A/N: This one is a little longer, so I hope you enjoy it.
"Christian?"
"Hey, baby. My sweet girl. Are you okay?"
"What...what...oh." Realization hits. "The car. Where are we? Is everyone okay?" Her voice is raspy and tired, so I stroke her cheek to calm her.
"We're in a hospital in LA. Everyone is pretty beat up, but they're okay."
Her arms move down her abdomen and rest on her stomach. "Oh, god. What about the baby?"
I take both of her hands in mine and bring them to my lips. "The baby is fantastic. We had an ultrasound...look." I grab the picture off the rolling table and hand it to her. She holds it up and a small smile graces her face.
"Beautiful. Our baby is so perfect." She states, looking it over. "It's hard to believe second trimester starts next week. We've only known for a few weeks." She frowns. "It's going by so fast, Christian."
I press my lips to her nose. "We still have time to savor it, baby. There will be other pregnancies."
She nods. "But this is our first."
My heart aches for my girl. On top of her pain, she's a hormonal mess and I worry that her body can't take it all.
She begins to move to try to sit up, and then cries out, making me panic even worse. I grab both her shoulders and ease her back down.
"Be careful, Anastasia!"
"Everything hurts, Christian. What's wrong with me?" She looks up at me with tearful eyes and my heart breaks for her. I suddenly feel bad for yelling at my sweet girl.
"Oh, baby. I'm sorry. Just relax, okay? You've got some staples in your head, a laceration on your forehead and a fractured skull. You also have a deep cut on your arm and you dislocated your knee. You won't be able to walk on it for awhile."
Her bottom lip trembles and she reaches up to touch her head, looking for the staples. When she finds them, she hisses and I take her hand and ease it away.
"Try not to touch it, angel. It's still fresh." The last thing she needs is infection.
She tries to move again and winces, grabbing her right side.
"What is it, baby? What hurts?"
I pull her covers down slowly, doing my best not to hurt her further, and lift her gown. Her right side is bruised, immediately reminding me of the first time she showed me her ribs; Sorrento beat the shit out of her then. I take a deep breath, trying to push away the sudden anger that has formed in my chest. It was an accident, Grey.
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I wish I could take your pain away. If we could change places, I would in a heartbeat." I lean over and press my lips lightly to her black and purple skin.
"Christian?" I look up at her and she tucks her chin, suddenly bashful.
"What is it, Ana? There's no reason to be shy."
"I...um, I need to pee." Her feet dance a little and my eyebrows knit in confusion.
"Darlin, you have a catheter. Just relax your muscles."
"I do?"
I nod and see her visibly relax with a sigh. I eye the catheter to make sure she goes. When the tube drains, I take her hand.
"Good girl. Is that better?"
She nods. "Yes."
The door opens and the nurse steps in, looking surprised.
"Mrs. Grey! You're up!"
I smile. "She just woke up a couple minutes ago."
"How are you feeling?" The nurse asks.
Ana frowns. "Awful. Everything hurts."
"We can administer hydrocodone to help with your pain. It's a level B on the pregnancy scale, which means they haven't found any negative effects of taking it during the pregnancy, so it's relatively safe."
I clench my jaw, but keep my mouth shut. I don't want Ana to be in pain.
She shakes her head. "No. I don't want to take anything. I'll be alright."
The nurse nods. "That's understandable. Would you like some cold packs or heat packs?"
"Sure." Anastasia decides.
"I'll bring you a couple of each, alright? It might be good for you to put some heat on that back. Your muscles were put through the wringer today. Is there anything else I can get you?"
Anastasia chews her lip. "Do you think...um, that I could have this catheter taken out?"
The nurse regards her for a moment. "You aren't to put any weight on your right leg, Mrs. Grey. Are you sure you don't want the convenience of not having to get up?"
"I'm sure. It's uncomfortable and I'm already miserable. Please, take it out."
Take the fucking thing out!
"I'll help her." I tell the nurse, hoping it'll convince her.
She nods her head. "Alright, let me get my gloves."
As she takes it out, I see Ana wince slightly and it makes me frown. My poor girl can't catch a break.
"Better?" The nurse asks.
