Christian
I have entered a world of chaos and total loss of control. My Dad left early to meet with the DA to talk about the situation with Ana and also to make sure Kate gets prosecuted. My mom has an early shift at the hospital, Ana is still sleeping and Elliot had an emergency at one of his building sides leaving me in control of all four kids... or really lack of control. Ava just doesn't want to eat her breakfast and has decided to color instead which is driving me nuts, because she is a dainty little thing and needs to eat. Her little brother, however, is too much of a good eater, because he is chewing on everything he can shove into his little mouth, including a salt shaker which ended in him spattering and screaming when he ended up with a mouthful of salt.
Arielle and Brianna are secured in their high chairs, which doesn't mean that they are behaving because they are in war mode, throwing their blueberries I have given them to snack on at each other. I have to say though, Arielle has quite the aim, because she landed one blueberry right in her cousin's eye, making her look like a squinting pirate for a second before she for some reason started to laugh about it while Arielle clapped her chubby hands to applaud herself.
„Ava, for the love of God, put your coloring book aside and eat your breakfast." I mutter annoyed and she shakes her head stubbornly.
„Why?" I ask her.
„I don't like pancakes and blueberries."
„What do you like?"
„Chocolate waffles." She tells me wide-eyed.
„Ava, you are not getting chocolate waffles for breakfast. I can make you eggs and bacon, we can make waffles this afternoon, now please stop giving your uncle a hard time." I hear Ana behind me and miraculously Ava pushes her coloring book aside and starts to eat her pancakes.
„How did you do this, I have tried to make her eat for half an hour." I ask her.
„You are the fun uncle she knows she has already wrapped around her tiny fingers and I'm the sometimes fun aunt who also can be strict when I have to." Ana says with a smile.
„Is that so, well, I have learned today that I would be hopelessly out of control with four children."
„No you won't... after all, you'll get them one at the time, so you'll have time to learn." Ana says with a smile and I like that she is stating this as a fact, letting me know she wants this too.
Once all the kids are fed we put Arielle and Brianna in a playpen, while Ava went back to coloring and Jamie is playing with some of his toy cars, just as my Dad arrives.
„Ana, Christian, I have good news, there will be no charges pressed against you. The police was called by a neighbor who heard you repeatedly ask Kate to leave your property. In addition, we have the security camera tapes, which Sawyer has already handed over to the police confirming your statement." My Dad says.
„What about Kate?" Ana asks and my Dad looks at the kids, but they are out of earshot, so he continues.
„Kate has been taking into custody after she had been treated at the hospital. There will be a hearing later today to determine if she can make bail or not. I talked to some of my friends to make sure that won't be the case. I hate to say this, but after what she has done and with her resources we would have to fear that she would be out for revenge or manage to leave the country to avoid prosecution." My Dad explains and Ana walks out of the room.
I follow her and find her outside. „Ana?"
„I hate this... I feel so stupid... all this time I considered her my friend... allowed her to give her opinion to everything and she... she is just as bad as Elena." She says and I pull her into my arms.
„And neither of them has managed to break us and we will both be stronger coming out of it." I let her know, inwardly smiling because it's what Dr. Harper once told me and now, I believe it.
„I'm just tired... it's like every time I think things are about to settle down a new drama arises and I'm so over it." She says and starts to cry. I know what I'm going to say next might be too soon, but I feel it will be the best thing for us.
„I would like to take Arielle and you to Aspen, just for a few days. We all could need some time away. We could go hiking... you could go to the spa... or we just stay at the house whatever you want." I say and she looks up at me.
„Can we go today?" She asks and breathe out a sigh of relief.
„Yes, I'll make the arrangements. We can decide how long we want to stay once we are there. I'll call Mrs. Roberts to get a crib and changing table for Arielle. We can go to town and buy whatever else she needs once we are there."
„Thank you, Christian." Ana says and hugs me tightly just as we hear a car drive up the driveway and in it are Kate's parents.
„Go inside, Ana... I'll deal with them."
„No, I want to know why they are here." She says and I don't want to fight with her, so I just nod and we wait for them to park the car and approach us.
„Nigel, Ann." I nod.
„We are here to get our grandchildren." Kate's mom says and I cannot believe it.
„My brother's children are staying here with their father, he didn't inform me that you would spent the day with them, so let me call him."
„No! They are our grandchildren, your family has done enough to our daughter, you are not going to ruin these poor, innocent children as well." Kate's mom shouts alerting my Dad who steps outside too.
„Ann, Nigel, it is nice to see you. To what do we owe this surprise." My Dad says and I swear old Kavanagh is about to pop a vessel.
„We want the children."
„My son has custody of his children, unless he allows it, they are not going anywhere, but you are welcome to come in and spent time with them." He says politely.
„Really, come into your house and stay with the kids while you are probably on the phone making sure their mother will go to prison for life?" Mr. Kavanagh yells.
„Nigel, your daughter has pushed her highly pregnant sister in law down the stairs in an attempt to murder both Ana and her then unborn child. She needs to be punished for that. Please understand that."
„No, our daughter didn't do that! She would never."
„She admitted to it, Ann. Believe me, we all would wish this wasn't true, but it is. Now, my offer stands, you can come in and spend times with your grandchildren, but I will not allow you to take them with you unless we call Elliot and he allows it." My Dad says sternly.
„Fine, have it your way, but you better tell that son of yours that if our daughter ends up in prison, we will sue him over the custody of our grandchildren." Nigel hisses, leads his wife to their car and they drive off.
„Dad..."
„Don't worry, Christian, they won't get custody of the children. I won't let it happen. After all, they have already proven with Kate how their way of raising children can go wrong." He says and I nod.
