-Anastasia-

I quickly came around just as Christian was yelling for his mother. Taylor had caught me before I fell, I'm guessing, because I'm still in his strong hold. Teddy wails, and the first thing I see when my eyes reopen are his chubby hands reaching for me.

"Christ..ian." My voice doesn't sound like my own; it's all raspy and my throat it dry. I need water. I coughed a few times, my strength quickly coming back to me. My memories come back, too. "Christian! They're comin-"

"No, baby. No. They're not going to touch you, okay?" Fifty's voice is high on emotions, and I think he was more panicked than I was. "You're completely safe. Neither of you are leaving my sight, okay, honey? I've got it, baby."

For the first time, I don't fight his need for control.

"Ana," Grace's voice floats from somewhere around me. I glance around, and everything is fuzzy. Almost a dream-like state.. "Sweetie, do you hurt anywhere?"

I shake my head, nodding to Teddy, cuddled in Christian's strong arms. "Help him." I manage to choke out. "Please." Teddy first.

Grace shakes her head. "I need to see your back, Ana. Teddy is only scratched. You have pieces of glass stuck in you." She looks up a bit at Taylor. "Take her inside and lay her on the couch, please?"

Taylor nods, lifting me up and the moving makes me dizzy. I'm numbly aware that Christian's taken a hold of my hand, and that Teddy's fallen asleep. That quickly? Wasn't he just crying?

Too much, too much, too much..

Soon I'm laying belly-down on the couch and Grace is tending to my wounds. Christian is kneeling beside me, Ted laying on his tummy pressed against my side. I feel so groggy, and all I want to do is sleep. I tell this to Christian, and he just nods his head and tells me it's okay, that he'll watch over Teddy and I.

I'm gone soon after.

-Christian-

That phone call could have easily just have been the end of my life.

Hearing Ana's antagonized scream and Teddy's terrified cries awoke that feeling of helplessness within me.

Watching my mother on the floor, her cries, screams.. How confusing it was for me, how horrifying at the same time.. wanting to help but too afraid to move.. Hungry.. Helpless..

Always so damn helpless.

"Damnit!" I curse, chucking my phone across the room. My mother winces, and my father sends me a narrowed glare. I don't give a damn. Waiting here, like some kind of scared fool, while my life is out there in danger..

I felt sick.

Ana's sobs, Teddy's whimpers.. You're a terrible father, Grey. Couldn't even protect your own family..

"No!" I growl. I pull at my hair, my breath coming in short, hollow gasps.

Now they're going to die.. Slowly, painfully, in terror.. All your fault..

"It wasn't my fault," I whimper at my mother as she kneels in front of me, eloping her arms around my torso. "All I ever wanted was for them to be safe.."

"I know, sweetheart." She whispers. "I know."

How do you think you'll feel when you have to bury their caskets, hm, Grey? When you see the full adult one, next to that tiny, half sized coffin? Ted's afraid of the dark, isn't he? It's your fault he'll be in it forever.. Never feeling safe..

"Mom," I sob, grasping onto her. "Mom, I.. I can't live with myself. Not if they.." I choke as a vision of Teddy and Ana's innocent big, powder blue eyes pop into my head.

No! God, no.. No..

"They won't, Christian!" My mother snaps, and I'm forced to look her in the eye. "Listen, I think I hear Sawyer now.."

Sure enough, a loud car screech is sounded outside the house. I shoot up quicker than I've ever moved before, running as fast as my legs can carry me to the garage. I hear Taylor shout after me; dashing, trying catch up with me. But I don't stop.

I'll never stop.

I slow my roll for just a moment; long enough to spy the SUV fly into the garage. I take off again, my body giving a shudder as I see Ana hop out and fly towards me as well, Teddy cradled safely in her arms. It only makes me run faster.

When I reach her, I pull them both into my chest and work to keep the emotions off my face. No need to scare them even more than they already are, but my body does stop breathing once I spy the SUV.

Windows shattered, blood on glass..

Blood?

I glance down at my two reasons for existing, seeing cuts and large amounts of blood sprayed over their bodies.

Blood, all over the crack whore.. Her blue eyes, staring at me, begging for help..

Just as Ana's are doing now.

I take Teddy fro her grasp once he arches for me, and move to console Ana when her eyes roll to the back of head and before I can even react, she pummels to the ground.

-Anastasia-

It's been two weeks, and Teddy hasn't uttered a single syllable.

Flynn came by after the first week of Christian and I's constant worrying, and diagnosed that the event was just too traumatic for him. It's true that Christian and I have always hovered, protecting him from anything dangerous. He's never been subjected to anything that could traumatize him, and this just had a major impact.

He's dejected from everything. He won't let us read to him anymore, he won't laugh as much as he usually does, and he absolutely refuses to let me out of his sight. He sleeps with Christian and I every night, and I can't even make a bathroom trip with him clinging to me.

Christian dies a little inside every time Teddy cries, fear striking in his young, blue eyes. I'm about 90 percent sure he see's himself, as a child, in our son. That breaks my heart even more than its already broken.

Our little, perfect family has been ripped at, shot at, and stomped on. And I honestly don't think I have the strength to put us back together again.

But I can see the defiance in Christian's eyes; every night when we go to bed and he pulls us close, in the morning when we're eating and he just stares, when we're watching TV and his hand never strays from one of us at all times. I can see that this time, it'll be simpler to leave it to Christian to handle, leave him do what he does best.

But I wonder just exactly how long I can let him do it before I take matters into my own hands. And that thought is what terrifies me the most.