Chpt. 22 APOV
"So…I….we should sleep here tonight?" I feel the need to ask again, to verify that this is what he really wants. I keep waiting for him to decide that sharing his room with a baby isn't what he meant by suggesting that Teddy and I move in with him. If this whole mess wasn't going on I'd probably consider having him upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms since the video baby monitor would alert me if he woke up during the night. But as long as he is still after us, I know I won't be able to sleep unless Teddy is in the room with us. Unless I can hear him breathing at night, hear him moving around and hear the little noises he makes in his sleep.
"Yeah you both should sleep here tonight," he leans down and kisses me softly on the lips. "There's plenty of space in my closet for your clothes and probably for Teddy's too depending on how much you have-"
"Christian," I giggle. "You seem to have forgotten I showed up here with just a few duffle bags barely a month ago. Gail and Taylor had a few things waiting for us when we moved in, but most of our clothes could still fit in the duffle bags so I'm sure whatever space you have in your closet will be more than enough for us."
"Fuck that," he hisses. "How the hell did I not know you didn't have more clothes?"
"I-"
"I'll arrange for the personal shopper my mother uses to send over some clothes in the next few days for both of you."
"Christian!" I gasp. "We're both fine; neither of us need more clothes. Besides I have a bunch at my dad's house still. I'm sure when this finally ends my dad could ship them here."
"That's fine, but until then you should have more clothes. I'll have her send over a selection for both of you; anything you don't like, just send back," he's typing away on his phone before I can argue again. "Is there anything else you need? Does this little guy need anything?"
"No, we're both good. Taylor had Sawyer pick up diapers and wipes just the other day; he wouldn't let me pay him for them-"
"Good-"
"You're just like him," I shake my head. "Like I told Taylor, before I started out on the trip that ultimately had me meeting Taylor at that diner, I withdrew cash from my accounts so that it couldn't be traced. I didn't come here empty handed, expecting everyone to pay for everything for me."
I don't mention that I also took cash advances from each of my credit cards which likely destroyed my credit rating, because none of it matters. All I was concerned with at that time and still am is having enough cash on hand to be able to buy whatever Teddy or myself need to keep us safe. I couldn't risk using credit cards and have him track our movements.
"I know you didn't expect anything Ana," his arm is still tightly wrapped around my waist. "I just want to take care of you and Teddy; I'm sure Taylor feels the same way."
"I know, I just feel like I'm taking advantage of both of you by not paying you for back."
"Stop; you're not taking advantage of anyone," he kisses me before I have the chance to argue. I moan the moment his tongue glides across my lips. We both pull back slightly the moment Teddy starts babbling between us. "Stay here tonight okay?"
"Okay."
"Take whatever space you need in the closet, move whatever this little guy needs in here. I'll have Taylor get Sawyer to come up to help move the furniture."
"It's just his crib and dresser for the furniture."
"If you need boxes, just let Taylor know. He'll find whatever you need."
"We're moving in here Christian not out of the apartment," I giggle. I could easily just use a laundry basket to carry all of our clothes in here. "But thank you."
"Sir," Jason knocks on the door startling both of us.
"Enter," Christian says.
"You have a call starting in 10 minutes and Welsh has asked for some time today-"
"Schedule it whenever you can. If I don't have an opening in my schedule get Andrea to move around whatever she needs to."
"Will do sir."
"See if Sawyer can come up here today to move Teddy's furniture in here."
"Uh…I'll contact him."
"I'll see you later," he leans in and kisses me. "I'll be here all day but probably on calls and in meetings via skype most of the day. If you need anything though, interrupt okay?"
"We'll be fine."
Christian heads into his office, typing away on his phone as he walks while I follow Taylor back to the smaller apartment.
"You're moving in with Mr. Grey," Jason states rather than asks.
"Yes," I'm suddenly….nervous I guess which doesn't make any sense. I'm not nervous about moving in with Christian at all but talking to Taylor about it is like talking to my dad about it. God, how I miss my dad; I haven't really talked to him in so long. He called last week for the first time in almost two weeks which worried me. He said everything was fine but that he still suspected he was being watched. Like usual he wouldn't say where he was calling from and kept the conversation very short so the call couldn't be traced. Even though it was only a few minutes, I loved hearing from him.
"Good," Jason's voice pulls me from my thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"I told you before Ana," he turns to look at me. "You need to do more for yourself. If Mr. Grey makes you and Teddy happy and this is what you want, then I'm happy for you. Everything going on right now sucks, but that doesn't mean you should put your life on hold because of it."
"Thank you," I realize in that moment how much I needed someone to tell me that…again.
"And if for any reason things don't work out, you can come back with me and Gail no matter what."
"Thank you Jason."
"I'll let you know when I have the call scheduled with Welch and Barney, you'll want to be there."
"Did they….is he here?"
