CPOV
So we have driven home, forty five minute drive from the penthouse and all Ana has done is chosen to sit in the back seat and pout. When we get home the kids aren't awake yet and she goes into the living room and pouts. Now we are on the way to drop off the kids with Elliot, who I am kind of pissed joined us but I get it because I did hit her. She only interacts with the kids, ignores me and then when we head into the city she switches with Elliot, sits in the backseat again and pouts. For the love of everything sane, she is the most maddening woman I have ever had to face. When we get into the city we go to the restaurant still in construction Ana goes and sits in a booth that isn't set anywhere but the middle of the floor and pulls out a book to read. She is more mad at me now then she has ever been before.
"Dad, what's wrong with mom?" Noah asks when walking up to me.
"We got in a fight and she is being moody over it. Word to the wise would be to let her be and cool down," I say.
"What did you do? Oh my god, is she pregnant? Is mom having another baby?"
"No, wait… maybe. I don't know!"
We go downstairs to our new torture chamber, completely sound proof and can section off. For never being in one of these to torture someone or kill someone Noah has done an incredible job. We are just going over minor factors now, like yesterday we were joking about taking blood red paint and splattering it on the wall for fear tactic measures. After I make sure Noah is on the right track I go upstairs to Jude and Elliot. Primarily Jude and Noah are in charge, Elliot comes by to oversee things and make sure everything is on schedule. This is like the final test for Noah and Jude, they do good they can lead their own teams under Elliot just like how they work under me in the less then legal realm.
"I'm going to go get a coffee," Ana announces.
"Okay, I'll go with you," I say.
"Alone, I am going to get a coffee from the shop on the corner alone. If I am not back in fifteen minutes send out the bloodhounds. For the love of God, just give me some space!"
"Anastasia Rose Luciano-Grey, do not walk away from me!"
"Just leave me alone Christian! I need space from you, you have to sort things out and need to stop coming after me when things go wrong in your life and your head. Do I really have to spell it out for you? I don't want you to come with me!"
"Totally voting for pregnant," Noah jokes with Jude.
"That or her brain was taken by aliens," Jude adds.
"No, invasion of the body swappers!"
The boys are laughing while Ana storms out, I just want to take the sledgehammer and bash my head in since she is already doing that mentally. I wave someone to go after her and then watch Elliot trail after her, fuck are those two having a thing? I mean he is after her like a puppy. What the fuck is happening to my family?
When they come back Ana is ignoring him and he has a red mark on his cheek, she sits and eats her food at a table and Elliot comes to sit by me. I laugh at his expression, the red mark matches Ana's hand.
"What'd you do?" I laugh.
"Followed her to the coffee shop like you asked with your rather girlie hand flip, she turned around before she walked in and slapped me. Thanks for that bro," Elliot smirks.
"Fuck off, Elliot."
"Come on bro, she needs space. If I hit Kate like you hit Ana I would have been kicked out, she would have called the courts for a divorce and probably have moved to Alaska. She is still here and she left with you this morning instead of staying with her sister. I think her acting out and pouting is called for, I think you should welcome it."
Why does he have to be right? Why do I have it so much since he it? I mean I can deal with being wrong when it is to someone with a brain and Elliot only operates with half of his most of the time. Let this ground eat me whole and let everything just end.
Gordon and Heller come in dragging Jose with them, he has a camera around his neck and a new shiner for getting close to us. Ana is on her feet and heading for him, I rush over to grab her and hold her back.
"Let go," She growls. " I need ten minutes alone with him."
I look at everyone for advice, nothing. I lead them all downstairs, they duck-tape him to a chair and then I leave Ana in there with him. She doesn't have anything on her so I give her one of my guns, two clips and Heller gives her a switchblade and lighter. Elliot and I sit on the stairs watching the door, we can't hear anything and we are five feet away.
"Your kid can soundproof a room properly," Elliot grins.
"Yeah well anything yours can do mine can do a thousand times better," I tease.
"Sure, you keep believing that. Meanwhile Noah is here working in construction and Jacob is at Brown in the last year of his MBA."
"Noah, is a world known artist."
"Ava is a cut throat lawyer."
"I'm the boss."
"Ha, I win!"
"Two of your kids are out of school or in university, the rest of mine are still in grade school. Doesn't count."
"Should count," He pouts.
"Who da' boss?"
"You da' boss."
We both laugh, hard. When Ana walks out of the room, God knows how long later we are still rolling on the floor holding onto the stomachs. Shit my abs hurt from the laughter, she cocks her head and a little smile tugs at her lips.
"What are you two doing?" She laughs at us.
"Who da' boss?"
"You da' boss."
Elliot and I are a mess all over again, she sets the weapons on the stairs and heads up to the main diner. I peer in the room and Jose is still alive and breathing, he looks worse for wear but I can't believe Ana walked away with him still breathing.
"Lelliot, should we finish that?" I point at the worm.
"Nah, she'll come back to it. It's her enemy, her kill," He pants.
"Fair enough, oh god my stomach."
"I'm hungry," Elliot gets to his feet and helps me. "Want something?"
"You're always hungry and sure, whatever you're getting. See if you can get Ana anything, we don't need her to starve herself too."
"Sounds good, I will go get some pizza's," He starts to laugh again. "She has the perfect mom/wife look down. Kate gives me those, always makes me want to run."
