Teddy and Family

Chapter 18

A/N: Sorry it's been ages, but wasn't really in the writing mood. The US isn't a happy place these days for obvious, infuriating, terrifying, depressing, reasons and that just kills my mood to write anything. But I pushed through it and finally got finished this, because I have something in the mind of a crazy trip for Ana and Bella that's gonna cause all kinds of trouble for them. Lots of trouble but all in good fun. That may or not entail more than one chapter…we'll see. ^_~

Disclaimer: EL James and sometimes SMeyer (I love to play with her characters but with my AU spin on them from my other story. Sorry folks I don't do Cannon ever. Like, Love it, Hate it…you have been warned ^^) own it all I'm just having fun with the characters, but the OC ones and story ideas are all mine

"Baby, I swear that it was supposed to be a silightly larger upgrade and it just got out of hand and before I knew it the Annie Rose catamaran turned into The Anastasia Rose mega yacht!" Christian called after me.

"Uncle Chris, you be in big, big, big, trouble! No Santa for you mister!" I hear Hope scold Chris, but I am just too furious to even muster a smirk or a damn straight!

"If you say so, I've gotta go call Alice and see what lovely shock and awe extravaganza that she's going to throw here for our happy couple! We might need to arrange for permits! For the firework show that will no doubt rival Time Square! Because heaven help that they have a better fireworks celebration than we do for New Years!" I choose a tactical retreat rather than say something that might crush their spirits about their shiny new toy. I'll just have to wait and see for myself just how overboard my man went this time.

Gail seeing that I need to vent easily takes Alex and I leave them to the cake and stalk off to my sanctuary. Another one of his over the top presents Bell's Library. Yep, that's right my man replicated it but then it's also something I'd asked for on every gift giving holiday since seeing the movie, so this I rewarded him handsomely for and we will leave the steamy details of that to the imagination.

Ella follows after me. "Sweetie, just grit your teeth and accept that Chris will always try to give you and the kids the world."

"It's a fortunate thing that you took down the bad guys, because with that moored in the cove we'll have a shining beacon that screams target. He wasn't thinking. This had to have taken a year at least to come to fruition. I can't even fathom how Jason was on board with this! It's a security nightmare!" I vent as we step into my sanctuary.

"Ana, what's really bothering you more the shiny new toy or the fact that Chris chose to make it without even asking for your say on the matter?"

"He does this every time! Cars I can understand! A new helicopter fine, Charlie isn't big enough anymore! A monster mega yacht! It's just too much!" I throw myself down on the couch and scream into the throw pillows.

"You aren't talking about the boat now are you, Ana?"

"I'm done with the secrets! The risk taking! The lies! This boat is more about guilt than necessity. He went off to play James Bond and needed an outlet to appease his guilty conscience! I was beside myself with guilt over keeping the fact that there was an Alex as well as the girls, but never once did I channel that into anything, but baking his favorite sweets! If he wanted a new boat then he should have talked it over with me instead of springing it on me like this! We could have designed it together, but no! He has do everything himself! There is no us anymore! No communication! It's like we're not a team and I hate that I feel this way but I do!" I burst into tears and she pulls me into her arms.

"Think of it as a bonding project for Teddy and Chris." Ella croons.

"I like our privacy…" I sniffle. "Something this big means that we'll have to have an onboard crew and with the Grace we could easily take her out ourselves with or without Seamus and Finn…you can't do that with a mini-cruise ship.

"Maybe he just wants you to be able to decompress and let others handle crewing the boat…"

"It's like a floating oasis, huh?"

"I believe that was his aim with the design and it even has a library designed with you in mind. It's not over the top. Its several decks of comfort, not a modern eyesore. Its family oriented in every way. I think you'll love her when you finally get to see her." She nods.

"I just wasn't ready for another Christian surprise and this one was seriously over the top."

"Sweetie, buying half interest in two sports teams is just as bad and you both had good intentions in mind. I'd say that the two of you are even." Ella does have a point.

My cell rings and I dig it out of my pocket and don't even look to see whose calling. I just answer it. "What?!" Then I wince its Alice and Bella and she hisses for me to put it on speaker and I ever so reluctantly do.

