Hi All. I have jumped '15' years, and I know that is a lot, but I will do flashbacks, to fill in the events people have asked to read about. I just have an interesting story line for the older Grey family that I seriously wanted to explore. Also Ted sons name is pronounced as "Ee-Lie" not "Elly" as some people thought. Ta Maria Amore
The Changing Tide
Ted's POV:
"How long have you been awake?" Lily asks still half asleep.
"Only about ten minutes. I was watching you sleep and enjoying the quiet of our home." I smile. We both then laugh, knowing that our home has been anything but quiet for the past fourteen years. The stillness is then broken as we hear the tiny cry of our youngest child, Macie Anastasia Grey, over the monitor. It is the sweetest sound we have heard since our twins were babies. They have grown up too quickly and are already fourteen.
"I will go and get her." I give Lily a soft kiss. We have been married for almost fifteen years now, and I love her more than ever.
Macie's nursery is beautifully decorated, as was the nursery of each one of the twins when they were infants, as per Lily's instructions, and as gift from her mothers. The walls are painted a pale pink with a feature wall of wallpaper. My heart warms when I approach the classic, dark wood cot, and see our four week old baby girl. Our third child.
Regardless of the many successes I have had at Grey Enterprise, the companies that I have acquired and turned around, my continuous work on our projects in Darfur, Macie, Ruby and Eli are my greatest accomplishments.
"Good morning angel" I pick her up from her cot and hold her close to my chest, before putting her down to change her diaper. Instinctively she puts her fingers in her mouth.
"Are you trying to tell me you are hungry? Well I will take you to mummy in a minute, how does that sound?" I seal the sides of her diaper and put on a pair of socks on her feet. I don't want her to get cold.
"Now hopefully your big brother and sister will wake up as happy as you, and get ready for school, in the next hour or so. They have their first day back at school"
"I am up already and going to go and do some laps." Eli calls out from the doorway of the nursery, startling me a little.
"Good Morning Eli. How are you this morning?" I say raising my eyebrows. , reminding my sons of his manners. I guess I am more like my father than I ever thought.
"Sorry. I am well, thank you and Good morning Dad" Eli responds.
"Thank you Eli, proper manners will always get you far." I point out. "What time is your swim meet today?"
"Four o'clock. Can you make it?" He asks.
"Of course, I can. I have made sure my assistant Laura, has cleared my schedule, so I can make all your competition meets, this year. Your grandfather and grandmother will also be coming" I inform him.
"Really? That's brilliant. Do you mind if I go and do some laps? I really want to be in good form" Eli asks politely.
"Of course. Just do not overdo it." Eli runs down the stairs. His cooper hair is unruly just like mine and his grandfather. I cradle Macie and softly sing to her. Oh how I wish my children would always stay this small.
"Morning dad" I hear Ruby's, I seriously don't want to be awake right now tone of voice.
"Good morning Ruby, it is early for you, are you okay?" Ruby gives me her 'don't mess with me' look that I swear she got from my sister and her aunt, Phoebe.
"Seriously who can sleep with Eli talking so loud and good morning Dad" Ruby comes over and kisses my cheek. She then yawns, giving away that she still needs more sleep. I really wish she would go to bed earlier.
"Why don't you go back to bed for a little while. Your mom wants us to have a special breakfast since it yours and Eli's first day back at school. You need to be downstairs at seven okay?"
"Sure dad. I am going to go and finally finish the last chapter of my school book. Seriously I think, I go to the only school in the state that allocates holiday reading because of good grades" Ruby rolls her eyes.
"It is an exceptionally good school, and your mom and I are extremely proud of you, as are your grandparents and great grandparents. You know your favourite Aunt Phoebe went to that school." I tell her.
"When is Aunt Phoebe coming home?" Ruby has missed Phoebe almost as much as my parents. Phoebe has been over east at college for the past four years, and before she returns to Seattle to work, also at Grey Enterprise, she has been away for the past three months in Australia and Asia, travelling.
"Next week, she is eager to see you and your brother, and meet her new niece" Ruby nods and walks back to her room.
