A/N: This chapter jumps days, but I didn't want to post several small chapters.
I wake before Anastasia and climb out of bed as quietly as I can so I don't disturb her. After relieving my bladder and pulling on some pajama pants, I head down to the kitchen to find us breakfast. Since she's eating for two now, I want to make sure she eats plenty and gets the nutrition they both need.
Searching through the fridge, I pull out the eggs and turkey bacon, noting to get the fruit salad and yogurt out later.
Deciding that scrambled eggs are probably safest, I pull out a bowl and crack the eggs...well, try to anyway.
I crack the first egg and pieces of shell drop into the bowl.
"Damn it." I grab a fork and spend the next five minutes fishing the tiny pieces out of the slippery slimy mess.
"Ah ha!" When I get the final piece out, I smile triumphantly.
For the next egg, I'm more careful and only get a small piece stuck which I retrieve rather easily. By the third egg, I get the cracking thing down. Eight eggs should be enough, right?
Looking down at my bowl of unwhisked eggs, I put my hands on my hips and nod. "Good job, Grey. Who ever said cooking was hard?"
It takes me a few minutes looking through drawers before I find the whisk and when I do, I'm pretty damn happy with myself.
I whisk the eggs, whisking them extra long to make sure they're mixed enough and turn the stove on, placing a skillet on it. I wait a few minutes to let it get hot and then pour the eggs into the skillet.
Deciding I'll let them cook on their own, I find the bread and put the slices in the toaster, leaving it on the setting Gail left it on. Next, I grab the granola and decide to try to make the yogurt a little prettier with granola and fruit on it. I find some small glass dishes and proceed to dollup some yogurt into them, adding the fruit salad and granola.
Taking a step back, I eye my creation. "I should have been a chef." I deserve a pat on the back for this shit.
Suddenly, I smell something burning. I turn from the island and see that the eggs are burning.
"Shit!"
I grab a spatula and try to flip them over, but they're stuck to the pan. "What the fuck?!" I do my best to scrape them off the bottom, seeing if there's anything I can salvage.
Suddenly, the smoke alarm goes off. It signals the dogs and they come barreling in to bark at the annoying alarm.
"Fuck! No! Shut up!" I yell at the smoke alarm, pointing at it, as if that's going to do any good. Taking the eggs off the burner, I grab one of the stools at the island and pull it under the smoke alarm. With the high ceilings, I can't reach it, but I get an idea. When I was little, I saw my mother use a towel to wave the smoke away, so I grab a hand towel and climb back up, smacking it at the smoke alarm.
WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?
I wave the hand towel faster and almost lose my balance, making me drop the towel. Unfortunately, the towel drops on the burner that I have yet to turn off and now it's on fire.
I'm going to burn down the fucking house!
I hop off the stool and push it out of my way, getting to the sink. Turning it on full blast, I grab the sprayer and pull it as far as it will go, before squeezing the lever. It sprays...and lands no where near the stove. What the fuck am I going to do? What the fuck? Shit.
"What. Did. You. Do?"
Busted.
Ana comes running in, going straight for the cupboard. She pulls out a small fire extinguisher and runs to the stove, turning off the burner before spraying the stove down. The thick white foam covers the stove and the wall behind it, but the fire is out.
She looks at me and my finger releases the lever of the useless sprayer, and I realize both dogs are wrestling right in the middle of the wet puddle it created. She hurries over to the toaster, which is actually the source of all the smoke, and hits the lever, making the charcoaled pieces of bread pop up.
"What..." She waves her hands around the kitchen. "Why? How? Just...what...what were you doing?" She asks, turning off the faucet and taking the sprayer from me.
"I was trying to make you breakfast." I'm embarrassed that I can't seem to function on my own. "I just..." I don't know what to say, so I shrug.
"Oh, baby. You're very sweet." She wraps her arms around me and rises on her toes to kiss my chin. "But, please don't ever try to cook again. I'm rather fond of this house."
Her light teasing puts a grin on my face and she smiles too.
"I love you, husband."
