CPOV

Noah tried to look everywhere but at the computer screen while tears brimmed the eyes of my daughter. Fuck, this was the last thing that I wanted. I did not want them to be this upset, I didn't want to see them cry and get upset over this. Maybe it would have been smarter on my behalf to talk to them in person about this rather then over Skype and in a different city.

I'm scared and you are not here, daddy. Maia signed at me.

Do you want to come to Albany? Be here in person to talk to her and see her? I signed back. I will fly you out now.

"I think that's smart dad," Noah nodded.

I looked at Ana again, she shrunk down in her seat. Her eyes were filled with guilt and self-hate which is how she should be feeling. She needs to learn a lesson or two but that won't happen if the kids are running around here unsupervised. I text Elliot and Kate to leave their kids with Mia and Luke and fly with Noah and Maia up. Elliot will stop me from killing Ana when the kids break down like I know they will and Kate will be there for the kids.

I log out of Skype and close the lid of my laptop, Ana is picking at the edge of the table with he fingernails, for the love of god I hope she doesn't scratch the two hundred year old, mahogany antique. She won't look at me, I know she heard me close the computer but her eyes remain on the table or her lap. Who knows, maybe retraining her to be a good little submissive won't be as difficult as previously thought.

"Strip to your panties and french braid your hair," I order. She gets up to leave the room, probably to go to the master bedroom. "No, here. You are to strip and kneel here."

Her blue eyes go wide but she follows the orders perfectly, I walk around the table and then help her to stand up on the chair. I catch glimpses of some security checking out my wife, I take note of who to kill later, the more professional ones of my team turn their backs and don't take note of what's happening. Her nipples harden against the cold breeze, goosebumps appear all over her body. I slide her panties off of her then stand back and admire her body.

She still has the tattoos that symbolize our family, they are on her hip bones. On her right hip is each of our children's heartbeats from the first time we heard them on the Doppler device and my voice print. On her left hip there are two keys, both vintage in style but one is new and the other looks rusted, red rope is woven between them to symbolize unity and then 2001 which is the year she joined.

I slide my index and middle fingers into her slick folds, this was going to be so much fun and I can't wait to see how far I can push her. Her legs buckle faster then I thought they would, I let out a small chuckle because her old stubborn self would never have allowed this to happen.

"Tonight I am going to see how far I can break you down and you are going to be begging me to stop before the night is over," I smirk.

"Yes, sir," She pants.

"Good girl, now I left you an outfit upstairs on the bed. We have visitors who should be here in half an hour and you need to look your best. Understand?"

No answer, she just starts to gather her discarded clothes but i stop her. He eyes flit up to mine before going back to the shirt I am standing on so she can't grab it. It takes her a moment before she realizes she has to walk through the house to the bedroom in nothing with all the staff around. I watch her ass as she scurries away as fast as she can.

"Taylor!" I shout.

"Yes?" Like magic he appears out of nowhere. "The helicopter will land in twenty minutes, Maia's teacher wants you to call her, Noah got into a fight with a kid who's dad is part of the Westies and has been suspended, Gail will have dinner ready in forty minutes and all the bedrooms are prepped and ready for everyone."

It was automatic for him to give me a general overview of what's happening as soon as I call him, it helps because then I don't have to ask.

"What is business like in both worlds? I didn't make it into either office today with everything that has happened with Anastasia."

"GEH is fine, Ros has everything under control like she always does. There was a point when you promoted her to COO and it is paying off. Today GEH has acquired a series of publishing houses in the United States and Canada along with a shipping yard in Morocco. Now, our other business is facing some struggles. Some of the girls in Philadelphia are not being very cooperative and we have to kill off a couple who were the instigators, there have been hits of a couple of drug houses in Miami but profits have skyrocketed in our European Slave trafficking rings. Oh, and your brother has news about finding some under-covers in units in all five of the Burrows along with ways to handle the situations," Taylor announced proudly.

We sit and discuss easy fixes for all the situations in the dark world that we run. My main worry is the hits in Miami, by other gangs who have no idea who they are dealing with. It took a while but we decide to just make a show of what happens when someone crosses me, and this does not just apply to enemies but family who crosses me.

When the helicopter is overhead Ana slowly comes downstairs in a gorgeous, sapphire blue, silk cocktail dress with black Prada stilettos. I point at the formal living room across the hall from the dining room that has become somewhat of a home base today, she walks over and sits in one of the white leather chairs.

I rush out to the backyard and watch the propellors slow down and stop, Maia is the first out and is running at me full blast. She is a tiny Anastasia but her hair has always been a question because depending on the light it can look bronze, but her big blue eyes sparkle in the setting sun as she runs into my arms. Noah is close behind her, his brown hair needs a cut because it is falling into his grey eyes; I love him but the moody teenager thing that he has going on is getting him into trouble that I am sick of.

I lift Maia into my arms and she buries her face into my neck, I brush her hair off to the side to check for her hearing aids. She needs them in today since I am certain that Anastasia does not know sign language. Noah give me a slight hug but then walks inside, hopefully stopped by Taylor or Gail before he gets to far. I wait for Elliot and Kate with Maia still buried in my arms before heading inside.

