APOV

"Christian" I said quietly, stroking his cheek.

"Mmm, you should be in this bed, naked. Why are you dressed" he asked, upon opening his eyes

"Because our daughter and the rest of the girls are waiting for me. We're having a spa day remember."

"I remember. I would much rather have you in bed though… Now Mrs Grey, rules for today."

"Rules" I laughed. "Let's hear them then."

"Rule number one, relax and have fun. Number two, don't cut your hair too short please. You know how much I love it."

"You were dying to make that number one, weren't you" I asked, laughing when he nodded his head. "I wasn't planning on having too much cut off. I might have some colour put in it though."

"If you say blonde is going on your beautiful hair, I'm going to tie you to the bed and barricade the door."

I laughed as his arms wrapped around me and I was pulled onto the bed.

"I promise, no blonde" I giggled as his lips came down onto mine.

How I had ended up underneath him on the bed, I didn't know or care at that moment. Especially when his lips sucked on my neck.

"No Hickeys" I groaned as he sucked harder, blowing raspberries on my neck which made me giggle.

"No mark left" he smirked, releasing me. I knew from the look on his face, there was one there.

"You will have to have the birds and the bees talk with our daughter."

"What" he asked, letting me go.

"If you have left a Hickey on my neck like some teenager, you can explain it to Lucy."

"I have not left anything, honest" he told me as I walked to the mirror.

"Ha" I laughed. "My husband honest. That will only happen if you ever go legit."

"Legit, not going to happen. I'm always honest with you though" he said, gripping his cock from where he lay in our bed.

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to distract me from looking in the mirror and it was working.

"Behave Christian" I groaned, wanting nothing more than to climb back onto the bed and on top of his cock. I couldn't though as I could hear our impatient daughter calling me.

I finally looked in the mirror, seeing only a tiny mark which could be easily covered by my hair.

Turning back to Christian once I was ready to leave the room, I groaned once more.

"You Mr Grey are a tease. That cock is mine this evening so make sure it's just as hard as it is now" I told Christian as I bent down to kiss his lips, having a quick stroke of his cock before I headed out of the door.

"Who's the tease now" I heard him call after me as I headed down to my impatient daughter.

"Do you have your orders Mum" Lucy asked me.

"Orders."

"Yes. Hair not too short, no colour" Lucy, Grandma and Isabella said at the same time.

"You know him so well" I laughed, grabbing my purse as we headed out of the door.

We drove to the spa, laughing most of the way. We had the phone patched into the other cars which held the rest of our group, so our poor guards were getting an ear full. Grace, Claire and Rhian were already planning for cocktails and we hadn't even arrived there yet.

"Mum when are you and Dad going to Arletta" Lucy asked me.

"I don't know. Your Dad was planning it for after our birthdays, so hopefully soon."

"Can I come" she asked.

"Do you really want to be stuck in a cabin with your parents" Grace asked her.

"No, thanks. Can we all go for the weekend and have a cabin on the opposite side of the lake."

"That sounds much better" Grace laughed.

I don't mind them all being with us. Although having Christian to myself, especially after this morning would be nice.

We pulled up outside of the spa, waiting for our guards to get out of the cars first. You would think we were at a country house with the little fountain outside the entrance and greenery all around. In fact, we were in the middle of Seattle, in a car park, with buildings all around us.

"That's nice" Grandma said.

"That's a bit OTT for my liking" Rhian added, getting out of her car.

"As long as the Cosmo's keep coming, I don't care what the outside looks like."

"I for one think it's nice and Grace, it's just gone 10am. It's a bit early for Cosmo's" I told her.

"It's afternoon somewhere" she laughed as we walked into the grand reception area.

This spa was part of a hotel. With it having its own entrance at the rear, it was easier to manoeuvre through, especially away from any bar.

"Party for Grey" I told the woman behind the reception.

"How many are there of you" she asked.

"The same number of those here" Grace told her.

"Snarky Grandma is in the house and that's without alcohol. We're doomed" Lucy told us, giggling when Grace poked her.

