Hey everyone I am going to keep this short and sweet sorry for the long time between posting. I hope you enjoy this chapter, a little sibling love lol :) Plz review.
There is a soft knock on my door, I look up to see both Ana and Christian standing in the doorway. After they showed me my old room last night they left so that I could get some much needed rest. It had been a very long and emotional day, and I bet there is more in store later.
Ana smiles at me and I gesture for them to come in, Christian says that they have decorators coming to redo my room. I had to convince them that I didn't want to sleep in a guestroom. As much as I love seeing all my old stuff, I'd like something that doesn't scream toddler.
"Hey baby, Taylor is bringing up your bags to unpack would you like some help?" Ana asks me sitting on the small bed.
"That's okay, I don't have much. Just a couple sets of clothes and some pictures. You can't take much with you when you move to new houses," I explain rubbing my hands on my jeans. As if on que Taylor appears in the door way with my blue duffle bag.
"Thank you Taylor," I say taking the bag from him.
"The decorators are going to be here in a little bit, if you want to wait to unpack," Christian tells me. I nod but I want to make sure that my picture is okay. So I unzip the bag a pull out the beat up picture frame. It's the only one that I have kept all these years; it's my 11th birthday when I just arrived back in the states. Sal and Liza look so happy standing on the beach looking at me. I of course look grumpy with my blonde copper hair flying in the wind.
"Is that you?" I hear Christian ask looking over my shoulder.
"Yeah, it was my 11th birthday," I say and see both of the flinch.
"That hair!" Ana says with a smile. I grin at her expression.
"I had blond hair for a really long time. It was only recently that I went back to my copper locks," I laugh.
"You look so different," Christian whispers.
"Oh man there was this one time I went home and cut my hair into a mohawk, Liza my foster at the time, nearly had a heart attack," I tell then still smiling. But they both have gone quiet and have a faraway look in their eyes.
Phoebe comes running down the hallway with Buddy trotting along behind her. She stops when she see the door to my room open. I smile at her when she pokes her head into the room, Ana and Christian are still looking at one another having a silent conversation.
"Hey Phoebe, whatcha doing?" I ask.
"Um, me and Buddy are going down to the sound for a walk. I was just getting a bucket so I can collect shells." she tells me nervously.
"And who said you can go, because I don't recall either your mother or I saying such a thing," Christian says behind me. Phoebe looks at him completely exasperated and very sassy expression, she must get that from him.
"Well you guys are busy, plus I'm taking Sawyer with me so it's no big deal," she huffs at him and I can't help but giggle at her.
"Hey, do you think I can go with you?" I ask her needing to get away from all this emotion. I'm so used to people not noticing me and letting me be invisible, but know that I am a Grey I don't think that I will ever get that privacy ever again.
"Yeah totally!" she squeals and her blue eyes light up, "I'll meet you outside in 5 minutes okay." she takes off down the hallway.
"You sure you want to go? She can be a handful at times," Ana says.
"I feel bad for scaring her the other day, plus this gives her a chance to get to know her big brother," I say rubbing my head, "Unless you don't want me around your daughter, I mean I understand you don't know me that well," I can help but doubt the situation.
"No, No of course we want you two to bond! There is nothing we want more baby," Ana says pushing the hair from my eyes smiling at me. She kisses my forehead and I am struck with more emotions, this is what every mother should be like.
"We want to make the transition for you as easy as possible Teddy Bear," Christian says putting his arm around my shoulder.
"Hey come on! What's taking so long!" Phoebe yells as she races past my room. She is a quick kid I have to say. I give both Christian and Ana a smile then dart out of my room a fallow my little sister out of the house.
I fallow her down the steps to the front of the house, standing in the drive way is a man with dark shades on and looks a lot like Taylor. He is where a tailored black suit and I swear could be part of air force one. Phoebe runs up to him and they do this complicated handshake thing and he cracks a smile.
"Morning Luke! Ready to go for a walk with me!" she says.
"You bet! Who's your friend?" he asks looking over in my direction. I put my hands in my pockets and slouch down.
"That's my brother, duh. Where have you been this morning, it's all anyone in the house can talk about," she explains to him. He pushes his glasses up and his eyes are wide staring at me with an open mouth. He comes over and is reaching out to hug me then regains his composer.
"It's an honor, Mr. Grey," he sticks his hand out for me to shake.
"It's good to see you again to Sawyer," I ignore his hand and place my hand on his shoulder smiling. He grins and ruffles my hair, Phoebe yells at us to hurry up so that we can get down to the shore.
While Phoebe takes off towards the beach I hang back a little. Sawyer is in front of me so that he can keep an eye on Phoebe as she makes her way towards the beach. It's slightly overcast today and it reminds me a lot like London, nothing like sunny southern California. It's that type of weather that feels like it could rain any second and it feels like home. I have to keep reminding myself that this place is home now, and I finally have a family.
I have only been here for a couple of hours and it is all so surreal. The look in both my parents eyes when they saw me again, it was an indescribable feeling. It all feels like a dream and the next thing I know I am going to wake up and be back in Henry' house. I do admit that I miss Sal, he has been the only family I have had in years.
