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Sins of the Father

Chapter 17

Homecoming Part 1

Ana's POV

I sit watching father and son play a laptop computer game they just discovered as I pretend to be busy doing work on mine. In reality, I'm just playing a boring game of solitaire instead.

The transformation I see in the both of them is already awe inspiring. The older Christian has really stepped up to fatherhood. He's going all in like I've seen him do with things and people he deems worthy of his attention. I don't think anything or anyone has ever been worthier in his eyes. Like most parents, he already has a strong urge to protect his son. I worry being Christian Grey, he may take it to the extreme. It has me fearing for anyone who gets in between them.

He's already managed to successfully railroad me into coming to Seattle on his son's behalf and contrary to his belief, it has cost me more than just a week out of my life.

I was looking forward to being in Singapore with Hunter. Now my plans have been delayed because of my work again. To say Hunter was less than pleased would be pushing it, but there really was no way around it as far as my job was concerned. It was either I go or end up losing a job that I love so much. I suppose I could have gone back to editing, but I find no fulfillment in that career anymore.

"Work for another agency," Hunter told me when I called him with the news. "One that doesn't demand their employees be transferred out of state at a moment's notice."

"Usually, this one doesn't demand it, but these are peculiar circumstances," I told him.

"Peculiar? Is that what we are calling this now? Because I have a few better words for it. For starters, how about this particular peculiarity not being on the job your description."

"They've never followed that thing. I haven't seen it since I started."

"Why don't you come work for me?"

"And do what? I know nothing about what you do."

"Sweetheart, it would be my honor to train you."

"Insuring that nothing by way of work ever gets done," I tell him. He can't help but agree with me.

"Then just quit. You can move in with me until you find another job. One that will stand up for its employees and not bow down to someone else's bullshit. What kind of precedent are they setting?

"Hunter, its not like the place where you work. It's a state program that is often times over looked in the grand scheme of politics. My boss was offered what he's been lobbying for since before I started working there."

"You defend him?"

"No, I don't defend him. But I get why he took the bait. You know how it works better than anyone. You are very good at baiting people yourself."

"I hate that you have to be a pawn."

A week," I tell him. "Just one more week. Please. What's another week?"

"It's another week without you. I'm finding it quite difficult already."

"I know. Me too. But I do get to kill a few birds with one stone. I get to touch base with Kate and help her with her wedding planning, which means more time for us when I do get to Singapore."

He takes a long breath, thinking it over.

"You damn well better make this up to me. I want you the moment you get off that plane."

"First thing," I promised him.

"Give Kate my love."

"She's freaking out about wearing white," I told him.

"Its tradition."

"Virginal tradition," I laughed. "She nearly hyperventilated trying to remember back to exactly when she was a virgin."

"Tell her we will kindly overlook that bit of it."

"I will," I told him. "Its going to be strange being back in my old apartment after all this time."

"I wish you would have taken advantage of the accommodations they offered you, or at the very least let me rent a place for you. But I can see why you'd want to live in your old place. Just think of it as being back in college again. This time with a better-looking billionaire trying to seduce you."

"Trying? Believe me, you have already succeeded beyond all expectations. You leave me satisfied and still salivating. Just the thought of you touching me-"

"Sweetheart, you keep talking to me like this and I'm going to be on the first flight to Seattle. Kate will learn that cute little nickname you call me when I have you right where I want you."

I groan at the thought, pressing my legs together.

"Maybe I can finish early," I told him.

"How early?"

"Two days, maybe," I joked.

"Well what brought this on," he asked, like he doesn't know.

"Motivation by orgasm works wonders."

My thoughts are broken by the voice of the captain letting us know we'll be taking off soon. That fact only proves to upset Christian who looks like he's about to sprint out the closed door back down the stairs.

"Its fine," his dad tells him, putting the computer away and buckling him in his seat. "Soon we'll be on our way and then we can have our breakfast."

