Enjoy

Sins of the Father

Chapter 18

Homecoming Part 2

Christian's POV

I punch in the code to the elevator and he looks around as we ride up to the penthouse level.

The doors open to Gail rushing eagerly from the kitchen.

"Welcome home, Mr. Grey," she greets me, wiping her hands on the white apron she's wearing. Her eyes and smile are trained on my son who, as expected, has darted behind me out of her view.

She looks different this evening.

Her lovely blonde hair that's usually held back out of the way is down around her shoulders and her clothes are of a brighter color than usual, not the variations of light pinks and grays she prefers wearing.

As I glance around the great room, I take note that it is also brighter than usual.

I normally come home to it dimly lit this late in the evening but today the lights are all on.

Large throw pillows and cozy blankets drape over the once bare sofas and chairs. Thick fuzzy rugs are covering large portions of the hard marble flooring. The jagged edged end-tables have been removed and ottomans have been added. A few more vases with fresh flowers have been placed around and paintings have been hung on the once plain white walls.

The whole place smells of warm buttered cinnamon toast and I don't know how the fuck she managed that smell, but damn if its not the most inviting scent in the world.

"Thank you, Gail. Its great to be back," I tell her. "The place looks wonderful. Very much lived in. You've outdone yourself."

She nods, happy for my appreciation.

"Hello, Christian," she says to the small figure that's using his teddy bear to hide his face. She doesn't wait for a formal introduction. She just can't help herself. "Taylor has told me so much about you. I'm Gail and I'm so happy to have you home."

He moves from behind me in response to her soft voice.

"Hi," is all he gives her at this point.

"Christian, Gail is the nice lady I told you about. The one that lives here with you, Taylor, and Me," I explain to him.

"She's like Nora," he asks, looking up at me.

"Very much like Nora," I tell him. He steps out a little farther to get a better look at an ever-smiling Gail.

"You must be tired from the long flight," she starts to fuss over him, bending down to get a better look at him. She discreetly gives him a once over and I can see the built-in mom radar going off in her head. "You and your teddy bear must be hungry?"

And she just asked the jackpot question because he's all in now as he steps a little closer to her. She reaches and pats his teddy bear's head.

"I sure can eat," Taylor says coming to join us. He gives Gail a cocky smile as she stands to look at him. Its clear he is happy to see her.

"That's old news with you," she teases him. The giddiness at him being home shines straight through her.

Christian looks at the sappy grins and puppy dog looks exchanging between Gail and Taylor. I think he just caught on to the fact that they're together.

"Taylor is the biggest and the hungriest bear around here," Gail jokes with Christian.

Taylor goes so far as to growl and Gail dramatically shoos him away. She gives Christian an animated wink that makes him laugh at all their antics and just like that the ice is broken.

I find myself also amused at the two of them. They have never been so lively in front of me before.

Left to wonder what the hell is happening to my staff, I take Christian upstairs to see his room.

I open the door that has his name blazoned in big neon letters across it and we both see his new room for the first time.

The walls are painted in varying shades of blue with a solar system motif that glows in the dark on his celling. It gives the illusion of being in outer space when you stare at it.

His bed is the perfect size for a five-year-old and his bedsheets are Superman themed, matching the two Fathead posters on his wall. There is a secret cubby hole space underneath that's just right for him to play in, complete with pillows, blankets, and a reading light.

"What do you think," I ask him as I inspect the room myself. "We can change it if you don't like it."

"Its really mine," he says, still holding my hand at the door.

"Its all yours," I reiterate to him. "This is your very own room, Christian. This is your very own home from now on."

We walk through to the adjoining room which was once my playroom, but its now his.

I encourage him to look around while I sit watching him.

His excitement is contagious as he comes and sits next to me, wanting me to play with him. I have to catch myself from making the same vroom-vroom and tire screeching noises with him as we roll cars around on the road map that is his playroom floor.