"Ana, it's not that bad at least he didn't buy you another island…" Bella tries to soothe me.

What the fudge?! How the hell?! Did he call them!?

"Did my husband call Edward?!" I am seething mad now.

"Sweetie, Chris likes his balls to remain on his person, so no I don't think that he called to get advice from his older cousin." Ella croons soothingly. "Some of the Cullens are…how do I explain this…gifted in the ways of the Force?"

"Fantastic…." I grumble.

"None of that…you and Chris are linked, so this is nothing for you to turn your nose up too…" Alice growls over the phone.

"Alice, she has every right to be cross…we looked without her permission." Bella growls in my defense.

"Ana was too loud to ignore...I knew Ella was always going to elope and that was the reason why I spent so much time asking Angel what her dream wedding would be. She wanted it designed with Hope in mind and she loves Frozen." Alice countered in her defense then revealed her ultimate goal. "Now as for what you're steamed at Chris about, well, he's done it all of your life so you might as well grit your teeth and just roll with it. Bella has to whenever Edward goes on a guilt phase, as it is when he sees your new ocean cruiser he's gonna be sulking for one. This time it was a Grandfather, father, and son project, so accept your new mini-ocean liner for what it is."

I roll my eyes as the lecture continues for another fifteen minutes "Fine. I'll apologize…it's not like I didn't get him his dream for Christmas…" I mutter under my breath.

"Well, yes, and no…45% is a start until he gets his feet wet…but if it makes him happy to think that Edward gave him half, let him think it…" Bella finally chimed in.

"Let's leave that bit out until after he reads the fine print…" I bite my lip.

"Well, you turned on the water works and that's why he caved and added the Mariners too. He couldn't steel himself against the mirror image of me in tears and would have given you half interest in each if Ros hadn't winked at you on the screen when she thought that he wasn't looking. Near to impossible because Edward is always aware of everything around him." Bella gave me some sage advice.

"It wasn't planned, not really. I was running on zero sleep. Alex refused to go down for more than two hours at a time. He wanted me and only me not Chris and would howl if he tried to take his turn tending to him with his bottle, so he was focused on the girls and had crashed hard from overdoing it being on his leg. Ros called me to join her on Skype. I looked like death warmed over and there was everyone at the conference table while I was in Chris's Harvard rowing team sweatshirt, sweats, with a rat's nest messy bun on top of my head. Not to mention that I had god knows what on me from dealing with my endless night up with Alex. Tears were a given at that point…I barely followed what was going on until I heard Ros mention the two teams and that made me cry even harder because Chris was finally going to be able to fulfil a dream of his and that we were able to seal the deal by Christmas was the icing on the cake. Ros winking at me was just her signaling me that Chris had no clue what we were up to and nothing more."

"Edward seriously thought it was planned when she winked at you…I can see if he'll change his mind…though the recipes more than anything sealed the deal to forty five. My man has a major sweet tooth when it comes to peanut butter anything."

"No, this is more than enough for the time being…we'll leave how he earns the five percent up to the two of them…Holy Skittles…" My eyes drift towards the windows and my view of the Sound and I can clearly see the Anastasia Rose heading for our cove and it is like one of those mega yachts! Charlie can easily land on it with no problem.

"Yes, it is something to behold when you first see it coming into dock…" Ella had been texting Adam this entire time and paused to see what I was looking at.

"Ana? Do you think it will make a big enough reception venue or will we need the tents as well?" Alice breaks into my stupor. "I know it will work for Ella and Marcus…"

"Uh, what, yeah, I would say that it can handle a reception…tents…weather depending…it's entering the cove…did they dredge it while I was a walking zombie…I know that this house is virtually sound proof, but I would have noticed them putting in that new dock…then again I haven't paid any mind to the boathouse or cove in weeks...it's gotta be over 400ft…it's got a pad for Charlie Tango…it's blue with grey just like our eyes…we might have to keep it at Steele Marina…That's gonna take at least twelve maybe twenty to crew it…then again all the family are sailors, so maybe not…" I still can't believe my eyes, as I watch Jason, Logan, and Luke run out to greet them as they pull to a stop.