„Come Ana, let's get inside, I want us to fly out until the afternoon."
„Oh you are leaving town?" My Dad asks.
„Yes, I'm taking Ana and Arielle to Aspen, we all could need a timeout." I let my Dad know and he gives me a smile.
Within two hours, I have the jet on standby at Boeing Field, talked to Mrs. Roberts to have everything ready for us, spoke to Dr. Harper who agreed on Skype sessions while I'm away. Taylor has driven Ana to her place to pack for Arielle and herself, so all I had left was to pack for myself and now I'm waiting for them to return so we can go to the airport.
Kate
My face hurts so bad and I can't even bring myself to look into the mirror to see the damage Ana has done... not that the cell I'm currently in is providing a mirror. I cannot believe this. I had gotten away with it, no one would have ever known and then I lost my damned temper and this is what it has gotten me.
The lawyer I have talked to has advised me to plead either guilty and be forthcoming to get a lower sentence or to plead insanity. I cannot believe that the only options I am given are either jail or the looney bin. I'm not insane, but it might be the option for me. I can't go to jail. It's not where I belong... oh god, I hate Christian Grey. It's all his fault.
He was my ticket to the life I have always dreamed of, but it's all gone to hell when he rejected me. There wasn't a man as wealthy, attractive and influential as him anywhere around and then the bastard picked Ana... Ana! I mean, she is ordinary in any possible way. What the hell does she have to offer to a man like him that I couldn't? I was born and raised to be a billionaire's wife, while she would have better matched with a god damn pig farmer.
And then Elliot came along... in the beginning, I thought I could settle for him and get the Grey name as an added bonus. I thought I could forge him into the man I wanted, but he just was too much of a caveman. When I wanted to go to Galas and events he wanted to stay home after his work, where I prefer fancy vacations he wants to go hiking and just be a Dad all the time making it all about the kids.
I mean, I love them in a way, but he wanted them more than I did and while being a mom has opened new doors for me, I don't want to be a full-time mom. That's what a nanny is for.
Now, however, I'm challenged with an entirely new challenge. If I plead guilty it could mean life in prison which is not an option but neither is the looney bin. I'm not insane, I just didn't want Christian to return. Having everything I ever wanted to be shoved right under my nose each time I saw them together was just too much. I wanted him to stay gone, wanted Ana to be an overworked single mom so I would be the number woman in the Grey family, but I knew he would return and go back to Ana once the baby was born... all I wanted was for her to lose the child, move with the divorce and for him to stay in Taiwan.
Of course, just my luck, me pushing her was what brought him back instead of keeping him away and now again I am the one to suffer because of him. I really wish for some sort of universal justice that has him just dropping dead for completely ruining my life and leaving me with a choice that in either way has me be the loser as the result. I hate Christian Grey!
Christian
„Can we make a short stop at the supermarket, I want to cook dinner for us tonight." Ana says as Taylor is driving us from the airport to our Aspen house.
„You don't have to, Ana... just relax."
„Cooking for my family is what helps me relax."
„Well, far be it from me to take that from you. Taylor, please stop at a supermarket."
„You always look out of place here." Ana giggles as we walk through the supermarket, while Taylor stayed behind in the car with Arielle.
„I guess that is right." I agree and throw a box of cookies and some ice cream in the cart.
„Ice cream and cookies for dessert?" Ana asks and I nod with a smirk.
„Ok, how about we bake some cookies. I could show you."
„Chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and icing?" I ask, Ana has made these sometimes and they are my absolute favorites.
„Sure." She says with a big smile and so after we have arrived at the house, unpacked and changed we meet in the kitchen to cook, which also gives me time to bring up something I have been thinking of for a while now.
„I have been thinking about what to do with the house... if I should sell it or keep it... I'm just not sure... what do you think Ana?" I ask and she looks shocked.
„You want to sell it?" She asks and I'm surprised by how sad she sounds.
„No... I just don't know what to do with it, you want me to keep it?" I ask and Ana sits down at the breakfast bar.
„Talk to me." I ask and take her hand in mine.
„I don't know... yes, some pretty fucked up stuff has happened there... but there have been so many good times too. Our first Christmas together, so many wonderful family gatherings and just small things I'll always remember... like when the entire street had a blackout and you put candles everywhere in the family room and we slept by the fireplace... picknicks in the meadow... it's our home." She says and I can see tears pool in her beautiful eyes.
„Then it's set, we are not going to sell the house."
„Thank you, it's just I still see us growing old there together... for a while, I couldn't think of it as my home anymore, but now I can and I want us live there together again."
„Me too, baby. Now, no more heavy topics, we both deserve some relaxation and fun times... so let's make cookies or I might just eat all the icing." I say managing to get a small giggle out of Ana. Fuck, just hearing her talk about our home and that she see's us growing old there together fills me with so much hope.
When I realized what I had done to Ana without even being able to understand it, because of what was done to me, I was convinced that we were over. That there was no way for us to find our way back together, but just being here now shows me how wrong I was. If anything it has made us stronger, because now we are finally able to communicate and to build a strong foundation for our relationship. Still, I want more, I want to hold her in my arms, kiss her, make love to her... it's consuming my thoughts and it took me everything last night when she kissed me goodnight not to drag her into my bedroom and have my way with her. But I'm trying to be good and not let my instincts win, take this at her pace, so I know that when it happens, she really wants it... but I for one can't wait until Ana is truly mine again.
Just a quick heads up, I'm out of pre-written chapters and with Christmas just around the corner I cannot promise that I will be able to update every week, but I'll try my best. Also, for those who are wondering, I'd say there are about five to six chapters left... I hope you are all going to have a great week!