"I love you. Both of you." I say resting a hand on her stomach. "I just wanted to feed you."
"You just concentrate on bringing home the bread and I'll concentrate on making it, alright? You are the head of our little family and you have a lot on your plate already. I want to contribute what I can and my forte just happens to be cooking and feeding my handsome, dominant husband." She pecks my lips and then steps away from me to open a couple of the windows, letting out some of the smoke that is lingering.
"If you'll help me clean the kitchen and dry the dogs, I'll make us some breakfast." She picks up the fire extinguisher to put it back, but I grab it from her.
"I don't want you carrying anything heavy."
"Christian...it isn't heavy."
I shake my head. "It's heavy enough. I mean it, Ana."
She nods. "Okay. I won't life anything heavy. I promise."
"That's my good girl."
I help Anastasia clean up the kitchen, drying the dogs and wiping up the floor, while she wipes down the stove and cleans the pan. Once everything is back in order and the smoke smell is gone, she closes the windows and begins to make us French toast.
I sit at the island and watch her as she works and a strong sense of affection comes over me. It is so hard to wrap my head around the fact that this is my life. I can't believe that I could ever be so blessed. I really don't deserve it.
I hear her humming quietly to herself as she flips the French toast over and I grin.
"I like you barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen."
She smiles at me over her shoulder. "I like it, too."
As she's pulling the bacon from the pan, I get up to fetch us some drinks. I get both of us orange juice and I also get her a small glass of milk. She needs the calcium.
I place our yogurt in front of our stools and she brings the plate of French toast and bacon over to the table before plating for each of us.
"Yum. Thank you for making the yogurt parfaits, babe." She leans over and presses her lips to mine. Is that what they're called? Noted.
"You're very welcome. Now eat up."
After we're finished, I let the dogs out while she cleans up the dishes. It's something that has become routine for us, and I enjoy the normalcy of it. It's the beginning of April and I notice immediately that the air is beginning to warm. The sun is out and the birds are chirping; I'm optimistic that it'll be a great day, despite my mishap in the kitchen earlier. I'll definitely be letting Ana cook from now on.
The dogs are enjoying the warmer weather and run around the large back yard, chasing each other, pouncing, and wrestling.
Anastasia opens the back door and takes a deep breath, obviously sensing Spring is on its way.
"Christian...it's so nice outside. Why don't we take the dogs for a walk?"
Now that we aren't threatened by Hyde anymore, it actually sounds like a good idea.
After getting dressed and putting the dogs on the leashes, we head out toward the meadow where I asked her to marry me. I figure we can walk through the trail along the woods a little bit before heading back.
I keep ahold of Ember's leash in one hand and Anastasia's hand in the other.
"I love this." Anastasia states, squeezing my hand. "This is the life I've always wanted."
"It's perfect." Next year, we'll be adding a stroller to our walks. My heart swells at the thought and I release her hand, to pull her into me. I need her closer to me.
We walk for about an hour, until I see that the dogs are getting tired and Anastasia gives a yawn. Once we get back, the dogs go straight for their water bowl and then plop down in their bed together for a nap.
Anastasia giggles. "I guess it's doggy nap time."
I nod. "And Anastasia nap time, too."
She gives me a curious look. "Why?"
"Because I say so. Come. Let's drink some water and then we'll head up for a nap."
After sharing a bottle of water, I pick her up and carry her up the stairs to bed.
I place her on the bed and slip her shoes and socks off before pulling her up to her feet. I strip her of her clothes and she stays my good girl and doesn't fight me on it. When she's nude, I pull the covers down and she climbs into the bed. Once I'm sure she's warm and comfortable, I stand to strip myself of my clothing and slide in with her. She curls up to me and sighs.
"I'm not tired, Christian."
"Alright, baby. Just relax then. I'll turn the tv on and we'll cuddle."
I turn the television on, making sure the volume is low, and begin to caress her back up and down to relax her. It isn't two minutes later that I hear her breathing even out. Looking down, I see that she's asleep.
Not tired, my ass.
XxXxXx
"Mrs. Grey?"
