All rights to the fifty shades thing used characters and plots are property of EL James, but as this story is mine and is not like the fifty shades series at all, all, I did was borrow the lifestyle and a few names... If you want, fifty and the originality read them again, lol...
Troll alert: I now know where the delete button is and I ain't afraid to use it... Lol...
Chapter 29:
A case of the walking dead:
Taylor's POV:
The boss, his wife, their kids and a fair few family members are on their way to hospital. I have sent Prescott, to aid or relieve Sawyer, who drove Grace Grey and poor Phoebe, Teddy and Carrick to the hospital. Plus, a dozen or so of their own security followed to shut off the hospital. I am needed here to get the others back to the house. It seems the wedding party is cancelled; the food will be delivered to the house. Gail and Sophie went back with Ryan, as I need to focus and I can't do that with them here. Uncle Donald, is taking his orders from Ana's Uncle Paul, he being the head of the CIA, gives him the top dog spot here, not that these guys work like that, but the locals have to take their orders from someone. They have all the staff, visitors and criminals out of the courthouse, luckily for us the courts in use were emptied by the police and prison staff, using their own exits.
I have had to pry Mrs Lambert away from; if I am to believe it, which is ludicrous, the man who shot Ana was Ana's presumed to be dead father? I had thought he was dead, as did his mother, all her uncles and Ana's father Ray too were shocked. It seems Aspen has an outbreak of the walking dead? The area is secure and as the uncles assess the situation, the local coroner arrives and the bodies of the two males and Isabel are bagged, yes I checked her vitals and made sure the liver probe went all the way in, the coroner laughed at my very serious request to punch it through her chest cavity, but that bitch is deader than a Dodo, unlike Francis Lambert.
Now here is the puzzle piece in all this, Francis-Zombie-Lambert however, was not fatally shot, Ana missed hitting anything life threatening, though he was bleeding out and had lost a lot of blood when security got to him, he damaged more of his body falling onto the cold marble floor than he did being shot, he is whisking his way to hospital, with his mother hot wheel-chairing it after the bus. I wonder where he has been all their lives?
I can't imagine how Ray is going to tell Ana. One: that daddy is alive. Two: that she was the one who shot him. I would imagine it will be hard on him finding out his best friend is alive too? I have to wonder who is dead and in the family crypt? The good thing about that is, the body of whoever will be easy to identify. I take a minute to grab a coffee and wait for something to happen. I feel like a square peg in a round hole, the uncles have got this shit covered; besides, until Francis Lambert sings, we have nothing to go on. They have people already going to Texas to see who the body in the crypt is. I couldn't have made this shit up if I tried. Carla Mae will be, I don't know, stunned that the love of her life is still alive; I would guess? I also wonder what his mother will do?
"Taylor, head back to the house and try and placate the relatives that went home, be with your daughter and wife. We have this covered here. The excess of security will stand down now and we will be leaving you to head up my niece's security?" I nodded in approval.
"I have hired extra guys, but that damned woman was the reason for the bubble they lived in. Her father what's the story, and is it him, for sure?" He looked worried enough for the pair of us.
"I am damned if I know, he looked similar to what he did when he died, an impossibility I know, because, time seems to have been over kind to him, I mean he's more than likely had to have had plastic surgery to keep him looking so young, I guess we could get his surgeons name its good work. We have specialist people who can do their thing and virtually undo facial surgery; it's been nearly three decades, and he would have had a fair few operations."
"There is another possibility to consider, could he have been surgically altered to look like Francis Lambert? Could he and they have been taking out his competition, Ana, Christian, the kids and Momma Lambert?" I ask. He seems to be on my wave length. "After all, they are worth more than they could have made from the slave and drug trade. He would then be the heir to it all?"
"Possibly, there's no knowing for sure, not until we get all the test results back, blood, dental and I can't be sure who he is until we get his prints, someone is getting them as soon as he is out of surgery. People do change as they get older that's for sure, and yes, I agree, he looked too young to be Frank, by at least two decades, it's my betting he's his son. The men in my unit, it seems couldn't keep their dicks in just their own wife or girlfriend, because we know that some of the people in this mess, have at one time or another have had the pleasure of Carla Mae, their past dalliances seem to be causing my goddaughter a whole heap of trouble, it seems her grandmother took a turn for the worse on the way to the hospital, poor woman has not had an easy life."