"Yes. Thank you."
She takes the catheter and the bag and disappears into the toilet to empty it, and then tosses it in the biohazard trashcan.
"Let me go get your packs. I'll be back soon. Would you like something to drink?"
She licks her lips, realizing they're dry. "Yes, that'd be lovely. Thank you."
When she leaves, I lean down and kiss Ana's lips again. "My beautiful girl. My brave, sweet, lovely girl." She's taking the pain so that our baby isn't at risk. I find myself falling in love with her more than I ever thought possible. She always thinks of others before herself and I'm determined to put all my energy into her until she's better.
She gives me a small smile. "Thank you for being here, Christian."
I shake my head. "There's no place I'd rather be than where you are. I promise I'll take care of you every step of the way. I'm here for you." I press my lips to hers a couple more times. I just can't get enough of her.
"You're so good to me, Christian. I'm going to be such a burden on you."
"Don't you ever say that." That makes me angry. "You are never a burden. I like taking care of you and, although I hate that you have to go through this, I'm going to enjoy you depending on me even more than normal."
The nurse comes back with her packs and water and I take them from her, thanking her.
"Do you want the heat packs on your back, Anastasia?" I ask.
She frowns. "Yes, but I don't know if I can move that much."
"I'll help you, babydoll. Don't you worry." I hand the Thermacare heat packs to the nurse so she can press them to her back when I help turn her over.
"Can you hold on to the bed rail with both hands?" I ask, knowing it'll be easier for her.
She does as I request and I put a hand on her shoulder and one on her hip and begin to turn her to the side slowly. She helps me by pulling herself with the railing, wincing a little. When I have her turned to her side, I hold her there by her backside and shoulder blade.
"Good girl, Ana. That's my girl." I hold one side of her gown so that the nurse can place the heat pack on the small of her back and under her shoulder blades.
"Alright, I'm done."
She helps me roll Anastasia back to her back and I hear Anastasia sigh with relief.
"Is that better, Mrs. Grey?"
"Yes, thank you. Much better."
"Great. Let's put this ice pack on your knee for a little bit." She lifts the blanket enough to expose her knee and slides in the ice pack before covering her back up. "If there's anything else you need, let me know. I let the doctor know you were up, so he should be in here soon."
My Ana gives her a small smile and nods. "Thank you."
When the nurse leaves, I hand Ana her ice water with a straw and watch her suck it down.
"Ahhh, that's good."
I smile at her. "Here, give it to me. I'll fill it in the sink."
She sucks the water down again and I offer to get her more, but she declines so I grab the last ice pack of the table. "Baby, why don't we put this on your head just for a little bit? It might help with the pain."
"Okay." She nods. "Will you raise the head of my bed a little?"
"Of course. Just tell me when." I find the button on the side of the railing.
"Okay." She says, wincing for a second. She tries to push herself up in bed, but she whimpers and stops, huffing. I can tell she's annoyed with herself for being unable to move like she wants to.
"Let me help, angel. That's why I'm here." I slip my arms under her back and her knees. "I'll try my best not to hurt you." I pick her up swiftly and move her up before placing her back down on the bed so that her backside rests right below the raise in the bed.
"Better?" I ask, fixing her covers and ice pack.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, sir."
I hum. "You're welcome, Mrs. Grey."
"Can I have a kiss?"
Grinning, I lean down to press my lips against hers.
"Again."
I smile and press my lips to hers again.
"Once more." She states, giggling lightly.
I give her a smirk. "God, I love that sound." I kiss her deeply, and the hand of her good arm comes up to cup my stubbled cheek. I hum at the feeling of her hand against my cheek. I've missed her touch.
We're interrupted by the doctor knocking and I pull away to place her ice pack on her head.
"Hello, Mrs. Grey. I'm Dr. Ahmad."
"Hello." She states, shy again.
"How are you feeling?"
She shrugs. "Fine, I guess. Please call me Ana. "
I narrow my eyes at her. "You are not fine. She was just saying that everything hurts. She's having a hard time moving because it hurts so bad."
