There is a little time jump in this chapter... how much time has passed? You have to read to find out ;-)
Christian
"Come here, buddy. I know you can do it, come to Daddy!" I cheer at my son who is sitting just a couple of steps away from me on the floor of the family room. I know he is just ten months old and has plenty of time to start walking, but something tells me that it is going to happen any day now and I just don't want to miss it.
"Hey buddy, look what Daddy has, it's your favorite ball, the one with the rattle inside. Come to Daddy and you can play with it." I tell him cheerfully and hear Ana snort behind, where she is lounging on the sofa watching us.
"He just a baby, Christian, don't rush him. Our little darling will start to walk when he is ready." She says clearly amused.
"He can do it, baby. I know it, he has this look, I can't describe it, it's like he is ready, but too lazy to get his little butt up and walk." I pout and Ana laughs.
"Well, again our son is just a baby, so this is the only time in his life where being lazy is fully acceptable."
"Yeah, yeah." I mutter under my breath and focus on my son again. I have to go away on a business trip next week and I know he will start to walk as soon as I am out of the house, but I don't want to miss that milestone in my son's life.
"MOMMY! DADDY! WE ARE BACK!" We both hear the loud voice of our oldest son accompanied by the sounds of little footsteps running down the hallway and five seconds later our four-year-old son Teddy and his two-year-old sister Phoebe run into the family room, followed by Anya and Barney, who had taken them to an indoor playground.
We didn't think we would have three kids in such an short amount of time, but it just happened. Teddy was just five months old when we found out that Ana was expecting again. It really came as a little shock, but we were absolutely happy to have a second child. With Nicholas, it was a completely different story. Ana told me straight out that she doesn't want a third child for at least another three or four years and I was totally on board with it. After all with a very active toddler and a newborn in the house another baby wasn't something I was even thinking about.
One night though, after I had too many drinks with Cooper and Elliot, I went home and must have been too drunk to put the condom on properly. Four weeks later Ana stormed into my study punched me in the stomach, threw the positive pregnancy test at me and stormed right out of my study again. Fuck, I was really pissed that she reacted like that, so I went after her to really let her have it and found her curled into a ball in her walk in closet; crying so hard she could barely breathe.
So, I just held her in my arms until she slowly calmed down and listened to her. She told me that she had no idea how to do this, having another baby when Teddy had just entered the terrible two's, Phoebe was not even six months old and now there was another baby on the way. Ana was just completely exhausted and didn't know how to take care of another child, while Teddy and Phoebe still needed her so much. So, we came up with a plan. First, I asked my parents to take Teddy and Phoebe for a week, so that I could take Ana away.
We went to the Seychelles where we stayed at a beach villa and just relaxed the entire week. Once back in Seattle I got into contact with different nanny and Au Pair agencies. I'm still not a fan of the whole nanny thing, but with three kids under the age of three, it just seemed necessary to help Ana keep her sanity. Still, I didn't want any of the women the agencies sent over taking care of my kids.
I was about to give up when I came home and found Ana in the kitchen with a teenage girl I had never seen before. She introduced herself as Molly Sanders, a 19-year-old girl from Brisbane, Australia. Apparently, Kate had hired her as Au Pair, but changed her mind the second she saw Molly, who is a very pretty blonde. Ana just so happened to be at Kate's when Kate kicked Molly out and Ana thought she would be a great Au Pair for us.
I wasn't convinced at all, but looked through her resume and was finally convinced when I found out that she is the oldest of eleven siblings and practically grew up babysitting her siblings and later many kids in her neighborhood.
Now, we are so happy with Molly, that she is staying a year longer than she had originally planned and because she is very bright young woman, I have offered her to pay for her education, because she wants to study to become a pediatrician back in Australia.
After finding the right person to help Ana while I am at work, there was only one thing left to do and I am not ashamed to say that I was a bit scared about it. However, after condoms, an implant and the pill had failed us as birth control, I decided it was time for me to get a vasectomy. Because we might want to have one more baby in a couple of years, I had some of my semen stored before I got the vasectomy done and in hindsight it wasn't as bad as I thought.
It might seem like a drastic step, but considering how fast Ana had our three children, even Dr. Greene advised that we had to consider either me getting a vasectomy or Ana getting her tubes tied. There are just too many risks involved for Ana, that I wasn't willing to take chances with her life and health. Ana offered to deliver Nicholas by c-section and have her tubes tied, but I knew that she didn't like how she felt after the c-section when we had Teddy and that she would rather deliver him naturally like she has done with Phoebe, so I went through with the vasectomy.
"Christian, can you help Teddy change? Phoebe needs a bath; she is covered in chocolate ice cream from head to toe." Ana voice pulls me back from my thoughts; I get up from the floor and walk upstairs with Teddy while Anya and Barney are watching Nicky for us.
"Did you have fun with Auntie Anya and Uncle Barney?" I ask Teddy while I am collecting some clean clothes for him.
"Uh-huh, and we had lots and lots of ice cream... and Auntie Anya got reeeaaaalllly mad when an older boy pushed Fee-fee." He says and I spin around to look at him.
