stating that she crashed Mr. Grey's sister's wedding earlier today. She has since returned home," the lawyer informs.
"Yeah, Dr. Fuller can be very slippery. We won't be letting her out of our sight until that warrant is issued," Clark assures.
….
The "I do's" have been spoken, dinner has been served and the wedding cake has been cut. As the bride and groom bask in their glory, Grace corners her youngest son right before he returns to his seat.
"We need to talk," Grace says authoritatively.
"I know," Christian murmurs.
"Answer me this one question: Was that woman telling the truth? Is that baby yours?" she asks with a look of concern in her eyes. Shamefully, Christian nods. Grace's eyes bulge as if she has seen a ghost.
"Mother, I didn't willingly cheat on Ana. That girl drugged me," he gapes at her, speaking discreetly.
"My God," Grace says as the air leaves her body.
"Mom, please. Worry about Mia right now. I promise, we'll talk," he vows.
"Christian, honestly…that's tough for me to swallow right now," she says, fighting back tears.
A short time afterwards, Grace reclaims her seat next to Carrick.
"Sweetheart, is everything okay?" Carrick looks at her with concern.
"Fine. Just a little emotional today," Grace feigns a smile.
"You were a wreck at both Christian's and Elliot's weddings. Mia was our final baby," her husband beams at her before drawing her in for a quick embrace and a kiss on the forehead.
"Mia will always be my baby," Grace murmurs melancholically.
"Yes, she is the most spoiled out of the three," Carrick beams fondly.
More dancing and catching up with family and friends takes place at the elegantly decorated banquet hall, but Grace's mind is elsewhere. Suddenly, she feels her cell phone vibrate in her clutch. She takes it out and sees that an unrecognizable number called and left a voice message. Grace casually places the phone to her ear and plugs in the other ear with her free hand in order to better hear in the noisy banquet hall.
"Hello, Dr. Trevelyan. My name is Dr. Candice Fuller. I was the one who told you about your new grandson. I was wondering if we could perhaps meet up for coffee tomorrow so you can meet Christian Junior. Please contact me at this number if you would like to meet."
Grace's heart stutters. 'She's a doctor?!' This is a little too strange for her and she is looking forward to Mia and Ethan leaving for their honeymoon so she can get to the bottom of things with Christian.
The bouquet is tossed, the bride, groom and attendees dance some more, and the newlyweds eventually take off in a flurry of rice and well wishes.
Christian and Ana hardly speak a word to one another following the incident in the bridal parlor. They are both dreading Christian's talk with Grace. Ana and the children head home with Sawyer and Draper while Christian stays behind and talks privately with his mother outside in the garden.
"So, this was a former girlfriend from years ago?" Grace squints at her son.
"Yes," Christian says simply.
"I never knew you had a girlfriend before Ana. So why haven't I met her?" she says with hurt in her eyes.
"It was a six month relationship and it wasn't that serious," he says, hiding the true nature of the situation.
"Six months was much longer than you were with Ana," she argues.
"I know, but I fell in love with Ana the moment I met her. It wasn't like that with…Candice," he explains, pained to even mention the later woman's name.
"You broke up with her?" she inquires.
"Yes. It wasn't working out. She wanted more than I did at the time. I was younger," he explains.
"So how did she get pregnant?" Grace finally cuts to the chase. Christian inhales and exhales deeply.
"I was at our place in New York. She broke in and drugged my wine and food. I had to go to the emergency room the next day," he reveals. A look of dread overtakes Grace.
"My God," she sighs as all the breath leaves her body.
"She also injected me with ED medication. I don't remember exactly what happened…I just remembered telling her that she looked weird. She was pretending to be Ana. She got plastic surgery and everything. She changed her name and made inroads with José in order to enter the apartment," he reveals. Grace is stunned into silence.
"Christian…are you okay?" she finally asks.
"Not really. I just wished that she'd put the boy up for adoption and she would leave Ana and me alone. Ana's having a really hard time," he sighs.
"I understand that, but I'm asking about you. She assaulted you, Christian. She deserves to be in prison," Grace whispers with a look of fright in her eyes.
"Yeah, she drugged me," Christian nods.
"And she raped you, Christian," Grace says plainly. Christian frowns at her.
"Mother – I don't remember anything that happened that night. I assumed that I thought she was Ana and we had sex," he says with some reluctance.
"But Christian, the ED medication…why did she feel the need to give you that if you had sex willingly? There was definitely some resistance involved. And whether or not you thought she was Ana, that woman drugged you. She had sex with you against your will. That's rape, my son," Grace breaks it down.
