Okay just before I begin. My mother received her first foster child and was not an actual foster parent at the time. In Chicago, Illinois after speaking with police she cleared a background check to take the child with her and from that point on she had begun the process right away. While my mother knew the family whose child this was, this is the same situation here. It is at the discretion of the haven or agency. That is the case in this story, the haven (grace and the hospital) can place them with a family known to them who can provide for the child. As for the name again it is at the discretion of the haven… and the characters in this story. Elizabeth1994 – when you ask your law professor about this they will along the same lines tell you the same. It is at the discretion of the state, agency and the on-site detectives. No case is similar in that regard. I have my bachelor in history but I have taken my fair share of law courses. In this case it is abandonment at a haven location and completely legal and the processes change from state to state (not sure what state you are in)
….
Christian
I see Ana with this baby and she looks so natural holding him. When she explains how the mother left him with just a stranger whom she met only. I was just talking to my mother about lunch and Sawyer was going over security with Taylor on the phone and I realize that Ana is taking longer than usual. It was a smidge embarrassing yelling into the women's bathroom for Ana but when no answer came and a woman looked at me like I am crazy I looked over to the other side of the building's bridge.
Seeing her leaning over the nurses' station holding a baby looked too natural. She looks like a nervous new mother asking questions but it isn't right. Why is she holding a baby with a diaper bag? She couldn't have a friend here by sheer coincidence. Then when she drops the bomb about how this came to be I just couldn't see a mother doing this and then I think of how my own birth mother treated me. Honestly it probably it would have been a mercy if she would have just left me in the hospital.
When Ana brings me to the side I couldn't deny the urge to give whatever she was about to ask for. I knew what she wanted. She didn't want to leave this baby any more than I did.
"Would you like to take him home?" I ask just to get it out. As she cradles him I take the opportunity to look down at him face. He has blue eyes but with thick curly brown hair that reminds me of a very welcoming teddy bear from my youth.
"Could we? I know you know the system more than I do and I don't know if I can risk a fresh baby to whomever they are going to call." She said. I know I was adopted. I don't remember much from my days in foster care before I went to the Greys but I don't know if it was good or bad.
When I think about it…why can't we take him home? Simply to take care of him before they can find a permanent place for him
"What about your job? Or my job?" I pose the question we would face.
"I will tell them that a family emergency came up and then activate the home contract they have. I will assure them I will come in for every important meeting but I will stay home with him to get him settled." She says quickly. I can see her mind going a million miles a minute.
"Well I don't know if we can just take him home and say he is ours though. Let's talk to my mother first." I guide her and the baby back to my mother and she calls a family advocate to meet us in her office.
…
We side quiet ready for the borage of information that is going to be thrown at us. A no nonsense lady comes in and takes her seat by my mother, her name is Mrs. Harris.
"Okay for starters need to admit the child as a ward and then give him a name. What should we name him?" She makes a face and looks at the baby's face intently.
Ana looks down at the baby as well and looks at him trying to decide fate for him
"He looks like a Teddy to me." I toss in; maybe they can make something of it
"Oh like Theodore! Your gramps!" Ana says excitedly. I really hadn't thought about it in that way. I just named him after my mother's father and I see Grace grin with pride next to Mrs. Harris. Mrs. Harris nods and smiles.
"Yeah he sure does look like a Teddy, then a Theo when he goes through his high school phase, and a respectable Theodore as a grownup. Sure like a durable name. I agree." She writes that down quickly.
"Okay so he never left the premises to that negates a lot of other paper work. I am going to need both your and Mrs. Grey's IDs with your social security numbers to do a back ground check and I will go to my office and run that information. It will only take a couple of minutes to complete." She collects our stuff and Ana is able to text while holding the baby. Not sure what about but must be important at this time.
"Okay so you guys pass with flying colors. Now we are placing Teddy with you on a Foster parent basis. You will have to complete the paper work in this packet as soon as possible. Grace as a hospital administrator is vouching for your placement. This paper work will have you at Foster parent status. Should you wish you can adopt Teddy as soon as we officially put through his status as a ward and your home visit clears." She said this so easily, it was like buying a couch or something.
We finish up all the paper work and realize that we are really taking a baby home today. It took about three hours for us to miss lunch and become responsible for another human being.