"Ella, send me a video or photos of it so that I can get an idea…" Alice isn't getting anything coherent from me, so she's turned her focus on Ella.

"Already sending what I have from her maiden voyage and also what has my daughter stupefied." Ella is literally holding me up, because I don't think that my legs can hold me right now. I'm stunned that what you usually find in warmer climates is docked in my cove, only this one was designed to handle the Sound and the waters where we live.

"Alice! Hide that from…crap…too late…looks like Ray's gonna be building another mega yacht…" Bella grumbles in defeat.

I can hear Edward drooling in the background over what Ella sent Alice.

"That's not his, Lion! That's Ana's from Chris, Teddy, and her Dad…no I don't think it's her push present either!"

"Um, that's an I-8. No this was his sorry I'm walking in Mommy's shoes playing agent to catch the bad guys but I can't tell you anything apology, as well as a father son bonding thing. That thing takes all the fun out of sailing which I love. That's taking the easy way out. I would have loved a slightly bigger version of the Grace but they put their hearts into the Anastasia Rose and it's breathtaking to look at even from a far but the size is gonna take some getting use to."

"Seriously! Men and their toys! A car! You nearly die having them and he gets you a car instead of something sparkly?!" Uh, oh, Bella's on a tear.

"Bella, some of us enjoy fast cars." I can hear Alice shoot back. Then I think that Edward is telling her about the garage and that half of them are mine.

"The love for all things fast is something that Chris and I both share as well as the love of martial arts, flying, and sailing. I got him a Tesla for Christmas. Bella, he's getting me something sparkly too that he and Teddy both designed for me. I just don't know how to break it too him that when I said half of the teams it's really…"

"No, it's fifty/fifty. You had to go tend to the triplets before we signed and seeing as you did sweeten the deal literally I agreed to equal partners. Silent but equal, but I don't hold out that he'll be silent for very long. If anything that gave him incentive to heal even faster. Congratulations to you and Marcus, Ella. May this new journey bring you a fulfilling and happy life. I take it that the fireworks that Alice has ordered for New Years Eve pertain to celebrating your marriage. Question, if you eloped then whose getting married on Christmas Eve?" Edward gives me fantastic news and then gets curious about why the wedding is still on.

"Adam is surprising Angel with her dream wedding with both her and Hope in mind..." I answer absently as I try and wrap my head around the mini-cruise ship moored in my cove. It could eat The Grace for a snack. It's too big to stay here. It has to go back to Daddy's marina. We have toddlers. Curious toddlers. Brilliant baby geniuses and that is too much of a shiny new toy for them to resist.

"Welch? Adam Welch? Dressed like a Disney prince…" Edward clears his throat, as he tries to wrap his mind around badass strikes fear in the hearts of men Adam Michael Welch. Black Ops Commander for the most dangerous missions that to this day he can't say a word about is throwing a Disney Frozen Enchanted Wedding for his girls. It is hard to fathom, even for me, but its happening.

"White Tux, ice blue tie, vest, no cumberbun…He put his foot down about dressing the part…" I can hear Alice muttering darkly. "But he'll do anything to make this special for Angel. It's by chance and happenstance that my new line of bridal gowns just happens to have something exactly like she wanted…"

I hear snorts of yeah, right from Edward followed by ripe swearing after it's clear that she retaliated in kind.

"Children behave! I'm on the phone! Trying to calm Ana down enough so she doesn't scuttle her present in the sound!" Bella hisses and grumbles and distinct growls of promised retaliation are heard from Edward followed by a gruff sorry about that.

"Daddy! Really! The twins are within hearing distance!" I think Rory is growling at him now.

"Daddy! Naughty step!" I hear Dromi order her daddy for swearing. "You say naughty words!"

More mutterings as he goes off to sit down on the naughty step.

"Auntie Alice hit Daddy! Go step too!" Masen orders Alice.

"When shall I expect the chaos to arrive?" I wait until Alice has left hearing distance.

"It's not epic! It's a small family and friends affair! Chaos is not what I do! I create magical unforgettable events!" Alice calls haughtily back and I thought that Teddy and Hope had ears of a bat!? "I'm adding fireworks now for that comment! I already have the permits and cleared it with your Taylor just in case! Don't insult my brilliance because your man went crazy designing your new family cruise ship!"