Christian throws his head into his hands, seemingly frustrated with his mother. Grace carefully places an arm around him as they sit.
"Sweetheart, this isn't the first time that a woman has ever taken advantage of you. It took you a long time to realize that what Elena did to you was wrong. Don't let years pass by before you realize that what this girl did to you is considered rape. Don't let her rob you of your future because you are too busy fighting demons that you can't see," Grace pleads to her son with tears pricking her eyes. Christian huffs a sigh.
"Mother…" Christian starts. Grace patiently waits for him to collect his thoughts.
"I can't explain it to you, but I truly don't feel like – it was that. I just don't feel it…honestly I don't," he says, flustered.
"Christian, there is a child. Was a DNA test done?" she asks.
"Yes – while she was still pregnant," he answers.
"Well okay then. Something happened. And until you are able to see things for what they are, this woman will never be brought to justice and this will definitely take a toll on you and on your marriage. You need to get this resolved. You need to talk to John about this," she urges strongly.
"John pretty much said what you said and I told him that I didn't agree with him. We went back and forth until I told him to drop it, which he finally did," Christian says with tension evident in his wrinkled forehead.
"You need to consider what I said and what John told you. Please don't rule it out," she urges with anxious eyes.
"I have considered it, Mom and it just doesn't register with me," he says, unable to articulate in words what's in his gut feeling.
"Well, you know I've been in the medical field for years and I've seen it all. I've seen a case where a young man was drunk and his girlfriend took advantage of him against his will. We did a rape kit on him and I believe he eventually ended up pressing charges against her," Grace reveals.
"I hear you, Mom – I do. And it makes sense…it absolutely does. But I…it just doesn't register for me. I would have remembered resisting," he murmurs discreetly with a frazzled look on his already stressed face.
"Not necessarily. You were drugged. Look, just consider it is all I'm asking. And work it out with John. Don't write off what he says. You need to nip this thing in the bud. And this psycho needs to be behind bars. Oh, speaking of – I would like to have a little talk with this woman as well," she says. Christian gapes at her.
"Absolutely not!" he frowns at his mother.
"No – I think it'll be good. Let me get in her head…find out some things about her. Maybe I can even encourage her to give that child up for adoption. I'm under the impression that no one has ever told this woman 'no'," Grace frowns.
"Yeah, you are probably right about that," Christian sighs.
"Let me talk with her tomorrow. If you need Taylor or whoever to standby while we meet, I'd be okay with that," she openly concedes. After a few moments, Christian hesitantly agrees.
….
Sunday afternoon, Christian waits anxiously for his mother to stop by the big house after having coffee with Candice and CJ. After brunch and spending some time with Ted and Phoebe, he decides to kill time in his study. Eventually, Taylor knocks on his door to inform him that his mother has arrived on the property. Christian leaves his study and meets his mother in the great room.
The expression on Grace's face is unreadable after he hugs and kisses her on the cheek.
"Where's Ana," Grace asks right away.
"She's probably with the kids somewhere around here," he answers.
"Go fetch her for me. I want to talk to her," his mother says plainly. Christian frowns at her.
"I need to talk to Ana first, then you and I will have a discussion afterwards," she assures him.
To avoid a wild scavenger hunt around the massive estate, Christian decides to call his wife on her cell phone. When she picks up, he informs her that Grace would like to speak to her. Eventually, Ana and the two children meet up with their father and grandmother in the big room. Grace hugs and kisses the kids before Christian takes them away and leaves her and Ana alone.
Ana is extremely nervous. This is truly the first time that her and Grace have had a one on one since the incident at the wedding. The two take a seat on the sofa.
"So, I'm sure that Christian has told you about my coffee meeting with Candice and the baby," Grace starts. Ana quickly glances downward and nods before fixing her gaze back on her mother-in-law.
"That baby is absolutely adorable, but it looks nothing like Christian, Phoebe or Ted," Grace says with skepticism in her eyes.
"He looks like her," Ana interjects with a murmur.
"He certainly does. But your children – Phoebe and Ted both look like you and Christian. I see no trace of him in this baby whatsoever," Grace frowns.
"But the DNA test results…" Ana starts.
"Yes, those results were accurate. The test was performed at Northwest and I had a colleague confirm them for me," Grace reveals. However, Grace still doesn't appear convinced.