"The kids always do run, they know not to question it!"
Shit, we are laughing messes again. When we next look up after laughing and talking about stupid things which make us laugh more we see Noah and Jude videoing us on their phones, the perfect blackmail and entertainment for siblings. The run when they know we noticed them. Elliot finally make our way upstairs, he leaves and I go to the site office. Ana is on the street talking on the phone, probably to her sister.
I still don't get how she expected me to know, she never has mentioned a sister and I am not a mind reader or future teller. I could not have seen it coming, whoever she is on the phone with she does not look happy. I go to the window and open it slightly so I am able to hear her.
"No, Luke listen. Do I have to speak italian for you to understand?" There is a long pause, his response. "Fuck, you need to get her back here ASAP. Some dingbats brought in Jose and I don't know what to do about it without her. We both should be here for this when I couldn't be there for that… well how long has she been in there?" What are they talking about, where did Luke take her sister? "Get back here as soon as possible, I need her. I mean I already have made him feel pain but he deserves more. He used to use, abuse and sell us both so we both need to exact some retribution… well how long?" I can send a car Ana, you could too. "No, we can do it tomorrow but I need her back. I want to rip his head off and she is the only one that can calm me down enough to not do it. He is such a prick… okay… yeah I get it, bye."
I move away, that is the most confusing conversation I have heard. Well the most confusing one side of a conversation that I have heard, it almost seemed that this Ana is Leila and they switched places. People only do that in movies and I would notice, Wyatt and Canaan try that all the time and they are identical not fraternal. I do need to call Welch and ask why Leila never came up in any of Ana's background checks.
When Elliot comes back he tries to talk to Ana and she storms away from him, dear god it is like we are dealing with Maia. Why do all the women in my life have to make my life so complicated. The crew breaks for lunch, Ana and Noah sit together and talk. Sure, she can be fine with our kids but everyone else in the family she has issues with. Before going back on duty Noah comes to me.
"Did mom really walk into a tree branch?" He asks.
"No."
"You hit her?"
"In a blind rage yes, and I already hate myself enough Noah."
"You always taught us to never take our anger out on a woman, you aren't an exception to every rule. You shouldn't be an exception to any rule. Uncle Luke and Uncle Elliot should have both been able to beat you and Mom too, that was the rule and here you are… unscathed."
Noah walks away and go over to Elliot and Ana who are sitting at the table having some sort of staring contest, that or they can now communicate without words or their minds.
"I want you two to hit me, as hard as you want and as many times as you want. Noah is right, there are rules and ramifications. I shouldn't be an exception," I say.
Ana pretty much leaps at the opportunity but Elliot stops her, he looks at her and then me. I know they both want to hit me, it is written all over their faces and they have both said it to me multiple times since yesterday.
"Tonight we will go to the Times Warner penthouse where we can have a family meeting with no kids under fifteen and we all can decide your punishment," Elliot decides.
"Please let me hit him at least once now," Ana whines.
Elliot steps away and she comes over to me, looks me up and down and then her fist is making contact with my face, I think I can hear the crack of my cheekbone. The strength packed into her little arm knocks me back a couple feet. Elliot pulls her back before she really goes at me, she wants to. The need to really hurt me is in her eyes.
"Christian, you okay?" Elliot asks.
"I'm going to go to the doctor, I think I heard something crack," I answer.
"Good, you deserved it," Ana sneers.
I turn and go towards the car I left here yesterday, speeding off to the hospital where I know Erica is working today. They page her to the lobby since I know she can get me in right away, it helps having people in the family in places you need the most.
"Christian, what did you do?" Erica scolds while leading me to an exam room.
"Ana and I got in a fight, I let her get a good hit in," I bend the truth.
"Good hit? I would go with great hit. I'll take you right to x-ray." We move down the hall towards their radiology department. "Marco is released this weekend, we're throwing a party at our house in the Hampton's and would love it if you all could come. I know Elliot's family is coming to support Jude and Ava but we would love to have you, Ana, Luke, Mia and the kids as well. Sunday at two, enough time to get there after mass."
"We'll be there, Marco was my dad's best friend. I will try to bring him out too, he rarely comes state side but this would be a good reason for him to."
I stand where she tells me and where the magnet vest for 'protection'. The x-ray's are quick and she brings them with us to the room where the orthopedic surgeon is waiting to review them. I sit on the table and watch them look at the black at white skull which is mine.
"We can't do much but it is a fracture, don't get hit there any time soon. It will possibly break it. How did this happen?" The guy asks.
"Accident in the training gym, I was cocky and not looking out for hits," I lie.
"Well, no fights for three weeks and then come back and we can do a follow up exam."
I nod and walk out, no fights that's funny, I go to Central Park and find a bench to sit on and think about everything. I still don't have a viable reason for hitting Ana, not one to say and not one for me. It shouldn't have happened but it did, I rush to the penthouse and to the music room one floor down from the living area.
I spend hours playing on the piano, It has to be hours because by the time I am done and leaning back with a couple pieces composed with lyrics my hands are cramping. I go to the gym and run on the treadmill till I am drenched in sweat, upstairs is still empty. No one is here yet so I go and shower, the hot water is refreshing and cleansing. Taylor is bringing in Maia while Gail stays with the other kids, Kate will bring Ava, Mia will bring Micah and Eden and dad will Skype in. Today is my judgement day.