"Ignore the ones who only came to prop the bar up. There are twelve of us."

"Welcome, these arrived this morning for the birthday girls" she told us, pointing to two bouquets of flowers that were on a table.

"They're off Dad" Lucy said excitedly, showing me her card.

"Yes, they are" I smiled, reading my own card.

Princess

I hope you have an amazing day. No one deserves it more than you for looking after us all and putting up with my crazy arse.

Relax, close your eyes and let everyone pamper you.

I love you Ana.

Christian XXX

I placed the card into my purse, taking the robe and list of treatments available from the woman.

"One pregnancy massage was booked as well as I had to make sure the masseur was female for Mrs Grey."

"That would be my husband" I laughed.

"Ana that would be all our husbands" Kate told me.

"Apart from me. I don't have a husband, so I will have anyone. Do you have any nice boys here" Lucy asked her?

"No" the woman smiled. "Like I explained to Mr Grey when he called to inform us about the flower delivery. We only employ female staff here in the spa. Although we do have male stylists in the salon."

We split up once the treatments were decided on. I wanted my massage while Lucy decided that she would rather go in the pool than let some stranger touch her. Good girl.

"Enjoy your massage Ori and holler if you need me."

"I will, or I should say I won't. I don't want to ruin your massage."

"Ori, I'm here if you need me."

"I know. I'm looking forward to this as long as I don't fall asleep half way through."

"If you do, we can buy some oils to take home and you can get Luca to finish it off. I can't believe I just suggested that about my son" I cringed, not wanting to think about what Luca and Oriella get up to in their bedroom, any more than they would Christian and I.

"Bye Ana" she laughed, going into the room next to mine.

"Have fun sweetheart.".

…

I think my muscles have been massaged to within an inch of their lives, but it felt good. Believe me I prefer my husband's hands on my body, but this woman removed knots I didn't realise I even had.

"Thank you" I told her as she bowed her head, leaving the room so I could dress and find my daughter.

...

"How was the massage" I asked Oriella who was sat by the pool, dangling her feet in the water. Lucy looked like she was doing cannonballs, much to the disgust of some of the women who were sat around the side, not wanting to get wet.

"It was relaxing, although I would rather it had been Luca doing it."

"We will get some oils then, before we leave."

"All I need is the dogs Mum" Lucy laughed as she swam towards us.

"Yes, I'm sure they would let five very large dogs do laps around the pool."

"Four, Hope would be sharing the bed you're on" she told me.

"Are you girls ready for the salon, more treatments or lunch" I asked, receiving the unanimous cry for some food.

I pulled my phone from my purse when it vibrated, seeing a message from my husband.

Princess, I have gone to the club to get some work done as this house is far too quiet on my own. Call me when you're leaving the spa. Love you xxx – Christian.

I love you too. Thank you for the flowers for Lucy and me, they're beautiful. I had a lovely massage and am now very relaxed. The girls and I are just going to get some lunch, make sure you eat something as I am not sure what time we will be home. xxx – Ana

I will get something here when I'm hungry. Who had their hands on my beautiful wife xxx – Christian

A very nice lady, so stow your gun. (Rolling my eyes as I know what you're like) xxx - Ana

You know me so well. Enjoy yourself Ana and I will see you later xxx – Christian

We all will. I will call you when we're on our way home xxx – Ana.

We ordered lunch, waiting for the others to join us. I had no idea if they were hungry or some were already on a liquid diet, so I just ordered for my girls.

"Are you having your hair cut" Lucy asked me.

"I might have about an inch cut off, just to get rid of the dead ends. I like the length at the moment and so does your dad."

"I think you should dye it blonde" Grace told me.

"Do you know your own son at all" I asked her.

"Of course I do. Then again, you going blonde might give him a heart attack and I'm not sure Theo is ready for the top job yet. I think he enjoys not having that pressure."