Finally returning to our bedroom, I pass our baby girl to Lily. Macie latches on immediately, and hungrily starts to eat. I lie down next to them and watch. There is something amazingly comforting watching my wife feed our daughter.
We never intended to have such a large age gap between our twins and our next child, but between both of us having demanding careers and wanting to ensure that we always gave our children adequate time, meant that a large age gap naturally occurred.
Plus when the twins were little my sister Phoebe would come over and have sleep overs, and play with the twins, so they were kept much occupied. My parents, as with Lily's mothers, have been extremely active in our children's lives. My parents, who are as devoted to each other as ever, have dotted on the twins constantly.
Life was truly amazing, there was only one thing worrying me in our perfect lives. I only needed to wait for the news.
# # # #
I drink that last of my coffee in my office, after eating lunch in my office. I have just caught up on my emails and am checking my schedule for the week. I want to drop the kids off at school each day this week rather than security or one of our domestic staff. My focus is then broken by a knock at the door.
"Mr Grey, this parcel was hand delivered for you today at reception. I know that you have considered it to be of some value, so I had them bought up immediately." My personal assistant, Laura, informs me. She is impeccably organised.
"Thank you Laura." I give her a small smile as I take the parcel from her hands. This contains the answers to the questions I am so desperately seeking.
"Would you like another coffee?" Laura enquires.
"No, thank you, and can you close the door on your way out?" I am eager to dismiss her.
"Yes Mr Grey, also your father has requested to see you in twenty minutes in his office." I nod in acknowledgment. I may need to see my father, more than he needs to see me soon.
I open the sealed package and let the contents fall out. I look at the pictures and read the report from the private investigator I secretly hired. I couldn't get the Grey family security detail or Welch to work on this project for me. Though I have long since gained the right to privacy of my operations without my father's knowledge and use of all Grey Enterprise resources, the contents as this information would have filtered back to my father; there was no need to do so prematurely. I only have a hunch after all.
"SHIT, I am going to kill them!" I yell out, though too loudly as Bradley, my GEH appointed CPO, enters.
"Do you require assistance?" Bradley asks.
"Yes, but I am afraid that even you won't be able to help in this matter, unless you feel comfortable with committed murder" I tell him. He raises his eyebrows at me, and it unnerves me a little until he comments lightening my mood.
"I much prefer breaking legs. It is more painful to the offending subject and means that they have to suffer. Death can be a way out. Who is troubling you?" He asks, he is half joking and half serious I believe.
"No one at the moment, but how do you feel about breaking legs?" I joke.
"Legs? Hamm... Sounds more fun than breaking arms, and less messy killing" He jokes back.
"Thanks Bradley. I will get back to you."
"Okay Ted. Call or cuss should you need me," Against my father's objections, I have had my CPO, Bradley, call me by my first name for years.
I place all the offending photos in the envelope and reseal it. I am not going to take any chances with these, and head off to my father's office. He and I need to put an end to this. As I approach the father's office, Andrea gives me a curious smile as if she knows something I don't know. My hunch ends up being right.
"Fifi!" All the air in my lungs escape, one out of shock that she is actually here, when I have the offending photos in my hand and two out of excitement and joy. "I ever expected you to be here. You are supposed to be in India until the end of the week"
"Yes, but all that sun started to get to me. I thought I would come to cloudy and rainy city earlier and meet my new niece. Plus there was a couple of things I needed to address at home" Phoebe looks at me as she emphasises the two words address and home. I naturally respond by quietly grimacing at her. I think she has realised that I know. I don't want to tackle that point right now, not with her in my father's office. Now her appearance now means I need to adopt a new tactic. I need to talk to here, but not here, we need to be alone together. However, her tone was not unnoticed by our father or mother.
"What things do you need to address Phoebe?" My father asks to look at her cautiously. She may be 21 now, but she is always going to be daddy's little girl.
"Don't worry dad, it's nothing radical. I just figured that since I am finally twenty one, I would come home so I can go to the 'Coping Together' Ball." Phoebe states. My sister had the unfortunate chance of being born in November which meant that, she just missed out by a few months. My grandparents did consider making an exception, but it was agreed that it would start a precedence that might be too hard to prevent in the future.
