Chapter 13 - Plan B

Gideon

"Can I get you something, Grace?" I ask when I get up to step out of the room for a moment.

"No, thank you, darling, but you should go home, you look tired." She says and I shake my head.

"No, I'm not leaving until Ana is awake, she is so stubborn... I'm afraid she just doesn't want to wake up." I whisper, Christian is still out of it, but just in case he can hear us I don't want him to worry about his wife.

"We can't think like that, she'll wake up when she is ready." Grace says. I admire my mother in law, she hasn't left the room once since Christian came out of surgery and I know she won't leave him out of sight until she is convinced he will get better.

For a moment my own mother comes to my mind. I haven't seen Elizabeth Vidal in years. After my stepfather left her and the country she moved on with another rich man and has relocated to Los Angeles. She hasn't tried to contact me once and although between my aunt Carla and Grace I'm not lacking motherly love, it's in moments like these when I see a mother's love so clearly before my eyes that I wish my own mother could have given me this kind of love.

Outside the room I see Taylor and Angus waiting for me and we find an empty waiting area.

"Hyde?" I ask.

"He confessed that he never intended to murder Mrs. Grey. Over time the sick bastard has become obsessed with her. His plan was to kidnap her and keep her to himself."

"Have you called Donald?" I ask Angus and he nods. Donald Avery is an old college friend of mine who happens to be a judge now and he owed me a favor, which I told Angus to cash in for me now.

"Hyde is back in jail, Sir. Mr. Avery has revoked his parole so he is back behind bars to serve his time in addition to what this little stunt will get him."

"Good, do we know who took the pictures of my aunt and the kids?"

"We have a lead." Angus says and looks really uncomfortable.

"Who?" I demand.

"You brother's last known address was near the Florida Keys, Sir. We don't have a connection between him and Mr. Miller yet, but we are looking into it. It just looks too suspicious to let it go."

"Find out where Christopher is, I know he is broke and desperate, if he was in on it get Plan B into motion." I say and he nods, while I get a coffee for Grace and head back to the ICU.

Years ago, when my half-brother was constantly high and a threat to my sister, I decided to give him one last try, so he went into rehab and I told him to leave New York and start over as far away from our little sister as possible. I even gave him some money to make sure he would leave. It wasn't a fortune, but enough to start fresh and make something out of his life, which of course he didn't.

For a while our mother would put money into his account, but her new husband put an end to it, after Christopher came to their place, got drunk and tried to get lucky with our new stepsister Marianna, who was fifteen at the time.

Since then our mother has cut all ties with him and he has been pretty much on his own. I had someone make sure he stays away from New York and the last I've heard was that he found himself a sugar-mama in Florida. Yet I always had a plan b ready to be set into motion in case he would try anything to harm my loved ones ever again. If he took the photos of Ana's kids he will get what's coming to him.

I have just reached the hallway of Ana's and Christian's room when I hear Ana's piercing screams. I run into the room to find Grace trying to somehow stop Ana from screaming and hurting herself, because she is thrashing around ignoring the fact that she has an IV line attached.

"Ana darling, please stop." Grace begs and I see Christian stirring. Shit, that's the last thing he needs. I grab Ana wrapped up in her blanket, take the IV bag and carry my hysterical sister out of the room, before she is waking Christian up.

"Over here, Mr. Cross." Taylor calls out and holds a door to an empty room open, so I carry her inside place her on the bed and attach the IV-bag to the stand by the bed.

"Ana... Ana stop it!" I try to calm her, but it's not helping, so I get her into a sitting position and grab her face between my hands.

"Enough! Listen to me, Ana... it's enough with the screaming, will you listen to me?"

"It's my fault, I killed him." She whispers and tears start to run down her face. Fuck, she thinks Christian is dead.

"Ana, Christian is not dead, he was in the room with you when you woke up."

"No... no, I saw him he got shot and he ... he is dead, Gideon."

"No, listen to me Ana, Christian was shot, but he didn't die. The bullet missed his heart, but injured his lung. He underwent surgery and he is still weak, but the Doctors believe he is going to make a full recovery."