"The only time I have ever gone blonde was for Halloween and it was a wig. Christian removed all the pins before throwing it to Hugo who shredded it along with the other dogs."

"We always wondered where the wig went that was with that outfit" Mia laughed.

"All over the lawn by the end of the night."

"Who is Hugo" Ava asked, as the others turned to me.

"Hugo was my first dog and best friend for a very long time. Every dog, apart from the girls are direct descendants from him."

"Who's going to get frisky with Hope then, continue the line" Rhian asked.

"Are you on the alcohol already...frisky."

"Says her, who has a tiny Hickey on her neck."

"Please, enough" Lucy told Rhian, covering her ears.

"Hope will be the one to decide, if any. I won't force any of them, but I hope the line continues somehow."

"If Hope won't let any of them near her, we can always let the dogs loose and they can find their own mate" Oriella laughed.

"A cross between a Neo and a Chihuahua does not sound fun, in fact it sounds painful" Kate told us, making me laugh.

"Ok enough about dogs mating, are you going to find out the sex of your babies" Claire asked Oriella.

"We want to be as prepared as we can, so we will probably find out. We want everything bought and ready before our wedding, so I don't have to be trailing around the stores when we get home. I still need to find my wedding dress and find one that will encompass my expanding waistline."

"Next week, you said you were off on Thursday. We can go and look" I told Oriella.

"I will be in school" Lucy complained.

"We can go on the weekend or after school to find your dress Lucy" Oriella told her. "I have no idea what type of dress I want and looking in a magazine doesn't give me enough of an idea."

"You want to try something on" I asked.

"Yes."

"Next Thursday then" I asked, receiving a nod.

When lunch was over we moved into the salon. It was not that big, and we took up every space. The staff were good though, having everyone on a station so no one was left to wait.

"What is it you would like done" the stylist asked me.

"Just a trim please" I asked him.

My hair was washed before I was seated in front of a mirror. He asked me how much I wanted cutting off, picking about four inches up. If that is his type of a trim, my husband is going to go berserk.

"Smaller" I told him again and again until he had the length I was comfortable with.

"Mum can I have a bit cut off" Lucy asked me.

"Define a bit."

Her hair was beautiful and fell just above her bum.

"About four inches."

"Lucy, if you have that much cut off, you can't stick it back on again if you decide it's too short. How about two inches first, if you want it shorter then take another inch off until you find a length you like."

The stylist who was looking after my daughter, seemed relieved with my answer. He probably doesn't want to deal with Christian if he cuts it too short and she leaves here upset. In the end Lucy only had the two inches cut off before she told him that was enough.

Lucy and I made our way to have our nails done when our hair was finished, sitting side by side.

"Here, come closer. Let's stop your Dad from panicking that we have cut our hair too short" I told her, taking a photo of the two of us and sent it to him.

Beautiful xxx – Christian & Dad was the reply I received, and I could practically feel his relief through the phone.

…

By the time we were ready to leave, I had my make-up, nails and hair done. If I wasn't exhausted after having two late nights in a row, I easily looked ready look for a club. Alas I'm ready for the couch with a nice cup of tea or maybe a walk around the garden with the dogs.

"Ready to go ladies" David asked from the door.

"Yes, the kettle is calling" I told him.

"I will second that" Grandma laughed.

We all made our way out of the spa entrance and towards the line of cars, bypassing the sprouting fountain on the way. I placed my flowers in the trunk before saying goodbye to all the girls who made their way to their own cars. They couldn't move yet until the first car in our line started which was mine, but we were waiting for Oriella who had gone to use the bathroom again.

"Lucy you forgot these" Ori called out, carrying Lucy's flowers off her Dad.

"Don't carry them, you're not allowed to pick anything up" Lucy told her, walking forward to collect them.

"You will forget your head if it was loose" I laughed.

Lucy was just about to take the flowers from Oriella when I heard glass smash from above.

We all turned around quickly, not knowing where it had come from, before we saw it. One lone figure, at what was left of a window of the building opposite, with us within his sights.

