APOV

"Henrietta" "Wrinkles" "Roxie" "Bonny."

I could hear my children reel off a list of names for the newest member of our family but at the moment, I was focused on her.

When Christian had arrived home with her, I was angry. Not because he had brought another dog into the house, we always have room for more. It was the state she was in when she arrived. We had taken her to Brett who's our vet now that Hugo had retired and he was appalled with her injuries.

The poor dog before me looked like she had been through a war and she probably had. She had to have her fur shaved in places so Brett could tend to her wounds and unfortunately, she had lost most. What did upset me, was that she was afraid of me.

That woman deserved everything she got from my family, for what she did to her.

Like with Hugo at our start, I was sat on the floor, waiting for her to approach. So as not to stress her out too much, she was in our large laundry room which was quiet. We had a gate on the door anyway as there is nothing our playful dogs like more, than to steal a sock and have you chase them around the garden to get it back. Even panties have taken that journey too before now.

The gate was open while I was in here, so my other dogs came in and out. Sad little girl though, was on a blanket in the corner, refusing to move. She had been out with Christian this morning but went back to her corner as soon as she came into the house.

"Mum do you want a drink" Lucy asked me, coming to the gate.

She would come no further until we knew for sure, the dog didn't see her as a threat as well.

"Please sweetheart."

"What about Luna" Matteo asked.

"No" Lucy dismissed it straight away. "She has to stay down here with us. She can't go to the moon yet."

"Sorry sis" he said, grabbing her by her head and gave her a nuggie.

"Stop you pest, move."

That one word had the dog's attention, it also had her moving back.

"No. Is that all they called you, all they said to you" I asked, knowing no verbal answer would come but that one word of Move, had her cowering once more.

"Mum, what is it" Matteo asked.

I mouthed the word move to him and he understood. Maybe he had heard it when he was there, I don't know. It's a word that will not be used around here again though, not until she knows not to fear it.

I sat on the floor for what felt like hours, sipping my tea. I did get up to join my family for dinner, hoping she would join us but she stayed in the laundry room. Our family came as far as the door but apart from my husband, they did not enter.

"It's like going back in time again" I heard, turning to see Eamon at the door.

"She needs to know that I'm not a threat. The gate is open so she's free to leave but she just lays there, watching me."

"She's watching your movements, seeing how you interact with us, the other dogs. She will know that you're not like that woman."

"I know, in her own time."

….

"I have a name for her" Luca said the next day. "Spot."

"Brother, have you had your eyes checked recently. There is not one spot on her" Lucy laughed.

"When we decide on a name for her, I hope she likes it" I told them.

"What was that girl" Christian asked, coming to take a seat on the cold floor, by my side.

"What."

"One word you said, had her ears pricking up."

"I just said when we decide on a name, I hope" his smile stopped my words as we looked towards the dog whose head was off the ground. "Hope, you like that name."

She looked at me, turning her head to the side for the first time, as if she was finally hearing my voice.

"Hope. I hope you have a beautiful life with us Hope. You will be loved and protected."

I rested my head on Christian's shoulder, feeling his lips to my forehead.

I didn't realise that I was crying until Rosie came over and started to lick my tears away. She had been by Hope's side since she had arrived and as Hope viewed Rosie now in my lap, unafraid, she finally rose to her feet on her own, to look around.

I stroked Rosie with one hand and held the other out to Hope. She viewed it but did not come closer. It was that evening when I had finally made some progress with Hope.

Christian had taken all the dogs out so I could get off the floor for a bit. My body was stiff but I would happily sit there day after day if it showed Hope, I would never hurt her.

As Christian brought the dogs back in from the garden, I expected Hope to rush back into the laundry room again but she stayed by Christian's side as he spoke to my dad, who was sat at the table with me. I knew I was taking a chance when I held my hand out for her to sniff. She was a big girl and could do a lot of damage but she didn't. Hope sniffed my hand and as I moved it closer to touch her face, she didn't pull away.

I stroked her, scratched her ear while she sat there. Milo came over to my side, wanting an ear scratch too.

In the days that followed, Hope would come to me more and more. She would let me stroke her, even let Lucy and Oriella do the same, slobbering Lucy's face when she copied Rosie. There is no fear here, especially for one of our dogs.

"She's Christian's dog" Grandma said as I was putting the final touches to my daughters sweet sixteen birthday cake. Having the disadvantage of having recently broken fingers, it was taking me longer to get done but I will get there.

"I know. It's like they're joined at the hip, unless he goes in the water."

"She must be the only Neo who doesn't like going in. Hope would rather lay in the sun with Rosie" Grandma laughed.

