Disclaimer: I own nothing...
A/N: So here I am! Back with an update after I kept you waiting ;) Enjoy and know how thankful I am! Don't expect a mass of baby meetings, they're to come, but my muse wasn't playing right for one straight chapter so it wrote this - what seemed to be - never ending chapter!
So slowly getting better, but even more exhausted than ever – Enjoy, even with mistakes!
Fifty Shades Abandoned – Chapter Forty-Four
Ana woke up to hear a baby crying and it took her a few minutes to realise it was actually her baby that was crying. As surreal as it was, she acted on intuition and turned to face him, seeking him out and she found him in the arms of her husband. She had to smile at his sweet cooings at the baby as he tried to calm him down.
"Christian," Ana managed to say as she shifted a little. "He's probably hungry," She croaked at her husband and put her hands under the sheets to push herself up. Tiredly she hissed with pain, but didn't stop until she was sitting up a bit better and she looked to her husband, "Give him here and then call for a nurse please, Christian."
"I was trying not to wake you," He told her apologetically. "I know you need your rest."
"We have a newborn, I won't be getting much rest," Ana joked and put her hands out, "C'mon, pass him here and grab me a nurse. I'm not sure what I'm doing but I'm pretty sure he's hungry."
Doing as his wife said, Christian allowed her to have the control right now seeing as he felt like he was more than out of his depth. He watched as she naturally cradled their soon, soothing him and talking to him. He smiled hard as he realised that motherhood was made for Ana regardless of her age, the love she had was timeless and enduring.
Leaving Ana, Christian went to grab a nurse. He wanted to watch Ana and his son forever and not miss a moment of it.
Ana ran her finger around her son's tiny face and she smiled at the sight of him just opening his eyes and trying to gain focus of his new environment. Already she could see how Christian's genetics fell into place and how they mingled with hers and she had to say that she was proud to say she got the one thing she really wanted – A healthy mini Christian.
"She'll be in, in a minute, but they're not happy about you being up at this time in the morning. They wanted to move the baby out of the room and down to the nursery but my refusal is costing me a lot of dirty looks."
Ana giggled a little, "I do love when you go all Fifty," She announced and watched Christian grin at him. "Take him, Baby, I'm not sitting very comfortably," Ana said as Christian came in and Christian stepped in immediately and took the baby. Ana bit her teeth as she tried to find the spot that would soothe her aching body and allow her to enjoy this moment.
"You really want to breast feed?" He asked her as he looked down at his son and then to his wife.
Ana looked at her husband in shock, "Yes, Christian, why wouldn't I?"
"It's just not a lot of women opt for it that's all," Christian said as he began to pace beside her bed to calm the baby.
Crooking an eyebrow, Ana looked to her husband, "I thought we established that I'm not a lot of women, Mr. Grey."
"This is true," Christian chuckled and looked at his son, "That's right, Teddy, your mommy is not like a lot of other women. In fact she is pretty much one of a kind and it'll serve you well to know that from your age."
Ana sighed happily as she watched her husband and son. She knew Christian would be an amazing father, but this exceeded even her high expectation and she knew she didn't want to see anything else.
She watched a new nurse come in she hadn't met before coming, but was quickly acquainted with her as Nurse Della. "Give that precious little thing to me and get ready to help me get your wife comfortable," The aging nurse said, obviously not caring that said husband was Mr. Christian Grey, one of the wealthiest men to grace the world.
Allowing her to take his son with extra care, Christian looked at Ana as her body start to look tired and weary, "What do you need me to do?"
"Just get ready to fluff her pillows for added support," Nurse Della said as placed Teddy down into the cot and then turned to face Ana. "We didn't want you to have this type of disturbance, Mrs. Grey," The nurse said as she rose the bed up to support Ana, smiling as Christian fixed the pillow. "Ideally we would have wanted that little fella to stay in the nursery so you could get a full night's sleep."
