Teddy and Family
Chapter 29
A/N: Chris's take of the 'Black Carpet' and a little Teddy too! Big shout out to all of you who Review/Fav/Follow this story! You are fantastic! And I adore all of you!
Cin xoxox
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.
Chris
There's someone with a death wish tapping on my shoulder, trying to get me to end the kiss that I've been dying for going on six weeks. I'm in nirvana now that my heaven is back in my arms. In truth my mind went primal the second I drank in the view of my baby wearing her 'Yes, Mistress' ensemble. The only thought in my brain was MINE. Show all of those fuckers watching LIVE or panting at her that she's MINE. I really think that this dress has caused me to lose my mind. Nearly nine months. All I wanna do is toss her over my shoulder and get lost in each other for a week. No a month. Hell, I'll settle for what's left of the weekend.
I open one eye to glower at whomever has a death wish, but don't break off our kiss.
"Try it. I dare you." Cullen arches a brow and has the fucking nerve to smirk at me. "You're both LIVE right now and Teddy wishes to speak to his Mommy. You did promise him to give her your phone the second you saw her and the kids come first."
Well, fuck! That did it! Ana's digging in my pocket for my phone and I feel like shit that I completely forgot about the kids, as she pulls out of my arms so that she can call home.
"My brain shut down. It's not my fault! I mean, look at her! Don't you even fudging dare, but then you're married to her twin in a way so you bloody well know why just seeing her in that fried every synapse in my brain! It's been months! Six fudging months and that was fine because she and the babies came first. Then she shuts me out except for the kids for six fudging weeks, Cullen! I'm losing my mind!" I rake my fingers through my hair, oblivious to everything around me, except for my baby hidden behind Edward and me.
"I would do anything and everything to keep her and our kids safe and healthy and would have gladly endured that for her, but locking me out for weeks at a time and waiting her out all that time? I couldn't last three days when Bella shut me out, and six weeks of nothing would have driven me insane."
"Ana is notorious for being able to shut anyone who seriously pisses her off for months at a time and be nice about it. She'll play it up for everyone around her or the kids, but the second they're tucked in or the company leaves its radio fudging silence and she's colder than the Ice Queen. Now, if you don't allow her to cool down then she'll increase your sentence to months. Six weeks is nothing. She's locked me out for an entire summer when I went to a Green Day concert with the guys while she was grounded for life at home for hacking the school's computers so that they couldn't censor the student Newspaper from letting the students have their say. Barney and Ana never were caught mind you, but you can't pull anything on our parents. They just know. Elliot needed the break from Grey Construction and the guys were home on leave. It was Green Day backstage passes, who passes that up? Paid for it though, even if she did score autographed swag from the band. Nearly drove me insane, because she tortured me by wearing as little as possible all summer long and most of it was at the beach, the pool…Ana can be a cruel bitch when she's scorned and has a way of making you grovel just to get her to talk to you again. Ray will practically give her the moon to get her to speak to him again. The guys become her slaves. Jason's worse than Ray. The girls walk around in perpetual glume when she's mad at them. Ana's this bright ray of sunshine and when it goes away you'll do anything to get that warmth back in your life again. We fondly call it the Ana effect. I don't even wanna think about what I'll do if my girls pull that on me when they're older…" I can't believe that I'm spilling my guts to Cullen like this, but it's like talking to an older brother.
And truth be told I feel better now. More so that I'm able to surpass him in will alone. I never thought that Cullen was way worse than I was over his own girl. Immortals aren't any different than mere mortals. Fascinating.
"We're just as flawed as all of you are. The only difference being our extended lifespans." I hate it when he picks my brain like that!
"You're easy to read." He has the fucking gull to smirk at me.
What the fuck does that even mean! Am I losing my mojo!? Fuck! I need to get back to being Master of the corporate universe! Then again Ana's driving me around the bend lately, so I'll chalk it up to that!
"Christian Alexander! Stop panicking! He's just riling you up! Think about whose talking to you and then unlock your fudging phone so that I can talk to our son! Why the hell did you change your password anyway?!" She hisses, shoving my phone into my chest.
Shit! I wasn't thinking of passwords when Logan tossed me my forth phone of the day.
Ana rounds on Edward next. "Back off! He's only easy to read right now, because I've nearly caused him to have a mental breakdown over my son's favorite new life sized tub toy!"
Cullen wisely retreats behind his own wife and leaves me to my fate.
Coward!