"She's wary of the water. Maybe that will change, I don't know. If not, it doesn't matter. Christian said where they were, was pretty remote so she may have never seen water like this before."

"How's the cake coming along" Granddad asked me.

"It would be perfect if Lucy wanted flowers, even a tiara like most sweet sixteen's."

"Our girl is original, I will give her that" he laughed.

My daughter wanted a three-tier girly cake, like most do. Only instead of jewels, flowers or make-up on it, Lucy wanted dogs. Five as it was originally, now six miniature dogs that I have to sculpt and put up and around her cake. I have made a dog cake before, make doggy cupcakes all the time but never one like this. Sat on the top of the cake will be my daughter, complete with a little princess crown on her head.

"What cake are you having tomorrow" Dad asked me.

"I have no idea. The children have designed it and as you know, Isabella is at the bakery making it. I have a few years before I reach fifty so who knows what it will be like."

"I doubt those children will design a cake with any age on it. They value their lives" Mac laughed, dodging out of the way, of the icing roller I held.

"Hain is here" I said, looking out the window towards where he and Christian stood, with Hope by his side.

I had not seen Hain since before we had gone to Chicago and although I know he doesn't like to spend a long time in one place, it's nice for my husband to see his friend.

"I wonder where he has been" Grandma asked.

"Working is all I know" Mac told us.

….

"Mum can we eat the dogs" Matteo asked me as I put the final dog onto the cake. It was early evening now but I was happy with what I had done.

I had two days before Lucy's birthday but with tomorrow being my own, I had been banned from doing anything then.

"If you can deal with the aftermath of eating one of our own dogs, then go for it. I would advise against it though, as I have added something to the icing to harden them."

"Did you have to say they were our own dogs. Eating one is just wrong now" he complained, making me laugh.

"If they weren't modelled off our dogs, they wouldn't be on there."

"Looks amazing Princess" Christian said, coming into the kitchen.

"Thank you, how's Hain."

"He's good. He apologised for not sticking around for dinner."

"Family is hard for him, I know. If you can persuade him to come to thanksgiving, he is more than welcome."

"I know Ana. I did ask him if he wanted to come to Lucy's party. His exact words were, he would rather run through a field of cactus naked than be stuck in a room with teenagers."

"I don't blame him, but unfortunately we don't have a choice" I laughed.

…

I was woken on the morning of my birthday by Christian, bringing me breakfast in bed.

"Happy Birthday Princess" he said, placing the tray on my bedside table before climbing onto our bed. "I don't know how long I have before Lucy and the pack bang on the door so I'm taking advantage of every second I can to wish you a Happy Birthday."

"Take advantage of me then" I laughed, pushing his pyjama bottoms down with my feet, before his body covered mine.

Making love was the perfect start to my birthday. We did hear the house waking up around us but they were ignored for a moment as Christian and I came together.

"I love you Ana" Christian whispered as my head lay on his chest, both of us trying to calm our breathing.

"I love you too."

I did finally get to my breakfast, a bit colder than when Christian had brought it in but I wouldn't have missed my wake up call.

"Ana, Happy Birthday" he said, placing a box into my hand.

"What is it."

"Only one way to find out" he teased.

I opened the box to reveal an eternity ring inside. A band of diamonds that soon adorned my finger.

"I love it Christian, thank you."

"I'm glad you like it because you're stuck with me for eternity."

"That is fine by me" I smiled, kissing his lips.

"Ana do you hear that" Christian asked me as we quietened, hearing dog paws on the floor outside the door.

"They're pacing" I giggled.

"Lucy must have sent them up. Either that or they're fed up of our hyper daughter and have escaped for some peace."

"That is probably more like it" I laughed, grabbing one of Christian t shirts to put on, and made my way to the door.

I opened it carefully, looking out and came face to face with Hope.

"Hello little girl, is Lucy too much" I said, opening the door for her.

She walked over to the bed, waiting for one of us to give her permission to get on.

"Come on girl" Christian patted it, before she climbed on to the end. "Is she the only one."

"Yes, you're probably right. She has escaped Lucy. The others are used to our whirlwind of a daughter."

We knew soon after, that the quiet part of the day was over until this evening when Christian and I went out for dinner. Seeing the other dogs come into the room, Hope observed Rosie's excited licks to the side of my face before I received one from her too. Rosie's are fine, Hope's, I need a towel to remove her slobber but the fact that she feels comfortable to do something like that now, means so much to me.

"She takes her cues from Rosie" Christian told me.

"Even though Rosie is tiny compared to Hope, she's a tough little girl. I think Hope picks up on that. If Rosie is not scared, then neither should she be."

