Disclaimer: I own nothing...
A/N: Still a laptop down but, still on my brother's laptop so there's a plus side eh? Not sure it'll be so good when my brother gets back from work and wants to nick his laptop!
Rant moment – to the guest reviewer who told me to basically make Ana happier and get over this. Why? It's been days since this happened, she is not going to be happy anytime soon after such a massive traumatic event happening. Don't expect it. I am a little sick of reviews and PM's telling me Ana's characterisation is basically too whiny and needs to just get over this… In reality that doesn't happen and I won't make my story unrealistic. I'm sorry for coming across bitchy but, I won't trample over such a delicate subject to appease people who can't log in. I will handle this story as realistically as possible until the end.
Sorry for that, for now enjoy… and thank you!
Beauty and the Beast – Chapter Twenty
Kaitlyn's laugh stopped Kate in her steps, "Stop right there, Honey. Your guards down the way, so I had a free pass," Pursing her lips, Kaitlyn played with the buds on the bouquet she had brought. "I wasn't sure what flowers to get you so I brought you the ones that Christian always used to get me."
"How about I show you where to put those," Kate took a step forward, her best sarcastic bitch smile playing on her lips.
"Where might that be?" Kaitlyn asked sizing Kate up as she closed her arms over her chest and proceeded to drum her fingers along her arm condescendingly.
"I was thinking somewhere a little less," Kate paused, hummed for a second before finishing her sentence, "Sunny." Kate wasn't going to back down and right now she could see that Ana was not only silent but, terrified and she suddenly pieced it together. Christian hadn't been stupid when he had said Kaitlyn was behind Ana's attack.
"I'm sure," Kaitlyn remarked in a disdainful way. She gave a patronising smirk and turned her attention on Ana. "Have they said how scarred you'll be as a result of this inhumane attack, Anastasia? I would hate for Christian to have to feast his eyes on an imperfect beauty. I mean, after all, our man doesn't do well with scars."
"He doesn't care about them," Ana muttered back finding Kaitlyn the only person she couldn't give eye contact to.
"Oh, you poor deluded soul," Kaitlyn tried to offer same empathy but couldn't quite get passed the fake vibe in her voice. "We all know you're next in line to be booted out."
"Unlike you, I love him," Ana replied with strength in her tone and finally looked up at Kaitlyn. "I wouldn't cheat on him for sexual fucking gratification! I know an amazing thing when it is handed to me and I am lucky enough that he still loves me."
"I have a scar!" Kaitlyn suddenly exploded at the sound of those words. Her insecurities bubbled and burst. "Mine was hidden from plain sight but, he couldn't bear to make love to me. He was repulsed by it. Told me I just reminded him of his past. That's why I went searching for another man!" Kaitlyn told her, "You'll be the same soon, Ana. You'll be nothing but, a pest in his life and he won't wait to cast you aside for the next woman to warm his bed up."
"That's not true," Ana whispered, trying not to believe the words of the evil bitch before her but, Ana wasn't of a rational mind to deal with such convictions.
"No, it's not true," Kate spoke up, her tone light as she played Kaitlyn's enemy. Kate could always catch a fiend in a group and Kaitlyn was just glaringly obviously as pure evil. "Has he ever punched a wall because of the anger he feels at you being hurt? Has he ever thought he'd die if he'd lose you? And had he ever crawled onto your hospital bed when you were at your lowest and just held you?" Kate asked, "Hmmm?"
Kaitlyn remained silently belligerent for a moment. She stood watching Kate mulling over what she could well do to make her newest strike.
"Has he ever cried over you being in pain or did he just leave you the scarred little bitch that you are?" Kate questioned and was hoping that Kaitlyn would snap and give up a confession.
Apparently the rich bitch was much more cleverer than she looked.
"He did want to marry me," she tried to use that as her way of upping the ante.
Kate had to laugh, "Is that your best shot?"
"He wanted to marry me before the attack," Ana spoke up, still quite quiet, "Now he wants to go through with it." Ana looked directly at Kaitlyn, not witnessing Kate's fired up expression, "He loves me regardless of what you did to me."
"You've got no proof I did this, dear sweet, naive Ana," Kaitlyn said and went back to the flower arrangement. "I've only just gotten back from living in London with my fiancé," she held up her hand and wiggled her finger, "Who will vouch to whose bed I was at the time of your attack."
"Oh so you weren't sleeping around on him then?" Kate asked, intervening. "Only you're looking a little haggard around the edges so either that's from too much fucking or a guilty conscience."
"Jet lag," Kaitlyn defied with a humoured giggle.
"Of course, how silly of me and how silly of you coming back when you have fingers pointed on you're right now as a lead suspect," Kate chided as she stood her ground and Ana. "Walked right into this didn't you?"
