Chapter 2 - Don't go into the woods!

Ana

The closer we get to Safe Haven the more excited I get. There are so many fond memories this place holds for me. After all it was where I found my oldest son and it was Safe Haven where Christian and I reconnected.

I'm also looking forward to seeing all the kids and just having a fun day outside with them and my family. I just wish Christian could have gone with us too, but he couldn't blow this meeting. Maybe we can all go after Aria is born, because I'm sure Christian won't allow me to make the trip again while I am still pregnant.

I get where he is coming from though. If I was to go into labor it would be a two hour trip to the hospital or I had to go to a different hospital closer by, which would cause my darling control freak to completely freak out. Truth be told, I don't want to deliver in a different hospital either. Not when I have to have a cesarean. I don't know why, but the process still scares me and I know I'll be more comfortable with it when I know the doctor and some of the nurses.

"Mommy, I need to pee." Teddy announces after we have made a stop just three minutes to go.

"Why didn't you tell me when we stopped at the gas station, sweetheart?"

"Didn't need then." He says and I want to roll my eyes, every time we make a longer car ride we make sure to stop for bathroom breaks and it's always the same, one of them has to go just after a stop.

"There is a McDonalds over there, Ana." Sawyer points out.

"Great, can you take him, Luke?" I ask, because I really don't want people to stop and take pictures of me the entire time. In addition Teddy doesn't want to go into the ladies room anymore and there is no way I am going into the men's room.

"Sure." He says and I ask him to get a milkshake for each of us before he and Teddy leave the car.

It's funny, Christian's security was a group of burly guys who would barely smile or really act human most of the time. Now they are all family guys, taking the kids to the bathroom, playing with them and Sawyer even endures to watch endless hours of Disney movies with the kids and allows Phoebe to play dress up with him.

He doesn't know it, but Christian still has a picture of Luke wearing pink lip gloss, a feather boa and red nail polish on his phone and it has us in stitches each time we look at it.

I guess their more family friendly side stems from the epic tantrum I threw when Sam was four years old and told me that he had to take a shit. I nearly choked on my own spit when he told me that and I made Christian and all the security guys come into my study back at home in Seattle where I gave them an hour long lecture about things I don't want them to say in front of young children.

Once they are back we are all enjoying our milkshakes, so the rest of the drive goes by in peace and just when Luke parks the car Mia and Gideon arrive.

I help the kids out of the car and the hurry over to their cousins Matthew, Celina, Brianna and Zoe.

All four of their children are simple adorable, though I have a feeling that little Zoe will grow up to be a troublemaker. Even now, at the age of 17 months she has this mischievous gleam in her eyes, so I just know that this little one will give Gideon a run for his money.

"Hey Sis... look about the picture..."

"No! Don't say it... oh man, why would you bring that up, I almost forgot about it." I whine and Gideon laughs.

"Well then, let's move on. " He grins and I shake my head with a smile.

"You almost shocked me into labor with that one, you know?"

"Can't wait to meet my niece." He shrugs and Mia joins us.

"Hi little Aria, auntie Mia can't wait for you to come out, so I can cuddle and kiss you, little munchkin." She say while caressing my belly.

"Hi Mia, it's good to see you too." I giggle and we hug.

"Sorry, I just can wait for our newest family member to arrive." She says and I grin.

"Baby fever?"

"A bit maybe, but Gideon and I want to wait until Zoe is out of the terrible two's. I'm not going through the same hell the twins gave us when we brought Zoe home ever again." She says and I have to agree. While Celina and Brianna are usually little angels, they turned into little devils when Zoe was born. Both Grace and my Mom stayed with them to help with the girls, so they wouldn't have the time to throw jealousy fits all the time.

"It's probably for the best..." I tell her and hold my belly when my I feel another bout of braxton hicks hit me.

"Shit, do not go into labor now, Sis." Gideon says and helps me to the wooden bench next to the front door.

"It's just braxton hicks, I'm fine and don't you dare and call Christian." I mutter and my body relaxes again.

"That better be braxton hicks, Shorty. Because I will call Christian if I think you are in actual labor."

"Yeah yeah." I mutter and after another minute I feel good enough to go inside. And like every time I am here it feels a tiny bit like coming home.

Because of the good weather we are all outside playing when Sam accidentally kicks his soccer ball into the wrong direction and it disappears into the woods surrounding the house.

"I get it, Mom." Sam calls out to me but I stop him.

"No, you know the rules young man, you are not allowed to go into the woods." I tell him and walk towards the huge old trees.

"Wait Ana, I'll get it." Luke says as he comes to stand beside me.

"No, it's fine, I need to walk a bit anyway, my back is killing me and walking feels good right now... oh gosh, don't look at me like that. It's perfectly safe, Luke. I just don't want the kids to run around the woods alone, because they'll probably have so much fun that they lose track of time and won't find their way back in the dark." I explain, this time really tempted to roll my eyes at him and take off.