"I just wanted him close," Ana mused with a scrunched up face as she fell back onto the pillows for their support.
"We understand that," Nurse Della commented, "It's going to be quite a painful recovery for you, but believe me, your baby's love will make it all worth it," She told her Ana with a bright smile. She then went over to the plastic cot that was situated next to the bed and got the fussing baby out and went to Ana's side. "Now all you need to do is guide him and let him latch on. Don't force him, he'll know what he wants believe me."
Ana took the baby and cradled him, keeping his tiny body close. Keeping her left hand under Teddy's body, she reached up with her right hand and moved the hospital gown, satisfied they had put her in one that tied up at the front and wrapped around her body rather than down the back. It made this so much better and so much less embarrassing.
Wondering how long she would struggle with this, Ana gasped as she felt her son suckle softly before picking up his speed and drinking greedily. She looked up at Christian, his face covered in awe as she broke into a smile that then melted into sweet tears.
"You're obviously a natural," Nurse Della told Ana impressed. "I'll leave you to it. You don't need me now," She continued with a smile, "When you're done, put a towel over your shoulder and burp him, if you want some guidance, call me back in. It's my job to help the new mothers." She reassured as she got up, "There's a towel and some wipes there for you," She pointed to the end of the bed, moving them closer as she went to leave.
"I think between us we might manage it," Christian quipped confidently. If his wife could be a natural, Christian hoped he could be.
"I don't doubt you there," She gave Christian a smile. "By the way, your money won't work on me, Mr. Grey. I'm a nurse first, mother and wife second, and a gold digger last. Don't try that money crap with me."
Ana couldn't help but laugh as Nurse Della left the room and Christian looked as though he had just been forcefully slapped. "Teddy," Ana spoke down to her greedily eating son, "I think your daddy just got told."
Christian sat on the bed, laughing with his wife. God, this life was becoming perfect. "You look exhausted," Christian comment at her, noting how her eyes were struggling to stay open.
"I've kinder forgotten about it all until now," Ana said as her body registered everything she hadn't been really aware of. She looked like her husband, "I feel like absolute crap so I dread to think what I look like."
"You look absolutely gorgeous," Christian remarked honestly. "I've never seen you look more beautiful than you do now." He continued without a lie to his tone. Of course he couldn't deny how pale she was and how exhausted and heavy her eyes were, but sitting there with her son doing the most natural thing as he breastfed, Christian couldn't deny that this was a sight was one to behold.
Feeling Teddy slowly giving up on suckling, Ana knew her son was fully fed and happy. "I think you might need to burp him," Ana commented as her son began to push with his tiny hands, "I don't have the energy to do it, Christian."
"Don't worry," Christian stepped in; taking the towel the nurse had left and slung it over his left shoulder before leaning in and picking up his son from his mother's chest. "I've got this bit covered; you just clean yourself up and then get comfortable."
"Is that an order?" Ana quipped as she reached for the wipes that Della had left and Christian just gave her a perfectly stern nod. As she worked the excess milk off, Ana couldn't resist a yawn and hated that her cleaning up job of herself wasn't going to well.
"It's an order that looks like I'm going to have to do myself," Christian commented with a little piece of greed in his tone. He had no problem helping out his wife.
"Sorry," Ana blushed, "I'm just so tired all of a sudden."
Christian, having successfully burped his son, went and put him down in the plastic cot before sitting on the bed with his wife, taking the wet wipe from her hand and carefully and gently cleaned her up. He smiled at this mini bit of control and lapped up being able to look after his wife. When he looked up at her he saw that her eyes were closed. He removed his hand and covered her back up, pulling the sheet up a little.
"Don't leave me," Ana breathed and reached out to her husband. "I want Teddy and you."
"Baby, you need to sleep," Christian said and leaned in and kissed her. "So you just close your eyes and sleep."