"No," the firmness in Jason's voice is reassuring. "There's been some developments but no one is in Seattle."
"Yet."
"Yet."
I nod but instead of focusing on what may or may not be happening, I place Teddy in the excersaucer that is in the living room of the apartment before heading into the bedroom I've shared with Teddy for almost the last month. The door is open so I can keep an eye on Teddy as he happily bounces in his little chair while I begin to pack our clothes. Sawyer arrives and with Jason's assistance they quickly move Teddy's crib and dresser into Christian's room. I carry Teddy into the room and lay him on the floor on a blanket so he can stay in here with me while I unpack.
"What's that?" I point to the long boxes sitting on the bed.
"Mr. Grey requested I pick up a room divider," Sawyer explained. "This way the light won't bother Teddy while he's sleeping if either of you need to turn it on when you come to bed."
"Oh," I hadn't thought about that but it would probably be helpful for mornings when Christian has to get up early for work and Teddy is still sleeping.
Jason and Sawyer return to the smaller apartment after setting up the room divider thing which I have to say I'm surprised is actually pretty cute. It's a pale blue with white clouds painted on it; surprisingly it doesn't stand out against the darker colors of Christian's bedroom. It might be an issue when Teddy starts pulling himself up and walking but hopefully by then this whole nightmare is behind us and I can move Teddy to his own room. The crib is snug against the wall, the room divider surrounding it but leaving enough space for me to walk behind it without feeling claustrophobic. His dresser and changing area is next to his crib and after a little while longer all of our clothes are put away.
"What do you think Teddy? You going to sleep here tonight?" I bring him over to show him his new space.
"I sure hope he is," Christian's voice startles me from the doorway.
"You scared me," I giggle.
"Did you get everything moved in or is there still stuff left to come over?"
"No this is everything; we have a few things in your closet but otherwise everything is in the dresser," the box of diapers in his closet looks incredibly out of place but I figured better there than in the bathroom.
"Was this okay?" he gestures towards the divider. "I wasn't sure if Teddy was a light sleeper or not, but I didn't want the light to wake him when we get ready for bed."
"He's generally not a light sleeper, but I think it was a good idea."
"There's another reason I asked Sawyer to pick it up."
"What's that?"
"If he happens to wake up when I'm making love to you-"
"Christian!" I blush at his words.
"Hey, for the last week it's all I've been able to think about."
"Really?"
"God Ana, you have no idea," he chuckles and shakes his head. "Every night I kept hoping you would end up in here again, that I would wake up and find you in my arms again."
"I wanted that too."
"Why didn't you?"
"The last time…it was because you were having a nightmare. Since then, you've been up before me."
"True."
"But I've wanted to come in here, to sleep in here again."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Tonight baby, I'm going to take my time with you. I'm going to kiss every inch of this beautiful body until you're begging me for more. I'm going to take the time I should have taken with you that first night."
"Hmmmm."
"And if Teddy happens to wake up, the divider will stop him from seeing anything he's too young to see," Christian chuckles.
"Oh, I hadn't thought about that."
"Like I said, it's all I've been thinking about since that night," he smirks and kisses me again. "If there's anything you need to move or get rid of in here just do it. I have no idea what is involved in child proofing, but I'm sure I have stuff out that I probably shouldn't. I mean of course there aren't any guns or drugs or anything here."
"I think we're okay for now," I giggle at his concern. "When Teddy starts crawling in another month or two we might have to think about things that he could get into but for right now he was content just rolling around on your floor."
"You just let me know what you need and when. I read that we can hire someone to come in and childproof the entire apartment. Maybe we should do that before he starts crawling? The stairs will need to be gated off or something so he can't crawl up and down them. I think Gail already keeps the cleaning supplies on a high shelf but I'll have her double check-"
"Christian," once again this man manages to surprise me. The fact that he's thought about this warms me. "We'll figure it all out, but for now this is perfect."
"You're sure?"
"He'll be fine," I assure him. "He's been rolling around in here on the floor for the last hour or two while I've been setting everything up with no issues. The only thing I've had to do is move him when he rolled against the wall because he was frustrated because he couldn't keep going."
"You tell me when we need to childproof and I'll hire someone to make sure it's done right."
"I will."
"Taylor was able to get Welch on my schedule-"
"Now?"
"In about five minutes. I spoke with Gail and she's agreed to keep an eye on Teddy while we're on the call in my office if you want. If you'd rather have him in there with us, that's fine. I just thought this way we could focus on whatever Barney and Welch have to say."
"You're sure she won't mind? I don't want to pull her from anything she should be doing-"
"She said she just has laundry going right now but that if our call runs later than planned she said she would bring him into the kitchen while she started dinner. She said he would be fine in the excersaucer in there. But if you'd rather have him in my office, we can bring whatever he needs in there too."
"I think….if you're sure it wouldn't get in Gail's way…."