"GET INSIDE" I screamed to the girls. "SHOOTER, GET BACK INSIDE."

I was running faster than I think I have ever done before as I heard the ping of bullets as they hit the ground, the cars, leaving holes in everything they touched. I could hear shouting for people to get down or stay in the cars and our guards returning fire, but I needed to reach my daughter.

"LUCY."

I cried for her to run but although she was screaming at me to run to her, her body was frozen in place.

I reached Lucy, knocking her to the floor, my body shielding hers. That was when I felt the bullets pierce my skin, first one, then another, both as painful as the other. Add to that, my head hitting the concrete and I was in a world of pain.

"Mum, MUM, WE HAVE TO MOVE" Lucy screamed at me, but I couldn't. What energy I did have before was seeping out of me through those holes.

"MUM PLEASE" She cried as I was carefully moved off her and pulled behind the fountain, feeling a hand on my face.

The gunshots were silent now or was it just that I felt like I was moving away.

"Ana, stay with me" Kate demanded, getting me to focus on her.

I closed my eyes as she put pressure on my wounds. A scream coming from my lips as the pain became unbearable. Opening my eyes again, it was my little girl I focused on, but it was getting harder and harder to stay awake as my mind and body wanted to sleep.

"ANA, I WILL SLAP YOU IF YOU CLOSE THOSE EYES AGAIN" Mia shouted, startling me awake.

"Sleep" I mumbled.

"NO, DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE GO TO SLEEP."

It was Grandma's voice this time, startling me more because she very rarely swears.

I don't know how long I lay there on the cold floor, it could be minutes, it could be weeks. All I knew was that I was so tired, but I needed to say goodnight to my little girl first before I slept.

"Lucy" I mumbled as she took my hand.

"I'm here Mum, stay awake please" she cried.

"I love you. Tell your Dad and brothers that I love them too."

"No Mum no don't say that" she sobbed "DON'T YOU DARE SAY GOODBYE. YOU WILL MAKE DADDY SO MAD."

"I'm not, Lucy. I'm just tired. I love you Lucy, I love you all."

The last thing I heard before darkness took me, was my little girl screaming for her Dad.

CPOV

"We want all the typical Italian foods at the wedding" Luca told us.

"Pizza's on the menu then" Matteo teased his twin.

"I don't mind pizza, as long as it's not the only thing we're having" Theo told him.

"It won't be."

We had just gotten off the phone with Dante and Federico about a shipment of guns that will be heading their way when they arrive next week. As well as my boys being here, my brothers were as well. All waiting for the call that the girls were on their way home.

"Did Mum cut her hair" Theo asked me.

"Not that I could tell from the photo she sent of her and Lucy."

"That's a relief" Matteo said.

"How so" I asked him.

"One, you will be pissed, making everyone else around you pissed. And two, Mum has always had long hair. I couldn't imagine her with it short."

"Me neither son."

I picked my phone up off the desk when it rang. I expected Ana, but it was Lucy instead.

"Hey baby girl, are you leaving."

"Dad, DAD" she sobbed before screaming my name.

"Lucy what's going on, what's wrong" I asked, immediately to my feet. "Lucy talk to me baby girl what's going on."

What she said next, had my legs giving out and if it wasn't for Elliot, I would've hit the floor.

"Mum's been shot, SHE'S BEEN SHOT. SHE WON'T WAKE UP. MUM WAKE UP PLEASE" She screamed for her mother.

I ran out of my office and down the stairs to my car, trying to calm my daughter enough to find out where they were. It was my mother's voice I heard then.

"Son you need to come, Ana" she sobbed. "The ambulance is here, police too. We're at the spa but they're just about to move her. The hospital where she worked, that's where they're taking her to. Son please hurry."

The line went dead as I started the car. My boys were trying to talk to me but I couldn't listen, I needed to get to Ana.

"She's going to be fine" I said, not knowing if that was the truth or not but it was all I had at the moment.