I start to look around, but for the life of me, I just can't find the freaking soccer ball. It's like it just disappeared into thin air. So, I continue to walk around looking for it and before I know it, I have walked way deeper into the woods than I wanted too. I can't even see or hear the kids anymore.

Screw it, I'll buy Sam a new soccer ball. Deciding to go back I turn around and come face to face with a woman about my age or maybe a couple of years older. She looks oddly familiar, but I can't place where I have seen her before.

"Gosh, you scared me." I murmur and sense immediately that I am in a bad situation because she doesn't smile or show any reaction.

"Well, Mrs. Grey, I have been following you for a quiet a while now, but it was really hard to get you alone." She says and her tone of voice makes my skin crawl.

"Why do you want to talk to me alone?" I ask and this time she smiles, but it is not a good smile.

"I want to sent a message to your husband. Now move!" She says and I know I have to get help and soon.

"LUKE! GIDEON HELP!" I scream just before I see the gun.

"Wrong move, Anastasia! Now keep going or I'll shoot you in the stomach to make sure they won't be able to save either of you." She hisses and roughly shoves me in the direction she wants to go.

In the far distance I hear Gideon and Luke scream my name frantically, but I do not dare to call out for them again, not after she threatened me to shoot me in the stomach. Instead we reach the road where an old shabby car is parked and the woman forces me into the back seat.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask and start to shiver, this is bad... really bad.

"Shut the fuck up!" Is all the answer I get and so I stare out of the back window of the car where I see Gideon and Luke reaching the road and staring at me in horror as the car and me with it disappears.

Please God, let this be only about money... Christian and Gideon will give her whatever she demands... but please don't let her hurt my baby...

Gideon

"Fuck Luke! What made you think that it was a good idea to let a highly pregnant woman go into the fucking woods alone, you idiot?" I hiss at Luke. Fucking idiot!

Christ, one would think as a security guard he is more on his game, but he really fucked up this time. Ana could fall and break her neck or god knows what else and now we can't fucking find her! That idiot better prays that we find her in one piece or I'll beat the shit out of him!

"Let's split." I mutter and then we hear it.

"LUKE! GIDEON HELP!" Ana's screams echoes through the woods and I know immediately that she is danger. My sister is always calm and collected, for her to scream like that something must be very wrong.

"ANA?" I scream back while running into the direction her scream came from. When I don't hear anything else from her, I feel panic kicking in. If she doesn't answer it means she either can't anymore or someone is keeping her from calling out for us... neither of these options makes me feel any better.

"The road!" Luke calls out and we run towards it. The first thing I see is a car taking off and then I see her, my sister on the backseat of that old death trap and she looks absolutely terrified.

Both Luke and I start to run, following the car, but it's a losing battle, the car speeds away and soon it is out of our sight.

"Call the cops!" I yell at Luke.

"Sir, according to protocol..."

"Fuck your protocol, Sawyer! My sister was just kidnapped, now get the mother fucking cops, we are losing time here!" I scream... and finally he makes the call while I grab my phone and dial Mia.

"Hey Gideon, where is Ana... I thought I heard her scream..."

"Mia, get the kids and go inside, now! Lock all the doors and don't let anyone in until I am back."

"What is wrong, you are scaring me."

"Someone just kidnapped Ana and I need you to get yourself and the kids into the house."

"What... oh my god I ... I ... Gideon what are we going to do?" She stutters.

"Mia, fucking get the children inside now!" I yell at her. I have never yelled at my wife before, but whoever took Ana could have help just waiting to kidnap Mia or the children too.

"Yes... of course."

"I love you, sweetheart, don't let anyone you don't know into the house." I tell her and hang up.

"The cops are on their way... I'll wait here for them."

"Good, I'm going back to the house where I have to call my brother in law to tell him what happened." I growl and hurry back to the house where Mia and some of the staff is keeping the kids occupied, so I call Christian.

"Gideon, I'm in the middle of a fucking meeting, this better be good." He snaps and I feel sick.

"Christian, you need to come to Safe Haven now."

"Where is Ana? Is she in labor... is it one of the kids?"

"It's Ana... I had to take a call and when I returned she wasn't there... fucking Luke allowed her to go into the woods alone to look for Sam's soccer ball... Christian... someone took her... I tried to get to her in time, but she was already in a car and it took off with her in it." I ramble and stop waiting for his reply.

For the longest time he says nothing and finally I hear Taylor.

"Mr. Cross what happened?"

"Someone has kidnapped Ana about 10 minutes ago. The police is on their way, I have Mia and the kids under lockdown at Safe Haven, get Christian here and inform the rest of the family."

"Fuck... how?"

"No time, just fucking get him here." I snap and hang up. This is a disaster and suddenly I realize that this situation is even worse.

Ana has to have a c-section, if she goes into labor both she and the baby could die.

Please hold on, Sis... we'll find you... and if it's the last thing I do, I promise to bring you home safe.


New chapters for A Different Life and The Mile High Club will be up by the end of the week.