Gail's POV
Sawyer is with Mr Grey as he meets with the doctor, Ryan is outside the door, Ray is with Ana so Taylor is free to walk me down to the car with the tray and I can barely contain myself as soon as we reach the car, if I was a little girl I'd be jumping up and down and clapping my hands. "Oh Jason, did you see that? Did you see his eyes? There's a light in them when he's near her, touching her or talking to her. He listened, did you see him listen and take the time to think why she said what she did? Oh, and he called her "Baby" and "Honey", oh Jason, it's fantastic! She IS a miracle isn't she?"
I'm sure that Jason thinks I'm being a sentimental fool but I have always said those horrid relationships Mr Grey has had just leave him empty and now he looks like he has a chance at true happiness, I really hope he doesn't do something silly and ruin it.
Jason is just smiling at me and as I go to leave he takes me in his arms and says, "I think you're making me soft baby because I must admit, I did notice all those things. But you know what I am really happy about? With Ana at Escala, I get to sleep and do unmentionable things to you again and not have to sleep in a chair."
"Oh Jason" I say "Way to ruin a moment" and I slap his arm but I'm smiling because I must admit, there was nothing soft about what was leaning against my belly a second ago and I have missed him.
Welch's POV
All the shit I have been through with the Boss over the years is worth it if I get to see little Anastasia again, I hope all the stuff that she's had to deal with all her life has not knocked the innate goodness out of her. Sure she was a baby and babies giggle but Anastasia was different, as I told Taylor, she'd just look at you with those baby blue eyes and you'd melt then she'd give you the biggest smile and giggle. The worse you felt, the longer she'd look at you, like she was absorbing whatever was troubling you, then she'd smile and giggle and whatever it was would be let free, you wouldn't be able to think about the issue anymore and you felt better. Shit, if she is still even remotely like that, she should make our lives that much easier with the Boss, the guy is a pot of issues, not the least of which is the Evil One, Elena Lincoln.
Speaking of which I ring the Boss, "Sir, you have your normal scheduled meeting with Elena Lincoln tonight and we suggest you continue it, discussing what was brought up the other night, you will be wearing a listening device and hopefully that will be enough to give her just enough rope.." and I take the phone away from my ear, it doesn't need to be anywhere near me for me to hear the expletives he's heaping on me and protesting about going anywhere near the bitch. While I totally agree with his personal feelings on the matter, he is our best bet to get some admissions as we have rigged all the devices around the private dining room, and it doesn't matter what she says, if she even blows gas discreetly, we'll pick it up.
Eventually he agrees as long as I go into Escala and show him everything that I have picked up so far and a good piece of news I can give him is that the camera footage and recording from Macy has gone through to the police. Furthermore, plans are afoot that if they can organise themselves it'll mean that the Boss won't have to go to the meeting but it is important that he not cancel so that everything seems as per usual in case what is planned doesn't eventuate. The Evil One has arranged as per normal for an appointment at Esclava to "tart" herself up like she does before each dinner with the Boss, ugh, she makes my skin crawl and always has. The noose is tightening and I hope no-one stuffs it up.
I can also report that there's movement on the Stephen and Carla front as well. Our little plan of attack yesterday worked, Carla needed some more little white pills and contacted a supplier, with a little interception, and the replacement of the supplier at the time of delivery by his "brother" aka an undercover cop, let's say he was generous with the number he provided so that there were plenty to share with Stephen and all captured on undercover camera. Stephen was upset about a message that the Evil One had left on his phone saying she would cut him off if he wasn't there within the hour and Carla said "Here take this tablet, it will take the edge off her anger" and he did and the net effect was that Stephen didn't call the Evil One within the designated hour at all. When he did eventually call she chewed him out properly but instead of letting him go as she said she was going to do, she raged for a while and decided that this afternoon she was going to punish him and that "slag Carla", those were her words, seems like Carla hasn't endeared herself to anyone.
The conversations continued and make me wonder whether Carla ever did change, when Stephen suggested "Why don't you stay, tell your husband that Ana needs you and just stay here?" she simply readily agreed and rang her husband and lied to him. Carla said she was spending all day with Ana and thought she'd be here for months, could he put some money in her account so that she could pay for accommodation and buy things for Ana as the poor girl really didn't have anything here. She makes me sick!
