Chapter 36

A/N: I know long time no update but I've been dealing with a lot of crap, so writing has been furthest from my mind! Reading my fav stories has been my go to therapy through all of this…I hope everyone has a Happy, Healthy, positive, and productive New Year!

Love all of your favs/follows/and reviews! They make me smile!

Any and all mistakes area all mine! Enjoy!

Cin XOXO

Disclaimer: When it comes to EL or Meyer's characters and whatnot I own nothing... I'm just having fun with the characters, but the OC ones and story ideas are all mine. (I love to play with her characters but with my AU spin on them from my other story. Sorry folks I don't do Cannon ever. Like, Love it, Hate it…you have been warned ^^) No Copy write infringement is intended nor do I get paid in any way.

Chris

Avalon ranch is one hell of an impressive spread. Along the pacific coast nestled between two Indian reservations. We land just off the private airstrip next to Charlie 2.0. It's just a little after two in the morning. I'm ready to crash for a few hours with Ana in my arms before the ship arrives but first food. I'm starving and I know that when Ana awakens she'll be ravenous as well.

Logan and Luke aren't with us they went back with May because we don't really need security with Adam along with us and someone has to take charge of security at Grey House while we're away. They swore that they were gonna get even, as I sent them back to face off with Jason and Ray. I had to remind them that their pregnant wives were recuperating back home and would geld them both if they took off with us for an extended period of time. Logan wanted Sam to be brought to the ship and I told her she was suspended until further notice and there was no way in hell that she was gonna get to spend it aboard the ship. Hanah was exposed to NORO and so was Sam as well so they had to suck it up and face the fire back home.

Edward was insulted that they even tried to play the security card at all seeing as he and Bella alone could easily take the place of all of the big brothers and uncles combined and had no problem flashing his teeth and growling instead of even giving them what would have been a very colorful profane response too their whining pathetic hides. The two of them wisely took the hint and bolted back into the plane to May and Stephen's roaring laughter.

With just the five of us it was a quiet flight to the ranch. The girls were both sleeping. Bella was nestled on one side of Ana with her injured foot set on a pillow on Bella's lap, while I was on the other side of the couch with Ana's head supported by another pillow on my lap. Van sulkily sat in the co-pilots seat while Edward flew his pride and joy.

"Aidan's already kitted the Rover out so that Ana won't even get jostled while we transport her to the main homestead. Ella and Marcus were told to stay at the main house. Your miniature Harmony of the Seas is making excellent time and will be here anywhere around 0500 or 0700 at the latest. MacGregor is enjoying testing her limits. Welch mentioned something about the little princesses being sulky about feeding time with formula but they still took to it and settled back to dreamland. The littlest little prince didn't settle until his big brother came in and played your voices saying that you'd be there in the morning and you loved them. Then Teddy slept walked back to his bunk grumbling that being a big brother was hard work. Welch wanted me to convey that your family back home is calling in all their markers in order to find you, but seeing as he had an in with the Coast Guard and as long as they relayed their location in a timely manner that it was fine to turn off the locator satellite beacon on the ship. Basically, it's near to impossible to track the Overindulgence. Charlie's called up all his buddies and no one in law enforcement are gonna divulge your location either." Van's filling me in before he opens the door to Lionheart.

"It's about blooming time, Van Hellsing! My niece has an injured stem. She needs looked after and then settled into a proper bed…" A deep burr growls from just outside the helicopter. It's familiar too. I just can't place it. The confusing part being that he thinks that Bella is injured when it's my Ana.

"Cool your jets, McCloud! Ana's sleeping and so is Bella! They've had an endlessly long hellish day…" Van stalks down the stairs to growl at who must be Aiden? Then it hits me Aiden McCloud?! My shrink as a little kid! I haven't seen him since I was almost eleven and John took over with the shrinking sessions.