"It was his mother who spotted him first, I thought she was about to croak then. She is not easily fooled; I do believe she would know her own son, even though he was covered in his own blood." I tell Donald.
"I know, one of my men had shot him in the back, at the same time Ana sliced through his ribs, good timing and shooting too, because he was aiming at Christian and Phoebe, the other dead douches were aiming at Ana and her grandmother, who had Teddy. I bet my reputation, that this is something to do with the Lambert fortune, and I would also place a huge bet on Mark Hardman having a dead hand in this, he and Carla were money hungry vampires!"Donald tells me and I piece together or try to at least, the reasons for the faked death, and if so, where he has been hiding all these years? That man did not look fifty, if anything he looked nearer to thirty. Donald then tells me what our report on Ana's father didn't have in it.
"Mark was the one who was with Francis Lambert when he died. He was one of the many friends of Carla Mae before Francis, Ray and half the thirty first. He was the one who reported that Francis was the body blown to kingdom come, in the roadside bomb training incident. He swore he was in the front car and saw his best friend die that day, both he and Ray."
"Ray Steele is a man of honour, he would never lie."
"He got to raise Ana..."
"...No, from what I know on Raymond Steele, he would not do anything so heinous, just to raise Ana, no he isn't that type of guy, I'd bet my life on it."
"I know, but we will have to question him again, it was supposed to be a clear cut training accident, Francis was transporting the high explosives an unstable batch of TNT made for short work of the jeep, and poor Francis, or so we thought."
"That is a cluster fuck, why would Francis Lambert fake his own death?" I ask.
"More importantly Taylor, we are trying to work out why would he do that, hide away from his child, the baby was all he ever talked about, he could have left Carla, got out of the Marines, his mother would have paid him out. He could have then gone back to his family and claimed his rightful inheritance back. Ana was so sure, as was his mother, that he was divorcing Carla and taking Ana with him, and allowing his mother to raise her."
"Maybe the best chance for clarity, is him telling you why?" I say.
"Then let's pray the bastard wakes up." I head home and Donald heads to the hospital.
Grace's POV:
I rode with Carrick, Phoebe and Teddy to hospital, Luke getting us here in break neck speed and safely was an amazing feet of driving. As soon as I got in I took Phoebe to A and E, being that she was screaming loudly and was an in distress child, she was seen straight away. I had to hope it was just a greenstick fracture, because it wasn't swollen and she was using her hand, but it hurt when I touched it, I knew she was in pain and hearing her tears is heartbreaking.
They tried to place the oxygen mask to try to calm her breathing, but my poor little angel wanted her mommy and was not for being calm, so I watched as they gave her a very mild sedative to allow them to work and it was as Ana feared, during the roll down the stairs her little arm had bent and snapped. She was lucky, it was a pretty simple break, and whilst she slept, they re-set it and put her on a very nice temporary pink plaster cast, she was given a shot for the pain, so that she could sleep.
I took Phoebe to the relatives room, where Elliot was keeping 'The Little Dude - Tedster,' occupied whilst I was with his sister; he rushed to my side and relieved me of my baby girl. The whole thing had drained me. Being a doctor did not make it any easier, if anything it was worse I knew the pain she was in and because she was my grandchild. My now silent and precious baby girl was broken and I sobbed as Elliot took her from me and put her in the stroller.
"Grace are you okay?" My mother was at my side with my father.
"No Mother, no I am not, where is Christian and Ana?" I should not snap at her. Hell, she is tougher than me. She will be fine. "Christian, did they bring him in?"
"Honey yes they did, Chris is having his leg done now in the theatre and luckily his arm is a straight break and as such not a big problem. Taylor splinted his arm on the scene, once our son passed out, but his leg he couldn't touch other than to keep it clean, he cut away his trousers and put a clean dressing over the two broken bones to keep possible infections. He didn't wake up when the paramedic was seeing to him, they gave him a shot of something for the damned pain he must have been in, they got him here quickly, but they reckon he will need to be in traction and will need more than the one operation on his leg, it was a nasty break."