I take him on a tour of the rest of the penthouse, showing him where my bedroom is downstairs.

We spend some time in my home office and what was once the balls room that connects to it.

The pool table has been moved to the game room to make the library more accessible to Christian. He's been given his own corner with children's books of all types. Bean bags have been especially designed for him to be comfortable in while he reads and small tables and chairs have been added for him to sit and draw in.

"Oh MY God," Ana says, coming into the old balls room, looking around slack jawed.

Seeing her here catches me off guard.

I wasn't expecting her so soon. I suppose time has gotten away from me.

I am ill prepared for the change her presence brings. Its been years since we've shared this space and I certainly was freer to do as I pleased with her back then. Many times I did just that, having my way with her laid out across the pool table or with her legs hiked up on my desk.

"You have some drool on your chin," I tease, smirking at her and trying to cover my reaction to her being here again.

I remember all too well how she loved it in here. Even more so now without the oversized pool table taking away from the books, I'm sure.

And fuck me, she goes and giggles. I swear the whole damn room warms in response to the sound.

"Ana, Ana," Christian says, running to her. "Come see my room."

He takes her hand and pulls her along before she has a chance to say another word.

…

"He is such a lovely boy, Mr. Grey," Gail tells me as I come into the kitchen to check on dinner.

"Thank you, Gail," I tell her. "And thank you for all the effort you put in welcoming him home."

"Oh, it's my pleasure," she says smiling. "It's always a joy having a little person around, especially one so adorable. And it's nice to have Ana home again as well."

I smile as a mortified look comes over her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Grey. That didn't come out quite right. I didn't mean home here at Escala. I meant its nice having her back in Seattle."

"Its fine, Gail. I knew what you meant and I don't disagree with you. Dinner smells delicious, by the way."

"I hope Christian likes it," she worries he might not like her cooking.

"I'm confident he will," I assure her. "And you already know I can't wait."

She gives me a small laugh.

"You're running neck and neck with Jason," she says.

On my son's pleading and what I believe was a threat of tantrum, Ana agreed to stay for dinner.

He goes on nonstop about his room, his toys, Gail, who he has become quite taken with since she let him lick the vanilla frosting from the mixing spoon she iced his welcome home cake with, and of course Taylor the hungry bear.

"Taylor the bear," Ana laughs, looking at me in question. I can only shrug since its new to me too.

He only stops talking as long as it takes to fill is mouth with mac and cheese before moving on to the next topic.

Gail is pleased when she collects his clean plate.

Tired of sitting in the dining room, we move to the great room to eat desert.

Christian gets more of the cake on the coffee table than he does in his mouth and the frosting gets smeared all over the glass.

"Better get used to it," Ana laughs at me as I cringe from the sight of it.

As the skyline lights up the darkened sky, something about it catches Christian's eye. He rounds the piano and wanders over to the large windows to get a better view.

"Its the space station," he says when I come to stand next to him. I'm a bit confused until he points at the space needle. "Its just like the picture mommy showed to me. Is spacemen up there?"

I hear Ana giggle from her place on the couch behind us.

"I'll tell you what," I say to him. "Soon we'll take a ride over there and you can take a look around for yourself. How does that sound?"

"Can Ana come?"

"Oh, um..." she starts before I can answer. "We'll have to see about that. In the meantime, why don't I help you get you cleaned up and ready for bed before I leave for home."

"Kay," he says going with her upstairs.

…..

Ana's POV

I can't help but appreciate the efforts that were made to make Christian feel like he's home. Everything in the bathroom that was once designated for his submissives to use , is now kid sized.

"What do you think of your new home," I ask him, tucking him in to bed after his shower. He's brushed his teeth and changed into his new superman pajamas.

"It's the best home ever," he says, looking up at the glow in the dark stars and planets. "I want mommy here with me."

"I know," I tell him, gently while pushing the covers up to his chin. "I wish you had her here too."

"Can you stay here?"