"I'm sure Ana; if she had something pressing that needed to be done and couldn't watch him she wouldn't have agreed to do so. Why don't you get him whatever he needs before the call starts? Gail is in the kitchen I think or she might be in her apartment. I'll meet you in my office in a few minutes?"
"I'll just grab a few things and put it in a diaper bag for her."
"You know…." He pauses to think. "If I can convince you to take the job I offered, we'll have to order another crib and changing thing for Teddy."
"We will?"
"This way Gail could change him and have him take a nap in the guest room in her apartment if she's working in the kitchen. It would be better than her having to run upstairs or in here each time he needs a diaper change."
"True."
"No pressure about the job though Ana. It's there if you want it; the offer is still open."
"I think-"
"Mr. Grey, Ana," Jason says from the doorway. "The call is about to start."
"We'll be there in a minute," Christian says.
"I'll go find Gail and will be right in."
Christian kisses me softly on the lips before following Jason out of the room. I grab Teddy's diaper bag which I keep packed out of habit or maybe out of fear that we'll have to suddenly leave again. It has several diapers and two changes of clothes in it plus his formula and a bottle. I quickly bring Teddy into the kitchen where Gail is busy making a list at the breakfast bar.
"There's the little guy!" She gushes as soon as I walk in.
"Are you sure you don't mind keeping an eye on him? We're not pulling you away from something?"
"Don't be silly," she puts out her arms and Teddy immediately leans into her causing us both to laugh. "I'm making a grocery list for later this week, but it's nothing that can't wait. It's usually a work in progress anyway, I'll add things as I think of them or when I notice we're running low on something. Teddy and I are going to have a fun time finishing some laundry and playing on the floor with a few toys. When is he due to eat?"
"Within the hour probably. Everything you need is in the bag; the formula and water is premeasured. Plus there's diapers and wipes, changes of clothes-"
"We'll be fine. But if something comes up I'll come get you."
"Thank you Gail, I appreciate this."
"Don't be silly, thank you for trusting me Ana. Now go before Mr. Grey comes looking for you."
"Too late," Christian chuckles from behind me.
"Will you stop sneaking up on me!" I giggle and walk over to him. "I'm sorry is everyone waiting for me?"
"Yes, but they can wait longer if you're not ready."
"No, I think we're good. I'll be back as soon as the call ends Gail."
"We'll be fine, don't worry," she says and walks into the apartment with the diaper bag. I take a deep breath while following Christian to his office, worry immediately filling me. Not because Gail is watching Teddy or that he's out of my eye sight because she's right – I do trust her. I may have had incredible concerns about everyone when Jason first brought me here that night, but all of that has changed. I trust Gail, Jason, Christian and Sawyer with our safety. The worry that fills me has nothing to do with Gail and everything to do with what we're about to hear from Barney and Welch.
"Sorry for making everyone wait," I quickly apologize walking into Christian's office. Jason is already seated at the small conference table where a phone sits in the center. Christian pulls out a chair for me and I quickly take a seat before he sits down next to me. My hands fall to my lap, my leg starts shaking in anticipation of what is going to be said.
"Everyone is here, you can start," Christian instructs.
"As you know from our early morning calls and emails, pictures from the Grey's home that were taken yesterday were posted overnight by a gossip site. The pictures showed Mr. Grey, Ms. Steele and the baby in clear view. The pictures have been since been shared more times than you'd like to know," Welch explains and I immediately shudder knowing what's coming next. There's no way he's going to say that Baxter hasn't seen the pictures yet, not if they've been shared as many times as he is saying they have. Christian surprises me by reaching under the table and taking my hand in his, gentle squeezing it.
"The legal team has succeeded in getting the gossip site to take the pictures however everything shared cannot be removed because some people saved the pictures and reposted them rather than simply sharing the article," Jason explains.
"Baxter Junior has been forwarded the pictures," Barney announces and even though I was expecting it my stomach still drops.
"He knows where we are," I whisper.
"Yes, he knows you're in Seattle," Welch confirms.
"We have audio recording from earlier this morning if you'd like to hear it or we can-"
"Play it," Christian grumbles.
"One moment," Barney says and then static comes through the line before his voice is heard.
"Why the hell are you calling so early?"
"I've found them."
"What?"
"I've found them."
"Where?"
"Seattle."
"What the fuck are they doing in Seattle?"
"Apparently dating."
"Are you fucking kidding me? She's fucking dating?"
"It appears that way, I've sent you the link to the gossip site-"
"She's on a fucking gossip site? What the hell?"
"Apparently she's dating some rich guy who is listed as Seattle's most eligible bachelor. The article is even suggesting that he is the child's father."
"Surely he's denying those rumors?"
"Nothing yet."
"Fuck, we need to get rid of this problem once and for all. I don't fucking need people looking into who the fuck she is and who the baby's father really is"
"What do you want to do?"