"Baby, it's my fourth phone of the day! Passwords were the least of my concerns and Logan threatened to make me eat it if I threw it against the wall again!" I quickly enter the new password AnaTedAlexAriRory. I know. I know, but my phone has so much security on it that even the NSA couldn't crack it. And let's be real here! They are my world.
Teddy's sent me photos of our babies just to shove the knife in even deeper. The triplets are awake and revolting again. Then he's even gone as far as writing in big letters on a piece of construction paper. YOU PROMISED! WANT MOMMY NOW! That's just one of them. He thinks that I'm ignoring my phone. NO KISS MOMMY! TEDDY AND BABIES TIME!
What the hell!? Are they letting the kids watch this LIVE!? It's fucking Fifty Shades for fucks sake not a Disney flick! My phone alerts me that someone wants to skype. It's Teddy's icon so he's using his tablet and not Ella's phone as he's been using to send me those photos stating his demands.
Ana's back to focusing on the sharks and that's not gonna make Dante happy at all. He's gonna resign at this rate that or I'll have to give him the island for a month just to recuperate from one fucking day of endless PR hell. She's clearly showing that the real Ana Steele isn't some weak, timid, shy, bookworm. Nope, try Mistress Ana and don't you fucking forget it! Note to self: Sam's never getting out of tour duty at GEH until her kids and that's right plural are all out of the nest with kids of their own! Hell, I can just see the fucking headlines now.
Master of the Corporate Universe might dominate the boardroom, but Anastasia Grey is the Mistress of the bedroom!
E.L. James got it soooo wrong!
Anastasia Grey came out of the Kinky closet wielding her whip at the press during a LIVE event showcasing a special screening of believe it or not Fifty Shades of Grey! Christian Grey himself stood by clearly stunned that his wife had outed their secret Kinky life style for all the world to see!
Steamy PDA or not, it was clear that all Christian Grey was doing was some major damage control, but too late Mr. Grey your secrets out!
Oh, god…Ros is never gonna let me live this down. I don't even wanna think of Elliot!
"Christian!" Ana literally slaps me out of my horrified stupor.
Well, fuck! I might as well hand in my man card now! Not to mention that I'm blinded by all the flashing lights capturing the moment!
Carson's eating this up too! LIVE! Fucking LIVE! On TODAY! And Fucking YAHOO!
Jamie and DJ are looking at her like she's lost her mind.
EL James is stunned that she got it so wrong.
Luke and Logan are facing the fucking blown up Posters of handcuffs and Grey holding fucking ties laughing their asses off!
"Sanctuary!" I snarl down at her, having reached my tether. "God damn it! Enough with the fucking tantrum! Sanctuary!"
Rhian's all fired cure to calming down my wife in situations such as this that magic word. Instantly causes Mistress Ana to turn into very sorry please do not tan my sassy little ass Ana.
Big blue eyes aren't gonna work now that my whole reputation has been shot to fucking hell!
"Babe, I'm soooo sorry…" She reaches up to gently touch the fiery hot hand print that she left on my left cheek then bites down on that lip, but I'm too pissed to care.
I hit Skype and hand her my phone. "Talk to our son! Now!" I hiss through my teeth.
"Um, hold this for me…" She meekly hands over her weapon of choice for the night and her eyes stare at me in alarm when I expertly take my temper out on the paps.
Ana was big on Tomb Raider and me well I leaned towards Mortal Kombat. Not so brave with the fucking cheap shots now are ya, you fucking parasites! The ones that escaped their pen slither back behind the barrier in desperate need of a change of drawers.
"Let me clear something up for all of you. Mrs. Grey and I are Masters in all formers of Martial arts. She or myself being able to get you all to back off is just us showing off that skill." I lock eyes with the press in front of me and the CEO don't fuck with me mask is firmly in place.
Time to do PR cleanup!
"Mrs. Grey and Mrs. Cullen had a long trying day with the NORO outbreak this morning. Rescuing those girls from four Yale frat bastards that are facing the full extent of the law no matter whom their parents are. Then having to endure the snarky attitude of a former desk clerk at the Waldorf didn't help matters. I'd like to personally thank my friend Jamie Dornan for coming to hers and Mrs. Cullen's aid, which swiftly put an end to the clerk's attitude."
"What about Ana confronting EL?!" Someone brave enough to interrupt me shouts out and then wisely cowers when I turn to glare at him.
You just had to go there didn't you fucker. Well, fine let's dance!