I left my car outside the emergency room door, Ethan pulling up alongside. We ignored calls to move them as we all raced inside.

"ANASTASIA GREY" I said, startling the woman behind the counter who just looked at me in shock. "ARE YOU DEAF OR STUPID, ANASTASIA GREY. DR ANASTASIA GREY. SHE WAS BROUGHT IN HERE WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND."

"Christian."

I turned to see Claire rushing towards us, blood on her clothes.

"Claire" was all I could get out before she put her hands on my face.

"Ana has been rushed into surgery, Eamon is here, he's with her. Ethan, Mia was hit in the arm, she's back there somewhere."

I watched my brother run back to the reception, before turning back to Claire.

"Lucy" I asked as she removed her hands from my face.

"Apart from a cut to her head when Ana knocked her to the floor, she's alright, physically. Luca, they have taken Oriella into be assessed."

"What, the babies."

"Oh god, she was hit" Theo asked.

"No, no she was in shock. They just want to check that both her and the babies are ok. Everyone else is in the surgical waiting room on the second floor."

Claire showed us where the elevators were before she left with Luca to find Oriella. He was torn, I could see it but at the moment, Oriella needed him more.

As we entered the waiting room, the last bit of wall I had held in place to keep my emotions in check, broke away as I saw my sobbing daughter curled up in a ball on the floor with my mother wrapped around her.

"Lucy" I said, her head lifting from my mother chest as I dropped to my knees in front of her and pulled her into my arms. She was covered in blood, but I ignored it for a moment.

"Mummm."

"I know baby girl. She's strong, the strongest person I have ever met. We need to be strong for her now Lucy because she's going to need us."

"She said..."

"What did she say."

"She told me she loved me, and I was to tell you and the boys that she loved you all too."

I pulled Lucy tighter into my chest as she cried, letting go of my own tears as I cried with her.

If Ana was saying goodbye I will be so angry with her. She promised me forever and she never breaks a promise.

"Lucy, the blood" I asked, already knowing the answer before she spoke.

"It's Mums. She shouted at me to go back inside but I froze. I wanted to run back inside the spa, but I wanted to pull Mum with me. I couldn't do either" she cried. "My legs wouldn't move."

We were soon joined by my Dad, Frankie, Mac and Antonio who had taken my boat out for the day. All were distraught, and Frankie was soon wearing a path in the floor with his pacing that matched mine.

Kate had taken Lucy to get her changed into some scrubs and to wash the blood from her hands. They were only down the corridor, but it was too far as far as I was concerned, as she was out of my sight.

Mia and Ethan joined us, her arm bandaged from where she had been hit. She ignored it though, just wanting to hear any news of my wife.

My Dad was talking to me, but I don't think I had heard half of what he was saying.

Night had descended on us and we had still not heard anything apart from that my wife, my whole life was still fighting for her life in that operating room.

"Press... police… statement…" nothing I was interested in at the moment.

"What I want to know Dad. The only thing I want to know about what is happening outside the hospital, is that this man, woman, I don't really give a shit who, has been caught."

"Lorenzo has him, found him hiding out in the building. It is offices, being completely remodelled and being a Sunday, they had the bare minimum security to stop him entering. Lorenzo's only moving him now after dark as the area was too active before. There are still cops there now, making sure no one enters, just not so observant on those leaving."

"Where is he" Matteo practically growled at his grandfather.

"He's waiting for his fate when you're all ready to leave this hospital. You need to be here though, you all need to stay here for now."

"Where is he Granddad" Theo demanded to know.

I understood the boys anger, I felt it too. The thought of leaving this room though, never mind leaving the hospital and in turn my wife, makes me feel physically sick. I will leave when Ana does.

"Boys" my dad said, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "I can feel the pain radiating off you all and I know you're ready to explode. They need you though, your mum needs you to be here. That little girl needs her dad and brothers to drive away the nightmares that I know are going to come. If you leave now, if I let any of you go with the amount of press and police wanting to follow our every move, they will lose you. I also know that they will not survive without you. There will be time to sort that scum out, just not now. When your mum is awake and wanting her cup of tea, then we all will go."