He makes it sound so normal and every day. Like every kid gets to sit in a private jet eating breakfast made by his own personal flight crew. But for Christian Williams it will soon be normal.

He has no idea how his life is about to change. This is just the tip of a very deep iceberg.

He didn't want to pack any of his toys to bring to Seattle with him, even though I made it clear that they were his to have. He said that he wanted to leave them so that the other kids who didn't have mommies or daddies could play with them. They were entrusted to Sasha to distribute.

I tighten my own seatbelt as the plane jerks forward onto the runway.

As many times as I've flown, I will never get use to this. The fact that I am sitting here in an object that can crumple like an aluminum can as its hurtling down a short-paved road still scares the crap out of me.

I grip both armrest and close my eyes. I only open them when I feel the intense stare of Christian who is very much aware of my fear of taking off.

The plane finally lifts in the air and I give him a nod that all is good on my end. Now that the hard part is all over, I breathe a little easier. He smirks at me before turning his attention to his son who is just mesmerized at being off the ground.

I laugh at how his nose and forehead are pressed into the window, trying to look down at the disappearing ground beneath us.

"Superman's got nothing on us," his dad tells him. "And we're going fast."

"Super-duper fast," Christian says, filled with excitement. I can tell by his dad's amused expression that this is an inside joke between them, although judging from Taylor's grin behind them, he must be in on it too.

A breakfast of waffles and fresh strawberries are served with the exception of mine being substituted with pancakes without me having to request it.

Both Christians dig in, making quick work of cleaning their plates.

Father is enjoying watching son delight in his meal.

It is the most basic thing a parent does for a child, but for Christian, the importance of it is deeply rooted in the first four years of his own childhood when that basic need was denied him. I don't envy Gail in her job at the moment. I'm sure Christian has been meticulous in making sure she stocks the pantry and the fridge to his specifications.

My mind drifts back to when I first met her and she already had my Twining's English Breakfast tea on hand from Christian having her to go out and buy it for me. I can only imagine the bucket loads of mac and cheese ingredients she's had to get for his son.

"How can the people see us but we can't see the people," I hear Christian asks his dad as he tries to look down at all the people he knows he's flying over. The excitement of the flight is making him chatty.

"Well, they can see a little bit of the jet fly by, but they can't really see much of us up here," his dad explains to him, leaning forward to look down out the window himself.

"Mommy liked to fly," he tells his dad.

"She did?"

"She said the medicine the mean man gives her made her fly," he says, still nodding his head in answer of his dad's question. "I gotta go pee pee."

"I'll take you to the bathroom," I say to him, giving his dad a moment to collect himself from that bombshell his son doesn't even know he just dropped .

I take Christian's hand and lead to the bathroom.

"You want me to come in with you," I ask him and he shakes his head no. "I'll be back talking with your daddy."

" 'Kay."

"You hid it well," I tell his dad sitting down next to him. He looks beyond me for his son. "He'll be a few minutes. He knows to come back here when he's done."

"Jesus, Ana. Why would Leila tell him some fucked up shit like that?"

"I don't know, Christian. Maybe he asked her about the drugs and she didn't know what else to say."

"She did drugs in front of him, Ana. God only knows what else she did in front of him. Their apartment wasn't that big. Who the fuck knows what he saw going on in there. Jesus, when I think about what all he could have been exposed to."

"Try to calm down. Don't let him see you upset like this," I tell him.

He takes a deep breath, running his hands through his hair.

"All this tongue biting is making my mouth dry," he grumbles as Christian runs up. "I need water."

"I got a water," Christian exclaims. He holds the small bottle of water out for his dad who takes it, thanking him.

"Where'd you get that," I ask him.

"From the lady," he says of the flight attendant. "She gave me it."

He leaves us and I assume he's going to ask for another one but instead he goes and sits next to Taylor. He looks out his window to see if the view is different from his seat.