Christian and I got dressed before making our way down the stairs, taking the dogs with us.

"Happy Birthday Mum" Lucy called out, hugging me

"Thank you sweetheart, it will be you tomorrow."

"I know, I can't wait. My friends have not stopped talking about it. None of them have been in a nightclub before."

"It will be very special. Sixteen, where have the years gone" I asked, pulling her into a hug once more.

"Happy Birthday Mum" Luca said, kissing my forehead as he brought me into a hug too, once I had let Lucy go.

"Thank you son. How are you Oriella."

"I'm fine Ana, still feel bleuuu in the morning but I will be ok."

"Rest if you need to. Let this one run around after you."

"He does. If Luca was overprotective before, it is nothing to how he is now. I'm waiting for the bubble wrap to emerge."

That made me laugh as I told them about the bubble wrap coveralls I received as a baby shower gift. I think Hugo and Max had more fun with that than me.

"I will be getting you some for work" Luca teased Ori.

"How did your boss take the news" I asked her.

"My boss was great. Some of the usual gossips were in fine form about my age but it has nothing to do with them."

"Any problems Ori and I will pay them a visit" Christian told her as he handed me a cup of tea.

"No, don't" she laughed. "Luca has already threatened to go in if they start. They're just catty old women who have nothing better to do than judge everyone around them. How long did you work for."

"With the twins" I asked.

"Yes."

"Not long. With having Theo at home, I think I slept through most of my pregnancy with them. I was exhausted. If you want to work, that's fine. Just listen to your body though."

"And give Luca the veto" Christian told her, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"Veto" she asked.

"Yes, I told Christian that I would work but if at any point he thought it was too much, then he could pull the plug."

"I like that idea" Luca told Ori.

"I thought you would" she smiled, resting her hand on her stomach.

"If you agree to this, you can't see Oriella yawn and then class her as too tired to go to work. You have to talk to each other, set a final finish date for work and stick to that. Believe me, I didn't get anywhere near that date before Christian said enough. Struggling to keep my eyes open was an indication of that."

"I'm not even that far and I already feel like that sometimes" she admitted.

"Rest then. If Luca is not here, there is always someone around. Unfortunately, in this family, unless you're upstairs, you don't get left alone for long."

"I don't mind that. I love being able to speak to someone properly instead of hearing a grunt for a reply."

"There are grunts around here, usually coming from the dogs though" I said, smiling when Sprout did just that in his sleep.

I was soon sat in the living room, a growing pile of presents before me which I continued to open. I had been spoilt by everyone, there was no doubt of that. I had jewellery, so much chocolate I will be rolling around the room if I eat it all and my house now smells like a florist.

I had been given a spa day from Mac and Sofia and from the looks of it, it will be a girl's day as they will all be coming with me.

I had received a new purse off my Dad and Isabella. One that I had been looking at when we were away but begrudged paying the extortionate price.

"Will you be paying this off for the next year" I asked, hugging my Dad.

"No, Isabella said you had seen it in Chicago and liked it. That is where we got it from before we came home."

"I love it, thank you both."

From my children I received a tennis court. Strange thing to get for some but I love to watch and trying to play in public, would give someone target practice. Hence why I have not played in a long while.

"We thought about putting it next to Dad's helipad but I don't think Dad would appreciate broken windows" Theo told me.

"I'm not that bad a player, or I didn't used to be."

"He was talking about Dad" Lucy teased her father.

They had everything planned out so I'm leaving it all up to them and will enjoy a game when it's finished.

Everyone loved my eternity ring off my husband and I especially loved it too.

Throughout the day, more of our family and friends arrived and my present pile continued to grow. At the moment Hope was lay under my chair, nervous of the new people here. My hand stroked her head, trying to ease her fears.

"Hope" Christian called her, from where he was in the pool.

"If she gets up now, Mum will be in orbit" Matteo laughed.

Hope didn't get up though, she stayed where she was until Christian got out and came over to join us. Only then did she emerge from under my chair, to go to my husband's side.

As the day wore on, Hope did get used to others as they waited for her to approach them. She especially liked Autumn who was sat happily gurgling away on my lap.

"How is she doing" I asked Max.

"Very well. I don't think she knows when to stop eating but I think that is a family thing. Look at Dad."

I looked over to John who at the moment had a chicken leg in his mouth from the barbecue we were having. He just smiled, looking to his granddaughter before continuing to eat.

"How's Hope doing" my grandmother asked as she joined us from her nap.

Grandma hates taking them but she has been on her feet since early this morning, making sure my day today has been as perfect as it has. She exhausted herself, so on doctor's orders, namely me, I sent her to rest.