"I settle better with him on my chest," Ana told her husband with a slight puppy dog look. Her husband didn't even argue, obviously took tired himself and he just went and collected Teddy up in his arms and handed him to Ana.
"Let me move the bed down a little and we'll get you both tucked in," Christian said and adjusted the bed height before looking down at his most cherished sight.
"Come to bed, Mr. Grey," Ana said as she began to grow sleepy and was following her son's perfect example of what they should be doing. "And don't even argue with me. I went through a nearly twenty hour labour and a near death experience for you to get this immeasurable piece of happiness."
Seeing his wife and child, Christian could do nothing but crawl on with her and bring in the new dusk with them both in his arms.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Fifty Shades Abandoned -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Hey Ana," Sawyer whispered from the doorway the next morning.
"What?" Ana asked turning her attention away from the window to look at him. She had zoned out mega once Christian had left to actually find food and fresh air and she had no idea what to do with herself. Teddy was too far out of reaching distance and she didn't have the energy to get out of bed just yet.
"I think I've just pulled myself a lovely Latino nurse," He commented after the same nurse had been given him the same look every time she walked passed.
"Oh," Ana giggled at that statement, "How you going to pull her in for the entire Luke Sawyer delight?"
"Wear a pair of your heels?" He asked seriously and then broke into a smile, "What? You did tell your husband he'd probably find me in a pair of them before he found me in you."
Ana did laugh but ceased up, "Oh crap," She muttered as her stomach prevented her from doing something she actually looked to do.
"Ana? You okay?" Sawyer said, leaving Ryan at his post by the door. Since Teddy's birth, security was on the up and Sawyer had been given orders to keep Ana entertained as well as well guarded.
"Yeah, just it hurts," She laughed a little lighter that time at him. "I want to check this woman out. What's her name?" She asked, blocking out her own pain.
"Nurse Lopez," He commented to her and then saw Christian coming up the hall. "Your man's on his way back."
Ana smiled as he disappeared from the room and she was left on her own with her sleeping baby and the imminent return of her husband. After last night, she was even more exhausted. She had speculated that because she felt so good at 3am when her and Christian were up then she would feel a million dollars today, but if anything she felt a million times worse.
"Hey, Baby," He said and bent down and kissed her leisurely on the lips. "Mom and dad are on their way with your parents," He said and ran his hand around her face gently, "What's wrong?"
"Why can't you pay to make me feel better?" Ana pouted weakly at her husband and saw him smirk. "I want to be enjoying this and instead I jus-" She didn't finish as all of her emotions took over and she just burst into tears in front of Christian.
"Oh Ana," Christian said and engulfed her enervated body into his arms, being wary of her incision mark. "It's okay, you're okay."
"I can't even be a good mom to him right now, Christian. How can I when I'm scared by every single movement?" Ana asked as she was settled back onto the mass of pillows, "I can't do anything and I feel so helpless to it all."
"Baby, you gave birth last night, please just slow down," Christian soothed her immediately. "I understand that now because Teddy's here you feel like you have to be on the ball, but you don't. You have hospital staff and me and our family to take the strain off for just a little while. You need to rest just like you've been told by that nurse. Take it slow and day to day and enjoy many hugs with our son."
Ana nodded, but dissolved into fresh tears. If she had to admit it then she would be admitting that she hated being this fragile feeling and out of control with where she sat with her hormones and emotions. The pain she was in was almost unbearable and she was scared to admit that she almost missed out on this life, missed out on this completeness she felt.
Saying nothing, Christian made sure Teddy was sleeping before he took his shoes off and crawled in next to her on the bed. He pulled her down and kissed into her hair, whispering delicately at her as he drew her back to her happy medium. When he felt her go heavy against him, he smiled to know that he could get her rest so easily.
Within minutes she was back to sleep having cried her way back into exhaustion.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Fifty Shades Abandoned -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
When Ana awoke again, she was confronted with a sight that made her heart melt. Her best friend, the could-be ice queen from time to time, was sat with teary eyes as she held onto the newest Grey family member.