"I really wish I could," I tell him. "But I can't leave New York."

"Kay," he mumbles it, unhappily. "Are you coming back here tomorrow?"

"Well, tomorrow is the start of my official work day here, so we'll have to see," I tell him. "For now, you need to get some sleep. You've had a very long day."

"Mommy says I won't grow if I don't sleep."

"She's absolutely right," I say, kissing his forehead before leaving. "Remember, your daddy is right downstairs if you get scared and your Teddy is right here to keep you company."

"Kay," he says turning on his side and snuggling up with his Teddy bear.

…

"How is he," Christian asks me from where he sits perched on his piano bench. His hands hover over the keys but he doesn't press down on any of them.

"So far so good," I tell him.

"Are you expecting it not to continue to be good."

"Not at all," I assure him. "But he has a long way to go. He's talking about Leila more. I think its starting to sink in that she's not coming back. Once the shock wears off and he fully understands what happened…"

I leave it unsaid because he knows full well what happens.

"I fucking hate he has to go through this, Ana."

"I know."

"Thinking about him having to deal with it all by himself makes me crazy."

"Don't. There is no point to that because he doesn't have to."

"As I recall, you were ready to kick my ass to make sure of it."

"You would have deserved every bit of it too. He needed his daddy."

"I can't argue with that."

"Speaking of which," I tell him, going over to where Gail put my bag when I saw her earlier.

I take out the manila envelope and hand it to him.

"You mean the lab techs finally got off their asses and performed the test," he says inspecting it.

"State funded program in all its glory," I joke about the delay.

"What does it say," he asks me.

"I haven't checked yet. I thought you should first."

Watching as he opens it, I gnaw on my bottom lip, nervously. There still is that miniscule chance that he may not be Christian's father.

If he is nervous, he doesn't show it when he rips it open and quickly reads the results.

His know it all grin is all the answer I need.

"Well, that settles that," I tell him, breathing in relief.

"What happens now?"

"Now we petition the court to close the case," I tell him.

"The case has already been transferred here, right," he asks and I nod. "Dad can certainly help move the process along."

"I thought you might say that," I laugh walking toward the elevator. "I will be more than happy to help him anyway I can."

"I would appreciate it," he says.

"I already approve of his new dwellings, so that's a step in the right direction," I tell him, stepping into the elevator and punching the button for it to close. "I'm really impressed by what you've done to the place, but honestly, that library alone would have been enough to sway me."

He rolls his eyes and I wave goodbye as the elevator doors shut.

…..

Christian's POV

I roll my eyes at Ana before making my way upstairs to check on my son, who is now officially my son. But I really didn't need the results to tell me what I already knew just by looking at him. I couldn't deny him even if I wanted to.

I slowly open the door to his room and find his bed empty.

Quickly, I look around for him, checking his bathroom before heading to his playroom, but he is nowhere to be found. I come close to alerting the staff but the only thing that stops me is the knowledge that he couldn't have gotten past Ana and I downstairs.

I remember the hiding place under his bed.

Bending down, I slide back the tiny door and look inside. He's curled up on a pillow under a warm blanket with his Teddy bear.

It's a position I know well as I feel asleep under my mother's bed the same way, but in my case, it was out of fearful exhaustion hiding from the pimp and the threat of his cigarettes.

Judging by the serene look on his face, Christian's sleep is one of excited exhaustion and not fear.

A smile comes over my face as I watch him sleep.

I tuck him in a little more before sliding the door back closed.

Before going downstairs, I make sure to activate the door alarm I had Welch put in. It will alert me should his door open again during the night.

...

Slipping into DOM mode, I head to my room to begin a much-needed session with my latest plaything, Miss Johnson.

I text her the all clear and wait for her to come up. She knows better than to keep me waiting too long, but every second seems like an eternity as I shower and change into my jeans.

I exit my bathroom to find her standing in the door way.

"Welcome home, Master."

Author's Note:

thank you for reading and reviewing.