Christian's POV
I reach up and roughly rub at my eyes with my fingers. Fuck, I'm so tired. I just want to take my wife to bed and fall asleep with her in my arms. I'm grateful that Ana takes the lead here.
"Phoebe, Honey you know your father's been to see Teddy. He wouldn't have come back here if Teddy wasn't alright."
"That's right" I add.
"How can you say he's alright when people are saying all these horrible things about him? They think he killed his girlfriend? They think he was jealous of some other guy and that he made her disappear?"
"Phoebe, you don't honestly believe that, do you?" I ask sharply.
"Of course not!"
"Shhh, keep your voice down" I scold. "We just got Natalie to sleep."
"What if somebody hurts him, Dad? What if somebody believes this stuff and goes after him?"
I soften. I can't help it. It kills me to see my daughter this upset and frightened. I step forward and pull her into my arms. She's shaking. I try to soothe her by holding her tighter, rubbing her back and kissing her hair. "Listen, Teddy's got Reynolds with him. He also has Lewis and Markson, and I've sent more men out there to concentrate on finding Rebecca. They are not going to let anyone get to Teddy."
"He should come home" she says into my chest.
"I tried to get him to come home, but he insisted on staying back east. He wants to keep up with school and help search for his girlfriend."
"I want to help" she says as she pulls back.
"You can help by being there for him" I say to her softly. "Call him, skype with him. He's going to say that he doesn't want you to, but do it anyway. Let him know you are here for him and that you're on his side."
"I am on his side. He couldn't have done this, Dad."
"We know that" Ana chimes in. "But there are people out there that don't know Teddy, so they are going to be quick to blame him for this."
"It's not fair" she says as she wipes a tear away.
"No, it's not." I reach up and brush some hair off of her forehead. "That's the kind of world we live in. Whenever a young woman disappears, people always look at the boyfriend first. The facts are always kept quiet for the sake of the police investigation, so people make up their own minds about what happened."
"I hope we find Rebecca soon, and prove them wrong."
"Honey, it's late" Ana says as she wraps an arm around our daughter. "We can all use a good night sleep. I'll stay with you for a while."
I start to pout. I need Ana with me. I need to fall asleep with her in my arms. I need to breathe in her heavenly scent and feel her steady breathing, so I am selfishly grateful when our daughter turns her down. "No, it's okay Mom. I need to call Trevor anyway. I told him I would call him before I go to sleep."
"Are you sure?"
She nods and starts to turn away from us.
"Not too late though" I tell her.
"Goodnight, Sweetheart." We watch Phoebe walk away from us and shut her bedroom door. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Ana asks me. I step forward and drape my arm over her shoulder. She reaches up and takes my hand into hers.
"I don't know. But you are right, we can all use a good night sleep."
She gasps and smiles up at me. "I was right?"
I lean down and kiss her lips. "This time. Come on, Mrs Grey. Bed."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Christian's POV
I wake in the middle of the night and my eyes automatically dart up at Natalie's monitor. She is asleep. I have Ana in my arms and she is also asleep. I look over at the clock and it reads 2:35am. Why am I awake? I gently sit up, careful not to wake Ana, and climb out of bed. I check on the babies and they are sleeping peacefully in their bassinets. Just looking down at them makes me smile. I observe them for a few minutes before I leave the bedroom.
I walk down the hall and wind up at Phoebe's bedroom. We had removed the monitor from her bedroom when she turned twelve, but once in a while Ana or I would check on her in the middle of the night. Not so much after she became a teenager, but sometimes we would get a feeling that we need to. I have that feeling right now. I didn't believe her earlier when she said she would be alright.
I open the door and it is dark in her room, with the exception of the bright light coming from her laptop. She is sitting up in bed with the laptop on her lap, and she is lost in whatever she is reading. I walk over and gently sit next to her, but I startle her when I speak. "Phoebe, what are you doing awake?"
"I couldn't sleep" she says as I observe the article she's been reading. It is about Chris Peterman, a man that was accused of killing his girlfriend. Her body has never been found, but there was enough evidence to find him guilty and convict him.
"Phoebe, why are you reading about this in the middle of the night?"