We stand at the call of her name and follow the nurse's assistant to the back. Today is our first OB appointment since finding out she's pregnant.
"I'm going to have you stop at the restroom and give us a urine sample and then I'll meet you in room three. its that third door on the right." She hands Anastasia the cup and Anastasia thanks her.
"Do you need help, baby?"
She grins at me. "No, I think I've got it, Christian. Thank you."
I really want to go in there and help her, but I wait outside the bathroom while she goes. When she reappears, she has a paper towel wrapped around the cup and I take it from her. On our way to the room, I peek at it and am relieved to see that it's a light yellow color and it's half full. No dehydration then. I find myself worrying about her well being even more since the day I found out about her pregnancy. I will never forgive myself if something happens because she didn't eat right, get enough water, or rest enough. It is my job to take care of her.
When we make it to our room, the nurse's assistant takes the urine sample from me. "Go ahead and slip out of your clothes and put on this paper gown, the opening in the front. There's a sheet on the table that you can cover up with."
Anastasia nods. "Thank you."
She closes the door behind her and I begin to help Anastasia pull off her dress. When it's off, I place it on one of the chairs and then reach behind her to unclip her bra. I hear her hiss and my eyebrows knit together.
"Did I hurt you?"
She shakes her head. "My breasts are just a little sore."
I frown. "Baby, I'm sorry."
"It's normal, Christian. It'll pass."
I kneel down in front of her and pull her panties down her legs and kiss her stomach before standing again. As I help her slip on the paper gown, she groans.
"I hate these things."
"I agree. They don't cover anything." I look her over. It only reaches to her hips and with it open in the front and so brittle, it barely covers her breasts.
"Hop up, angel. I'll cover you." I pat the table and she does as I say. "Good girl." I drape the sheet over her. "Are you warm enough?"
She nods. "Yes, sir. I'm warm enough."
The nurse's assistant comes back to take her vitals and says that everything looks perfect. I'm relieved by her words and Anastasia must notice my relief, because she brings the back of my hand to her lips and presses a kiss to it.
"See? Nothing to worry about. You take wonderful care of me." She smiles up at me and I know she's using her submissiveness to calm me, but it's working.
"I'll always take care of you." I press my lips to hers. "Both of you." I say as an afterthought.
"And I'll take care of you, Christian. You and our baby."
I nod. "I know, angel. Our baby will never have to go through what I had to."
She shakes her head and I see tears form in her eyes. "No. Absolutely not. Never. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Christian."
"No, no. None of that today. We're about to see our baby." I reach up and wipe a tear off her face and she clears her throat.
"Yes, you're right. Only happy tears."
XxXxXx
When the ultrasound pops up, Dr. Greene gives a sound of surprise.
"What is it? What's wrong?" I'm instantly in panic mode.
"Nothing..." She states shaking her head. "Ana...when did you say your last period was?"
"March sixth."
"Hmm...well, it looks as if your bleeding must have been implantation bleeding, because according to my ultrasound you're about nine weeks." Dr. Greene clicks a few buttons and zooms in on the ultrasound.
"Nine weeks?" Anastasia asks, surprised.
"Holy shit." I murmur.
"Yes...see? The baby has tiny little stumps where the arms and legs will grow longer and produce hands and feet. The baby is starting to look like a baby instead of a tadpole. You're further along than you thought."
Anastasia smiles and squeezes my hand. "This is incredible."
I nod. "Absolutely. Wow. Look at it move..." I can't believe the baby is already moving.
"The baby is about the size of a cherry right now. I'll print a few pictures for you to show your family. It looks like your due date will be around November eleventh."
"A holiday baby... we'll have the baby for Christmas, Christian!" My girl's excitement is coming through and I smile fondly at her. I have such affection for this beautiful thing in front of me.
"The perfect gift for Christmas." I tell her, kissing her deeply.
When Dr. Greene finishes with the ultrasound and washes her hands, she tells us we need lab work done.