Dr. Ahmad tuts at her. "Ana, you need to be honest with me. If you don't, it could hinder your recovery. I know you said everything hurts, but what hurts the most?"
She blushes at being chastised, but she needed it. "Um, my head, my back and my thighs."
He nods. "Okay. Do you think you can sit up long enough for me to check your back?"
She nods. "Okay."
"Here, baby, I'll help."
I sit on the side of her bed and hook my arms under her shoulders, encouraging her to hold on to my shoulders. Her and I work together to sit her up the rest of the way and the doctor lowers the head of the bed so he can look at her.
"Are these heat packs working, Ana?"
"Yes. They help."
"Great. That's good news. Hopefully, that means it's only a muscle strain from being thrown around."
He presses a few places on her back, and I see her squeeze her eyes shut and press her lips together. She's trying to stay quiet while he works on her. Always so polite. I press my lips to her forehead, the bridge of her nose, the tip of her nose, then her lips, trying to help ease her a little. It brings a small smile to her face, so I kiss her again.
"You're doing so well, my girl." I tell her quietly as she relaxes her head against the front of my shoulder.
I watch Dr. Ahmad run his fingers down her spine, pressing slightly, and I hear her whimper into my neck.
"Good. Good, Ana. If there was something wrong with your spine, you would have had more of a reaction. It appears to be only muscle damage. I can feel several tight knots." He closes her gown in back and raises the head of the bed again so she can relax back. When I have lowered her back to her pillow, she relaxes with a relieved sigh. I rearrange her covers again and place the ice pack back on her head while he makes notes in her chart.
"I'm going to give you a referral for physical therapy that you can take with you. It'll help relieve that back pain and stretch and strengthen those muscles. I'm also going to refer you to an orthopedic doctor so that he or she can look you over and decide the best route to take for your knee. You've got a long recovery, but by the end, you'll be good as new."
"Is there anything I can do to help relieve her pain?" I ask, wanting to help the best I can.
He nods. "Heat and ice packs, massaging her body, making sure she gets plenty of rest and fluids...that will all help your wife."
Easy enough.
When the doctor leaves, I ask Ana if there is anything I can do. She gives me a shy grin.
"Will you rub my thighs?"
I smile. "Of course, I will." I pull her blanket off her thigh, making sure the rest of her body stays covered, and have a seat on the side of the bed so I can start.
She relaxes her head back and closes her eyes. "Oh, yea. That's perfect."
"I bet they're sore, babydoll. Your thigh is in knots." I take my time, massaging all the kinks out of her thigh while she mewls and hums in appreciation. I enjoy listening to her, even though the sounds are making me half-hard. It's going to be awhile before any of that happens, so my dick might as well get comfortable where he is.
I cover her leg when I'm finished with the first one and as I do the opposite, I'm extra careful since it's the leg she hurt. As I work, I suddenly hear a soft snoring and look up to see that she's fallen asleep. I can't help, but laugh a little at her snoring. Even her snoring is cute. I continue to work, wanting to ease her as much as I can. When I'm finished with her thighs, I begin on her calves and then finish at her feet. Hopefully, she'll be more at ease when she wakes.
I tuck her in one last time and check the clock. 1:00am. I decide to try and get some sleep, so I pull the recliner over and sit next to her. As soon as I recline, I hear her whimper and her head rolls to the side.
"Christian?"
"I'm here, baby."
"Cuddle me." She's whiny, but she has a right to be. I sit up and I see her scooting over the best she can, wincing as she goes.
"It's alright. I've got enough room. Stay where you are." I lay next to her on my side and reach behind me to pull up the rail so I can lean against it. I share her pillow and place my arm over her stomach gently. She turns her face toward me and nuzzles my nose with hers before giving me a soft kiss.
"Thank you, Christian. I just need you."
I smile. "You've got me. I'm here. Sleep now, sweet girl. I'll hold you." She turns her head around, unable to lay on her staples for too long and I lean in to nuzzle against her hair and neck. Her hair is finally dry and it smells of antibacterial soap, but I don't mind. Not a bit. All that matters is that I've got my girl in my arms, both she and the baby alive and resting. I find myself being overcome with drowsiness and I allow myself to drift off with her.
