APOV
He's not going to move, he is too convinced that Leila is me. She got the tattoo's and contacts like last time but why in the world is she blonde, that really makes no sense to me but I am not the one blaming everyone else for whatever she is. I still don't understand here, I just know that Christian is blocking her from my view. I bend and pick up a discarded t-shirt that is one of Christian's, I toss it at him and he hands it to her.
What will make him see that I am me, there has to be something that I can say that Leila does not know, that I have not told and she has not managed to find out somehow. There has to be something that we both would have kept as secret.
Leila stands up behind him, now wearing the t-shirt. She shifts to peak around him but because of our height I do not have a safe or clear shot. God damn it, can she just get this over with and we can all go back to normal.
"Miss Scarlet in the Library with the wrench," I say, this grabs his attention.
"Colonel Mustered in the Conservatory with the candlestick," He adds.
"Mrs White in the Study with the revolver."
"Mr Plum in the Billiards room with the knife."
"Mr Green in the kitchen with the rope," I smile. "But Mia threw away Mrs Peacock because we wouldn't let her be her, I left a blue Dahlia in the kitchen where you nearly got caught by your dad. That was the first night we had sex, up on the roof. I set it up, started crying at the beginning and thanked you after, you tried to thank me but I ignored it. I never said you're welcome. Elliot found us in the morning and warned us before your parents or sister found us."
Poor Christian, it looks like his head is about to explode, he stumbles to the side giving me a clear shot of Leila but she charges and tackles me, the gun flying out of my hand. She will not win this time, to much is at stake.
BANG… BANG… BANG…
Fuck my shoulder hurts, I sit up and look beside me and rush to my feet. Leila's body is there, shots in her head, stomach and chest. Christian is holding onto one of the diamond and ruby guns he gifted me, I hold my shoulder and he looks frozen. I go into the bathroom and struggle to take off everything on the upper part of my body. It is a huge accomplishment and I look at the wound in my shoulder, it looks bad and is not a through and through. I wet a couple clothes and add pressure, there is no getting out of the hospital this time.
Christian rushes into the bathroom, his face white which is how I know he is really freaking out. He spits on his fingers then tries to rub off one of my tattoos, it only rubs my skin and irritates the area, I whimper. I am looking up at his face, waiting for him to look at me but he doesn't he just crushes me in a hug which hurts my shoulder and makes me scream. The ding of the elevator alerts us of visitors. Taylor, Elliot and Luke come into view with Erica and Beth behind them. I go with Erica, Beth and Luke to the library where I lay on the table and they start to do medical and doctor stuff. The elevator rings again and this time Kate and Mia run into the library, each holding one of my hands.
Whatever Beth gave me to mask the pain works by knocking me out, way out. I open my eyes and it is light, my shoulder feels much better and Christian is asleep on my stomach, but it's wet. I look closer and he is crying, that idiot better not be blaming him for all of this.
"I'm fine Christian, I'm always fine. I'm me," I smile.
"Kitten?" He gives me the biggest eyes ever.
"Yes?"
"Do you feel heard? Do you hate me? I thought… well at this point when I look back I was an idiot but it was from you, they all were so I figured…" He stammers.
"Christian, it's okay. I am not mad and you can delve into the particulars later. They are not important here and now. Right now, it is you and me and we are both safe and alive no matter how stupid you are," I giggle.
"I really thought she was you," he frowns.
"Christian, stop wallowing on it. I am fine, she is in the past. We are just going to move forward from this because if you look past on the last six months over and over again it will eat you, and trust me you do not want to carry around all the pain and regret of it."
Tears are flowing out of his eyes, I don't know what to do in this kind of situation. This was not a lesson in life that I have ever been taught. I sit up on the table and push him back so he is sitting in the chair, I slide off the table and straddle him and attempting to hug him which isn't working one hundred percent with my shoulder.
"Heroes are not the ones in costumes and masks, having to hide behind strange names and unreal powers. I have only had one other hero in my life and that was Daddy Ray, he never wore a costume and he was there, he protected me and he taught me many lessons. I am going to let you in on a couple now. The first is that shoot first and ask questions later, your life is always the more important one. The second one is what brought me to you, and then brought me back. Do you want to hear it?" I whisper right in his ear. He nods so I lean back and take his hand, flattening it out and running my hand down from his elbow to the tip of his middle finger. I look up at him and our eyes connect. "Sometimes things get hard and you need to be aware when things are not safe and you need to run, but there is a trick to running for you life and safety and running for a joke. When you run for your life you have to run in a line, keep going and don't look back, the past is not a safe place if you are protecting and saving yourself."
"I could have killed you," the tears still falling.
"That's funny, I feel very alive right now," I smile.
Elliot comes into the room, his hands covering his eyes as if he is one of the little kids, I can't help but laugh and Christian joins me. Clearly we are thinking the same thing.
"We want to know what to do with the body," Elliot says.
"I never want to see it again," I admit.
"Okay, we are all leaving but Jason suggests not staying here tonight. He booked you a room at the Plaza Hotel and the rest of us are going home. The clean up crew is coming tomorrow so you don't have to worry about it."