"Mrs. Grey isn't a fan of Ms. James. Far from it. Seeing her there gave my wife the opportunity to voice what all of us who have to endure the endless tripe caused by the release of her books of pure fiction, have been dying to do for years. In truth that disclaimer at the beginning of her books is the only thing that saved her from our wrath. If she's such a brilliant writer then she should have been able to spin her midlife sexual fantasy using fictional characters and places. Not real life families. Where they actually live. Their place of business. Hell, their kids! Teddy was the final straw! I can't even begin to tell you the endless tripe that we've had to endure because my wife and I chosen to name our girls something besides Phoebe! Like we were breaking their fantasies to shreds! The only reason that I'm even standing here is because my wife promised a very ill member of our family that she would cover this event for the Seattle Times and we always attend carpet events as a couple. We're also here to support two very good friends of ours Jamie and Dakota…"
"Daddy! Do that again! The babies liked you playing Indy with the sharks!" Teddy's loud and clear request breaks me out of my murderous CEO haze and has the whole carpet go from tense to that of amusement in a matter of a few seconds.
There's a vase with dozens of red roses in it and I target one and expertly take the petals off one by one. Yep, I'm that good with this thing. "Like that, buddy?"
"Alex is clapping his hands and giggling! So are Ari and Rory!" You can hear the relief in his voice that the babies aren't howling anymore. "They missed Mommy, coz they were sleeping. They just woke up when they heard you and Mommy! But they not screaming nonstop just looking at you on the big screen!"
"Screaming nonstop?" Ana whimpers, looking up to lock eyes with me and we move further down the carpet for some privacy away from the paps.
"They miss you and Daddy lots. Don't understand where you both went, but now they know that you be fine. It should be okay now. I think. It's up to Alex. Ari and Rory only start with da screaming again if Alex does. Those ear thingy's don't work."
"I love my babies…." Ana's cuddled in the crook of my arm near tears. "They think I left them…that we both left…"
"They were sleeping again after Daddy left and woke up to no Daddy. I don't think that they're even close ta be ready for sleepovers with the grandmas and grandpas…but now we know. It's not your fault, Mommy. You had to give that speech, coz Aunt Hana was sick. Then they all got sick, even on you. I don't like shots, so you being scared is okay. Saving girls from baddies is awesome. You and Aunt Bells are Hope's heroes now! I don't know about the other part, coz they wouldn't let me see that, but I'm sure that what ya did the ladies deserved it. We wanna do that dance thing here when you get back that looked fun! Mommy, Hope wants you to teach her how to do that whip thing and Daddy can teach me too…or not the grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles are all giving us the look of we're too little…" Teddy yawns. He's had a long day. I can see Hope behind him curled up with Adam on the couch already out for the count.
"Bed and bath time for you, baby boy." Ana's better now that she knows that our kids don't think we've abandoned them for life.
Teddy looks like he's gonna growl in protest, but he's barely keeping his eyes open. They didn't get their naps in today. "I already had my bath to get the pool smell off me…"
"Then it's bedtime, buddy." I can't help but chuckle when he yawns again muttering that he's not sleepy.
"Are you coming home soon…" He rubs his eyes with his tiny fists, fighting sleep, but sleep is winning.
"We'll be home tomorrow. We love you, Teddybear." Ana and I croon.
"Love you. Mommy. Love you. Daddy. The babies are sleeping again. You promise. Tomorrow?"
"Promise." We both smile and he ends the skype.
I lock, then turn off my phone, sliding it back into my pocket, before turning my focus on my baby. Glancing at my watch we still have time before she and Bella have to watch this farce. She's curled into me whimpering how much she's sorry. That she's a bad mother for not checking in on her babies all day. For being a coward. She deserves the spanking that she knows is coming tonight. Fudging Noro. Stupid promise. You hate me. Never been so embarrassed. No more spirit laced treats. Freezing in this dress.
That has me signaling to Logan for her backup dress. She's all but burrowing against me to keep warm and I'm barely reigning in my primal side. That and giving into the urge to murder anyone trying to get an eyeful of her charms that are spectacularly on display.
"Baby, as much as I'm loving having you in my arms again…" I croon into her hair. "We need to get you into something warmer that covers up all of your delectable charms before I give into the urge to murder all the fuckers eyeing what's mine."