I feel a nudge at my leg and I look down to see Buddy wagging his tail at me. I reach down and pet him and he yips in happiness.
"You like that Buddy?" I ask petting him again.
"Mom and Dad got him for me on my 6th birthday," I look up and see Phoebe standing there with her bucket in hand.
"I've never really been around dogs much," I tell her.
"They got him for me so that I didn't get in their way looking for you," she says coming to pet him. He licks her hand and she smiles softly at him.
"They are always busy you know," she says.
"I bet the love you more than anything in the world," I tell her trying to make her feel better
"Not more than they love you though," she whispers. It must have been really hard for her growing up with parents who still have the sting of a missing child. She must feel as though they have forgotten her and try to pacify her with gifts and toys instead of love. I get down to her eye level so that I can look straight at her.
"That is not true, I just met you and I can tell you are the most amazing little girl in the world. Your super smart and kinda sassy, and you don't take nothing for no one; that's so amazing, I could never live up to that. I bet you're the type of kid that parents brag about to their friends." I tell her and she giggle. I smile glad that I could make her smile; she looks just like Ana when she does, but her eyes scream Christian all the way.
"I guess your right!" she laughs.
"I know I'm right!" I say and grab her picking her up and twirling her around not even thinking about my touch issues. She laughs in delight as I put her on my shoulders running slowly around the trees that surround the house.
"You're so tall Teddy!" she squeals. I laugh and continue trotting around.
"Okay, Okay put me down! I want to show you something," she wiggles and I set her back on her feet.
"No one knows about this except for a couple of people okay," she whispers and I nod intrigued at what it is she wants to show me.
"Luke! I'm going to show him the place!" she tells him and he nods a grin plastered on his face.
Phoebe takes my hand and leads me to the trees that encase the house. I hold on as she walks into them, there is a well wore foot path that leads somewhere. I assume that is the place she wants to show me. The trees circle us like a tunnel and I can hear Sawyer fallowing behind us. I close my eyes and take in the peacefulness of it all; the only sounds are the birds chirping in the trees.
"You can open your eyes now if you want," she tells me and I slowly open them. I'm breathless at the sight in front of me. We are on top of a cliff that overlooks the sound, the waves crashing at the bottom into the rocks. It is beautiful, I want to take it all in and sit here for hours. I know I'll be back here quite often; Phoebe takes my hand again and brings me over to a tree.
"Dad would kill me if he knew I come here and did this," she jumps up and grabs a rope and pulls it down. It takes me a second to realize that it is actually a swing and that it is attached to the tree.
"Uncle Elliot built it for me a few years back, said it was our little secret, if Dad knew oh man," she giggles and gestures for me to take a seat. I get on and it creaks under my weight a little but otherwise seems sturdily built.
"Have a go at it," she says and steps back. I haven't been on a swing in a really long time, but I kick my legs back and forth until I get some height. The feeling is incredible almost like I am flying. It is almost like I will fly off and right into the Sound. The wind rushes by me and I feel do peaceful I start to laugh wildly letting out a hoot. I can hear Phoebe laughing at my enjoyment, but I haven't felt this good since Liza taught me how to surf. I bet this would be amazing at dawn right as the sun is coming over the water.
"This is amazing!" I yell out.
CG POV
"I feel like I could murder someone Ana! Every time he talks about his past I see red. When he showed us that picture from his 11th birthday we should have been there to take him out on the boat. We should have been the ones to freak out when he came home with a crazy haircut. It should have been us!" I growl out pacing like a caged animal. Ana stands in front of me with her arms crossed listening to me rant.
"He was ripped away from his rightful family! I woke up last night in a cold sweat afraid that he was gone. I even sat in his room for a while just to make sure he was really here. Ana I feel like I can't breathe," she continues to hold it together.
"How can you be so calm about this baby?" I ask stepping forward to embrace her.
"I'm not I am on the brink of total collapse, but you need me right now. Teddy needs me right now. Phoebe needs me right now. We have a 14 year old boy out there who needs the love of his parents after a horrendous difficult life. We need to be there for him." She says into my chest. I sigh knowing she is right I need to get my act together for my family.
"There is one more thing as well," she says.
"What's that?" I say kissing her head breathing her in.
"You need to call your parents, they don't even know he is back," I sigh again I completely forgot about that.
"Do I have to do it now, I know they will rush over if they know and I don't think Teddy can take anymore right now." She gives me a look that says your-kinding-right.
I walk around to my office desk and grab the phone dialing my mother's number then putting it on speaker.
"Christian darling we missed you at the memorial," my mother says greeting me.
"I know I'm sorry," I never go to the memorial for Teddy I never could, "We have something to tell you" she doesn't reply.
"He's back mom, he's here…Teddy we have him," I tell he in a quiet tone. I don't hear anything in reply, I am afraid she didn't hear me. I go to say it again when I head the phone drop and thump on the floor. Followed by my father saying, "Grace, oh god Grace!"
My head snaps to Ana's and I yell into the phone trying to get my dad's attention, to find out what the hell happened.
omg, cliff hanger... Until next time -AJ