"Aye, I'm all too aware of their endlessly bad time of it, as it's been broadcast all over the bloomin planet on that bloody thing known as the internet! You would think that the lassies would have called it a day after the plague hit the hotel? Bella is a bad influence on her cousin. My niece is easily led astray, as was evident in what was shown for all to see last evening…"

"In the name of all that's Holy, Aiden! Bella's the INNOCENT out of the TWO! Anastasia is in no way being led astray nor is Bella a BAD INFLUENCE! She's exactly what Ana needs to ground her constant need to COMPELL everyone around her to do her BIDDING! Christian let's her get away with EVERYTHING! She led him by the balls right into the former home of the VOLTURI and that was during their bloody HONEYMOON! The fucking coward even let her freeze him out for six weeks when he did nothing WRONG! After six months of nothing but cuddling to boot! She has all the men in the family by the balls and no one wants to be frozen out of the ANA EFFECT BUBBLE! If was a fucking twist of the fates that Bella and Ana weren't twins, the two are so FUCKING ALIKE! Trouble times INFINITY! To add to all of that Bella threw caution to the wind and made a batch of Carmen's lethal SANGRIA! Unleashing Teenage feisty Ana…." Edward flashes out of the chopper in a blur and is right in Aiden's face defending his wife and throwing mine under the bus!

That and making me and the men in our family out be Ana's willing slaves! No…No…Fuck! That's about right…she's had me by the balls since we were babies…for the most part we're a team, but all she has to do is sulk at me and blink those big blue eyes and I'm her willing slave. All the men are…Ray's probably got the teams on an around the clock schedule working on the new sailing yacht to get back into her good graces again. Taylor, Luke, Logan and Adam are the only ones of the men that are immune to her compelling nature. Sam is too. They have to be in order to keep her safe and out of trouble.

"Aiden's usually laid back…" Bella yawns, opening up sleepy nearly amber brown eyes, but doesn't move an inch to disturb Ana or her ankle. "I wonder what D and D did this time."

"D and D?" I arch a brow, focusing on Bella and not at the snarling going on just outside.

"Dare and Diana. Aiden and Tanya's kids. The two of them have their father's way with all creatures and have been known to bring animals to them…."

"They can compel animals?" Holy Hell!?

"It's sort of like the piper leading the mice to him, only they don't need a flute to do it. Diana loves fluffy and furry animals and Dare tends to call not so docile ones like bears, cougars, wolves..."

"I can see how that wouldn't be the best thing to have around the livestock and horses…" Seriously, I feel like I'm in the middle of a Wizarding World/Shining One novel!

"Exactly, and with it being winter the two of them think that the bears and big cats are cold with all the snow and that they need to sleep in the barns too…"

"How old are they?"

"The two little urchins turned four on New Years Day. They've been little trouble magnets since they could crawl."

"Four…" My eyes widen in alarm.

"Oh, crap…" Ana whimpers in her sleep before I can finish.

"It's near on two in the bloomin morning. My little pixies weren't for going to sleep, as they are eager to meet their cousins. Then when I finally do get them down for the night that ones bloomin chopper lands without any warning waking them up again. My parents who I usually have to go to them decided to pop in. I've a Harmony of the Seas getting ready to lay anchor in my inlet and because of that The Esme had to be moved to La Push, as there's no room for a Super and Mega yacht in my bay. All of that mind you while I've had a long day running my bloomin horse ranch." Aiden growls this as he steps inside, all in a strong burr that just screams of the Isle,s all mind you by barely raising his voice, as not to awaken Ana.

Fuck me! He hasn't aged a day!

"Our day trumps that…" Bella and Ana grumble at the same time under their breaths.

"Aye, it did and whose fault was that I ask you?" Aiden narrows his eyes at Bella. "One knew that the drink and our bloodline don't mix at all and decided to press her luck anyway…now look at the result…my broken niece…"

"She was stressed and projecting. It was virgin compared to Carmen's brew and I was cooking while she had her face glued to the monitor of my laptop because instead of my manuscript I accidently called up Edwards's journals. How was I supposed to know that we'd have to go to New York?" Bella hisses, eyes narrowed to slits like an angry cat.