She shrugs her shoulders. "I was reading some things about Rebecca's disappearance, and there were links to some other cases that had big media attention. This guy was found guilty, even though they never found her. She could still be alive somewhere, and he's in jail serving a life sentence for killing her."
"That's not the same" I try, but of course I fail.
"How could you say that?" This girl disappeared just like Rebecca did. There was blood found in the apartment, just like there was blood found in Teddy's. What's to say the authorities and court system won't fail Teddy? Dad, what if he goes to jail?"
I close her laptop and move it away from her. As I am doing this she starts to struggle with her breathing. I think she's having an anxiety attack. I wrap my arms around her and pull her head to my chest. "Okay, alright, shhhh" I try to help her calm. I kiss her head and continue to hold her to me. "Breathe, baby…. come on, breathe. Everything's going to be fine."
When she's able to breathe normal she rests her head against my chest. I stroke her hair while she softly cries. "This is not the same, Peanut. Teddy has family and friends on his side who know that he is not capable of doing any harm to anybody. And that includes Rebecca's father."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. He's flying out there again to help look for Rebecca, and he's going to stay with Teddy while he's there. He knows that Teddy would never do anything to hurt his daughter. This Peterman guy didn't have that kind of support. Even his friends thought he was guilty."
"His parents did too" she says.
"Yes, that's right. He had no chance. But Teddy does. We can't let other cases make us think otherwise. And I don't want you even reading up on those cases. They are only going to upset you. Understand?"
"Mmmm" she answers and nods against my chest. I think about closing my eyes when I feel her start to relax, but then her cell phone catches my eye. I pick it up and see a text from Trevor.
"Why is Trevor texting you at this hour?"
She leans up and tries to take the phone away from me. "Dad?"
"He says he's here Phoebe. Why is he here?"
She sighs hard. "I told him not to come."
"Well he obviously didn't listen." I climb off of her bed and leave her bedroom, and she's close behind me as I walk down the hall and down the stairs to our foyer. I use Phoebe's phone to call Keenan, our overnight head of security.
"Sir, Young Mr Lansing is at the gate."
"You can let him through" I tell him.
"Dad, please don't be mad" she pleads with me as I hand her back her phone. "This isn't Trevor's fault."
"So it's your fault then. I should be mad at you?" I can't help the anger that is building. It is fucking three o'clock in the morning and her boyfriend is here. We should all be asleep at this hour. I run my hand through my hair and keep my other hand on my hip as I turn around to see Trevor being shown through the front door. Phoebe rushes to him and they embrace.
"You shouldn't have come" she says to him softly.
"I was worried about you."
"Will someone tell me what this is about?" I ask with anger clear in my voice. I stand a few feet away from them with my arms crossed.
"Mr Grey" he starts. "I'm sorry to come by so late, but…."
"Trevor, its okay" Phoebe interrupts him. "Dad, it's my fault, okay? I was upset about Teddy and I texted Trevor to see if he was awake. And he was, so we texted for a while."
I nod my head and keep my arms crossed. "And this was while you were reading up on those articles about convicted murderers."
"Bee, I told you to stop reading that junk. It doesn't help."
"Your boyfriend and I agree on something."
"Great, gang up on me" she whines. She starts to walk away but Trevor stops her.
"Phoebe, don't. We're not ganging up on you. Your Dad and I don't want you to reading that stuff. It will only further upset you."
"You made your point" she says coldly. We watch her walk into the main room and we don't stop her.
"Mr Grey, if its alright with you I'd like to stay… make sure she's okay."
"You can stay. To sleep."
"To sleep" he agrees, and I can tell he's embarrassed. Good. "Make sure my daughter gets some sleep."
I reluctantly leave him to it and walk up the stairs to join Ana in our bed. I don't like this one bit. I like to be the only man that my daughter depends on, and not have to share that with her boyfriend. I allowed him look after her for a few nights after the school shooting. And I'm allowing him to look after her now. Fuck, I hope it gets easier than this.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Phoebe's POV
I sit on the sofa in the main room and bring my knees to my chest. I know I'm pouting but I don't care. I'm so mad. I feel Trevor's presence as he walks into the room and gently sits down next to me. He doesn't put his arm around me like he normally would. Instead he folds his hands in his lap, but he is sitting close so that our sides are touching. I feel angry with him, but I don't mind him sitting so close. It feels comforting.