XxXxXx
I'm awoken early the next morning by the nurse coming to check on Anastasia. Its a different one from the night, but she is perky and has a little pep in her step. I'm hoping it helps put my Ana in a good mood.
I slip out of bed so that the nurse can assess Anastasia and I see Anastasia give me a small pout, making me laugh.
I press my lips to hers. "I'm right here, baby. I'm just going to use the bathroom." I head into the in suite bathroom to relieve myself while the nurse looks her over.
When I come out, Anastasia is sitting up with her legs hanging off the side of the bed. Her IV drip is disconnected from her port, her blood pressure cuff off, and she looks better than she did last night.
"Look at you!" I grin, happy that she's able to sit up. She tries to give me a smile back, but it's more of a grimace and her eyebrows are knit together in pain. "Does it hurt to sit like this?"
"Yes, but I want to clean up."
I see the nurse holding an empty plastic bin, a small bottle of soap and a few cloths.
"Oh. I can help her." I tell the nurse, stepping up to take everything.
The nurse smiles at me. "Mrs. Grey said you'd prefer doing it yourself. I'll fill the bin for you and then leave you two to it."
She leaves the rags on the rolling table and steps past me to fill the bin.
"Let's get your gown untied."
She puts her hand up, stopping me. "Hold on...just for a second." She looks past me, watching the nurse.
After the nurse brings the water with the soapy warm water, Ana thanks her and she leaves.
"Can I untie you now?"
"Christian, I have to use the restroom." She looks up at me, a 'V' on her forehead, and her bottom lip between her teeth.
"Oh, of course." I'm a fucking idiot. "I'm sorry, angel. I should have thought of that myself." I slip an arm around her back and under her knees and lift her. I carry her with ease to the bathroom and place her on the toilet.
"Would you like me to stay?" I see her blush and I roll my eyes. "I've seen you pee, Ana."
She shakes her head. "I...I, um...I'd rather you leave."
Realizing she has to do more than urinate, I decide to give her space. I just want her to be as comfortable as possible.
"When I hear the toilet flush, I'll come get you, alright?"
"Yes, husband. I understand."
I smile as I shut the door. No matter how many times she calls me her husband, the sound of it never gets old. I busy myself with wetting the rags and getting things set up for her bath. I find a fresh gown in the supply chest along with sheets, so I hurry to undress the bed and put fresh sheets on. I use the same blanket she had and make the bed for her. I pull down the covers and place an empty pillow case where she'll sit while I clean her.
I hear the toilet flush and I take one of the wet washcloths with me so she can wash her hands without having to stand at the sink.
XxXxXx
She's settled back in bed and relatively clean. I know a sponge bath doesn't compare to a real shower or bath, but it'll have to do. Breakfast comes for her and it makes me realize just how hungry I am. I'm just about to text Taylor to bring breakfast, but he beats me to it.
"I brought breakfast for the three of us. I already dropped Elliot's by."
"Hi, Taylor."
Her voice startles him. "Ana! You're up!" He moves past me to greet her and sits at the chair beside her bed. "How are you?"
She shrugs. "Sore. My head is throbbing and my back hurts, but I feel better than last night. Have you seen the others? Will you sit and eat breakfast with us?"
He smiles. "I'd love to."
I see that he's brought us breakfast sandwiches and hashrounds and I see Ana eyeing my large order of hashrounds when he pulls it out. She's a potato-aholic.
"Would you like some?" I like that she's got such a large appetite with the baby.
She gives me a large cheesy smile. "Please?"
Taylor laughs. "I bought you a large just for this reason."
Taylor is worth his weight in gold.
Ana giggles as she bites into a hashround. "You always think of everything, Taylor."
"That's my job." He says, giving her a wink before biting into his sandwich.
We spend breakfast explaining how the others are and Ana states her desire to go see them. I tell her we would ask for a wheelchair and go visit after breakfast.
XxXxXx
It's Tuesday and the girls are finally ready to leave. Mia and Reigner were discharged yesterday, so they took the plane home yesterday morning. Since then, I got a total of 39 missed called from my mother and 12 voicemails, all worried or angry for not telling them what happened and being so angry with Mia. After listening to the fourth angry voicemail, I just started to delete them as they came through. Elliot has stopped answering Mom's phone calls, too, when he realized she was calling him just to get to me.