"It's my mother's birthday at the end of the week. I am hardly going to pass that up," Kaitlyn strung out more lies to the pair. "You'd be surprised how much of Ana's attack is actually broadcasted. White, unknown, female found in the Seattle area fitting your description had my attention bought right away. Then they pegged an identity to you." She plucked a petal off one of the roses and rubbed it between her finger tips, "I'm surprised Christian didn't have you safeguarded from the publicity." She laughed and flicked the damaged petal in Ana's direction, "Obviously he doesn't care about you that much."
"It's public?" Ana gasped, trepidation of what the outside world already thought of her began to take her over like a volcano readying to blow.
"No it isn't," Kate fought back, defying that little false truth. "She's just trying to rile you up, Ana." Turning her fully fledged attention onto Kaitlyn, Kate had never been more disappointed in a person in her life. "You're finding this really fun aren't you?"
"Highly amusing," Kaitlyn agreed. "I just really came to find out what the hell Christian saw in little Miss Scar-face and not me." She bit a little at her words as she spoke, "I mean she's not known, she was barely pretty before and now she's ruined." Kaitlyn laughed, she had researched Ana's history the moment she had walked onto the scene over a year ago. "Who in the fashion industry is going to look at a girl with masses of scars all over her bare skin and want to buy or sell her designs?" Kaitlyn laughed, "You'll make a mockery of everyone you'll go near!"
Kate let out a disbelieving laugh, "You're a joke, you know that? At least she isn't a trust fund kid which is all you'll ever be. Did daddy's money get you to London and back?" Kate asked not prepared for anything else to go against Ana. Looking to Sawyer over Kaitlyn's shoulder, Kate didn't say anything but, prayed he got the point she was making with her expression. He had to call Christian. He had to call Grace. He had to call whoever could get here fast enough. Applying her attention back to Kaitlyn, Kate noticed she had hit a spot, "You better watch out because before long Ana will be a name on everyone's lips and not because of her scars but because of her talent and you will regret the day you ever, and I mean ever, put your hand on that bottle that night."
"You gotta prove it was me, sweetheart," Kaitlyn scorned Kate with a deep drive of disparaging snobbery.
Sawyer now stepped into the room, shoulders set broadly, chest puffed out, "Mr Grey was already on his way back when I rang and doesn't, under any circumstance, want to see you near this room." He saw Kaitlyn look at him, "So I suggest you leave."
"Oh just drag her by that stupid weave, Luke," Kate waved the notion of mistreating a woman. "It'll do her favour to lose that scatty fake brown hair."
"I'm leaving!" Kaitlyn laughed but, stalled for a moment to look directly at Ana, "Oh, Ana, Ana, Ana, he won't want you now!"
"That's it," Sawyer growled, grabbed Kaitlyn in a way that could only be classified as man handling and marched her out of the room.
"I can get you done for this!" Kaitlyn exclaimed as Sawyer didn't let her go.
"Have fun trying," Sawyer muttered unhappily as didn't relinquish his hold on her.
Kate let out a feral growl and then turned to face Ana, "That little bitch needs locking up in a mental asylum and someone losing the key straight after." Dropping her attention from her anger fuelled at Kaitlyn, Kate noticed Ana's chest jumping with struggling breathing like she was choking. "Ana?" She asked rushing to her side. "What's wrong? Ana?"
"I can't breathe," Ana gasped, clawing at the bedding as flashbacks came at her full throttle. She wanted Christian here. She knew that flashbacks were probable. She had discussed them with Flynn but, seeing Kaitlyn had triggered her first major one. He won't want you now. He won't want you now. He won't want you now.
Kate looked around frantically, petrified for what to do. One the one hand she wanted to run from the room and beg for help but on the other, well there wasn't another! Ana was clinging on to Kate's hand whilst she struggled with her breathing.
"Ka-ate," Ana heaved on struggled breathing, her face reddening with the struggling of her breaths.
"Help!" Kate suddenly began to scream out. Not knowing what else to do. She was consumed with fear as she practically saw her best friend dying before her. "Help! Please! Someone help!" She looked back at Ana, her eyes watering harder, her vision becoming difficult. "C'mon, Steele, in through your nose out through your mouth. You know how to do that. Remember when we were jogging that time and we both realised how unfit we were and we ended up breathing properly like that. Do that for me now, please, Ana. Please."
Kate's rambling was sporadic and frantic but, she was trying everything she could muster.
"Ca-can't," Ana managed between her struggling breathing but, the lack of air was beginning to weigh heavily on her and she was readying to just close her eyes. The tears were now streaming down her face and she knew her minutes of life were limited.
"Yes you can," Kate pushed for Ana to hold on but, even as nurses streamed in she didn't move and she didn't give up on her best friend. "Please don't die, Ana. I don't want you to die. I have so much to make up for. Even just now I made you pity me. I don't need pity. I need to be a good friend. Please," Kate began to cry heavily as Ana was given an oxygen mask and the doctor came in. "What's wrong with her?" Kate asked and as she pulled away, Ana just tightened her hold. "She doesn't want me to leave her so stop making me damn move!"