"A boy pushed your little sister?"
"Yea, and Fee-fee cried and Auntie Anya got mad and told his mommy that her son is a bully. What's a bully, Daddy?"
"A bully is a person who enjoys being mean to other people, just to make himself feel better. How old was the boy?"
"Dunno, Daddy. Can I wear my superman costume, pwease daddy?" He asks and I pull it out of his closet. Christ, he wouldn't wear anything else if it wasn't for Ana insisting that he can't wear it all of the time.
"Here, but you have to take it off again tonight, you know you can't sleep in your superman costume."
"Okay, Daddy." I help him getting dressed and I know Ana will roll her eyes when she sees what our son is wearing, I know deep down she wants to grab the thing and burn it, but she knows how much Teddy loves to dress up as superman, so she lets him wear it.
Once Teddy is dressed, we go back downstairs where Barney and Anya are playing with Nicky.
"You haven't told us that he is walking. I was completely surprised when he got up and wobbled a few steps." Anya says and I close my eyes. Damn it, now I've missed it.
"He did?"
"No way, see I told you we've witness his first steps! Hah, here I filmed it on my phone." Barney laughs and shows me the video of Nicky wobbling towards Anya. Sure, she bribed him with a cookie, fuck; I should have tried that...
"Can you sent me the video, Barney, oh and something isn't right with my laptop, can you look at it?" I ask him and he nods and takes off into the direction of my study.
"Still no baby fever, Mrs. Sullivan?" I ask Anya smirking and pick up Nicky who seems tired and rests his little head against my shoulder.
"No, maybe in two or three years, I've just graduated and if I want to take over my Dad's company one day I need to have some work experience before I have cute little Barney's running through the house." She grins and I chuckle.
Who would have thought that Anya would turn out as businesswoman one day... and happily married to Barney. Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would end up one day with Barney Sullivan as my brother in law. Though, I have to admit that he is perfect for Anya and he loves her, so that is all that really matters.
"I've put Phoebe down for a little nap before dinner; she was so exhausted she was asleep while she was still in the tub. Did she hurt herself, Anya? Her knees are a little roughed up."
"No, there was this mean little boy, about six or seven, he thought it was a fun thing to do to shove smaller kids out of the way on his way to the bouncy castle and his mother didn't do anything. One second Phoebe was happily playing and the next she was on the floor crying. I nearly punched the boy's mother she was such an arrogant b-i-t-c-h." She spells out the last word because Nicky and Teddy are in the room and I am fuming.
"Did you leave her out of sight?"
"No! I was maybe four feet away from her, helping Teddy to take his shoes off, because he had a knot in his laces and Barney was getting something to drink for them. I had her in my view the entire time, but I wasn't fast enough to catch her before she landed on the floor. The staff of the indoor playground kicked the boy and his mom out a little later, because he started to spit at other kids. Thankfully at this point, I had already made sure that Teddy and Phoebe wouldn't play anywhere near him."
"Do you have the name of that little kid and his mother?"
"No, but I have seen Sawyer having a words with the mother after our little argument." Anya explains and I know Sawyer will have all the information that I want. There might not be a lot that I can do, but at least I can make sure that this little shit won't ever come anywhere near my daughter.
"I think Nicky needs to go down for a nap too."
"I'll take him, come to Auntie Anya sweetheart." Anya takes him from me and takes him up to the nursery.
"Do you want to have a snack Teddy bear?" Ana asks him, but Teddy wants to watch cartoons, we all snuggle up on the sofa together.
"Molly called me earlier; she found the you know what for you know when." Ana tells me and I smile. We have been looking for this stupid singing doll Phoebe wants for Christmas for weeks now and it was sold out everywhere, so when Molly drove down to Portland today to meet a friend of hers, who is also from Australia we've asked her to stop at the big Toys'R'us in Portland to look for the doll.
"Well, looks like we have all the you know what together then. I can't wait for our first family Christmas in Aspen."
We have wanted to celebrate Christmas in Aspen ever since Teddy was born, but either Ana was highly pregnant or something else came up, but this year all is set and we are going to Aspen with the entire Grey - Steele family.
Both Ana's and my parents own a home in Aspen so we have enough space for everyone and Ana and I will host the Christmas dinner. This is going to be an epic feast with all the people that will be there. Apart from our family, Gail and Taylor are going to join us with Sophie and Jamie, as well as Sawyer. He doesn't have a family, so he is usually on duty on Christmas; and Ana insists that he has dinner with us each year.
The one thing I'm a little anxious about is that Ana wants Teddy to get his first skiing lessons. I believe he is too young, but then again I am constantly being teased about being the poster child for an anxious father and I know that even younger children learn how to ski. Mia who had her second child, a boy named Raymond Carrick Steele; just three months ago will stay at the house with the younger children, which is good, because Molly is going home over the holidays.
My little sister... well she still is a handful, but I have to say she has turned out to be an amazing mother and she has even learned to keep her constant chaos at bay. In turn, Cooper has hired a housekeeper after they have moved into their new house, near our parents' place at Bellevue. Elliot and Kate are still happily married and Kate had their first child, a girl by the name of Ava, a year ago.