Kate has Skyped with her parents a few times since being here, but Anastasia has yet to contact her parents. Not only do they not know about the accident, they're unaware of her pregnancy. I know she doesn't want to, but when we get home, she's going to have to call them. They're going to hear about it one way or another and I'd rather it be from her.
We're given the directions on how to wash her hair with baby shampoo, how to take care of her knee, and things to watch out for within the following couple weeks. I dress her in a loose, navy babydoll dress that she bought this weekend, hoping that the looseness of it will be more comfortable. The only underwear she has are lacy numbers or thongs, so I slip her in a pair of my boxer-briefs so she'll be more comfortable. I slip her into the sky blue chucks she bought this weekend and dress myself in the clothes she bought me. I pick a white long sleeve shirt and jeans, and decide to wear the matching chucks she bought for me. The fact that we match makes her smile, which makes me happy. The doctor gives the girls crutches, but I have Taylor call ahead to get both of them a wheelchair to use in Seattle. Kate is going to be off her feet for months, and so a wheelchair is a must.
I place a pillow in the hospital wheelchair and pick her up from her bed to place her in the chair.
"Are you ready to go home, Mrs. Grey?" I ask.
"Oh, yes. I miss my furbabies and our home. I miss our comfortable bed and fluffy pillows."
I laugh. "Hospital beds aren't the most comfortable, are they?"
"Not at all. I think half of my pain is from being stuck in that bed."
The nurse knocks on our door and lets us know that Kate and Elliot are ready. The two nurses push the girls while Elliot and I carry Ava and all of our belongings. Ava is obviously unhappy with being away from home for so long and is crying in her car seat. I feel you, lovebug. I'm ready to go home, too.
When we get to the front entrance, Taylor is parked there with the multi-passenger van. He gets out to help us and when I lean down to pick Ana up, I see that tears are running down her face.
I kneel down in front of her. "Baby, what's wrong? Does something hurt?"
She shakes her head and sniffles. "I'm scared."
"To go home?"
"To get in the car."
My heart gives a lurch. "Oh, Ana...baby, I promise everything will be alright. I'll be with you and Taylor is driving. We're safe with Taylor."
She looks up at Taylor and he gives her a smile. "I promise that nothing will happen, Anastasia."
She sniffles again and nods. "Okay. I'm sorry. I'm being silly."
I shake my head. "No, angel, no. It's not silly." My babydoll is traumatized. "Are you ready to get in?"
"Will you sit by me?"
"Of course."
I pick her up out of the wheelchair and place her in the first line of seats, her back against the opposite side and her legs across the seats. I place her seat belt on and check is twice, before climbing back out to take Ava from Elliot so he could place Kate in the next row of seats. I climb in the last row of seats and snap her car seat in the middle seat, pulling and pushing, checking and rechecking the seat belt. After Elliot gets Kate settled with her feet up like Anastasia's, I climb out and let him climb in the back with Ava while I take my place next to Ana. I buckle myself in and let her legs rest across my lap.
"Is everyone ready?" Taylor asks, climbing in the driver's seat.
Anastasia reaches over and squeezes my hand between both of hers.
"Yes! I am so ready to be home." Kate states, sighing. I look behind me to check on her and she looks exhausted. I'm hoping she'll get better rest at home.
The ride to the airport seems to drag on and I can feel Anastasia's anxiety radiating off of her.
"We're almost there, baby." I tell her, holding her hands with my right one while my left rubs her stomach. "Not much longer."
Taylor drives into the gate and up to the plane so we can carry our girls up the stairs. Taylor helps with Ava while we carry the girls up and get them settled in the chairs with their feet up.
I head into the bedroom to get pillows and blankets for them. I place a pillow under Kate's cast to help elevate it and one behind her head. I place Anastasia's behind her back to give her some lumbar support since she's so sore and cover them each with a throw.
"Thank you, Christian. Such a gentleman." Kate reaches for my hand and squeezes it in appreciation and I give her a squeeze back.