"Anyway, if this child is Christian's – my goodness – this is one fine mess we're all in. Out of all of my children, I would have never guessed that he'd be the one to endure something like this. I never even knew that he had a girlfriend before you," Grace says with a tinge of hurt in her eyes. Ana closes her eyes, quickly reflecting on all of the details that his mother still doesn't know about. 'Candice was just one of many.'
"As far as Candice is concerned, she has a very distorted view of reality. I picked up that she thinks that this child is enough reason for Christian to leave you for her. She didn't come out and say it, but she may as well had!" Grace huffs with a bitter look. Ana's stomach is in knots.
"I pretty much explained to her that Christian is happily married to you and doesn't have any plans to change that. I told her that I would be there to support her if she had any questions about the adoption process since I consider myself an adoption expert. She shut me down right away," Grace sighs. Ana tightens her lips in a line and shrugs her shoulders letting her mother-in-law know that this news does not surprise her.
"So, have you talked to Carrick about any of this?" Ana asks nervously.
"No, not yet. I wanted to make sure I knew what I was dealing with before getting him involved. Now that I know, I want him to encourage Christian to pursue a rape charge," Grace says with a straight face. Ana's eyes grow large and wide.
"He…he doesn't believe that he was raped," Ana stutters as her scalp prickles.
"I know that he doesn't. We both need to be patient with him while he works this out within. But in the meantime, we can't just stand here and let this insane woman run wild and free, putting this baby at risk with her careless behavior and her delusion's of grandeur!" Grace angrily spouts.
"Christian says they are close to getting a warrant for her arrest for malpractice and drug charges. She's apparently looking at many years behind bars," Ana reveals. Grace perks up.
"Oh really?" Grace says with hope in her eyes. Ana nods.
"I still want you to encourage him to consider the rape charge if you can. He shouldn't throw it out of hand without thinking long and hard about it," Grace murmurs with sincere concern.
"Okay," Ana says in an emotional whisper. Grace takes her daughter-in-law by both hands.
"And if he makes the realization, he is going to need you by his side more than ever, Ana. You can't let him go through this alone," Grace says with tears welled up in her eyes. Ana's eyes echo hers.
"I won't," she breathes. And at that moment, Ana thinks back to when she first found out that Candice was pregnant. Ana now feels ashamed in the way she reacted. She only thought of herself instead of considering how the situation may have severely impacted her husband. Ana wasn't seeing the big picture and she didn't fathom that her husband may have been sexually assaulted. 'I was blinded by my own selfish grief when all the while, he could have been suffering by repressing what truly happened to him,' she reflects. And at that moment, Ana weeps for her husband, feeling a deep hurt inside for him. Grace pulls Ana in a tight embrace.
….
Christian and his mother are in the middle of a heated discussion while standing in his study.
"Christian, please! I know this is hard to swallow. You didn't willingly have sex with this woman," Grace argues with passionate concern.
"Mom, I can't do it! I can't testify in court! I don't even know what happened in that room in New York!" he counters.
"Did you at least do a rape kit?" she asks squinting her teary eyes.
"Yes. There was no DNA evidence collected," Christian reveals.
"Did you bathe before going to the hospital?" she inquires. He shakes his head. Grace is stumped.
"Mom, we're very close to getting an arrest. She's made millions of dollars by drug trafficking. A warrant should be issued soon. After that, we'll have a better chance in putting the baby up for adoption and Candice will be out of our lives for good," Christian says with a stern confidence.
"That's all well and good, but I am truly worried about you, Christian. I want to know that no matter what happens, you will be okay. You were restored and whole until this Candice came into the picture," she murmurs shakily. Christian pulls his mother in to his side and kisses her cheek.
"Mom, honestly – I'm fine. I don't feel…anything. It's really hard to explain. You just have to trust me," he says with a perplexed expression on his face. Grace puckers her lips inward and bites down. Her expression is one of motherly concern. However, she relents.
"The moment you feel otherwise, please…talk to Ana; talk to John; talk to me," she says in a sincere plea. He gives her a loving smile and nods his promise. "I will," he reinforces with his words.
After his mother leaves, Christian takes a lone walk out in the meadow. The misty Seattle rain begins to coat his clothes, but the moisture doesn't seep in. He reflects back on the past twelve or so months, and he is deeply troubled. He suddenly approaches the oak tree that he carved into last year. As if reading braille, he runs his fingers across the carved letters and thinks back to the moment that he did this.
Christian represses a grin, but his heart feels as though it is smiling in his place.
….