Christian's POV
Now the decision I have been dreading telling Ana and more importantly, Ray about, I am putting her in my bedroom, my justifications are valid, my room is the biggest which is important as I have organised a crane thing to hold her leg in the position it needs to be in with no pressure on her pelvis and with the least pressure on the three breaks. The bathroom is easiest to access and is the nicest and biggest. It has the best view of all the bedrooms.
To be honest though, I need to sleep next to her, I want to hold her, feel her body against mine and sure I'd love to have her in every way possible but at the moment I just want to feel her. She calms me and I don't understand why, I have never slept next to anyone because I couldn't stand the thought of them touching me. Even the thought of anyone touching my chest burns but with Ana, I crave her touch. Granted, we haven't touched skin to skin in my no-go zones, I've always had a shirt on between us and I am not rushing to have her touch my chest but I've never been able to hug anyone yet here I am wanting to simply hold her against my chest, absorb all her pain.
Wheeling her out of the hospital, via the back loading dock so that no-one sees us, I try desperately to make sure that I don't hit any bumps and every time I do, I curse the hospital issue chair. I have ordered a specialised wheelchair with full shock absorbing technology and it should arrive tomorrow so that hopefully we will be able to move Ana around the apartment and get her out and enjoying the sunshine even though she says that she is going to spend the next two weeks studying so that she can sit her finals and feel like she deserves the graduation certificate when she receives it.
Taylor is driving the SUV as carefully as I have ever seen him drive and quite frankly if I could have had Ana delivered in an ambulance I would have but the paparazzi would have gone mad about an ambulance arriving at Escala. So slow and steady does it, we finally arrive and he pulls up next to the elevator and Ray holds the chair as I lean in to lift Ana out. It feels divine when she puts her right arm across my shoulder and loops her left arm around my neck, her ear is within kissing distance so I do and am rewarded by a wriggle in my arms. "Hey don't wriggle, I don't want to drop you" I say chuckling and trying not to jolt her in any way and she says "Christian, you saw how those nurses were pushing me around yesterday, a little jiggle from you isn't going to hurt me" and I say, "if your leg hadn't been in a cast, could you have taken them?" and with a little defiant lift of the chin she says "Ask Ray, I can or rather I could, take down a man easily" and I look to Ray to see the proud confirmation in his eyes and his nod. "Take the warning son," Ray says "I taught her well, she can fight and she can shoot straight if she needs to save herself, I suggest you don't do anything that would elicit the need for Ana to use those skills because you'll be the one worse off and if not from her…" oh so a not so veiled threat to behave myself then…. And I cock an eyebrow as I look between him and Ana, "I take the warning, Sir and I promise to look after her to the best of my ability" and I can see Ana blushing with embarrassment. So I bend and whisper to her "It's ok, I feel the same way, so I know where he's coming from" and she blushes redder still.
I gently place her in the chair and strap her in "Do you think I need to be strapped in to go up an elevator?" Ana questions and I say "I like strapping you in", oh, oops, I said that out loud, "I need to know you're safe" I add quickly and hope they didn't notice the pause. Hmm, that was an interesting look that went across Taylor's face, I take it that he doesn't approve, he's never censured me on my lifestyle before and I wonder if it is more Ana than the lifestyle. Shit, what am I going to do, I've always needed the BDSM for the control, I can't do that with Ana, I don't want to do that with Ana, but I don't know anything else. And my mind goes into freefall as the elevator rises quickly, the walls seem to be closing in and then I feel a gentle squeeze on my hand and am looking into concerned questioning blue eyes. I grab hold and try to regain my control, her eyes looking huge in her face are like life rings thrown over the edge of a ship to a man overboard and she slowly reels me in and by the time the doors open, I am back in control and I squeeze her hand, not knowing how to thank her. I am going to have to speak to Flynn and soon.
Ray pushes the wheel chair as I hold the door open and motion them in, watching their faces. Ana's face pales and Ray's is set in a "don't show anything" expression and I suddenly feel uncomfortable as though somehow my conspicuous wealth is making them uneasy and I don't want anything to scare Ana away. She won't look at me as her eyes dart around the apartment taking it and then finally her eyes come back to me and she looks sad, like she's made some sort of decision and says in a whisper "It's big". Ok, I hadn't expected that and I don't have a witty comeback and simply agree "Yes, it's big" waiting for what she really wants to say but she doesn't say anything else but looks up at Ray and then back at me.