"It's really no problem, Kate. You two have been through so much, you deserve to be comfortable."
I have a seat next to Ava's car seat and do my best to entertain her until we take off. Once we're in the air, she can be taken out of her seat, but I know she's getting restless. She is no longer crying, but she's wiggling around. I play peek-a-boo with her, making her laugh and I can hear the girls laughing at the two of us, but I don't mind. As long as our girls are happy.
XxXxXx
When we get home, Gail is at the door to greet us.
"Oh, Ana! I'm so glad you're home! I've made up the guest bedroom with all the windows for both of you and brought your pillows down. I figured it'd be easier for Ana if she kept to one floor."
I smile. "Brilliant thinking, Gail. Thank you." I carry Ana down the hall and on our way, we hear the dogs barking and crying behind the baby gate.
"Give us a minute guys. I'll come get you." I tell them, continuing into the guest bedroom, that's set up with tons of pillows, soft linens, candles and flowers. The dog steps are even at the end of the bed already. Gail is a professional. It's a corner bedroom, so two walls are lined with windows and looks out into the beautiful meadow. I immediately decide to open the windows so she can get some fresh air while it's nice.
I place her in the bed and she leans up against the pillows, but I see a pout on her face.
"What's wrong?"
"I miss our bed."
I smile. "I know, baby, but with your wheel chair, you'll be able to get around anywhere if we stay down here. Just think of it as staying in a hotel or bed and breakfast." I wiggle my eyebrows.
She giggles. "Okay. I know I'm being cranky, Christian. I'm sorry."
I shake my head. "No need to be sorry." I duck down to kiss her. "It's nice today. Let's open the windows."
I can feel the breeze as soon as the windows open and Ana takes a deep breath, taking in the Spring air. "I like these windows."
"I do, too."
"Will you release the dogs from doggy jail now? I want to see our furbabies."
I nod. "Put a pillow over your bad knee, Ana. I don't want them hurting it."
When I release the dogs, they howl and bark, talking to me, while their bodies dance back and forth with excitement to see me. I take a moment to kneel down and pet both of them, letting them give me some slobbery kisses on my cheeks before I stand and head down the hall. They follow me like I knew they would and when they see Ana in the bed, they book it for the stairs. They both attack her with kisses and whimper, so happy to have her home.
She giggles. "My babies! I missed my furbabies! I did! Did you miss your mommy?" She talks to them in a voice that many women use to speak to babies with and it makes me smile.
They talk to her and she smiles. "Oh, you love me? I love you, too! Yes! Momma's babies."
I snort out a laugh and shake my head. It's completely ridiculous, but adorable as can be. I plop down on the bed next to her and Ember turns to greet me. We spend the next twenty minutes playing with the dogs, waiting for them to calm down. Finally, the relax enough to lay at our feet, so I take advantage of the quiet time.
"I think we should call your parents."
She frowns. "Daddy is going to freak."
"Angel, we have to do it sometime. Might as well get it over with." I want us to be the ones who tell them.
Sighing, she succumbs to her fate. "Fine. I guess you're right."
I help prop her up against the headboard and then grab my laptop so we can Skype them together. I settle next to her, put an arm around her and let her lean up against me while we call. As it goes through, I hear her taking a deep breath to try to calm herself.
"It'll be alright." I kiss the top of her head. "I'm here. I won't let them upset you."
Her father answers the Skype and upon seeing Anastasia's beat up face, immediately starts to panic.
"Annie! Annie, what happened? Are you hurt? Are you okay? Where are you?"
In the background, I hear Carla start to freak out.
"Just calm down." I tell him, putting a hand up. "Anastasia is alright, we'll explain, but you need to stay calm. Anastasia needs a stress free environment right now."
He takes a deep breath and has a seat, Carla sitting next to him.
"Oh, Ana...what happened to you?" She asks, seeing Ana's face.
"Kate, Mia, and Ana got into a car accident while they vacationed in LA."
"Oh, no. Is everyone alright?"
"Everyone is beat up, but they'll live. Mia's got a broken arm, Kate had to have leg surgery, and Ana has a skull fracture, some lacerations, and a hurt knee."