Candice is at her house late Monday afternoon wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. She is exhausted since CJ had trouble sleeping the night before, which is rare. She cradles the infant in her arms as she is feeding him a bottle. Suddenly, there is a rap on the door. 'Is it him? Has he finally come to his senses? Is it his mother?' So much hope floods her thoughts.
As Candice approaches the door, she glances out the picture window and sees a police squad car parked in front of the staple surveillance van. Her heart leaps out of her chest. 'What are the cops doing here?' They knock again, not saying a word. 'Okay, usually they say 'Police, open up'…right?' She doesn't know if she should chance it. It's silent for a few moments. They knock once again. 'Perhaps if they see me holding this baby, there will be no harm done,' she convinces herself. Finally, she answers the door.
Standing before her are two police officers in uniform, one male and one female. Standing fifty feet behind them is a gentleman in slacks and a sports jacket. It's Detective Clark.
"Dr. Candice Fuller?" the woman officer says. Candice nods reluctantly.
"We have a warrant for your arrest. Please hand me the child," the woman says calmly. Candice gapes at her.
"For what?" Candice severely frowns.
"For criminal negligence and drug trafficking. Please hand me the child," the woman repeats the second request.
"Like hell!" Candice snaps at her.
"Ma'am, I advice you not to resist arrest or your charges may become more severe. Now please, hand me the child," the officer says, still remaining calm.
"You're not taking my child! He's all I've got! He's my ticket…to my destiny!" Candice cries out.
"I'm going to ask you one last time. Please hand me the child or you will be charged with resisting arrest," the woman says, now more firm.
"No! He's mine! He's mines and Christian Grey's son!" Candice says, now hysterical. The officers come in closer and Candice shields the child away from them. The woman officer tries as best she can to gently remove the baby from Candice's hold while the male officer steps behind Candice in order to restrain her as needed. Suddenly, two more squad cars arrive on the scene and four more officers join the first two. Two of the four new officers approach the scene closer while the others stand near the detective on standby.
"Don't harm the child, Dr. Fuller. Please hand him over," the woman officer says. The first male officer begins to read Candice her Miranda rights.
"No!" Candice shouts. As the woman officer gets a firm hold on the child, Candice spits in her face. The atmosphere suddenly shifts.
The female office bends Candice's fingers back and Candice screams out in pain. The male officer grips Candice around the waist to restrain her. The struggle ensues for at least five minutes as Candice screams, "Help! Help!" and wails. Neighbors in the affluent community who are at home begin to appear outside and witness the conflict firsthand.
"Police brutality! They are trying to harm my child!" Candice cries out.
"Dr. Fuller, you are resisting arrest! You are not helping your case here!" Detective Clark angrily calls out to her.
"Kiss my ass, pig!" Candice yells back. Suddenly, the second set of police officers approach closer and one of them calls out a code word. The first team of officers nods. One officer from the second team pulls out a stun gun and shoots the dart into Candice's thigh muscle. Candice screams out in pain, but still holds the baby tightly in her arms.
"You'll hurt the baby!" Candice cries out.
"No ma'am! The current will shoot from your leg on down, so the pain will all go directly to you!" a male officer explains out loud.
"Now give us the baby or will fire the current!" the woman cop snaps.
Candice bawls without restraint. For the first time in a very long time, she feels defeated. Her thoughts run to and fro, but as she counts the number of officers standing before her, two additional squad cars pull up. She finally accepts that the odds are completely stacked up against her. Slowly, Candice hands over her baby, not taking her eyes off him as tears stream down her face like two rivers.
….
"Sarah?" she says with a raspy voice.
Dr. Carlson answers her on-call cellphone while she relaxes on her closed-in deck at home with a book and a glass of wine. It's just past eight in the evening.
"Yes – this is Dr. Carlson. Whom am I speaking to?" Sarah narrows her eyes, perplexed by a phone call so late on a Monday.
"It's Candice, I'm in police custody and I need your help," Candice says in barely a whisper. Her voice is extremely hoarse.
"Oh my God, Candy! What happened to you?" Sarah gasps.
"They arrested me on a number of charges and they are trying to put me away for over sixty years," Candice reveals in a shaky voice.
"What?!" Sarah calls out, blown away at the news.
"I don't know if you can come down here to the station tonight. My lawyer needs your help with my case," Candice rasps.
"Yes…I'll be right there," Sarah says as she leaps to her feet.
A/N: Faithful Readers – Please be patient with updates. I have a full-time job so I can't post updates as often during the week. I'm out of town all next week, so I will try to get you chapter 27 updated by Sunday.
Please review chapter 26. Thanks so much for reading! – ST2