Carrick was worriedly explaining what had gone on during my absence with Phoebe, and they had all been trying to keep Teddy occupied, their poor Grandma Carrie was a mess too. Mia was sat silently in the chair; my mother and father were now sat down drinking tea and being silent. I think they should all go home; it will be a long night. Kate had gone home with Ava, with Ana's sister and brother, as they had children to see to too, besides we all ready fill the relative's room.
"Oh hell, Ana, what news have we of Ana?" Ray stepped forward, as I asked about my new daughter, my son and his wife should be happily dancing their first dance now, and now thanks to Isabel and the rest of the idiots associated with her, Elena and the rest of the psychopathic ex relatives, and their gun toting, blood thirsty, revenge seeking ways, three people who I love are in pain and the rest of us are suffering. I need to get the little ones home, but I am torn to leave Christian and Ana.
"Grace... Daddy, Mia and I will take the little ones home, they need their rest and I will send some food and clothes. Keep us updated, we can do nothing until they get out of surgery. We can best help by seeing to the children, Mia can help can't you sweetie?" My mother was talking to me and patting my arm gently. Mia is lost in her own thoughts; she hates hospitals.
"What, pardon I mean? Help with Teddy and Phoebe, yes, yes I can, I hate these places. Mommy phone me please as soon as you hear anything. Luke can you and Prescott take us back?"
I hadn't noticed Christians other security turn up. Taylor must have sent them. Security, god they are everywhere, this is like, well it looks like a scene from the Kennedy assassination, there are people in fancy frocks and more security than is necessary, and I and a few others have blood on ourselves, whose, god only knows? I am brought out of my daydreaming session with Ray gently patting my back.
"She is in the operating theatre now; it was a side shot, that's all I know and that she lost a lot of blood. Her grandmother has donated her blood, as have all the family and security, restocking the blood bank that Ana has drained. Her grandmothers is a perfect match, they had their bloods tested a while back, you know for the legal stuff. Her father is in a bad way and may not make it through the operation, hopefully he doesn't and he dies after he bleeds out on the table. I have sent for Donald and a team to question him, and if the sorry bastard makes it, he won't be alive for long. Sorry Grace, they took him in, a while after Annie. She should have shot him dead, because he wanted to kill her, his own child."
"Where is Margareta?" I ask, in the madness I have not seen her.
"Praying for Annie in the chapel; she has got her other son flying in with dental records, she knew there was not a lot of Francis left the last time he died, so they didn't need the dental records, however she said the fucker who fell from the balcony, her words not mine, had teeth a plenty. Neither his mother nor his brother are happy about his absence as you can imagine."
"I can't imagine what they are feeling, but are you saying he was aiming at Ana and not Christian? Ray that can't be right, what did Christian ever do to him, he didn't even know Ana and her family?"
"He got a shot in, when Annie shot Isabel. Ana didn't know she was shot, she saw the red dot on Christian and took a shot at the gunman, it was so damned quick, blink and you miss it quick. I have a feeling, call me stupid, but his intention was to get his hands on the money, this was done for revenge and money, pure and simple."
"I saw Ana fall, but I thought she was the one shot and then the man fell out from the balcony and I saw nothing else, other than Ana screaming for Luke to get me and the children out and here." Ray looked at Elliot, who was looking after our sleeping beauties.
"How is my Princess?" Phoebe was fast asleep in her stroller and Teddy had joined her in the land of fluffy clouds and bunny rabbits. Carrie had put them warm blankets and was rocking them in their stroller.
"She has a small greenstick fracture and it was an easy fix, she should be out of it for a while. She has had pain medication; the little angel was so upset, because all she wanted was her Mommy. Now we wait. Mom, Dad, Mia, I am asking you to take them home and make sure they are tucked up in bed. Ana has medication for the twins in the medicine closet at their house, Phoebe will be fine for six to eight hours, let her sleep, if we are not back say at supper and she wakes, have her drink fluids and give her some pain medication, it will hurt like a bitch."