"Seems you're going to be cheating on your fiancé soon," Ana quipped, her throat dry, but she couldn't resist the urge to tease.
"Look, Teddy Weddy, your mamma wakes up at long last," Kate said to Teddy, pointing at Ana as if the baby would now.
"What time is it?" Ana asked, looking around the room for a clock.
"Coming up three in the afternoon," Kate answered with a smile. There was a sad hint to it – she should be married by now, but it quickly got hidden for a brandish mega watt smile. "You gave us all quite a scare when we found out what happened."
"Sorry," Ana flushed with an apology. "He's worth it though."
Kate grinned, "Christian or my little Teddy-Weddy?"
"Both," Ana sighed with complete contentment. "He was everything I needed him to be through it all, and I know you had your doubts about him, Kate, but he really was everything I needed him to be when I had no control over anything."
"I think I see him for the right reasons now," Kate mused and smiled. "He's not all bad, but still a tad overbearing and controlling."
"I can be just as controlling," Ana pointed out knowingly. "I know how to control and tame him now." Ana was satisfied with that commented, but then she took in the decor in her room. "Where has all this come from?" Ana quizzed as her eyes traced over the mass of flowers and the presents and baby toys which now took precedence in the room, "I mean, there's a hell of a lot."
"Everyone and anyone really has sent stuff," Kate told her friend and looked around and was still amazed how quickly this room had filled up. "Christian and Elliot had to take some of the flowers out. Deciding that the ones from people you didn't know so well would go to the house already. People like business partners that you've never even met and stuff like that." Kate commented, "They've spoilt you and this little man rotten considering you've never met."
Ana smiled, placing her hand to her stomach for some self soothing she searched the room, "Where is Christian?" Ana asked hoping that he was looking after himself at long last.
"Christian has Carrick drawing up a restraining order against Elena after she was spotted trying to get into the hospital. He's also getting more security together seeing as quite a few threats have risen on Teddy already. I shouldn't tell you, but when you have mad Bitch Trolls after you and the like, I think you need a heads up."
"And the drama just never stops," Ana groaned more to herself than anyone. She tried to swallow her fear at the thought of people wanting a baby that now had a bounty over its head.
"We joined the right family, eh?" Kate asked with a small giggle. "How you feeling, Steele? That's the bigger importance here."
Looking to her best friend, Ana spoke with a dry tone, "Never have a baby."
Kate's eyes bulged and she got up and gently eased Teddy down to his mother's arms, "That's the thing. I have something to share." She said as she felt better knowing that Ana couldn't be too shocked if she had Teddy in her arms. "I'm pregnant."
"You're not?!" Ana asked in absolute shock, and her shock that grew as Kate bite down on her lip and nodded to confirm her speculations. "What? When?"
"We found out just before the fundraiser Friday and we were going to share at the wedding, but well that's out of the window now," Kate said with a slick eye roll. "I mean, someone I know went into labour and ruined my wedding day."
At that, Ana just dipped her eye contract and tried to will the tears away.
"Oh, Ana! No, Steele, I'm messing with you," Kate said and made her friend look up so she could wipe the tears away. "Don't cry. I don't hate you. I'm just playing."
"I know," Ana choked on a small sob as she settled back down, "I'm just not dealing with my hormones right now. They're worse than they were before the birth and I don't understand why."
"I can tell," Kate sympathised lightly. "If you ever want to cry just look at this little guy and you remember that you were blessed with this and he will make everything better." She smiled at Ana and then nodded to Teddy, "Try it."
Looking down to Teddy, Ana had to smile. Quickly all of her emotions became futile and she couldn't resist the surge of love that rushed through her and took her to a happy place. This was the life; holding her son, waiting on her husband and bringing a family closer together than ever before.
"He's everything I wanted him to be and more," Ana whispered emotionally. "He's perfect even."