Over the years, Kate has made several attempts to reconcile her relationship with her parents, but it always ended up with them trying to cause drama and Kate being miserable for weeks. In the end, Elliot has put his foot down and told Kate to stop trying. He knew that Kate just wanted to have a normal relationship with her family, but he made her see that she didn't need them in her life, because she already has a loving a family. The last I have heard of her parents is that her mother caught her father cheating, but I didn't mention it to Kate. The less said about the Kavanaghs the better.
Sadly, Kate is not the only one with a lousy parent. Sophie's mother promised her daughter that they would see each other regularly after Taylor gained full custody of his daughter and after she came to visit her two or three times, she took off with some loser and never contacted her daughter again. A year ago, Taylor flew down to Maryland where she lives now and she signed the papers needed for Gail to officially adopt Sophie. Gail loves Sophie like her own child and Sophie has called her mom almost immediately after she moved in with Taylor and Gail, but we all know that she sometimes misses her biological mother, so we all try to be extra attentive to her on occasions like her birthday and Christmas, when she misses her mother the most.
This may sound harsh, but I believe Sophie is better off without her in her life. At least this way she can't cause more drama or do something to hurt Sophie.
"Your laptop is working again, you had some malware on it, I've upgraded your firewalls. Stupid malware gets more and more aggressive." Barney tells me when he re-enters the family room.
"Hey Barney, do you and Anya want to stay for dinner?"
"Another time, Ana, my parents expect us for dinner."
"Okay, well, have fun." Ana says and I hide my amusement. Barney's mother is something else. Anya calls her the mother in law from hell and I have to say, I wouldn't want to have that dragon as a mother in law for sure.
On the few occasions I have met her, she either criticized Anya or babied Barney to the point where everyone in the room was embarrassed for the poor guy. If it was up to Barney's mom he would have never married Anya and would still be living at home, but Barney found his balls and told her he would get married and move out, if she likes it or not.
Now they have a penthouse in the city, close to both GEH and Ray's company where Anya works.
After they have left, Teddy continues to watch some cartoons while I help Ana to prepare dinner. My skills in the kitchen are still very limited, but I can make some simple meals and I have mastered the skill of chopping meat and vegetables to perfection.
On the weekends Lauren doesn't work, so Ana cooks the meals and I have to say, even though Lauren is a great cook, I'm always looking forward to the weekends to enjoy Ana's cooking.
"Have I told you today how hot you look in those tight jeans?" I ask and brush against her on my way to the sink.
"You did, right after we woke up when you had your way with me and again before you dragged me into the laundry room to have a quickie this afternoon. Are you hoping to get laid again?" She asks amused and I laugh.
"Baby, me getting laid once the kids are in bed is a given, but you do look hot, sexy and very fuckable in those jeans. Especially your ass... damn baby..." I murmur and run my hands over sexy as hell ass.
"Christian, behave! Teddy could walk into the kitchen any second." She scolds... walk.. wait... fuck I haven't told her.
"Damn, I've forget to tell you. Here look at that!" I get my phone out of my pants pocket and play the video Barney has send me for her.
"No way! We missed it! Ohhh, my baby is not a baby anymore." She pouts and sits down.
"Ana, he is still a baby, wait are you having baby fever?"
"Me? No, no more babies for at least three more years. It's just, they grow up so fast, one minute we take them home from the hospital and the next the start to walk and you know, sometimes I just wish they would stay babies forever." She sighs and I kiss her.
"That's just the way life goes, baby. Kids have to grow up and one day they are going to make us grandparents."
"I'll tell you the exact same thing when Phoebe comes home one day and tells us that she is pregnant." She giggles and I have a nightmare vision of my little girl going on dates and being pregnant.
"She is just two years old, Christian, no need to drive yourself insane, yet." Ana laughs and continues to stir our meal in the pot on the stove.
"You are right... now, where was I?" I murmur and stand behind her again, but this time I cup her breasts in my hands. Damn, I loved her tits before, but now after three kids, they have gotten bigger and I just can't keep my hands off them.
"Really Christian? I'm trying to cook here."
"Come on, Phoebe and Nicky are napping and Teddy is watching cartoons, we can lock the door and..."
"I'm thirsty." Fuck, I remove my hands immediately from Ana's tits and turn around to find my four-year-old son looking expectantly at me.
"Sure, buddy, why don't you sit at the table and I'll get you water."
"I'll get it for him; can you please wake Phoebe up? You know she needs at least twenty minutes to be fully awake or she won't eat."
"Sure, baby." I say and pull her closer to whisper into her ear. "Once the kids are asleep I am going to tie you to our bed and have my way with you for hours."
"Looking forward to it, Mr. Grey." She whispers back and I quickly walk up the stairs to wake Phoebe and Nicky up.
Since Ana and I have become parents our life has changed in many ways, one thing though will never change and that is that I am deeply and hopelessly in love with my wife. The mother of children, my lover, my Ana, my more... forever...
One more chapter to go... I will try to get it ready either tonight or sometime tomorrow...