"I'm sorry, Bee. I didn't mean to upset you. I didn't come over here to gang up on you with your father. I was worried about you."
"I'm sorry I worried you" I say sullenly. I peak over at him and immediately feel guilty for my childish outburst. I feel my bottom lip quiver, and without a word he puts his arms around me and guides my head to his chest. I bring my knees over and snuggle into him. "I don't know why I read those articles. I just don't know what to do. I'm scared."
"I know" he says after he kisses my head. "We need to shift your focus away from that stuff. Focus on Teddy and how we can help him."
"We?" I ask him.
"Teddy has my support, too. I know he wouldn't hurt Rebecca. There are idiots out there that are going to make him look bad just to make a buck. We have to ignore them."
"It's hard."
"I know it's hard. Hearing bad things about someone you love is one thing. Having it in the papers just makes it ten times worse."
"I'm sorry for being such a baby earlier" I mumble into his shirt. I feel him stroke my hair and it feels really good.
"It's alright. You're worried and sleep deprived." I adjust myself to get more comfortable and snuggle closer to him. "You need to sleep. Why don't we go upstairs?"
"You're staying?" I ask through a yawn.
"Of course. And don't worry, your father already knows. He said I can stay if we don't have sex."
My head darts up and I look into his eyes. "He said that?"
"In so many words" he says with a smirk. "He said I can stay 'to sleep'". So, Miss Grey, shall we?"
"You're making fun of him" I say accusingly while still looking him in the eye. He's never so formal.
"Yes, I'm making fun of him. Don't tell him unless you want him to have me killed."
I playfully slap his chest and he feigns pain. "He's an entrepreneur, not a mobster."
He chuckles and takes my hand to get me to stand. "Come on, it's bedtime. I promised your father I'd make sure you sleep. I don't want to get on his bad side."
"Fine, but kiss first" I say to him as I grab his other hand. He obliges and gently places his hands on either side of my face as he kisses me. I bring my hands up and place them on his chest. We deepen the kiss, and then he's the first to pull away. He leans his forehead against mine.
"You are going to make this no sex thing very difficult if we kiss like that."
I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. "He wouldn't have to know." I move my head closer so that our lips are barely touching.
"Naughty girl" he says softly. I chuckle as he leans in and kisses me again, but once again he's the first to pull away. "But I'm a man of my word. Let's get you to bed."
"To sleep" I say sardonically.
"To sleep" he confirms and puts his arm around me.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Christian's POV
It's been a week since I've visited my son. There are no updates on Rebecca, and the media attention is getting worse. Rather than focus on finding Rebecca, these people are spending their time trashing my son in the tabloids. I've been contacting him every day twice a day, not just to check on him but to convince him to come home. He's refused over and over again. He wants to be out there for his lessons and he wants to help look for his girlfriend. I don't blame him, of course. If it were Ana, nothing in this world would keep me from doing what I have to do to find her.
Ros reluctantly took the cruise that I paid for as a token of my appreciation for handling things at GEH for weeks without my assistance. She will be back in the office next week. I found out today that I need to go out to New York for a few meetings. They are not meetings that I can move and I cannot send someone else in my place. I hate leaving Ana and the kids, but this will give me the opportunity to visit my son again. I've also decided to take Natalie with me so that Ana can just focus on the babies while I'm away. Ana and I agreed to put her in preschool, but that doesn't start until next week.
When I arrive home I find Ana napping in the main room. The babies are also napping. As much as I'd love to plant kisses all over my wife's beautiful face, I restrain myself from waking her up. She needs to rest when the babies sleep. I watch her for a few minutes and release a chuckle. I am one lucky son of a bitch.
I leave the room and climb the stairs to find Phoebe, Trevor and Natalie in Phoebe's bedroom. She has her laptop connected to her big screen television and they appear to be looking at dresses. They don't notice me, so I take the opportunity to sneak in and surprise Natalie from behind. I tickle her sides and she lets out a hearty laugh. I love that laugh. I lift her into my arms and kiss her cheek.