"I don't know if I'm happy yet or not Christian," Elliot grumbles.

"Don't worry, I will put her in her place. She seems like she is willing to give up everything to try, she wants to be here," I state.

We get into the kitchen where Noah is eating those gross candied cherries used in black forest cake. For some weird reason the kid loves them, today is not a day to get mad at Noah or Maia for the small things. Today is a day where I have to rise above all the small things that normally piss me off.

"What do you want Elliot and myself to do?" Kate asks.

"Stay close in case I need to send you Maia or Noah if things get to much for them. I need you to be there for them more then me if you can. Kate, if Anastasia says anything to you about anything you have to tell me right away."

"Of course, sounds like we have a game plan," Elliot smiles.

I try to set my nine year old, almost ten year old, down but she clings tighter to me which is out of character for her. I hold onto her with my left arm and wrap my right arm around Noah's shoulders before heading into the formal living room. Anastasia is right where I left her, but she is watching us with wide eyes as we walk in.

Independent Noah sits away from Anastasia and myself on the deep red leather chair, his eyes are glued on Ana. I sit on the couch with Kate and Elliot, Maia is on my lap but is leaning somewhat between Kate and myself.

"You look different then what I remember, dad took down and locked every picture of you away when I was still four so I just had those memories to come with a picture of you in my mind. You look different then what I thought," Noah mumbled.

"Well, you were still a little boy and I understand where your father came from. I am sorry Noah, but I wasn't ready or right with myself," Ana tried to smile.

I felt Maia shift in my lap, she angled herself so she could see Ana more but her hands squeezed my right hand tight. A small whimper escaped her lips which drew Ana's attention over to us, Maia has never been a shy kid but now she is.

"What am I supposed to say to her?" Maia asks me.

"Anything you want, but she is not leaving again Mouse. I am making sure of it, but if she does you can blame me for it. Sound good?" I say as light as I can.

Mouse looks at Ana again, meanwhile Ana keeps looking at both kids as if they are going to vanish right in front of her.

"Noah and Aunt Kate told me not to trust you," Maia announced.

Elliot and I burst out laughing, it was something Noah and Kate would tell her but the fact that Maia is being so blunt about it is adorable and hilarious. Noah shifts uncomfortably in his seat assuming that he is in trouble, Kate goes into submissive mode in-between Elliot and myself which makes us laugh harder.

"I understand that, and I know that I am going to have to earn your trust as I get to know you. We'll just take everything a day at a time, but I want to know you and your brother as best I can because I have missed a lot," Ana coos.

You missed everything because you never cared about us. You only cared about yourself as if you were the only one involved. Maia signed.

"Maia!" Noah chokes.

"What did she say?" Ana asked.

"You don't want to know," Elliot smirked.

"Can I ask why she speaks through sign language and why her speech is off a bit? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Ana looks at me.

"Mouse?" I whisper.

"Daddy and I were in a car crash three years ago and I lost my hearing but daddy had a bunch of big heads develop things so I could have my hearing back. I only have to wear my hearing aids a little longer before I should be able to hear without them. Daddy got a new liver and doesn't have a spleen anymore because of it and he has platinum ribs," Maia is opening up more which is good. "Noah wasn't there because he was faking being sick to get out of a science test so he was home with Miss Gail."

"That's a lot to survive, were you scared?"

"Only for daddy, he was worse off then me. I killed the guys in the other car, they were Westies and did it on purpose to try and kill daddy so I did them," Maia states proudly.

"Maia!" Noah, Elliot, Kate and myself reprimand.

Maia shrugs and shifts so she is sitting in-between Kate and myself. Anastasia's face is priceless, but she should have seen the guys in the other car. Imagine a six year seven year old storming towards another car in the middle of SoHo with a platinum, diamond and sapphire gun. It was one of the proudest moments as a dad that I have ever had. My kids will do anything to protect their family, and in our family we kill for each other. It's all a part of the job.

"What have you been doing?" Noah asks.

"I went to school and majored in English and Business at Stanford, after that I moved to Phoenix and worked as a teacher in a charter school. I went to my fair share of therapy to get myself put back together, like humpty dumpty," Ana answered.

"You know that they never said humpty dumpty was an egg, but in every book or video to go with the rhyme he is an egg. Humpty dumpty sat on a wall, humpty dumpty had a great fall. All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn't put humpty together again. I always thought that was weird," Maia chirps, where do my kids get this stuff?

"Did you ever think about us?" Noah asked. "Did you ever want to see us? Think of us on our birthday's or christmas?"

"I never didn't think about you. I thought I was doing the right thing back then, Noah I would have been only six years older then you when I left. In two years when you are sixteen, that is how old I was when I had you. I was still a child, and a child can't have a child and take care of them properly. It took me ten years to realize that leaving was not right, that I could have gotten help and still been here but back then I didn't know that," Ana paused, regaining her composure before the tears present in her eyes escaped. "Every year I would walk around and notice all the toys and cards wanting to give you them, but I didn't know what you liked or what you had. I also didn't know if I sent anything if Christian would allow you to have them."

Authors Note: If anyone has any input or ideas let me know via review or private message.