"No... he is dead and it's my fault." She sobs.

"Christ, listen to me, Anastasia Grey, your husband is across the hallway in a different room. Now, I will bring you back into his room so you can see him, but you can't get hysterical, scream, cry or do anything to upset him or even wake him up. He needs to rest so he can recover and..."

"Gideon?" I turn around to find Grace.

"Christian is awake, he heard Ana scream and is very upset, he is trying to get up to find her."

"Fuck, do you hear this Ana, now can you keep it together for Christian?" I ask her again, the stubborn fucker is probably about to get up just to find his wife.

"He is alive?"

"Yes, come I'll get you back into his room, but remember, he needs to rest. Any kind of stress is bad for him."

"Please I want to see him."

"Fine, hold on." I pick her up again and this time I sit her down in the chair next to the bed Christian is lying in.

"Mr. Grey, we have to sedate you if you don't stop to move around, you have internal stitches!" A nurse tries to reason with him while my stubborn sister somehow manages to get up and lean over him, which at least makes Christian stop moving, but I can see Ana's legs buckle dangerously telling me that she will be on her ass on the floor any second, so I step behind her to steady her. Jesus Christ, these two are so fucking stubborn and obsessed with each over it's unreal.

"I'm here." Ana whispers and I can tell that she is trying not to break out into full on sobs.

"Ana..."

"Pssst, I'm good, I just had a terrible nightmare... but I'm good now. You need to rest, okay?" She says and thank the lord he falls asleep again, while Ana sacks against me so I lift her up and carry her back to her bed.

"Better?" I ask and help her to take a few sips of water.

"Will he be fine?"

"Yes, he will need some time to recover, but he's going to make it. Once he is better I'll kick his ass for the stupid stunt he pulled... good thing you are a woman or I would kick your ass too." I grumble, but at this point I'm just exhausted and want to go home to see my wife and kids.

"Sorry... please don't be mad." She mumbles.

"Ana, I fucking pissed at both of you... I get that he lost it after the old fucker threatened your kids, but going on a suicide mission is just not cool. Same goes for you... but I'm just happy both of you will be fine." I admit and kiss her forehead.

"The kids are back home, I don't think Christian is up for visitors for a few more days, but maybe aunt Carla can bring them to see you."

"Yes, please let her bring them here... what happened after I passed out?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow, you need to rest too, but don't worry, the old fucker and Hyde are out of the picture."

"Good." She murmurs and her eyelids start to flutter before she is out of it too.

"Well, that was something else." Grace says and slumps down in the chair.

"Tell me about it. Do you want me to take you home? My aunt will be here any minute to sit with them?"

"No, I don't want to leave them just yet. I sleep in this chair and go home in the morning. You go home to your wife and children." She says so I give her a brief hug and head outside where Angus tells me he'll fetch the car.

"You should get some rest too, Taylor."

"My shift ends in two hours, Mr. Cross." He replies and I just nod before I head outside where Angus pulls up with the car.

"We have made preparations for plan b, Sir. If we can confirm that your brother took the pictures, we can set it into motion with an hour." He says and I nod. I won't have my brother killed, but I will make sure he goes behind bars and never gets out. I have all the contacts I need to make it happen. Now, I just need to know if he has crossed the line yet again and if so Christopher Vidal will find himself as someone's bitch for the rest of his life... and I won't lose any sleep over it.

Ana - One week later

"There perfect... I knew the man I married was somewhere beneath all of this facial hair." I giggle and put the razor away after I finished shaving Christian's beard off.

"I could have done that myself." He grumbles, to say he is not in the best of moods since he is still in the hospital would be an understatement, but the Doctors haven't allowed him to go home so far and from the looks of it he has to stay another week. I have to say though he gets better everyday and was even allowed to get up this morning.

"I know, but I like taking care of you." I reply and rub my nose against his now smooth skin making him smile.

"God, as soon as I'm out of here I'm going to fuck you into next week, Mrs. Grey." He says and I laugh.

"There will be none of that until we have your doctor's approval, Mr. Grey."

"You could just sit on me, I won't move..."