"What if she doesn't" we heard from the door as Luca stood holding onto Oriella.

"Then she can have cake instead" Theo told his brother, wiping tears from his eyes. "She can have whatever she wants as long as she wakes up and is alright."

"Oriella" I said, holding my arms out to her, as she rushed to me.

I wrapped my arms around her, needing to know that she was ok too.

"The babies are fine" Luca told me as I pulled him to me too. "Ori needs to rest."

"I can rest here Luca, they have chairs" she told him as I let them go.

It was after two am when Eamon came into the room. I don't think I have ever seen him so exhausted, so completely worn out, as he looked now.

"Granddad, where's Mum" Lucy asked from where she was tucked into Frankie's side.

"She's…" he took a deep breath before a tear fell. "She's being moved to the ICU. We removed one bullet from her shoulder."

"Near her first" Matteo asked.

"Yes, just below. There was another in her lower back that had an exit wound on her right side."

My mother gasped then, and I don't think she was the only one as they looked to my daughter. The bullet that made its way through my wife, could have easily hit Lucy.

"Ana lost a lot of blood, some that needed to be replaced."

"Is Mum going to be ok" Matteo asked his grandfather.

"I can hope, and I can pray but at this moment, I just don't know. She's fighting, just like she has been doing since the moment she was born. Ana needs all our help, not just medical but all of us to talk to her, keep her with us."

I wanted to shout at him to give us an answer but without Eamon, we wouldn't even have been having this conversation now. We could've already lost her and from the conversation that I had with Eamon on my own outside of the room, we had twice.

She had flat-lined twice, both times he refused to let her go despite others telling him to do so. That is what took so long for him to reach us. He didn't trust anyone else to look after her, just like he didn't trust anyone else to heal and protect her so long ago.

"Can I see her."

"Of course. I will go and call up to the ICU and make sure they're ready. I need to warn you though Christian, Ana is hooked up too many machines, all helping her and us at the moment."

….

I left my children behind as I walked up to the ICU with Eamon. I just needed a moment alone with my wife before I share her with everyone else.

"Dr Grey" Eamon said, upon arriving at the nurse's station.

"Bed 12, Dr Kavanagh" the aged nurse said, wiping her eyes.

I walked to the room, following Eamon inside. He acknowledged the nurse who was tending to the machines, but I just wanted to cry and scream at the sight that greeted me. My wife, the same woman who was lay giggling underneath me, what felt like only a few hours before, was now covered in wires and tubes.

I couldn't get to her, I felt like I couldn't touch her in case I snagged something that was keeping her alive. She looked so small in this bed, as if she was sleeping peacefully but peaceful is not what any of us were at the moment.

"Hi, I'm Chiara. Dr Grey's nurse."

"Hi, can I touch her" I asked, quietly.

"Of course. You can touch her hand, kiss her forehead, she will feel it. Talk to her, the more she hears your voice and those she's close to, the more she will stay with us."

I took Ana's hand in mine, removing the tape that had been placed over her rings before I kissed all three. I carefully kissed her forehead, avoiding the cut, before wiping my tear away that had settled there.

"I love you Ana, you have to be strong and fight this. We promised each other eternity and we've only just started our lives together. I have never told you what to do in all the years we have been married but I am now. Fight goddammit, you have to fight to stay with us. Twenty-one years is not enough, I'm a greedy bastard you know that, it's not enough."

I wanted to shout at her, get her to wake up and for her to tell me to shut the fuck up because she was sleeping. I couldn't though, I seemed to have lost my words. I just stood, touching every bit of skin I could, wanting her to feel me, to know that I'm here and I'm waiting for her when she's ready to open her eyes.

A sob by the door, turned my attention away from my wife for a moment as I looked to my children stood holding each other. They all looked how I felt inside, completely broken.

Thank you for reading, the next chapter is written and will be up soon.

Caroline.