"I think you're just being a little overwhelmed, Ana," Kate commented as put her hand over Ana's body so she could rest and watched Ana gently run her hand around her son's face, her tears forgotten, her lips in small curl of happiness. "I hope I'm as happy as you are when mine and Elliot's little one comes along,"
Ana slowly looked up and smiled in confidence, "You will be, Kate. Believe me, nothing mounts to being able to give the man you love something like this."
"So the drama that happened originally is worth it is it?" Kate asked, her eyebrow arched not ready to believe it really was.
Smiling hard, Ana put her head back and thought back through everything that had happened in the beginning of her pregnancy, "You'd never believe me if I began to telling you how, but it really was worth it in the end."
"I can see by the look in your eye that it was," Kate acknowledged candidly and then smirked as she turned her head a little to the door. "Now I know I hear our men," Kate commented and as if on cue, Christian and Elliot walked into the room.
"You're looking brighter," Christian commented as he went over and kissed Ana a sweet hello.
"That's what laughter does, Mr. Grey," Kate quipped in her normal blunt demeanour.
"Kate," Ana retorted warningly. "I feel better this afternoon. Did you get what you needed sorted?" She watched her husband nod silently and rolled her eyes, "I know about Elena, the restraining order and about the crazies that think they will get a hand on our son."
"Kate!" Christian barked at Kate as she casually sat on the sidelines and shrugged, "I told you to not tell Ana until she was more up to it."
"Hey, I'm more than up for it now," Ana fought her way in. "I hate being mollycoddled, Christian. It feels like I'm not worthy or capable when really I am."
"Cut her a break, Bro. My little lady there is literally indestructible," Elliot spoke enthusiastically as he put his hands on the end of the bed. "Survives life with you daily, a should-have-been killer car crash, a kidnapping, a hostage situation, a beating, a stabbing, A jealous ex, and quite possibly the worse labour ever."
Ana winced at her run of dramatic intervals that had filled her months, "I should be my own movie at this rate," She commented and looked down at her son, her wedding ring glistening up at her as the artificial light hit the diamonds and jewels, "One that is guaranteed a happily ever after."
"I like the sound of that," Christian quickly agreed with his wife, not stealing his eyesight from the sight of her and Teddy.
Ana looked up to Christian before looking to her brother-in-law, "I think you need to come and take this little man and get some practise in," Ana pressed for him to have a cuddle.
"You told her?!" Elliot exclaimed, his eyes bulging. He wasn't stupid to not see what she was hinting at.
Looking to her brother-in-law Kate knew the look he was wearing and pointed to Christian, "You told him!"
"He's my brother!" He cried in defence.
"And she's my sister!" Kate shouted back in the same manner.
"Before this gets a little out of hand, Elliot get here and take your nephew and allow me to know that he's in safe hands with you," Ana broke the potential argument between the two and shot Elliot a fierce look that prompted to listen to her.
It didn't take Elliot long to settle in a chair and Kate go to his side, cooing over the baby as she went. It seemed Kate only needed to be near a newborn to melt her down to a mushy mess. Whilst the pair sat there, Christian climbed on the bed satisfied his son was cared for.
"How you doing?" He asked her, pushing for a more honest answer than a cover up. He put his arm around his wife and they settled down.
Ana smiled, "Happy," She told him and watched his own happiness show through even more. "And sore," She added on with a slight head nod, "But unbelievably happy."
"Me too," Christian said with a smiled before kissing with so much power she moaned a little under its pressure.
Pulling apart, Ana just took her husband's arm as her comfort and settled down.
Sitting there, Christian on the bed holding her as Elliot held his nephew, Kate looking on idolising the man she loved, Ana couldn't help but think one thing: Maybe a baby wasn't more drama, but was a sweet escape offered when the world around them got a little crazy.
Ana just couldn't wait for everyone to get to meet this little dose of heaven.