"Alice! That's how!" he snarls back and it's a little unnerving to be in the presence of a pissed off Prince of Avalon. Ana is the spitting image of her Great Gran Anastasia and it boggles my mind that I didn't see the resemblance all those years ago as it's blatantly obvious that he and my Ana are kin somewhere down the line from looks alone. He's also got her fiercely protective nature as well and temper when it comes to surprise anything. She loathes them and it seems that Aiden isn't any different. "For Finn's sake, Girl! We do not teach you young ones how to hone your gifts for nothing! You are suppose to use them and to hell with your scruples of not wishing to intrude on someone's privacy it doesn't apply when it comes to family! All the bloomin signs were there that something was going to go to pot! Alice doesn't give blatant hints and not have a good reason for it!"

"My fault…had to make a speech…she kept me in check…stop frigging yelling already…did someone drug me…that's just…wrong…abuse of power is what it is…Aiden…wait…Chris's doctor was named Aiden…did he say niece…no one tells me anything…be nice…say you're sorry…I drove Bells mad the whole time trying to rein me in..." Ana's grumbling away in her sleep and to my amazement is still sound asleep and her mutterings stop and change back to soft snores.

Please! Someone teach me how to do that for my own survival!

"Alright then, it's on both of your heads that chaos ensued. I'll not apologize though as Bella knew better and knows it. The only reason she didn't end up broken was because of her resilience and being near to impossible to break. Your Great Gran, my sister made me swear not to interfere with your lives unless asked upon to and only make myself known when the mist was lifted from your eyes. I was allowed to watch over you though and you weren't any better than Bella when it came to getting into trouble or it following you. You just had Chris to keep getting you out of it. The poor Lad is lucky that you didn't send him to the looney bin. You abused your gifts right and left just to get your own way and never had clue one that you were doing it. Compulsion is a powerful gift and a weapon. My sister was lax in teaching Ana the rules and more into carrying on the family legacy through her stories and the like. Then again Carla never did embrace her heritage and was more fact minded in nature. While Ana was the polar opposite of her Mother, as she'd been gifted with a limitless imagination and embraced it." Aiden oh so carefully scoops up my baby and just as gingerly takes her out of the helicopter.

"Well, that was underhanded…" I mutter not at all pleased that he just scooped up my baby and carried her off without even asking. The man has balls of steel, but then again he has the power to smite me just with a snap of his fingers so I'll let it go this time.

"He does this. Makes you feel like your three again and need a time out. It's been that way since I've known him. And believe you me I've been sent to time out lots of times for misdemeanors that were for the most part Edward's fault for being the overprotective lion that he can't help him to be. Now, seeing as Ana is his direct relation..." Bella rolls her eyes and gives me a sympathetic look, but then I don't really need one.

I know all too well how Aiden can be from my time being under his wing when I was a little boy. I too was put in time out more than a few times and most of those were because I was venting over something Ana had gotten me into and I got the blame for! I don't believe her for a nanosecond that the majority of her time spent was because of Edward. How my cousin manages to stay sane boggles the mind!

"Get a move on you two before El comes down here to see what is keeping us. Chris, you'd best not look at the Google until your team handles it. It seems as though your little show last eve has caused one hell of a stir with the media. They are of two minds about it. Though, Ana's show held more bite and they are leaning towards you being her love slave in the bed chambers. Evidently, your little show only made you look desperate to save face! I'll be free for a session later after as I know you'll be needing it. That's after you rain hell and brimstone over their sorry hides, as it's not in your nature to let sleeping dogs lie or let others deal with your battles for you." He calls out.

"I trust my team to deal with it. Ana and the kids are my priority. It's just words…nothing I did or said wasn't true…we're martial arts masters…Ana would geld me before ever submitting to me. We are a team. Most of the time anyway and when we're not we always have a good reason…what our parents do in their private lives is none of our business, but I had prior warning before the shit hit the fan. It's Ana who is in need of a session. She's always seen her parents as perfect and now she knows that they are just as flawed as anyone…" I feel my face getting heated.