Elliot turns to walk away but runs right into the door, Kate comes in and rolls her eyes before helping him to his feet and out the door. Christian lifts and sets me on the table while I assume he goes and packs us some clothes. I am still only in my bra but when I go to get a shirt Christian stops me and hands me his Harvard sweater that zips up. I guess I won't wear anything that pulls over my head for a while, I wonder what will happen now.
At the hotel we go up to our suite and he orders some food for me, thank the Lord because I am starving. He is still eating himself up over the whole Leila thing so I go into the other room and try to get a hold of Elena, it is my third time when she finally answers.
"Anastasia, you really know how to worry someone! I nearly died when I heard that you got shot, silly girl!" Elena shouts into the phone.
"I'm sorry, just breathe okay? I'm fine but I was wondering if you could gather evidence to show Christian that it's not his fault and that she was manipulating all of us?" I ask.
"Yeah of course, I will meet you guys tomorrow afternoon. You should sleep and heal, I would not recommend sex with that shoulder of yours."
"Right, great talking with you."
"And Anastasia, just because everything with Leila is dealt with does not mean your relationship with him is all okay and fixed. There was clearly fault lines there for him and you to react the ways you did, and you cannot doubt your instincts. That is what got you in this mess in the first place."
"Are you saying that there is something else that will make it so we don't work? I'm thirty seven years old, I don't want to have to start over again! It is too much for me if I do, and he has always been there, always supported me and my children are all his."
"I get that Sweetie, but there is something else that made you react how you did. You have to admit to that."
"I don't know. I don't want to think or focus on the negative."
"I am just giving you some advice, lets say that we will meet at the Central Park Carrousel at three tomorrow afternoon. I am staying at a hotel in New Haven, the jet went back and they are bringing Hardy over so I will bring him with me for you."
"Thanks Elena, goodbye."
I hang up and go back to Christian who is sitting on the couch with what looks like a glass of Scotch. I sit next to him and look at him, all the fractures are from miscommunication and running from conversations and situations. If we haven't learned anything in the past twenty years maybe we never will.
"What are you thinking, Kitten?"
"I don't really know, but we're good… right?"
"I don't know to be honest. I don't know who we are or what has happened in the past year, the reality I thought was real was just a stupid manipulation to break us apart. I think I understand how you feel when it comes to a lot of things and I feel like shit."
"What are you saying then?"
"Our lifestyles are what have broken us apart, our family. I am meeting with Genovese next week and he is going to buy me out, twenty seven billion to me and then five hundred million to everyone else in the family for him to take over every aspect of the mob."
"But you love that lifestyle."
"Yes, but it always comes back to hurt us, to destroy us and makes you sleep with one eye open all the time in fear of someone being arrested. This way that part is done, and you and I will work legally. Show the little kids how life should be."
"Have you really thought this over? Discussed this with everyone?"
"I don't need to discuss it, I'm the Boss and if they want to stay in the lifestyle Genovese will take them in."
His eyes, they're dark and clouded over while I am here wide eyed and horny. I stand up and take the glass out of his hand, setting it on the table I lead him to the bedroom where we just lay down and fall asleep.
Something is not right, you can't sleep until you figure it out. Too much has happened today and you are missing a piece of the puzzle. There is something he is hiding from you, he is lying about his reasons. You can't let this go.
No, I am not listening to you. Just go in your box and stay there. I have to much coming up, if we keep focusing on the past we will stay there and the world will pass us by.
"Kitten?"
"Meow," I giggle.
His hand slides over my hip and into my panties, gently stroking my folds as I grind my ass against the very distinct bulge in his boxers. My shoulder stops us, the pain medications wearing off, stupid bullet wound.
I am the first up and I go and order up breakfast for us both, when they arrive with the food I let them come in and set it up before waking Christian. I go back to wake him up and he is standing and looking out the window.
"I am not okay with you forgiving me," He announces.
"I don't care if you are okay with it, I have and you just have to deal with it. Breakfast is here and on the table. I can't hold onto this without it pulling me back into the rabbit hole, so it is your decision whether or not to grant me the peace and freedom or hold me back." I am getting to stressed from all this. "What is your real issue Christian? What's with the sudden changes? Is it because I almost died yesterday because I am fine."
"The FBI has a warrant out for my arrest, it has not been processed yet but soon. We move to Cuba in one week."
"And what? You were going to take the kids and leave me in Seattle!" I shriek.
"No… I don't know… If it was safe for you then yes I would have left you!" He shouts.
"Fuck you Christian, you can't leave me. That is where all of our issues stem from, one of us leaving the other. That would have killed me!"
"I was trying to keep you in treatment when I thought you were still sick."
"Fuck that reason, I don't believe you."
"How long is the warrant good for once it is processed?"
"Five years or until the judge passes, we have people also working on the inside to push them away from me and our family."
"I don't know what to think Christian, we move to Cuba and tell the kids what? Yay a permanent vacation because daddy is in trouble with the law and we all have to run for our lives. Fuck, Christian!"
"I can't control the situation."
"Yeah, well if you were then I would question your motives. Why can't we go to Italy, with all the family and friends we have there?"
"I'll talk to my dad, Barney, Welch and Flynn. I will let you know by the end of the day. Let's just eat and move on with the day."
"I'm not hungry, I am going to have a shower and find something to wear to go with the new bullet wound I am sporting!" I storm off.