"Mother..." Mia shouted.
"What it will hurt her, now Elliot you go home too, Kate needs you, Carrick, will you please stop with me?"
"I am not going anywhere Grace our son and daughter will need us."
My husband is the strong one of the two of us, he is my rock and the family anchor. He had taken the news of the twins the hardest, because he felt that we had let Christian down. He had judged him harshly, he believed our sons old life was the thing that had pushed Ana away. He really took a shine to her in New York, because for the first time ever on that trip, he and Christian actually bonded and he felt for the first time that Christian actually liked him, they had talked properly about personal issues. Then for three years we had nothing but snatched phone calls, text messages and emails from him, he was far worse than he was pre Ana.
Now I have to hope they get to live a long and happy life, with rather less security than the president and have some semblance of a normal family life. As a mother you want always to protect your children, no matter what their age, they are your children, even Elliot is still my child and I am still my mother and fathers child. Grown up they might be, but mess with my kids and I will hunt you down and kill you, my mother still fights some of my families battles, she thinks I don't know she smacked Ana and harshly, this is a thing she will be regretting now. I know until I saw that man, Ana's father fall, and after Ray explained how he fell, it didn't hit home the danger we were all in.
I sound like a total idiot; I knew there was a danger, but not the enormity of it all. I knew of Elena, I knew of Elena's daughter, Isabel, and that she was the reason my son was robbed of the time with his children. My family missed out on so much. Now, with my son in danger, I realise why Ana did it. I would imagine when she recovers, heads will roll, as they got in and fired off shots despite having a higher security presence than Barrack Obama. That is my biggest concern, how did they do it, get in and know where we were? Did Carrick and I coming in cause this; was this my fault?
Dear god had I caused my family this grief? I thought about it for a few seconds, and remembered we were not the only ones who had arrived in the past couple of days. They had to know we were here; they had to have followed someone? I see Taylor hovering, when did he get here, had I not asked him to stay with the family and his damned family? Poor Sophie will have a very exclusive scoop for her what I did on my vacation time? That she had got shot at by Americas most wanted, at her Uncle Christian Grey's wedding. I bet that would actually get her and Christian some extra brownie points with the school. I smile as Taylor hands me clothes from our home. I am a hugger so hug him and then the strong doctor becomes a sobbing mom.
"I am so sorry Jason, I am a wreck and standing here waiting to find out if they will live or die. I wonder what this means, you know Isabel's death, will my children be safe, will this happen again? Will Christian and his new and precious little family ever be safe? All the worry he has had to face with this vendetta she rained down on him and Ana, all the stress it caused. Please ignore me, everything is a mess Jason, everything. He has to take time off, he has to pull back, but how can we make him, he needs to take a step back, before it is the stress that kills him and not a maniac with a gun?"
"Ma'am, Mrs Grey, sorry I mean Grace. He was a grown man, a stubborn, highly temperamental, work obsessed billionaire, with nothing on his mind but work, more so these past couple of years. But, that was done so he didn't have to think about Ana, the guilt he felt of leaving her, the stupidity of his running away from Ana to save her from Isabel, has been the only thing he thought about. He has nightmares nightly and he has not slept a full night in three long very years. Please do not worry though, that is in the past, I know for a fact they are going on a very long holiday, with the children, on the Grace and leaving this behind them for a while. He has new people in mind to help Ros run the company."
"He has, he is giving up some of his work load?" I practically dance a jig...
"He was yes, but I fear he will be laid up a while with this. Mrs Grey, I told you that as a father, not as his employee. I felt you needed to know why he didn't call and come to your home. He was desolate without her and you all jumped on the bandwagon that it was her doing. He was just past caring whose fault it was, but not wanting to talk about it meant he didn't tell you the truth either. He is much changed and he is going to be fine, he has trained everyday for years, he is healthy and able to withstand anything as long as Ana is by his side."
"I know; I knew she was the one, when I met her in New York. Oh the doctor, please let me see what he has to say and then can you arrange for them to all be taken home?"