"Now, I would like both of you to stop by the lab on your way out so we can get some blood from both of you. We want to test quite a few things with you Ana, and test Christian's blood for blood type and Rh factor. If you are Rh negative, Ana, and the baby is Rh positive, we need to be very careful with how we take care of that. Your body will attack the Rh positive cells and it can hurt the baby."
"Oh, no." Anastasia looks worried.
"Don't worry, Ana. If you are, we've got a shot we can give you so your body won't attack the fetus."
"Let's get you dressed so we can go." I want to get these done asap so we know.
Dr. Greene leaves the room so Anastasia can get dressed and we hurry to the lab.
While we sit, waiting for our names to be called, I find myself unable to sit still. I let my guard down, thinking that everything was fine after we saw the ultrasound and now we have this to worry about.
"Christian, please have a seat. Everything will be alright. If I am Rh negative and you're positive, all they'll do is give me a shot. It's easily fixed."
I sit next to her and take her hand. "If you are negative and I'm positive...then it'll be my fault."
She shakes her head. "Don't be silly, Christian. It's nothing you can control. It's what you were born with."
"Damn genes..." I mumble under my breath. I knew they'd come back to bite me in the ass.
She laughs lightly and squeezes my hand. "We don't even know that it's an issue. You're blaming yourself and there might not even be a reason to worry."
"Grey."
Our name is called and I pop out of my seat, pulling Ana with me. I'm anxious to get this over with.
Anastasia requests to go first, worried she'll lose confidence after seeing the needle.
"I hate needles." She complains once the lab tech wraps the tourniquet around her upper arm and ties it. I sit next to her and hold her hand, trying to comfort her.
"I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could take the prick for you."
She smiles at me. "That's sweet, Christian. The prick is worth it."
"Alright, Mrs. Grey. I need you to take this stress ball and squeeze it a few times."
He hands it to her and I see that it's in the shape of a vampire, making Ana laugh.
"Are you ready for me to suck your blood?" The lab tech asks, speaking in an accent. Part of me wants to punch him in his face for saying it, but I know he's trying to make her relax, so I ignore it.
"Yes. Oh, please get it on the first try!" She turns her head toward me and hides her face in my shoulder.
I press my lips to her hair. I need to distract her. "Ana? Do you think we're going to have a boy or a girl?"
She turns her head to talk to me. "Um...I'm not sure." She winces for a second as the needle pierces her skin and I look over to see that he did get it on the first try. Thank fuck.
"Well, what do you want?"
"I'd be happy with either...I'm not really sure. I'd love to have a boy, but I'd also love to have a girl so that Ava could have another girl to play with."
I smile. "We'll have both someday."
Her smile widens and so does her eyes. "You want more?"
I nod. "I think so."
"Like...how many?"
I grin. "You first."
"Hmm...five."
My eyes widen. "Five?" Holy fuck. "I was thinking like...three."
She nods. "Meet in the middle with four?"
I laugh. "Not a fan of three?"
She shakes her head. "No. The middle child is always a little too crazy."
"The middle..." Realizing, I scowl at her. "Hey now!"
She giggles.
"All done." She looks and we see that she's got a bandage on her arm and the needle and tubes of blood are no where to be found. That was nice of him.
He washes his hands and puts on new gloves and pulls out a new needle and a couple of tubes for me. I have a seat and lift my t-shirt sleeve up so he can wrap the tourniquet around my bicep. I begin to make a fist and squeeze it a few times so he can find my vein before he can even offer that ridiculous stress ball. I feel Ana take my hand, but I watch him as he finds my vein and takes my blood. My girl, however, can't even watch it happening to me, so her face finds my shoulder again, making me laugh.
"Does it hurt?" She asks, looking up at me, worried.
I smile. "No, baby. I'm okay."
My answer makes her relax and she presses her lips to my shoulder. "Good."
"All done. Dr. Greene should have your results by tomorrow morning."