I mean it's not my fault that my Ana had no FILTER or turns into a rebellious teen when she indulges in libations! This isn't the first time I've had to deal with her actions and get reamed for it. It normally happened when she was with Kate and Mia and the rest of the females of the Scooby Gang. I have for the record never stolen one of our parents' cars. Borrowed, yes, texting Jason, Dad, and Ray the reason why one of their supercars was missing that being after collecting the girls from whatever crap they'd gotten into like getting smashed at Kate's and then drunk dialing me about why I was such a coward and goody-goody for not growing some and asking her out on a date already.

Fishing and Spa weekends were big ones for the girls to bend any rules within reason of course. It usually occurred when the parents were away for a weekend or off on business and the housekeeper was left in charge of the Kavanagh children. Elliot and Logan were usually placed in charge if they were home and Gail trusted us to know our limits. We all knew the repercussions if caught and none of us willingly wished to attend endless Jason Taylor Bootcamp Weekend hell, so we kept to the rules within reason. We were teens with off the charts intelligence, so in truth they never stood a chance reining us in completely.

"Ana's NASCAR worthy drive to see you is legendary in the law enforcement circle. One because it was a McLaren. Two because the driver out drove them. Three when Ray Steele sounded the alarm that his prized car was stolen and his daughter was missing then it hit them that the driver had to be his teenage daughter and they'd been served their asses by a fifteen year-old. Four they got called off by the higher ups. They didn't stand a chance in hell of catching her. There was zero traffic to her destination so the danger was minimal, she could out race a NASCAR champion, and no one wished to face the wrath of Raymond Steele if his precious was harmed in the pursuit to stop her. Ana being his precious not the car…." Bella gets up, stretching like a cat as she uncurls herself from the couch.

"Phones were banned at camp after lights out and she thought I was ignoring her…Ray told her that whatever it was could keep until I got back…Seeing Logan, Lelliot, and Sam getting their Kink on scarred her for life and she couldn't tell her parents…she needed me…parents be damned…she hacked the key vault in seconds as well as security CCTV…that she had on loop within a few minutes for emergencies…Ana could hack circles around Barney…she just loved books better than hacking…Our dads were down in Ray's soundproof Man Cave playing poker…the moms were off I think to some Empowerment Symposium, so the Dad's were in charge…with us away at Football Camp they didn't think any of the girls would give them any trouble…wrong…then again our Dads were clueless most of the time as to what the girls were up to and focused on us guys…" I reminisce as the two of us head out to join them.

"Not Christian…" Ana snorts, blowing a raspberry, still sound asleep. "The Eagle Scout was too afraid of Daddy…" She grumbles. "Sixteen…I had to wait for my Sweet Sixteen for our first Date…stolen kisses that curled my toes to scare away the boys doesn't count either…he went back to hand holding and hugs…" Her brow wrinkles in that adorable V that she gets when she's annoyed and I know what's coming next. "You're not my Chris…I don't know you…Give me back to my Flyboy or feel pain…" she growls her one and only warning.

"You're fine, Lass." Aiden chuckles. "She's a firecracker this one."

"She's lethal and fighting the sleep command. I would suggest that you relinquish her back to her mate…" Edward counters him.

"She's got a broken stem…" Aiden smirks, but then that smirk turns to a yelp and cry of agony when Ana grabs hold of his little finger and bends it the wrong way. "Fucking hell!"

"Christian now or loose the use of that finger for a good long while…" She opens one eye to glower at him.

I race over and rescue her clueless Great Uncle, before she does any permanent damage. "Easy, Tigress, I've got you. Retract your claws. He's family and wanted to hold you for awhile." I croon soothingly and she burrows her face into my shoulder. Linking with me for the first time since I left her be at the house. I grit my teeth and carry her swiftly to the SUV. She's been lying about the level of discomfort and pain that she's in and is giving me a taste of it.

"When's her next dose of pain meds and it had better be soon…" I bark at Edward as I get her as comfortable as I can in SUV with her head snuggled on a pillow on my lap. Bella gets in and is once again sitting with my baby's foot on a pillow on her lap. Edward took the seat in front us.

"There's something at the house for her to take that will ease her suffering. The Sleep command can also be used as a means of shielding one from pain, but she's not one that likes to be coddled is she…" Aiden got in. Van was driving.