Ana sniffles up at me in misery. "I wanted to wear a sweater dress, but Jose…thought that I could wear this…be a diva like Kate and Mia…but this is not me. I'm miserable. Freezing. The skirt is so tight and short that I'll flash someone if I try and sit. Sitting won't be possible anyway because my ass is so bruised…I'm sorry there wasn't a backup dress. I'm stuck in this Mistress of the Damned creation. Bella's at least covered in the front even if the back of hers is nonexistent and her coat is cashmere. She doesn't need to worry about being warm…"
"Alice realized her mistake and arranged for backup sweater dresses for both you and Bella. Logan has them." I wait out this next round of half sentences. My baby's ready to drop. Maybe, saying the magic word wasn't the best of ideas. It puts her into a calm relaxing state. She's starting to crash.
"I was wondering why big brother was carrying two dress bags, but I'm in so much trouble I was afraid to ask." She reluctantly uncurls herself from around me and braces herself to face Logan's wrath.
"Change now!" He just barely gets a glimpse of her dress before she clutches the jacket closed, blushing furiously. He's desperately looking anywhere but at what his baby sister is wearing.
Bella takes the dress bags and rolls her eyes. "You see more wearing a bikini! She looks amazing in it, but comfort is key and she's freezing. Baby steps. We'll be back in little bit. Do not kill anyone while we're gone. Play nice. This is Jamie and DJ's night. They are our friends. You will respect that this isn't an attack on any of you. It's better that those you know play your parts then those who don't have a clue."
"It's not like they have to sit through watching their friends do it on the big screen. They'll go find a pub and drink while we grit our teeth and try not to avert our eyes. Demi god or not. It's like watching your big brother and big sister going at it! I won't be able to get it out of my head either! Stupid memory!"
Ana's getting her spunk back. Not possible. How many sweets did she eat! She's burning off the magic word!
"Close your eyes and you won't have that burned into your brain." She just had to go there! I will not strangle my friend! It's a farce! A role! It means nothing if she sees his ass! That's all he's flashing! Stop it, Grey! It's not like Ana is looking forward to it! Drink! I need several! And keep them coming!
"I have to watch it, because I promised to be fair. I can't shut my eyes through most of the movie! Be nice! And don't heckle the guy playing Elliot!" She hisses and both she and Bella go off to change with Luke shadowing them.
"Lutz was at least close to what Em looks like, but Grimes looks like a kid compared to Jamie and he's suppose to be playing a thirty something older brother? Did they have trouble casting this adaption? The whole idea of casting a role is to try to get the actors to resemble the characters." Edward's eyeing the assembled cast members taking group photos and he's not impressed.
I take out my phone snap a photo of Grimes and shoot it off to Elliot with the caption under it. Something to use for target practice.
"Elliot looks like Chris Pine or Kellen Lutz that isn't even close." Logan's finally clueing in to what we're watching.
"I know. I just sent Lelliot a photo. He's gonna sulk for weeks that a Demi god wasn't cast to play him." I smirk. "Kate and Mia are damn close. Mom loves the actress playing her, so that's fine. If that's suppose to be Dad, not even close. Jose again nice try. It's comforting that their vision doesn't come close to our actual family, maybe they'll fixate on them and leave us all alone."
"Millie shot me a text. The wives in that bloody Demi god support group want a group snap of the three of us for their wall." Jamie growls out.
"Smile for the camera, boys!" Ana and Bella are back dressed nearly identical in sparkly ankle length sweater dresses of different shades of blue. Bella's got her phone out.
"It's not just for the group, it's for the family albums." Ana points to the poster with the tie and we fall in line.
"Ladies! We so have to do that too!" DJ races over to our girls and they had to choose the handcuffs to pose in front of! At least she's not wearing the Yes Mistress dress anymore, so it's family album friendly. The three of them are in sweater dresses of a sort so there's that too.
Their costars join us and Edward and I take a photo with Grimes. He's a nice guy, but not close to either of our brothers in looks or size. Elliot and Emmett are living breathing Hercules clones. We take a photo with mom's idol Marcia. She'll love it. Then the girls take more with Eloise and Rita and DJ. Mia and Kate are gonna die of envy.