I am entirely at a loss and then realise that at least I should be a good host and offer them a drink – a beer for Ray and tea for Ana. Gail comes bustling out and welcomes them in as she asks Ana how she'd like her tea and winks when she says she has some chocolate cake, I can see Ana relaxing and am so grateful for the affection that it appears that Gail already feels for Ana. I realise I am completely unused to having people in my home other than my immediate family and Elena and at the thought of her, my stomach clenches and I look at Ana to see if she can give me a clue as to how I should be acting and then I remember her request at the hospital. "Would you like to see the view?" I ask quietly, she is looking so scared that I'm almost worried to talk in case it upsets her and she gives me a radiant smile and says "Yes please" and I signal to Ray that I'd like to take the chair and push her through the big room where she spots the black grand piano and asks if I will play her a tune and I promise I will and suggest we can all jam at some point and the smile stays on her lips making me a little less uneasy.
As we approach the balcony she gasps as she realises that we weren't kidding when we said the entire Seattle skyline is visible, just looking through the floor-to-ceiling windows she can see the whole of Seattle and the surrounding mountains and Elliott Bay. She says, "I don't want to go out on the balcony" and I ask if she is scared of heights suddenly hoping that she isn't as I realise that I want to fly her up in my helicopter and take her soaring. I've never taken anyone up with me but I desperately want her there enjoying it with me but she surprises me with, "No I don't want to be sitting in the wheelchair I want to be standing there with the wind in my hair. I want that to be a goal and since I won't be able to walk for my graduation, I would really like to have a picture in my mind to work towards. I am thinking the sun setting behind me with the wind blowing my hair" and I smile at her, "It's a beautiful picture I am imagining in my mind, if it helps, then sure, I can't wait to take that picture for you" and there are some other things I'd like to do to her on that balcony as the sun is setting but now is not the time to be mentioning them, not with Ray standing at my shoulder looking down across the city.
I wheel Ana back to the table so that Gail can serve afternoon tea and then walk back to Ray who is still standing by the window and then asks me to step onto the balcony and I know he is troubled as he says "It's a magnificent place you own here son, are you sure we're not an imposition, we are just simple folk of average means and .." I need to shut him down before he verbalises anything more. "Sir, I know that I haven't known Ana for very long and that the last few days have been difficult for everyone, I understand that you don't know me or my motivations but my sleepless nights and torment have built this, I have more than enough to share and I couldn't imagine a purer more beautiful person to share it with than Ana."
I pause to make sure he is following me "If there weren't any other reasons and there are many, one reason why I will do whatever it takes to make Ana happy is that only since I have known Ana and despite the awful circumstances we have found ourselves in, have I had more than four hours sleep in a night and woken rested without having been woken by a nightmare. Ana's presence brings me peace that no amount of money or possessions has ever been able to provide me and there is no way I can thank her for that other than being whatever she needs me to be and doing whatever she needs me to do. So please can you reassure her that these are just possessions and if keeping her meant giving away the possessions, I would do it in a heartbeat but I intend to keep doing what I do, that way I can protect everyone that I care for, I can make sure I and those precious to me are never hungry again and hopefully along the way I can help others as well. I promise I will look after her and part of that promise is making her happy, she is happy when you are with her so you are always welcome here."
Ray looks at me and I swear his eyes are like Ana's searching mine to see if there is any untruths in what I just said and I suddenly think back to what Welch told Taylor about Carla's reputation on base and I wonder, the bond between Ana and Ray and their similarities may well be more than step-father and step-daughter, they have an uncanny ability to look deep inside you that can't just be co-incidental.
Taylor's POV
Ana is safely ensconced in the bedroom and has fallen asleep, the move was stressful for all of us so I can imagine it wore her out. We have the room camera turned on so that if she starts having a terror, the Boss can get there quickly but he is with us now. Ray is in his room, the old subs bedroom and I can't believe how relieved I am that Ana isn't in that room. The Boss, Welch and I are all in the security room where Welch has rigged some extra screens so we can see all the cameras he has organised, some outside Stephen's house which while interesting just confirm all of our diminishing views of Carla. More important are the ones that have been rigged around and inside Elena Lincoln's house and car.
The police haven't done their job yet and unfortunately Macy is at risk one more time, the Evil One has picked him up from school and disappeared into the house, if the police don't get the information today, we'll have to take action and make him safe, this has to stop otherwise we are all complicit in damaging a child that does not deserve any more pain.