"My babies hate me. Teddy's probably not far off. Chris is still mad at me even if he says he's not, because I publicly unmanned him several times on LIVE feed in the eyes of the world. Nearly all of our family were outed to the world as secret kink addicts. I'm broken and bruised. I hurt because my babies are wanting my milk and I can't get to them and my ankle is throbbing. Oh, and my mind keeps playing everything I saw on Google on repeat because I can't focus enough to shut my mind off those images that have nearly blinded me and scarred me for life…" My poor baby and as much as I wish I could help her forget all that it's impossible with the memory quirk that she has. She's right. I am still on low burn anger wise, but I'll get past it. Ana and the kids are priority and in her defense she was under the influence and wasn't in control.

"What's done cannot be undone as it's in the past. Fretting about it accomplishes nothing. Teddy from what I've been told is very forgiving and your babies only want to be held by their Ma and Da. Chris worships you and you weren't of the right mindset, as spirits cause us to act out more often than not. Now as for forgetting. I can grant that wish as well when you've eaten, rested, and calmed your mind enough to trust me to help you. Healing the mind as well as the body is simple and painless as long as one is calm and relaxed." Aiden lectures in a calm soothing tone and it lulls her back into a deep healing sleep.

My mind wraps around what he's just said and the thought that there was some way to forget what I saw during my OP or those horrific videos that Hyde sent me has me intrigued. "Does that only include my angel…?"

"Christian, the Feds might frown on your request…"

Fucking Cullen! He's right! This fucking sucks! It's not like I'm gonna testify at the trial! I flash him the universal sign in response.

"Careful, Grey. Others have lost their appendages for such actions…" Cullen growls, narrowed eyes flashing green fire.

"Boys, play nice." Aiden turns to shoot us a cool it glare then gives me a little bit of hope. "Chris, I'll see what I can do. After I clear it with El first, of course."

"I wasn't thinking the OP, smart ass…" I sulk, grumbling under my breath. "Just the videos that Hyde sent me of the fire. Mom's attack. Then of her in the hospital and everything that she had to endure during her recovery…" I shudder, gritting my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut as it all flashes through my mind again. Only now that my Mom is front and center in my life again it's even more agonizingly acute than ever and my eyes have tears burning behind my tightly closed eyelids.

It hits me so fast and intensely that I don't have time to shield Ana from any of it and she's instantly awake, sitting up, and wrapping her arms protectively around me. Tears streaming down her cheeks, as she rains kisses all over my eyes and face.

The sound of Bella hitting Edward upside the head echoes throughout the SUV followed by her furious snarl. "That's a month no parole crashing in your sanctuary in the basement at the White Castle! I told you to play nice, but you just couldn't resist could you, Cullen!" She boxes his ears with each snarl. "He's crying! You, Sanctimonious Jackass! That's Ella, you snarky Bastard! Those are his Grandmother and Great Grandma burning alive! Ella suffering horrendous burns to save her babies! Chris protecting MIA! Being burned nearly as badly as his MOMMA! Ella going to hell and back to get better again! Ella sacrificing everything to protect her babies! That fucking monster sent him everything that she went through including what she had to endure during her time away from them and you just had to stick your fucking nose in it and trigger all of it in his fucking head again!"

"You would think that after over a century he'd have learned when to zip it by now!" Van snarls darkly.

"It's his bane in life to always have the last word…call it a fatal flaw…to never mind his own business when it comes to matters of the family…" Aiden's beyond furious at him.

"Fucking hell, Isabella! Enough with the bloody abuse! Banishment was more than enough! I fucked up! I know that and I'm sorry for it! His recall is more acute than anyone that I've ever come across…It wasn't my intention to put him through unimaginable mental hell again, just to remind him that even though his name isn't out there in connection with the investigation that they can still make him testify on video with the blacked out face and distorted voice as they do with federal witnesses! His first thought was the OP so I called him on it…I should have known that his temper would trigger the rest! He's blood! Family! More my baby brother than anything! He's been through so much already in his young existence and I can more than understand that he wants everything he saw during his sting operation gone, but the fact remains that the Federal authorities are well known to go back on their words or promises when regarding cases of this magnitude…the odds are more in favor of that then them letting him be. Technology today allows for a witness to remain completely anonymous and still be able to testify." The sorrow and sheer anguish in his tone tells me that he's being sincere and truth be told it wasn't his fault that my recall likes to kick my ass.