We reluctantly do a quick interview with Carson and Savanah. I had to keep a hold of Ana so she wouldn't give in and scratch her eyes out for eye fucking me during he whole interview. Carson was a little better now that Ana was covered from shoulders, as it's one of those sexy off shoulder dresses that falls to her ankles, but not much. The dress still hugs her curves like a second skin. Savanah asked her secret to getting her figure back and Ana answered her with chasing after toddlers, breastfeeding three babies, taking care of me while I was healing, and sparing during naptime worked wonders to get her figure back. Then she puts her foot in it even more with asking her what she was wearing instead of even mentioning the new charity site or the flash mob dance that promoted it, which Ana practiced smile in place happily called her out on. Carson, sensing impending doom, ran with that and for the last few minutes we talked about the importance of paying it forward and giving back. The second after the interview was finished the claws came out.
"I know that my man is smoking hot, most demi gods are, but I draw the line at a news host anchor eye fucking my husband during a LIVE interview! Show some decorum for god sakes!" She hisses out, blue eyes dark and feral.
Savanah's staring at her like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle and flushing crimson at being called out on her actions.
"This!" She continues to spits at her, eyes flashing blue fire. "Is why we don't attend LIVE events like this one!? I detest having to watch professional journalist eye fucking either me or my husband! It's never gonna happen fantasize on your own time in the privacy of your own homes, but not in front of millions of viewers! At least Carson reigned it in but you! Were trying to reach out and touch him when he wasn't giving you his undivided attention! It was the same when you interviewed the Cullens!"
"Ana…" Savanah finally finds her voice, but she should have just meekly went off in search of someone else to interview. "Christian…"
"Oh, no Guthrie! It's Mr. and Mrs. Grey! You aren't a friend or family member so you don't earn the right to use our first names. We're done! Today is never and I do mean never being granted anything to do with any of our family ever again! My cousin and I are going inside to watch this movie! And you both would do best to stay clear of us for the rest of the evening!" She stalks regally off to join Edward, Bella, Jamie, and DJ leaving a mortified Savanah and a hot and bothered Carson in her wake.
"Mr. Grey!" One of the producers races over to us. "Go interview EL!" She hisses at them and they wisely scurry off with their tails between their legs.
"Don't," I narrow my eyes at her, holding up my hand signaling her to quit while she's ahead. "There isn't enough damage control in the world that can appease my wife. It was insulting. Desperate. Pathetic. She needs to work on that…your company dropped the ball when they replaced Ann with her." I don't even wait for her to speak. I turn on my heel and go over to guard my smoking hot wife.
Ms. James takes her life in her hands by speaking to me, "Mr. Grey, I assure you that I'm not cyber stalking you or…" She starts to defend herself, but frankly I'm done playing nice.
"The only reason you aren't living out of a cardboard box Ms. James is because legal posted that disclaimer in the front of your farce! Believe me I had my lawyers look for anything that would give me the satisfaction of watching you lose every last cent that you own! It was gross invasion of my family's private lives! It was Defamation of character! It was pure bullshit and fiction! It's made our lives a living hell and at times prisoners in our own homes or places of business! So don't even think of trying to make nice to me or my wife. In fact it would be wise if you would stay clear of the Pacific Northwest altogether." My voice is lethally low, a clear sign that I'm at the end of my tether and my eyes are blazing a pewter stormy grey.
She pales under my CEO glare. Her eyes wide with fear and apprehension. "I can't do that…I have legal obligations with my publishers for my book tour…" She starts, but I cut her off again.
"I don't give a flying fuck about your having to promote your latest farce using Grey's point of view instead of Steele's. Stay clear of the Pacific Northwest or I'll make life very difficult for you. Bank on it." I hiss down at her. My face giving every intention that I mean every word that I say.
"You…you…can't…" She stammers.
"Oh, but I can and I will..." I give her my smart ass CEO smirk that I flash whenever I have to deal with ousting corrupt CEO's from their dying companies. "I'm not a fictional character, Ms. James. I'm very real and very much The Master of the Corporate Universe and don't you ever fucking forget it. Mrs. Grey is my other half, just as ruthless as I am when it comes to protecting what's hers, and she'd have no problem whatsoever acquiring your publisher into Grey Publishing's fold. Don't press your luck. You won't win. We've both wanted blood ever since Freed when you had the audacity to use our son's name in the final book of your farce of a trilogy…" The smirk on my face has gone back to a lethal sneer.
She's about to say something when her Publicist grabs her by the elbow to lead her away to another interview. "Ms. James, we need to get you to that interview with the Times…"
"That's fine. We're done here. Aren't we, Ms. James." I don't turn my eyes off Ms. James.
She nods shakily.
"Good. I'm glad that we have an understanding. I'll be watching to make certain that you honor it. Good evening to you both." I continue down the carpet to my original destination my goddess's side.