"Sorry, Alice! I'm not having a good day! Teddy is on strike with the whole formal wear thing and is even going to change the dress code when he takes over his daddy's job to casual Friday everyday! Then Chris, well, Teddy sprang their surprise on me and it went downhill from there." I apologize into the phone.

"Ana?" Angel softly knocks on the door.

Crap!

"Email me all the details! Gotta go! Elsa is knocking on the library door! Love to the family…" I don't even wait for them to respond, as I end the call.

Ella walks over and opens the door. "Come in. We can enjoy the tea and cake that you've brought us while the boys fawn over the family boat." She smiles warmly at Angel.

"They can fawn all they want it's going back to Daddy's marina." I glare out at the eyesore in my cove. "It's just too stereotypical for me and we swore that we wouldn't follow along with what's expected of the super rich, it's not who we are. I know that I haven't even stepped aboard yet and that I'm passing judgement, but that's a big decision out there. My kids are going to go out in that and I had no say in it at all. That's not okay with me. Yes, I got him his teams, but it's something that he's wanted all of his life and that's fact. I love to sail. The challenge of it, not having a huge crew to pander to my every whim. Where is the privacy in that? The sharks will be able to spot us anywhere when we're out in it. We can't take it out by ourselves it's too big."

"Aren't nearly everybody in the family sailors?" Angel asks, as she pours us our tea.

"Yes, we are but we'd all have to take refresher courses to pilot that eyesore…"

"Ana, be nice. That's a work of art and you're just sulking because he chose that instead of designing a larger cat or sailboat. Chris never does anything halfway and I am more than certain that he and the boys have already re-schooled themselves on how to pilot it." Ella chides me and I roll my eyes.

"Fine. It's pretty …six decks my ass…it's got a crazy slide more than one meaning a pool big enough to splash into…I'm gonna rename it Overmuch or Overboard." I huff and sulk over to throw myself on my lounge.

"Think of it this way. We'll be comfortable when they drag us all off with them to go fishing. We can take the kids out to see the whales and dolphins or we can use it to escape when we need it."

"Ana, you really have no choice. Teddy helped design it and if you don't show that you love it then he's going to never wish to try his hand at designing anything ever again." Ella goes straight for the jugular, meaning my sulking is over.

"I'll graciously accept it on behalf of the entire family, because I don't want to hurt my baby's feelings. It still can't stay here as it's main berth. I like my view of my cove and it's blocking it." I take a few deep calming breaths and settle myself again, before having to leave my sanctuary.

"It'll be a lovely venue for my surprise wedding to Adam." Angel winked at us.

"How? I didn't even know…" I gasp.

"Sweetie, I'm not as sleep deprived and Ella would never in a million years agree to a Disney Frozen themed wedding. Alice grilled me for half the day and sends me daily emails with examples and text. There's a barge out on the sound and New Years is weeks away. Adam's been asking me odd questions too." Angel grins.

"Bachelorette or not?" I arch a brow, relieved that she's in the know. My poor brain couldn't handle having to keep secrets right now.

"Slumber party. It makes it easier and party girl isn't me. The guys can bunk on Overindulgence outside."

"Overindulgence? Perfect name for it." I grin. "We'll make it a Slumber party shower."

"Mom!" Mia's shout echoes through the house. "You did it again!"

"Here we go again?" I roll my eyes.

"It's her fault. She threw a snit about Marcus, so they decided to elope instead." Angel growls, eyes narrowing to slits. Ella is like her momma too so Mia is in her bad books.

"We'll have a blessing on New Years Eve during our reception and she'll have to be satisfied with that." Ella doesn't pander to Princess Mia like Carrick and Grace or any of the parentals. She's firm with her and doesn't indulge any of her tantrums. Mia's not use to that and has been sulking for weeks.

"Mom!" The door to my sanctuary bursts open and Mia stalks inside, well, as much as you can when you're nearly full term. "How could you!"

"Amelia Ella, you will lower your tone and speak civilly to me…" Ella stands tall and fierce, glowering back at her.