He's right across the board on all points, but Mom has already nixed all of their attempts and went balls to the walls when they wouldn't back down and knows all of their deepest darkest shit so they've backed off for now. Christian Grey can't honestly testify anyway as when I signed up for it I used Christian Walker-James as my surname before I was adopted. Jason, Adam, and Barney all made sure that none of it could be traced back to my actual identity. Changing my facial structure, eye color, adding a beard, glasses, and temporary hair die to the mix, till not even Barney's facial recognition could tell it was me.

"Bella…" I croak hoarsely, trying to pull my emotions back together. I need to shake it off and get my big brother out of the basement? White Castle? Must be another name for that massive Victorian that his parents live in? Sanctuary? I would think that even a vampire would need a place to hide from his immortal kin when they're trying on his last nerve. My god! I at least get to still sleep with my baby when she freezes me out! She banishes him to the basement?! "He wasn't in the wrong…not really…and didn't trigger my memory recall…It just hits me out of left field…it's never been this acute before, but now that I have my Momma back in my life and all of my memories of my time with her before the fire…the feelings and emotions are off the charts HD in my head…"

She rolls her eyes at me and is about to snark that I'm spouting nothing but BS, but my phone rings interrupting her handing me my ass for trying to bail out big brother.

It's Teddy's ring tone. (The Teddy Bear Teddy Bear song by the Wiggles). It's going on just half-past two in the morning and he's still up and taken Adam's phone this time!

"Teddy! Something's wrong with my baby!" Ana wastes no time at all rifling through my pockets to get to my phone and unlocks it with fingers flying across the screen to enter the password. "Teddy! What's wrong! Are you okay!?"

"Mommy?! What's wrong with Daddy?!" Teddy growls in answer and our little boy is not happy at all.

"You tell Uncle Eddie to be nice! If he can't say anything nice then don't say anything at all!" Princess Hope's down right miffed too. I wonder if she was sleeping in the same bunk as Teddy. She's a little demon if you wake her up from her slumber.

"Uncle Edward upset Daddy! It woke up me, the babies and Hope too! I just got back to sleep! She stomped all over her Daddy to get to his phone for me off the charger thingy. Aunt Angel is putting ice on his wennie! He said all kinds of no say words and some that I've never even heard before too! Why would that make him not able to give Hope any siblings ever?!" Teddy's ranting a mile a minute and all of us in the car are trying our damndest not to burst out laughing our asses off! Poor Adam! She really got him again! Worse by the sounds of it!

"Slow down, buddy. I'm fine. Uncle Edward wasn't being mean…"

"Daddy just had a memory flash. Remember what Dr. Donnie told you about them and this one wasn't a happy one and lasted for a little bit…" Ana tries to soothe him with her voice, but he's not having it.

"Where are you!? Mommy are you and Daddy still at the Hospital in the Apple place?! You promised!"

"Not nice to break promises! Better be here or the babies are gonna really hurt the drums in our ears a lot!" Hope growls out.

"Hope Elizabeth Welch! Theodore Raymond Grey! Ambushing me to get to my phone because Theodore wanted to call his parents is going to get the two of you in TIMEOUT! No fun! Just nothing but education activities for the foreseeable future! That is not how either of you are to wake anyone up ever again! It's not nice! And you could seriously do damage! You do not take what does not belong to you without asking first!" Adam's recovered fast and is laying down the law with the two of them.

"Daddy, I sorry but Teddy needed to talk to his Daddy! He woke up screaming from his bad, bad, dream! I tried waking you up! Mommy was with the babies! You kept sleeping! Teddy needed da phone and you was in the way!" Hope's actually standing up to a furious Adam Welch and using the same tone that Ana uses to get herself out of trouble. Unfortunately for the little princess that Adam is immune to that tone.