"Oh yes, you do. We can finally all be there together" My mother smiles.
"I always thought that was a silly rule." Phoebe states.
"No, it isn't Phoebe Grace Grey. It is just that you grandparents always thought it was easier since alcohol was readily available at the ball and they wisely prefer there be no underage drinking" our father explains and scolds at the same time.
"And this way no guy could bid on me in the first dance auction. Right dad?" Phoebe states a little sassy, but she does have a point.
"Keeping men away from you, for one night, might have been a bonus, yes. Not that it worked much" My father says grunting a little. Phoebe was allowed to finally date after she turned seventeen, and maybe since it was relatively late compared to other girls, or the fact that she went to an all-girl school, or even that she had been rather academic focused, she never had a steady boyfriend. Rather she dated several boys from her schools brother school and from her afterschool activities. The closest she ever got to a steady boyfriend was a guy called, Nicholas, who was tutored in piano by the same teacher as my sister.
"Christian, we should cancel our dinner plans tonight since Phoebe is home" My mother recommends to our father, who is nodding in agreement.
"Oh I didn't realise you would both have plans since it is a Monday." Phoebe states.
"We normally wouldn't, but the charity ball was a late add. Your grandmother has been fundraising for the new children's cancer wing at NorthWestern, and grants and funding came in a little shorter than hoped." Our dad informs us.
"Don't cancel, Mom and Dad. I am old enough to be alone. I have lived alone at college for four years now, with the exception of a CPO or two" Phoebe giggles.
"But it's your first night at home." Our mother says concerned, looking between our dad and Phoebe.
"I agree with your mother. You shouldn't be home alone, on your first night. Also, Eli has his first swim meet today. You should come." Hhhhmmm… this gives me an idea.
"Eli's swim competition sounds like a great idea. But Mom and Dad, you should go to the fundraiser. I think grandma mentioned it to me." Phoebe states sincerely.
"I can just write a nice hefty cheque" My father states casually. He is Christian Grey, he can say that.
"But grandma and grandpa are expecting you both. Go. Fifi doesn't have to be home alone. She can come with me. Lily and I aren't attending tonight, so we are free." Phoebe shoots me a mixed look, however; I just offer a small smile. "The twins will love to see their favourite Aunt as will Lily. Phoebe you can even stay at our house tonight evening. There is a lot of room." I offer.
"Thank you Teddy, but I don't have any change of clothes. I will just go back to the sound" Phoebe attempts to cut me off, but I have more tricks up my sleeve.
"Security can get bring over anything you need from the sound. You still have a heap of stuff there, don't you?" I offer.
"Sounds like a fantastic offer, But Pheobe, I expect you not to make any plans with your girlfriends tomorrow night. Your mother and I would like to spend some time with you before your social calendar gets filled up" MY father sternly, but lovingly tells her.
"Okay, so I am off with Ted….yep," Phoebe says less than impressed.
"I will just go and call Lily ad then Angela, our housekeeper, and let her know that there will be one more for dinner. Fifi, I won't be long, then we can head out. It will be good to catch up, just you and I, and talk" I am then hit by a wave of tension radiating off my little sister.
"Sure," She says. I am taken totally off guard by this unsettling response. We have always been so close that any other status to our brother and sister relationship feels unnatural. I turn on my heels and start to walk out, only stopping at the doorway where I turn around.
"Fifi?" I call out her name
"Yes" she responds. We have both made eye contact.
"I am extremely glad your home early. I have missed you" I tell her sincerely.
"I have missed you too," Phoebe tells me and offers me a little smile.
# # # #
I open the passenger door of my car for Pheobe to get in, and the go around to get in myself. I put the key into the ignition but do not turn it. It is already tense in the car.
"So Teddy, want to talk to me about why you did it?' Phoebe asks.
"You know why Phoebe" I reply.
"That is the first time you have called me Phoebe and not Fifi," she remarks.
"I know" I tell her.
"Ted we need to talk"
Authors note: hope you enjoyed the next stage of my story. So what's on your mind….?