*Grace's POV*
It's my birthday and all I asked for was that all of my children be around me today. They're taking me out to eat for my birthday tonight and I am over the moon about it. I love the close relationship I have with all of my children and my daughter-in-laws. I have friends who constantly complain that their children never come to see them, but I'm lucky to be able to see all of them at least once a week for family Sunday. I am now a grandmother to the sweetest little girl I could have ever asked for. She's such a good baby. She only cries if she needs something and is completely content with sitting in her swing or car seat...not that she sits in them very often. She's one of the most loved little girls in the world and there is always someone wanting to hold and cuddle her.
My daughters set up an English tea brunch for us, in which all the girls wore hats and all the men, jackets. Even Miss Ava had a little hat she wore for the occasion. We all wore dresses and drank out of fine tea cups and ate watercress sandwiches, mini quiche, and fruit salad. The men didn't seem all that thrilled about it, but they kept their distaste to themselves, knowing that it was a special treat for me.
My family is now dispersed throughout the sitting room, the boys' jackets thrown over chairs, their collars unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up. The girl's shoes all found their way to different corners of the living room, the boys' shoes left wherever they took them off, and it actually makes me laugh. I've missed having the mess of kids around.
I've been hogging Ava most of the day and, as I sit in an overstuffed chair in the sunroom holding her while she sleeps, I watch my children laze around the sitting room.
Mia and Elliot are sitting in the floor, playing with Asher and Ember, Christian and Ana's dogs. I've been told by Mia that they're not just their dogs, but my grand dogs. I'm alright with that label. Kate comes to sit next to them and Elliot pulls her between his legs, wrapping his arms around her, and I watch him kiss her temple. Seeing my big lug so in love and happy warms my heart. He's such a wonderful husband and father. Most men would jump ship when faced with a surprise pregnancy outside of wedlock, but my Elliot took it all in stride. He realized how much of a blessing little miss Ava was to them both and used the situation to his advantage to snag up a wonderful wife. He loves Kate so much. I always wondered if he would ever settle down. I know that he was known to jump from girl to girl, a playboy people called him. I hate that word. My big lug was never a playboy. He just couldn't find the right one, even though she was right under his nose the whole time. It took Kate demanding that he take her on a date to wake him up. One date was all it took; the two of them have been inseparable since.
Mia has turned into such a lovely young woman. Since Christian has cut her allowance down considerably, she has realized the worth of a dollar and is now working in a bakery part time. She is actually enjoying it tremendously and looks forward to going to work every week. My baby girl might actually own her own bakery or restaurant one day and I'll be first in line to try all of her goodies. I do worry about her relationship with Ethan, though. She has such an addictive personality...when she wants something, she goes full force into it. I know it's what makes her so passionate, but I'm not sure if Ethan feels as strongly about the relationship as she does. She's mentioned marriage a couple of times and he's changed the subject about it. A part of me is glad that he isn't wanting to jump the gun with marriage; I don't think my baby girl is ready for that. I worry that she can't see past the wedding and decorations to see how a marriage really works. It takes time and effort or it'll fall apart. Mia has a bit more maturing to do before she walks down the aisle. I hope Ethan loves her and that he isn't just leading her on. The longer he pulls her along, the harder it's going to be on her if he leaves her. He is a lovely boy; the Kavanagh's are good friends of ours and they raised their children to be wonderful adults.
Christian and Ana are laying on the couch together and I see him rubbing her stomach while she lays on her back. Suddenly, he gives her a scowl as she giggles and he turns her sideways and smacks her butt, making her giggle more. My baby boy pouts, feigning hurt at something she says and she kisses his lips and then snuggles into him, letting him hold her close. His eyes close-I suppose they're ready for a nap-but before he drifts off, I notice his hand wandering down to her backside to rest there.
I shake my head at the two. He's so possessive over that girl, but she just eats it up. I can't believe my baby boy is having his own baby. They haven't announced it to anyone else, but I wish they would soon. I'm having such a hard time keeping the news to myself. I'm just beyond excited about getting another grandchild. There was a time, not even that long ago, that I thought Christian would never find his happiness or his soul mate. He was so lonely...so angry and bitter. I had never realized the extent of it until I found out about what Elena did to him. I still blame myself for not protecting my son or seeing any warning signs. I will never stop blaming myself. It is my fault. He was so abused and neglected when he was tiny and I rescued him from a life in foster care just to hand him over to another abuser.