"Stomping all over me repeatedly and screaming at the top of your voice to wake up is not trying to wake me, young lady. I was awake just in pain that's why my eyes were still closed. Daddy was far from sleeping, princess." God I can't wait to go over the CCTV footage on the ship! Liam would have been recording every second of that!

"Her little feet are lethal weapons and I speak from experience…" I chuckle making myself known.

"Welcome to the trials and sometimes agony of parenthood, Adam!" Ana hoots barely containing her giggles.

Everyone else in the car are silently roaring with laughter and have of mirth tears streaming down their cheeks.

"You can't be in the air, so what's your ETA to the ranch?" He chooses not to comment and turns the direction of the conversation.

"It's fantastic!" Ana's taking in the three story redwood and glass masterpiece as we pull up in front of the house. "It's like our place in Aspen!"

"Mommy and Daddy are there already! Uncle Adam make Uncle Liam go faster!" Teddy shouts excitedly. His temper vanishing at the thought of getting to us.

"Yeah, Daddy! Faster like speed boat!" Hope chimes.

"He's getting us there as fast as the ship will safely allow. It's gonna be a few hours yet. Don't think that the two of you are getting out of it either. You two are still grounded to educational activates only for the next little while. Say goodnight and march your little tails back to your bunks. Separate bunks. It's too early for you to be awake. Angel and I will see too the babies." Adam's a pro at wrangling little ones he learned all that he needed trying to rein in us when we were kids. Teddy and Hope didn't have a chance of getting around him.

"Theodore, say you're sorry and then off to bed with you, little man." Ana's in mom mode.

"You know better than to wake anyone like that Theodore." I growl softly. He needs to know that it was wrong to hurt his uncle to get his way, even if he wasn't the one actually doing the damage.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Adam...I was thinking of Daddy hurting and didn't stop her from hurting your wennie a lot…she was only trying to help me feel better by getting to talk to Mommy and Daddy…I hope that you can still give Hope a sibling not that I get what love has to do with you being hurt down there…" Teddy's very contrite and knows that he's in it up to his little neck and not going to get out of punishment.

"I'm really, really, really, sorry, Daddy…" Hope's really laying it on, but again he's immune. It's really a good effort thought futile.

"Nice try, Princess." Adam chuckles. "Punishment still stands."

"You were under da covers the whole time…you eyes was closed tight…" She sniffles.

"Well, see you in a few. I've gotta get these two little imps tucked in." Adam's not buying a word of her performance. She's so like Ana was at that age. Her tone might be contrite, but there is that little undercurrent that shines through to those who know that says she's not sorry at all. Adam's not a pushover like Ray was so she'll either learn her lesson or find herself in timeout a lot until she does.

"Night, Mommy. Daddy. Love you." Teddy knows when to raise the white flag of defeat and wisely gives up.

"Night Teddy. Night Hope. We love you. Sweet dreams. See you when you wake up." Ana and I croon back.

"Night, glad you be okay even if we gots in trouble…love you. Aunt Ana and Uncle Chris." Hope sniffles out.

"See you in a few. Oh, and don't think that you're off the hook either, Baby sister. You're benched indefinitely. Gotta set a good example for the little ones and all that…" Adam ends the call.

"How benched?" Ana whimpers.

"We're doing a complete overhaul of the fortieth floor. Logan's set on a complete security overhaul. Ros want's it more esthetically pleasing and less streamlined. She also wants a nursery and play area set up there and Logan does as well again for security reasons. Your SIP executive offices are getting the entire South Corner while you're CEO office is being moved where my conference room is now. I'm not letting you out of my sight anytime soon. Does that answer your question, sweets?" I kiss her nose.

"Nope, if overhauling Grey House and moving me up by you appeases your fury at me even a little then I'm fine with it." She gives in with a heavy sigh.

"Still on slow boil, baby. Smart of you to just give in." I carefully gather her up into my arms and carry her out of the SUV and into the house where Mom and Marcus are not so patiently waiting.

Well there you have it, a mixed bag emotion wise, and you got your Teddy and Hope fix!:)

Hope you liked it.

For those of you suffering from the endless snow falling and the deep freeze stay warm and safe!

Cin xoxo