It was futile as Kate found her taken from Ana's bedside as people rushed in and she was just left with Sawyer outside the room. She was shaking so damn hard she thought all of her limbs might disconnect from her body. The terror in her was overwhelming. Just a minute ago she had been defending Ana to Kaitlyn and now Ana was struggling with life.
"She'll be okay," Sawyer tried to stay strong but, in all the time he had worked for Christian and gotten closer to Ana, he hadn't seen her ill once. Now she was surrounded by hospital staff who were running in and out of her room like crazy.
"But she isn't right now!" Kate exclaimed and fell into Sawyer's arms. Both of them were at a loss right now waiting on news, waiting on hope.
"Luke! Kate!" Christian's voice forced the pair apart and they both turned to see Christian, Elliot and Taylor coming towards them. "What the hell happened?" Christian asked as he was prevented from going in. "How does Ana get into this state?"
Kate went straight for Elliot's embrace, "She was okay. Kaitlyn was here and Ana was fine. She was handling it but, then Kaitlyn said something before she left and it seemed to trigger something in Ana. By the time I turned back, Ana couldn't breathe." Kate was crying fully now, "They wouldn't let me stay in there! She wouldn't let me go but, they forced me out here!"
"Shh," Elliot said and held her closer to his body. "Shh, Kate, you need to calm down. Ana's in the best possible hands."
Christian began to pace, hands stuck to the back of his head, "I'm going to kill that psychotic bitch when I get my hands on her." He turned to pace back and on his fifth trip he saw his mother racing towards them. He released his hands and moved towards her instead of falling his ghost tracks. "Mom, I don't know what's wrong. None of us do."
Grace put her hands up to calm him, pushing him backwards towards Ana's room and the others. "I'm going in there now. I got a page a few minutes ago but, was with a patient," Grace spoke with an apologetic tone. "I will help her and find out what we're now dealing with." Grace then went to go into the room but, turned back, "Carla rang me. Her and Ray are on their way in. Keep them calm when they get here."
Letting his mom go to Ana when he knew he couldn't cut into Christian in ways that were inconceivable but, the moment he heard her command control the room he relaxed a little knowing Ana was in for the best possible care.
He quelled his pacing and took to standing watching Ana keep her eyes on Grace, plying full trust in her and one by one the nurses began to leave the room and not go back in. The moment his mother had Ana calm enough to allow her to leave, Grace went back to them and Christian felt ready to pounce.
"What's wrong with her?" Christian asked immediately, feeling Kate right behind him.
"It's nothing too bad," Grace gave her honest opinion. To her it wasn't the worse thing but, to someone without a medical degree under their belt any medical condition was severe. "By the looks of it an extreme panic attack hit which caused Ana's struggled breathing. She's just exhausted from not being able to inhale the right amount of oxygen." Grace looked back at Ana who she could tell was nearing the point of closing her eyes and resting, "She'll be on oxygen for a little while until she's calmed completely but, she's going to be fine." Grace grinned confidently, "To be honest, we needed to be ready for these attacks."
"It's normal?" Kate asked, the terror still in her.
"I'd even say perfectly normal," Grace opted to apply more positive on this. "Go in there, she's just a little worked up. She's fine."
Christian didn't need telling twice. He raced straight in, grabbing Ana's hand and bringing it to her lips and kissing her knuckles. "I'm sorry I wasn't here, baby. I'm so sorry," Christian cried at the love of his life.
Ana reached up and pulled the mask down a little to her chin, "You're here now." She gave him a smile as she spoke with laboured breathing and then moved the mask back to help her breathing stabilise more. "That's all that matters." Prolonging a blink she pulled the mask down again, "She said that sentence to me and I was just back there," Ana felt the dams burst and her tears were instantly smothered in tears. "It felt so real."
"Oh, Ana," Christian literally moaned in pain. Only able to imagine what she was going through. He just wished her pain was his. He could see that even though she was slowly breaking down she was ready to sleep and Christian merely kicked his shoes off and climbed onto the bed with her. Immediately she fell into his ready arms and found ultimate peace. "I love you, Ana."
"I love you too," Ana whispered back as she closed her eyes and tried to forget the nightmare she had just lived.
Watching his brother, Elliot felt a burst of envy grow in him. "I'm sorry I never made you feel that loved," Elliot whispered before kissing the crown of Kate's head.
"I feel it right now," Kate said as Elliot prevented her from collapsing at everything she had just witness. "I really feel it right now," she murmured as she turned in her boyfriend's arms and just buried her head into his chest.
Grace came back to see Elliot and Kate holding on tight to one another and when she walked in she saw Christian laying with Ana, soothing her enough to allow her to give into her newly found exhausted state.
She loved that two of her children were so able to be heroic but, she kind of wished her husband was around to be here. What she wouldn't do for a bit of support from Carrick right now even though she was at work.
As she turned around she saw her husband standing in the wings waiting to be her hero, a smile on his face.
"I just wanted to say how proud I am of you," He said resting the flowers on one of the chairs nearby and wrapped his arms around her.
Apparently love was enough to help anyone.