"So what now?" I ask Ana
"Well I had Jason pick up a car seat and all that when we were in there. I also had Gail pick up premature baby clothes for him. She was quite excited about a baby." She said. Oh that's what she was doing. She is always thinking ahead.
I lead us out to the Back Bay where Mrs. Jones and Taylor are waiting for us. We get him in the car and get home.
Ana gets him a bottle straight away. When he eats she quickly changes his clothes which weren't much but thin cloth and not good enough to provide him much warmth. He cuddles close to her and burps.
"I am going to not go in tomorrow. In all actuality I don't think I will go in for the next week, I am going to send an email to Ros and have her look over things for a while." I quickly go to the office and draft an email and send it away.
I go to the bed room and see Gail brought in some sandwiches for us to eat. I sat with Ana and the baby and she hands him to me so she could eat as well. I take him and realize just how little and light he is. He doesn't fuss but wiggles to get closer to my body. Slowly I lean back on the bed and just have him sleep on my chest. I like this a lot. He is happy.
….
….
….
Three days later
We make routine out of our days. We have a bassinette in the room with us. He sleeps well with minimal fuss. We haven't left the house since getting him and it was great. He slowly becomes ingrained in us. While eating or watching movies he is with us. We fill out the paper work at night. God! The paper works is horrible. I think I wrote down my name a million times! The health checkup paper work and then insurance for all the cars I own and then a video of classes that show how to appropriately discipline a foster child, no corporal punishment to which I agree with.
"So I believe that this is the last one!" Ana says in a yell whisper.
"Oh thank God. I will put him in his crib in the room and we will have a celebratory desert before bed." I take Teddy into the room and lay him down. I don't know if it was just me or the lighting but he looked like he was smiling at me in his dreams.
...
…
…
One week later
"Okay we are going to Grandmas for dinner today" Ana coos at my son as she places him booties on his face. I am not sure when I started to identify him as mine but I know that this is worth it. He is smart I just know it. He grabs onto me and her and I just know he chose us for a reason.
"Come, come! It's time to go!" I say as she grabs him diaper bag and we take the elevator down.
…
"Oh here is my first grand baby!" my mother enthuses as she greets Ana and me at the door. Behind her is see Mia, Elliot, Kate and my father all huddled ready to see Teddy.
We make it inside and all Ooo and Ah him.
"Oh he really is getting plump. He was so small only two weeks ago" Grace says as she tries to smoothen his hair out. Ana and I have both tried to fix his hair and I guess it's just as stubborn as my own so we let him keep it the way it is.
"Yeah he has a good appetite." Ana agrees with my mother.
She cradles him after everyone has a good hold and look at him. Slowly she rocks him as others drink and talk. Ana and Kate talk much better now and they are just smiling over Teddy like the treasure he is.
"So brother you look very happy I must admit." Elliot says as he settles in next to me.
"I am I just can't wait for my house to be done. And when will that be exactly?" I know it hasn't been long but I paid for a 24/7 work place permit to be done.
"Well honestly they have been working to the bone on this project. So one or two more weeks max and then you will be able to move in. enough about that, tell me about this little family you have here." He doesn't really look at me while talking but just observes Ana with the baby rocking him slowly to sleep.
"Honestly I really don't know how to describe it. Every morning I wake up to Ana and him and it's like a piece has been just set right. I met Ana when we were kids and now I can't imagine how I was away from her for so long. I know what we are doing is extreme. Teddy is just another great miracle in my life." I was never one to discuss my feelings but I am changing slowly but surely.
"I envy your growing family my brother. I want that too." he gestures at Kate
"With Kate?" I know she is not my biggest fan and I am not hers but as long as my brother is happy I will keep my feelings about her to myself.
"Yeah I want to have that with her too. I just don't want to rush it." I nod in agreement. He wasn't like me. I saw Ana and the relationship we had and grasped it with two hands and didn't let it go. Elliot needs to reason and think, I can relate to that.
…
It wasn't until we made it home that I realized that Morton's deadline had come and passed. Welch had given me a name of his bookie but I don't see how some low level bookie would take a bet of a million dollars so there is something fishy about this whole thing. In all honesty my family is in no more danger. We exit the elevator and see Gail and Taylor waiting for us. Ana quickly goes to get the baby ready for bed and I am not really looking forward to tomorrow. I go back to work and I don't want to leave Teddy here. I have become accustomed to feeding him his breakfast bottle and talking to him in his basinet about the stock market while Ana read her stories for work.