"My little girl likes to fly too," we hear Taylor tell him.

"You got a little girl?"

"Her name is Sophie and she's just a few years older than you."

"Does she live in the house in the sky too? Would she want to play with me?"

"She lives in another house with her Mom, but she will love playing with you. I'll bring her over for a visit real soon."

"Do I have to play with dolls?"

"No," Taylor laughs. "Sophie likes to play with cars and things too."

"He's talking a lot now," his dad whispers to me, taking note of his son's ease in behavior.

"Because he's with people he trusts," I whisper back to him. "He'll quiet down again when we land in Seattle. But once he gets used to it, you'll long for the days of solitude."

"I can't wait."

"Famous last word," I say to him before returning to my seat.

The pilot announces our arrival into SeaTac, so I buckle my seatbelt as the older Christian once again straps his son into his seat.

I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the final stretch of reuniting father and son and then saying my goodbyes to them and Seattle.

…..

Christian's POV

Once safely landed, we stayed on the jet so that Leila could be loaded off first and on her way to her final resting place.

As Ana predicted, Christian is quiet as we make the drive from SeaTac to Escala. He sits once again holding his teddy bear in one hand and his blue car in the other. He looks out the window as the city passes by.

She insisted on taking a cab over to her old apartment. Her stubbornness pisses me off but I don't have much of a leg to stand on where she's concerned. I dare not press my luck with her already being here against her will.

She did promise my son that she would drop by as soon as he was settled in and she had a chance to check in with her work.

Taylor is riding shot gun as Sawyer drives us home. He keeps glancing back at Christian in blatant curiosity. Its obvious Taylor hasn't had a chance to brief the security on the fact that I now have a son. One that happens to already be of some age. I'm sure they'll have questions which I've already given Taylor the go ahead to address as he deems appropriate.

Inwardly, I sigh when I think of the laundry list of items I have to check off where my son is concerned.

The staff is just a small part of it.

I have to find him a school that's up to par and perhaps a nanny since I can't expect Gail to pick up the extra duties of overseeing him. I have to alert my PR team and get in contact with Welch on adding the proper security measures where the paparazzi is concerned. The last thing I need is those pricks getting too close and scaring him. I really need to keep all the press from being the vicious bull dog bastards that they are when it comes to this potential shit storm. Not to mention, making sure the introduction goes well with my family. That part is vital.

Reality is truly biting me in the ass right now and I need a little respite from it.

I take out my phone to send a brief message to Miss Johnson.

-Christening the new playroom is definitely out of the question tonight, Kitten. I may have to sneak you into my bedroom. Be available to me later.

A grin plays at my lips as I read her response.

-Whatever pleases you, Sir. Your kitten is always up for a little cat and mouse.

I can always count on her to be ready for anything. The thought of having some release tonight helps calm me down.

Before I can put my phone away, it rings the familiar tone, alerting me that its Elena calling.

"Hello, Darling," she says when I answer. "I take it you are back in Seattle as scheduled. How was your trip? Did you get to clear the air with Anastasia? I can't imagine why you'd want to after everything that's happened because of her."

"Don't start in on that, Elena," I tell her. "And it was touch and go for a minute, but overall, it went better than I expected. Unfortunately, I can't get into details about it right now. I'll meet with you for dinner sometime. We can discuss it then."

"Alright, My Darling. Please make it soon because I am eager to hear," she says. "And in the meantime, do take care with Miss Johnson. She was very excited about your anticipated return when she dropped by the salon the other day. I'm happy you sent Franco over to take care of her. She truly loves adorning herself for her Sir."

"Never worry," I assure her. "She will be thoroughly rewarded for her efforts."

"Very well. Have fun with it, Darling."

I end the call just as we pull into the parking garage.

I look over at Christian.

"Are you ready to go home," I ask him. He nods his head at me.

Author's Note: Part 2 will be updated on Monday since it just needs to be edited.

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