Suddenly we hear a voice that hasn't played a part in this drama so far, it is Bob, Carla's husband "Carla what are you playing at? I rang the hospital to speak to Ana and see how she was going and they said that she'd left. Where are you? Where is Ana?" he sounds like he is suspicious and well he should be.
"What do you mean she has left? She was there when I was there just a while ago. Yes, well, I guess it was around 1pm when I left" Carla lies through her teeth and it is obvious that Bob is suspicious of her response as well. "OK, I guess I'd better go back and find out where she is, bye, love you too" and she hangs up.
She looks a little stunned as she turns towards Stephen, "Ana has left the hospital, I wonder where she is. Oh well, let's go in and see Elena."
My heart clenches as I see Elena coming into the main room from downstairs, her smile is evil as she greets them. She slaps Stephen across the face for disobeying her yesterday but seems to be in a good mood because she has just read a text from a nurse at the hospital that says "Mission accomplished, she's gone" and Stephen says "Elena what did you do?"
Elena cackles and says proudly "Well hopefully she's in a worse state than she was in before, maybe she's in the morgue! I went into the hospital the other night and saw the hospital roster and found the pigeon holes for the nurses that were to be on duty last night. I put some "Today Only 80% off" vouchers for Esclava in the pockets of the two that were assigned to that floor and when they came in to Esclava yesterday, I couldn't believe my luck, one looked like CeeCee and the other one was a beautiful platinum blonde so I gave them full service. I did them up as beautifully as they wanted, the full treatment so that they were like putty in my hands and then I suggested that the girl in the room was someone that I knew and that she was really dangerous. I suggested to them that she needed to be both scared and handled as roughly as possible because she had beaten up someone close to me and therefore deserved to be beaten up as well. I made sure to tell them that to not make it obvious and to keep doing it every night so that she is in there as long as possible and in as much pain as possible or make sure she is gone completely." The Evil One cackles and claps her hands like she has done something wonderful.
Carla looks a little uncomfortable and says "You do know Ana is my daughter don't you?" and if it wasn't such an awful situation and disclosure, the look on Elena's plastic face would be comical as she screams at Carla "You have to be fucking kidding me? Ana is YOUR daughter? Your daughter is fucking up my life as much as you appear to be fucking up my arrangement with Stephen. What are you doing with him anyway?" and then it looks like she actually staggers when Carla says "Stephen and I used to be married and we were getting re-acquainted."
"Oh what a fucking sordid mess!" Elena says and we have to all agree with her on this sentiment, it couldn't be a better description of the situation. She continues as she sinks into a chair, pointing her long bony finger at Carla, "You do realise that when you were looking for a Dom, I suggested you to Christian and he turned you down because you were too old, ha how funny, he could have done both mother and daughter. Wait, why did CeeCee run Ana off the road if she was her stepsister at some point? What aren't you two telling me? Why didn't you tell me this the other day Stephen, are you holding out information on me?"
He takes a step back as if in fear and says, "I only found out the other night when Carla called me and came over, I had no idea it was cock-tease Ana in the hospital but it makes sense, CeeCee was really jealous of Ana, so she must have seen her and followed her and…."
Suddenly there is a flurry of movement at the door of the room and before anyone of the evil three can move, Macy is standing at the door, he is drenched in sweat and goodness knows what else and he is running past them and out the door.
Finally, out of the unmarked police cars that are parked along the road, three uniformed police officers leap out and catch Macy as his legs give out and he starts to sink towards the ground. The other officers immediately surround Elena, Stephen and Carla who had rushed out after him, Elena looks angry and ridiculous standing there in her leather domme gear while Stephen and Carla simply look shocked.
We all laugh as a paparazzo leaps out of the bushes, it will make a lovely photo for the front pages of the paper tomorrow, Elena in her gear and cuffed by a uniformed officer, brilliant! For once we are all happy to see the pap, public humiliation will do more to destroy Elena than anything else and there is no getting away from what has just happened and the best bit is that Carla is the reason that the pap was there. Yesterday Carla was chatting with her drug dealer before our switch and mentioned to him that she had more money because Christian Grey had put her up at the Fairmont and she didn't have to pay, he obviously mentioned it to a pap and the pap was following hoping to get a photo of Christian but instead has gotten a picture worth so much more.