"Damn it! Mia the babies are sleeping…" I hiss at her.

Howls can be heard coming from the kitchen. She woke my babies!

"I don't barge into yours or Kate's places without knocking first, but do any of you extend us that courtesy?! No! You treat this place like it's the Family Gathering center! Well, no more! You woke my babies with your unnecessary and childish tantrum! It's your fault that they decided to elope! You threw a tantrum because the two of them had the audacity to actually have a relationship for years, Mia! Years! As in before you and Chris were even an idea they knew each other! He was there when you were born! Has watched over you all of your life, but isn't worthy of marrying his soulmate, your mother, because you don't want to share her! That's pathetic! Everything isn't always about you Amelia and finally you have parents who are immune to the Princess Mia effect! Marcus never indulged you and warned them that indulging your every whim was gonna damage your perception of reality in the future! Life does not revolve around you and you alone! Get over it!" I stalk over and finally vent out years of frustration towards my big sister/best friend. "I love you, big sister, but you're on your second baby now, so it's time to face the hard truth and grow up!" With that I head out to go soothe my babies with Angel on my heels.

"I'm getting married here on Christmas Eve, not Ella. You should count yourself blessed that you have so many people who love you. Instead of taking it all for granted." Angel hisses at her.

That did it. Mia's bawling now and in her mother's arms. "I'm sorry…!"

We leave them to it and head to go soothe my babies.

Chris

"Ray, she's beyond not happy. I knew I should have kept with my original idea of designing a new cat or even a sailing yacht." I ease myself down onto the couch in my study. But what I really want to do is pace and pull my hair out.

"She'll get over it. All of you are licensed to pilot ships way larger than that beauty." Ray doesn't seem to understand the fury that is coming in waves from inside this house.

"We're talking total freeze out! Like when she was carrying Teddy and nothing fit and she thought that my trying to help her by picking her out something to wear so we wouldn't be late was calling her fat! That's how pissed she is about that outside!" I bury my face in my hands.

"Son, she's just in shock is all." Ray put a reassuring hand on my shoulder and takes a seat in one of the leather easy chairs across from me. "She'll change her tune as soon as she gets a feel of her out in the open ocean."

"It lasted for months and this is in her eyes ten times worse than that! Worse yet I was so panicked by her reaction that I miss counted the number of decks by four, not to mention I downsized her actual length by a lot, so she'll think that I was just trying to soothe her ruffled feathers by lying about the actual size! She's still pissed as hell at me for walking in my mom's shoes!" I'm near tears at this point. My casts will be off before she lets me touch her again! Hell, it might be summer! I'll go out of my mind!

"The safety issues with the kids alone made designing a new Cat or sailing Yacht a nonissue. She can sulk all she wants, but sailing with babies and toddlers is not in the cards right now." Ray just doesn't get it and I take a throw pillow and cover my face with it. "My crew is working on a new Cat design, but it's gonna take time."

"She's not gonna let it moor here that's a given. She's taking up her view of our cove…" I grumble from under the pillow. "And naming it after her, well, that's made her even worse…She's gonna name it something sarcastic so I never do this again without giving her a heads up or a say."

"Son, it's not like she's not use to you showering her with extravagant gifts. It's your MO. That beauty outside isn't any different than giving her the I-8 or a Maserati." Ray still sees Ana as his baby girl and not the grown independent woman that she's become.

"Both of those were things that she wanted that beauty outside isn't."

"Chris, Ana's baking up a storm. She sent Ryan after Coldstone and we're talking the special order from last time! You are in the pound, baby brother." Logan saunters in and plops down in another leather easy chair while chowing down on a plate of fudge and cookies. "That'll make it what six months if that when she lets you touch her again. Sucks to be you. I thought that she'd lose it when she found out about her namesake. The others thought she'd just let it go as one of your quirks. I won the pot in the betting pool."

"See!" I gingerly roll onto my stomach and scream in frustration into the pillow.

"It's not surprising that she's pissed. The two of you made a pact not to emulate the super rich when you were teens and that little brother screams money. It's also a major target and there is no way in hell that it's being moored here like the Grace."