Ray has a deep frown on his face. "Annie...how are you feeling?"
She shrugs. "Sore. It hurts every time I move. I have a throbbing headache that won't go away, but time will heal everything."
"When did this happen?" Carla asks.
"Saturday."
"SATURDAY? AND WE'RE JUST NOW FINDING OUT?"
We both wince at her loud tone and even the dogs let out a sigh of annoyance at being bothered.
"Calm down. I've already mentioned that Anastasia needs a stress free environment. I will not say it again."
"I just got out of the hospital today. We didn't want to worry you. If it had been more serious, I'm sure Christian would have called you."
Maybe.
Ray rubs his face and lets out a frustrated sigh. "I want to know why you're in so much pain when the doctor should have prescribed the right kind of pain medicine. Are you not getting a large enough dose? What did he prescribe for you?"
Fuck. Here it goes...
"Um... I'm not on anything, Daddy."
He gives her a scowl. "And why not? You've never been stubborn. Surely you'd take it if he said you needed it."
"Well, you see, there's another thing we wanted to tell you."
His eyebrows raise. "Oh?"
She nods. "We're pregnant."
Carla squeals. "You are?! Oh, Ana! I'm so excited! I'm going to be a grandma!" She dances in her seat next to Ray and it makes me smile. I'm glad she's happy.
Ray doesn't say anything, but he doesn't look angry...I actually can't tell what he's thinking. His face is unreadable.
"Daddy?"
"My Annie's pregnant?"
She nods. "Yes, are you happy? You are happy, aren't you?" She looks like she's about to cry, but then I see Ray smile.
"Oh, Annie. This is incredible news."
A flood of relief runs through me and Ana laughs and wipes at her face.
"Yea?"
He nods. "Yea. My little girl is going to be a mom!"
She beams. "We were so worried you'd be upset since what you told Christian in Georgia."
Ray laughs. "That was before I knew how devoted he was to you. He's a good man, baby. He takes wonderful care of you and he'll take wonderful care of the baby."
I grin. He's talking about me like I'm not here, but I don't give a shit right now.
"Thank you, sir." I tell him, happy.
"Thank you for taking care of our Annie like she deserves to be cared for. She was born to be a mother. Ever since she could walk, she'd carry around baby dolls and rock them and put them to bed. She even gave me orders to take care of them while she went to school."
Anastasia giggles. "And he would! I'd come home and they'd be tucked in my bed for a nap."
Ray chuckles. "When are you due, sweet pea?"
"I'm due November eleventh. I'm twelve weeks along."
Carla puts her hand to her heart. "Oh, we'll have our new grandbaby for the holidays."
I laugh. "That's what we said. The best Christmas present ever."
"When do you find out the sex?" Carla asks. "I want to start shopping!"
Anastasia giggles. "We go back when I'm sixteen weeks and we should be able to see then."
"Oh, I can't wait! This is just such good news. Can I start telling others?"
I smile. "I really appreciate that you asked. Yes, you can tell whoever you'd like." Carla's learning boundaries...I'm impressed.
We talk for a few more minutes and when we disconnect, Anastasia presses her lips to mine in a long, deep kiss. I chuckle into it and when she pulls away, she's beaming.
"They're happy! I'm so glad. I was so worried."
I grin and reach over to rub her small bump. "See? This child is such a blessing."
She looks down at her stomach and places her hand over mine. "They are. Oh, Christian. I am so happy. You have given me everything I could have ever wished for. I've found my soul-mate, have the most incredible marriage, and now I'm going to become a mom."
Her eyes swim with tears again and when she blinks, a few escape. I reach up and wipe them away.
"I am, too, baby. You saved me from myself. I was such an angry soul. You showed me what true happiness is. I would never want anything different than this life I have with you. You're perfect for me, Ana."
Her chin trembles. "I love you, Mr. Grey."
I smile. "I love you, too, Mrs. Grey." I wipe her tears once more. "Why don't we take a nap before dinner? You're looking tired and I could use one."
She smiles. "Okay. You'll cuddle me, yes?"
"Always, baby."