I am so glad he found Ana. That sweet girl; she's done so much for my family. She keeps Mia in her place, does wonderful charity work with Kate, and has made my baby boy happier than I ever thought possible. This girl really is an Earth Angel...and now she's carrying my grandbaby. Oh, for goodness sake, I cannot wait to meet this next grandchild. I believe it will only create more joy in Christian's life.
My beautiful family. Each year it just seems to be getting better. We're growing by two feet every year.
When Ava wakes to be fed, Mia decides it's present time.
"Mom! Let's do your presents!" I wish I had the energy she has.
"I told you all not to get me presents."
"Tough." Elliot states, handing me a present while he kisses my forehead. "Open it."
I open it and see that it's a large photo of Ava from the professional pictures they had done. "Oh, Elliot...Kate...this is beautiful. Thank you!" I've got a perfect spot for it in the hallway coming in from the front door so that everyone will see it when they come in.
"My turn!" Mia hands me an envelope. "I bought it all by myself from the money I made at the bakery." She is beaming with pride and it makes me smile.
"Thank you, Mia. You're such a sweet girl." I open it and see that it's U2 concert tickets. "Mia! How did you get these? They were sold out in fifteen minutes!" U2 is one of my favorites and I've always wanted to see them live.
"I stood in line at the box office for six hours to get them. They're not the closest seats, but-"
"Oh, Mia, I don't care about that. Thank you so much, darling. This means so much to me." I kiss her cheek and dances back to her seat.
"I guess we're next." Anastasia says, standing from the couch. She bends and pulls the gift from below the couch, where they must have been hiding it.
"Thank you, Ana." I open it and as I tear the wrapping paper off, I see it's a picture of Asher and Ember. I laugh, but then realize they both have signs around their necks. 'Our parents are getting us a human!' one says. The other, 'Guard duty begins November 2012'.
I gasp. They're announcing it!
"Oh, Christian...Ana...I love it."
"Let us see!" Mia pops out of her spot to try to get a better look, so I turn the picture around to let the others see.
There's silence for a few moments while everyone takes in the picture, before realization sets in for them all.
"YOU'RE PREGNANT?" Mia screams, rushing Anastasia. "Really? OH, ANA! I am so excited!" She hugs Ana, rocking her side to side.
Mia's excitement has alerted the dogs and they begin to bark and jump around, wagging their tails; my grand dogs evidently want to get in on the excitement. Christian immediately bends down when one of them try to jump on Ana, determined to get them calmed down. He's talking to them in low tones like he would a human being and it makes me laugh. The dogs seem to understand him though, because they keep their butts on the floor, but their tails continue to wag with a thump on the carpet.
Kate rushes to Anastasia with Ava still under the nursing blanket eating and gives her a side hug. Her hormones are still trying to right themselves and it makes Kate instantly teary eyed.
"Oh, Ana... I'm so happy for you. Ava is going to have a cousin!"
I hear sobbing and see that Mia has attached herself to Christian, sobbing into his chest.
"How about that." Carry states, taking the photo from me to get a better look. "Our Christian is having a baby."
Him saying it seems to make it even more real and I find myself getting teary eyed. "I know. Our baby boy is having his own baby."
"Have you told Ray, yet?" Carry asks, half-laughing. I don't understand what's funny, but evidently it's a joke between them because Christian laughs.
"Yea...about that...we haven't told them, yet...so it'd be best if none of you mention it until-." Mia's loud wailing cuts him off and he looks down at her, squeezing her to him. "Oh, for god's sake Mia. What is with all the crying? Are you PMSing or something?"
She takes a shuddering breath and pulls her face out of his chest. "Possibly."
"Don't we have enough hormonal women to deal with?" Elliot asks, giving Mia a look.
"Shut up, Elliot!" Kate shut him up quickly, smacking him on the back of the head.
My family. We might be loud sometimes and we might bicker more often than not, but I wouldn't change it for the world.