"She's got her own special berth at Steele Marina, which will be her home when not in use…" Ray sounds like he wants to box Logan's ears.

"Ray, she's a beauty, but keeping her here fulltime is like sending a beacon. Not happening." He waves a reindeer cookie at him then bites into it. "Besides, Ana will scuttle her if she has to stare at it instead of the tranquility of her cove. That's fact." Logan is one of the few that Ray can't intimidate.

"I'm gonna ask Mom and Marcus if they'll let me build a boat house for her at Walker Crossing. Marcus loves her and so does Mom, so she'll still have a home nearby just not within view of Ana." I moan in misery. "This was not suppose to happen. I was gonna break it to her gently. Test the waters, but Teddy submarined that plan right out of the water."

"She still would have gone ape shit, baby brother. The only difference being that she'd have tossed you off in the middle of the sound and left you to swim home."

"Not with the kids and family for witnesses…" I mutter.

"Either way you would have been screwed, because that beauty outside doesn't have a mast to be found. Well, that and you were so guilt ridden that you went out of your mind designing her."

"More like keeping his mind off what he couldn't have…" Ray snickered.

"Six months and counting...not going there…" I snarl.

"Shit, baby bro, keeping yourself busy sentenced you to hell with no reprieve in sight."

"I know…I know...just leave me to my misery…" I just want to curl up and cry for a while without an audience.

"Hang in there, son. I'll take the heat…" Ray finally gets it.

"Not happening, Ray." I poke my head out from the pillows and shoot him a pathetic, pained look. "You're on her shit list too. She's gonna freeze out anything male that isn't a child. Logan's clear he wasn't even in the know. Everyone else is fair game."

"She's Daddy's girl…" Ray gets up.

"That was before her Daddy showed her husband, meaning me, plans for a mega yacht instead of trying to design a safer cat or even a sailing yacht instead."

"Teddy's eyes lit up like Christmas when he saw the model boat…"

"Yeah, Ray, but it's not like we can blame this on my then three year-old son! She'd roast my balls in the broiler and have them for dinner if I even suggested that the reason she didn't get her sail boat is because her son went crazy over the beauty outside with the water slides! Then you showed him the computer model with all of the bells and whistles. A ball pit in the playroom? Seriously, what were you channeling when you came up with the play area nirvana for the kids? Chucky Cheese?!" I sit up to glower accusingly at him.

"TJ helped in designing the recreational deck for the kids…"

"Well, that explains the arcade and gaming room on that level and the movie theater can't forget that." Logan snarks.

"There's a spa for the wives to enjoy. Annie's got a library to get lost in. Gail's got a kitchen to worship. Water toys for everyone to play on. A helipad for Charlie Tango or Charlie Tango 2.0. She's got everything and she's teeming with Green technology. There is nothing not to love about her." Ray defends his pride and joy.

"It fits the name Ana wants to rename her. Overindulgence. The only sailing craft that she'll allow to carry her name has to have sails on it. It's better than the other two in the running Overmuch or Overboard. I got that much before she froze me out." I go back to burying my face in the pillows of my couch.

"It's the Annie Rose and I'm going to go have a chat with my baby girl." Ray heads out of my study. He'll learn the hard way. Then again he's just as stubborn as his daughter.

"Hang in there, baby brother. She'll forgive you eventually." Logan gets up and leaves me to wallow in my misery.

Teddy comes racing in and carefully climbs up onto my back and then snuggles in. "Don't worry, Daddy. I still love you."

I gingerly reach behind me and roll so that I'm laying on my back with Teddy snuggled up against my chest. "Thanks, Teddybear." I kiss the top of his head.

"I'll share my presents if Santa doesn't get you any…" He yawns, snuggling closer. "I'll sneak you sweets too, cos Mommy told GG that you're banned…but even Daddy's need sweets…"

"Thanks, buddy." I close my eyes and soak in the medicine that is my Teddy. We settle off to an afternoon snooze.

A/N: Not really planning on doing the Wedding or Blessing just not feeling going into that much detail. Just had to get this one written, so that I can focus on the next chapter. Where a favor for a family member goes seriously awry…