"She's fine. Getting more used to everyone, although I think it will be a long while before she feels completely comfortable in a crowd. Christian did try and take her inside but she followed him right back out again."

"She will get there" Grandma smiled, patting Hope's head.

My cake would fit in my home very well today. It was a bouquet of flowers, each flower one of my favourites and all completely edible. Isabella had done a beautiful job and the cake tasted delicious.

….

"Mum you look beautiful" Theo told me as I came down the stairs, ready for my dinner with Christian.

"Thank you sweetheart, are you staying around here."

"For a little while. Hope has gone into the laundry room."

"She has probably reached her limit for interaction, for the day. Did she seem distressed."

"No, she was lay with the other dogs before Sprout snored. I think it startled her."

"She will be fine. Leave the gate open so she can come and go as she pleases. Hope probably wants some peace now and in the laundry room is probably the only place she will get some."

When Christian finally emerged from upstairs, we were on our way. They say women take time to get ready. They have nothing on my husband.

"Where are we going tonight" I asked him.

"Some place new."

"Some place new in the family or just opened."

"Both. One of Ethan's new ventures. It only opened last week."

"I didn't know he had a new place."

"You will realise why when you get there" he smiled.

We drove about twenty minutes into the city before the answer became clear.

"Mia's" I said, reading the sign above the door.

"Yes, he opened a new restaurant and named it after his wife. We all know how close you sisters are so he though it best to keep a secret from all of you, so as Mia not to find out. I'm never going to hear the end of the taunting from him until I open something and call it Anastasia's."

"Don't even think about it. I don't want a strip club with my name over the door" I laughed.

"No, it would have to be something classy, something beautiful" he told me, taking my hand as I got out of the car.

"Cocktail bar. I don't think your mother, Claire or Rhian would be out of it. Especially if they thought they could have Cosmo's on tap" I giggled as the door to the restaurant opened and we stepped inside.

This new restaurant was my sister down to a tee. It was elegant, sophisticated and I don't think you could afford to eat here unless you were above a certain pay grade.

"Mr Grey, Mrs Grey welcome. Your table is all ready for you" a very smiley woman greeted us.

"Thank you" we told her before we were shown to a table, secluded from all the others.

We received our menu before ordering a bottle of wine. Our waiter was very professional and didn't hover, much to my relief as I know what my husband is like when men look at me.

"Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife Ana" Christian toasted, when our glasses were filled.

"Thank you. I have had a wonderful day."

Our glasses clinked together before we took a drink.

"They have your favourite, a burger. I bet in here, it comes with a little garnish on the side, a little edible flower on top to fit in with the decor" I said, laughing at the look of disgust on his face.

"If it does, I will be moving it onto your plate" he told me.

"I don't mind, I will have double as I want a burger as well."

When our food did emerge, the garnish was there, minus the flower. We were given knives and forks to eat but according to my husband, hands were sufficient. So, in a thousand dollar suit, Christian ate his burger. I cut mine up, but still decided to use my hands as eating it with the cutlery just felt silly.

"Now I know why they gave us this table. To hide our burger eating from the other guests."

"That's fine by me" he told me. "We're not feeling like we're in a zoo then."

For dessert, we had chocolate fudge cake. I knew after finishing my burger that I didn't have that much room left so we shared the cake.

"There are no flowers on this cake" he told me.

"That's fine. I think my teeth will be itching for a week with the amount of sugar flowers I have eaten today."

...

"Have you thought about going back to work yet" He asked me, as I sipped my tea now the meal was over.

"Probably after Tuesday" I said sadly. My family will be going back to Italy then and I am not looking forward to saying goodbye.

"Ana, they will be back or us there. You still have your spa day on Sunday. Grandma, Isabella and Sofia will be there."

"How do you know what I'm thinking" I asked him, smiling.

"I know you" he declared, kissing my rings.

"I think we will all need to relax after Lucy's party. Hopefully the spa will calm her down."

"I doubt it" he laughed and I had to agree.

I brushed my sombre mood aside, planning to make the most of every minute that my family were here and enjoyed the rest of the evening with my husband.

We didn't arrive home late as we knew that we would have an early start in the morning and no one within a five-mile radius would miss the excitement from our daughter.

Getting into bed though, there was no sleep planned as my day ended as it had started, becoming one with Christian.

Thank you for reading.

We have a sweet sixteen next chapter.

I want to thank everyone who helped with suggestions for a name for the new member of the Grey family on the Facebook group, FSOG Fanfic Followers.

Until next time, take care.

Caroline.