"Get the team together and get the fuck out to Seattle today."
"What do you want us to do there? Are we grabbing her like before?"
"No, you guys fucked up last time. Don't grab her until I get there; someone needs to fucking make sure the job is done right this time. Go to Seattle and find a way to grab her and the little shithead. Find out what the security around this rich bastard is like. Find out when she's alone."
"Will do….but if the opportunity arises…"
"If you get a clean chance before I arrive, get her and the shithead. I want both of them together; let's take care of this once and for all."
"Understood. Are we using John again or someone else?"
"John wants in on this one; he plans to make the little bitch pay for the knife in his thigh from the last time. Call him and get him to Seattle with you. Scope out the place, I'll be in Seattle by Wednesday or Thursday. By then I want a plan as to how we can get both of them."
"Fuck," Christian hisses beside me as the call disconnects.
"Isn't this enough? Can't we just go to the cops and give them this recording? It's clear they're talking about…taking me again," I ask.
"We could try," Taylor says but I know from the tone of his voice that's not what he thinks we should do.
"The problem is the call technically was obtained illegally, though I think we could get around that," Welch says. "The bigger issue is that no one is clearly identified as the intended target in the phone call nor is it necessarily clear what they plan to do."
"They're threatening to kill Ana and Teddy!" Christian slams his fist down.
"No, what they said is they need to take care of the problem," Taylor points out. "They never actually say they're going to kill either of them. They do reference grabbing her but they also never actually say Ms. Steele or the child's name. They're smart in that sense. Now if you want we can try to go to the police but at the most Junior will be brought in for questioning at which point-"
"He'll know we bugged his phone," I finish.
"Yes and will lose any chance of keeping tabs on him."
"What the fuck do we do?" Christian sighs.
"We wait; I've already called in an extra team for added security both here and at GEH. This is the safest place for Ana and Teddy at the moment. With added guards in the parking garage and at all exits around the clock, no one is getting up here without us knowing. "
"When Junior realizes he can't get to you, he's going to reach out again. I wouldn't be surprised if we start seeing a flood of emails from him," Welch says.
"That's when we set up the meeting with him," I conclude.
"If that's still what you want to do, yes," Jason agrees. "I would say the end of this week or over the weekend at the latest the meeting will occur. I don't think Junior will waste time getting out here."
"You have enough security?" Christian asks. "If you need to add more-"
"I'm confident in the extra staff coming in beginning today. These are in addition to the team coming in for the meeting with Junior as their skill set is…different."
"So we wait?" I ask.
"Right now, yes," Jason says.
"We have eyes on Junior, two sets in fact," Barney adds. "We will know the moment he leaves his home; he's been looking at airline tickets but so far hasn't purchased any. I think he's going to wait until the last minute to purchase the ticket."
"We've also learned that hospice has been called in for Senior," Welch speaks up.
"Yes, I should have mentioned that," Barney says. "According to the notes from his doctor's appointment this morning, Senior's time is even more limited. The doctor's notes indicate that they are referring him to hospice and the nursing notes confirm that an intake is scheduled at Senior's home for tomorrow morning."
"Obviously we don't know how this plays into Junior's plan, if it does at all," Welch points out.
"It could be a distraction, which could work for us," Christian suggests. "When people are distracted they make mistakes they normally wouldn't make."
"True," Jason agrees.
"Anything else we need to know?" Christian asks.
"Not at this time," Welch answers. "As soon as we have movement you'll be notified."
"Do we need to do anything different?" Christian asks as soon as the call ends.
"No," Jason shakes his head. "We've added several members to the security team who are already in place both here and at GEH. We still have the option of sending you and Teddy somewhere else Ana-"
"No, I'm done running," I say firmly. "I'm done letting him control our lives. I need this to end, I need to be able to move on from this. I want to be able to take Teddy to the park, or go to the grocery store or hell go out for dinner with Christian without looking over my shoulder all the time."
"I understand Ana, but I wanted to make sure you hadn't changed your mind," he replies.
"I haven't," I confirm.
"I'm going to update Sawyer on the call, so he can share the information with our new team members," he gets up and leaves the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
"You're sure this is what you want Ana?" Christian asks.
"I'm sure."
"I can send you anywhere; my jet can be ready to take off within an hour to wherever you want to go-"
"No, I want to stay here. I want to sleep in your bed with you tonight and every night."
"I want that too baby," he leans over and kisses me, teasing my lips with his tongue before wrapping his arm around my waist. He surprises me by lifting me from seat and putting me on his lap, without taking his lips off of mine for a moment. With his arms wrapped tightly around me, there's nowhere else I would rather be. A knock at the door has Christian groaning in disappointment just as I pull back from him.
"Enter."
"Ana, you have a visitor here," Jason surprises me by saying.