"Stop it, Christian. You need to heal first, no funny business."

I can see that he wants to argue, but we are interrupted by Taylor entering the room.

"Gail has sent your lunch over, Sir, Ma'am." He says stiffly and leaves.

"He is really fucking pissed at us." I mutter and Christian sighs.

"Fuck me, each time he steps inside the room I expect him to beat the shit out of me. I hope he is not going to quit." Christian says as I start to unpack our lunch.

"I don't think so, but I'm sure once you are home he will sit us down like naughty three year olds to lecture us. Man, I'm not looking forward to that, each time he calls me Ma'am I want to cringe." I confess and Christian chuckles.

"We'll live, how are the kids?"

"Sam and Teddy are fine, Phoebe is a bit cranky because I'm always here and she misses you and Aria had a rough night because the new formula we tried made her gassy, but she was better in the morning."

"I miss them, have someone bring them over today."

"Are you sure?"

"Baby, I have survived hurricane Mia, evil eye Kate and both our brother's promising me to knock me on my ass for being stupid as soon as I get out of this bed, so I think I can manage to see my children. Baby, what are you doing?" He asks and I frown.

"Cutting your food."

"Ana, you don't have to do that, I think I can manage to cut my food."

"You are still not allowed to move around much, open." I mutter and lift a fork full of food to his mouth which he snaps shut.

"Ana talk to me, what is wrong, you have been babying me for the last seven days now. My mom says you barely sleep and you are not yourself."

"Well, excuse me but witnessing ones husband get shot and believing he is dead doesn't want to make me want to be all smiles all day." I snap and regret it instantly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you."

"No, I get that you are angry, but I feel like there is more." He says and I sit down on the edge of his bed.

"While I was unconscious I had nightmares... all kind of different scenarios and in each of it you died and it was my fault... I still have them when I sleep... because I know."

"Know what?"

"That it was my fault you got shot. I had my other gun with me, but I didn't use it, I should have used it right away... but I didn't and you got shot because of it."

"No, that is not true, Ana. I got shot, because I acted like an idiot and ran right into that bastards trap. Worse, I took your gun with me when I don't even know how to use these damned things. It's not your fault, I put us both at risk, if anything it's my fault."

"No! It's all my fault and..."

"Baby, stop it, we can't keep blaming ourselves, it's done and now we have to move on." He says points to the plate and opens his mouth. I grab the fork and to lighten the mood I make helicopter noises.

"Here comes Charlie Tango, open wide, Mr. Grey." I giggle and he chuckles to, but allows me to feed him, which I know he does solely to make me feel better.

Gideon

"Come to bed, babe I'm lonely in our big bed without you." Mia purrs and I smile up at my wife. Man, I'm one lucky son of a bitch, even after four kids my wife looks smocking hot, especially now dressed only in a midnight blue silk nightgown that hugs all of sexy curves.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes tops, I have to wait for a call. Don't fall asleep." I order and she grins.

"Oh, you bet I will be awake." She winks at me, blows me a kiss and leaves my study while I pour myself a whisky and light a cigar.

Plan b is in motion as of this evening. Angus did find a link between Christopher and the old bastard, but he has found even more. Apparently the cougar Christopher was taking advantage of put him in his will and she has been getting weaker and sicker ever since.

Unfortunately, she was also how Miller knew Christopher. His late wife and she had been old friends from High School and when he made the connection between Christopher and me, and therefore Ana and him, he took advantage of the fact, that my brother hates my guts and would do anything to hurt me, even if innocent children get hurt in the process.

It's over now, he has finally crossed the line so far, there is no coming back. When the burner phone rings I take it and just listened.

"The job is done, Christopher Vidal has been caught by the police with five pounds of cocaine in his car. The old lady is at the hospital, he poisoned her, he won't ever leave prison."

With that the call ends and I destroy the burner phone. Taking a last sip of my whisky, I get up and smile. My brother watched me getting raped when I was just a boy, he called me liar when I confessed, harassed and terrified our little and put Ana's children at risk, but now it's over. All the bad guys have been caught and we can move on into more happy and carefree future...