"It will be my pleasure. Ana's Uncle Donald has just arrived too, he wants the guy's prints and hopefully some answers. He is seeing to Ana's kill shot too, her presumed father. I really want to kill him if he makes it out of there."
"I am a doctor, but I want him to die, is that wrong of me? Bugger The Hippocratic Oath, it wasn't meant for a headstrong Momma Bear watching as her beloved son and granddaughter lay broken, nor as Ana fell into a pool of her own blood, I will find away to kill that man, if anything happens today. I swear I will Jason Taylor, if they die he will wish he was dead."
"Join the queue that's forming for the hit." I sigh and as the family stand to hear what is wrong, I hold my breath.
"The family of Christian Grey...?" We say yes as a collective. "He is out of surgery, and all went well both breaks have been fixed, and his leg has had a plate, a titanium rod and several screws added to his body mass. Luckily, this is a specialist hospital for advanced orthopaedic surgery, being as we have a plethora of breaks during the skiing season. He will be fine; they are bringing him out of recovery now. He came around for a few minutes and asked me about his wife. I have been in and asked, as he demanded, I have nothing to report, other than she is still in surgery. I do not know more, other than she lost a lot of blood and the shot nicked her liver."
"The other man, what of him?" I ask.
"The man brought in after them, he died on the table. His doctor will talk to his family later; the CIA and FBI are in doing their own tests. You will have to ask them, but if I believe the rumour mill, you will know before me?" I laugh. Yes, Ana and her connections. I look and Margareta is being pushed in by Donald. Her face is puzzled and Donald's isn't much better.
"It seems my son is still dead, and Ana shot someone looking an awful lot like him. I was so sure I mean I know I am getting old, but hell he was just the same as he was the last time I saw him, when he came and told me he had married that tramp and that she was having his baby. I swear to god I never wanted to slap a boy as hard as I did that moron for a son I birthed. Of all the women he could have had, he knocked up the base bike." I hope I did not laugh at that.
"Margareta, now why speak ill of the dead, you have Anastasia and her family now, and what a family..." Donald says as he comes in, this woman calls a spade a spade, and boy I cannot understand for one sorry Texan minute, why she didn't fight for her granddaughter more? I guess because she did care and perhaps she saw just how much Ray loved her and I guess Carla Mae was still in the picture. I actually smile, Ana had a harder life than Christian growing up, and if ever two lost souls deserved to find their mate, it was my boy and Ana.
"Only good thing that idiot son of mine ever did, not the woman he did, but the baby he gave her. Now what are we going to tell Ana when she comes to, that she killed her father's secret love child, because the man I saw in that room, is my son's spawn of that I am sure, and she could have killed a sibling!"
"You blame Ana?"Ray asked.
"No, no god no, I am just saying how do we tell Ana. What I want to know is, who the hell was this Daniel Rowland's and who was his mother, what was she to Francis and why the hell do men, in particular hornie oversexed Marines on shore leave, why do they not keep their tools wrapped?" I smile as I see Ray and Donald salute the old lady in the chair.
"If Frank had done that, we wouldn't have had our Annie, and then Maggie; we would all have lost something."
"Right, who is Daniel's mom then? This Rowland woman, was she a single woman hoping to land a marine? When will the checks come back Donald, I need to know if that monster is my sorry excuse for kin folk?"
"Anytime, the fingerprint shows he served in the Marine Corp, so his records will be will us as soon as. Now what are we all doing, staying or going?" Donald asks the room of relatives.
"We want to wait to see what happens in Ana's theatre..."
"It could be ages yet, go home as agreed, we parents will stay you all get home and put the prince and princess to bed, Ana will want them kept to their routine." The family agree. My family say their goodbyes and I lean down and kiss the children. Quite descends into the once chaotic family room. Margareta is staying with us. Her son is on his way in and she refused Taylor's offer of a bed at Christians home, until she knows more about the man dead in the hospital morgue. We wait to be allowed to see Christian and get news on Ana... This should have been a happy day...
DO YOU THINK ANA WILL PULL OUT OF THIS?