"Sir you got a letter today that I think you need to read." Taylor says as I see Ana walk into the hallway
I follow him into the office and see another letter but this time Taylor looks more serious.
I open it and see it is a still image of us but fuzzy leaving the hospital and getting to the SUV. I flip the picture over and read "LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING TO LOSE" in red ink.
Oh hell no he did not just threaten my son!
"I want him Taylor, I WANT HIS HEAD ON MY DESK!" I slam my fist down
Taylor shuffles closer to me and closes the door in the process.
"Sir, are you aware of what you are requesting? Now I don't have a problem with what it is. I have seen you change since Ana has come back into your life but you need to understand I want to protect this as much as you. What you and Ana are doing for this little boy is beyond what others would do. He is your son and your wife completes you. So do you want me and the other security to find him and deal with him in a permanent way?" he said it so clear
"Yes as soon as possible he needs to go and go now." I walk out of the office and into my bedroom where Ana is playing a lullaby for Teddy to go to sleep to. I know I should feel bad but I don't. I am doing this because my family needs this of me. I need to protect them and I want to. They are my whole reason for being and I can see my life without them. Teddy quickly nods off and Ana lays him down next to our bed and climbs back so lay next to me. Ana settles into my chest and hugs me close.
I find no comfort or sleep an hour later. I try my hardest and I guess I am not the only one who is up.
"Christian you need to sleep. What is the matter?" she rests her hand on my cheek and I find it hard and impossible to keep this to myself.
"I got another letter today from Morton." The reaction is instant. She sits up and looks me in the eye.
"What did it say that has you so worried?" she nips on her lip and nods for me to continue.
"It was a picture of us leaving the hospital with Teddy…. It was blurry and you couldn't make out exactly what it was but only he can guess and it's not that hard to tell." I hate dumping this on her before bed.
"Well we have to stop him now Christian, I can't have anything happen to Teddy or you. I am calling my father!" she jumps out of bed and heads to her phone.
"Why are you going to call him?" I don't see her way of reasoning.
"I am going to have him bring my guns here." She said as she scrolled her contacts.
"You know how I feel about guns Anastasia!" I yell as we walk out of the room quickly entering the bathroom. She knows I don't like them and she knows my family doesn't either.
"Oh well I was trained by a marine to handle numerous weapons and I will not have my family unprotected. You have your security and I will have my berretta….Hello dad I need you to drop something off tomorrow…." She walks into the closet and leaves me there.
I head back into bed knowing that this is futile.
She comes back in "My dad is going to come tomorrow to drop off some stuff." She settles in.
"I don't know why you had to tell him. I already have Taylor and the security team dealing with him." I roll my eyes.
"Well he got in once and I will not have him catching us off guard when I could have a gun here with me." She will not budge. I know when I am beat but it does bring to mind our lovely camping trip and I know that she knows what she is going when she does have them with her.
"Well Teddy wont shoot guns so I guess you can have this" I say as I lay my head down.
"Yes he will and I will train him like my dad did me and he will know that a gun is to be respected and used in a proper manner and they are not simply for show or nor negligence." She says as she lays her head down next to mine.
"No he won't, not while I am there to protect him." I mumble half asleep already
"Well I will take him when you aren't around." I can literally hear the smile in her voice.
"Stop arguing with me" I mumble
"I will because I won already" she says whispering in my ear
Damn I think she did.
…
I wake up to Ana feeding Teddy his morning bottle. I quickly give her and him a kiss and jump in the shower and get ready for work. Taylor shadows me until lunch.
I see a text from Ana.
My dad is coming during lunch. – A
Okay but make sure you put all that stuff away – C
Of course Dad! – A
I walk over to the next meeting with dullness. I am so ready to go home. I mean why not. I took most of my important meetings already and I think I am about done for the day. I call down to Taylor and have him get the truck ready. If I hurry I could catch
Okay I am getting stir crazy here and I need to go for a run- A
No – C
Yes, Gail is watching the baby nap and my dad isn't due for another hour. – A
And I have Sawyer with me! - A
Fine- G ps. I love you
Love you too- A
Me and Taylor enter the elevator and see the worst image I could imagine. Gail tied to a chair, next to her the basinet. I suddenly feel a blinding pain in my head and the last thing I see is Taylor falling down beside me.
….
DUN DUN DUN
REVIEW!
TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!