"Hi Dad"
"Hi Mr Grey"
"I see you have a chaperone" I try to joke as I tickle Natalie some more, but I know that Phoebe doesn't appreciate it. "What are you doing?"
"We're looking at prom dresses" she says as she scrolls through a few pages.
"I thought your Aunt Mia was making a dress for you" I say to her. Mia told us when Phoebe and Ava were still in diapers that she would be making their senior prom dresses, no its, ands or buts about it.
"She is. She told us to give her some ideas of what we want, so Trevor and I are looking at designs and colors."
"Daddy, I want a pom dwess too" Natalie says excitingly as I continue to hold her in my arms.
"Baby, you will go to the prom when you're eighteen." I watch her pout, and I'm grateful that I have something to cheer her up. "But, I have something better. Daddy has to go to New York for a few days. How would you like to come with me?" I watch her face light up. I'm glad she's excited. I'm looking forward to spending some time with her in between meetings. I look over at Phoebe and her focus is still on the laptop and television. "Where's Ava? Why isn't she looking at dresses with you?"
"She was" she says without looking away from the television. "Aunt Kate called her away. They're going out to dinner to celebrate Uncle Elliot's new project."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Kate, Elliot and Ava are seated at an Italian restaurant outside of Seattle. They were able to get Kate's mother to watch Cameron so that they could enjoy a nice meal without having a toddler fussing and throwing things on the floor.
Ava sits nervously in her seat as her parents talk excitedly about Elliot's new project. He will need to spend more time away from home, but it will open more doors for his company since the company that hired him will have more projects for him for at least the next ten years, and other companies will be introduced to the work that his company has done.
Ava smiles and nods every once in a while when one of her parents looks over at her. She's only half listening to what they are saying. Her focus is elsewhere, but they don't seem to notice. She's grateful for that.
When the food arrives Ava isn't shy about digging in. She usually cuts everything first and then eats, but today she is cutting and eating at the same time. Kate notices and smiles at her daughter. "The food is good here, isn't it?" Ava nods and smiles at her mother. She quickly looks away and goes back to eating. "Your Aunt and Uncle brought your father and I hear when we got engaged." Kate and Elliot exchange glances and smile warmly at each other. They normally can't afford to eat in a restaurant like this unless Christian covers the bill, so this is a real treat. This new project will afford them more opportunities to indulge like this.
"And I think we ate here when Ana announced she was pregnant with Phoebe" Elliot adds.
Ava starts to choke on her chicken. Elliot jumps out of his chair to be at her side. "Pick your arms up, Honey" Kate says to her while Elliot rubs and pats her back.
"I'm fine" Ava says hoarsely. She takes a sip of her water and lightly coughs a few times. The waiter also comes over to make sure she is alright. "I'm fine, really." Elliot remains at her side a bit longer. Ava starts to feel uncomfortable with him being so close. He's going to find out. "I'm okay" she says. Elliot nods and takes his seat.
"Maybe you were eating too fast" Kate says. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Mom" she snaps.
"Don't talk to your mother that way" Elliot scolds her.
Ava looks down and takes a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just embarrassed. Everyone's staring" she says softly.
Kate reaches over and puts her hand on top of hers. "It's okay. Don't worry about them. Do you want to finish or take the rest home?"
Ava gives her mother a serious look. "I'm going to finish." She goes back to eating while Kate and Elliot smile at her.
"I'm glad you like the food" Elliot says as he digs back into his meal. "You usually don't finish a meal."
Kate looks at her family while she chews her food. "You know, it just occurred to me that it's been a while since the three of us have shared a meal. Why is that?"
Elliot and Ava both look at her and then at each other. "I don't know, Hon. Our daughter has just been too busy for us."
"No, that's not it" Ava says sounding hurt. "It's just, I don't know…."
"I'm kidding, Pumpkin. Mom and I know that you're busy with school and your job at the boutique. With this new project coming up though, I'd like to make sure we make time for family meals. I want to make sure I get to see you." He smiles at her and she nervously smiles back.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Christian's POV
Natalie and I arrived in New York early this morning. I decided to leave Seattle last night at her bedtime so that she would sleep. She fell asleep a few minutes after we took off, and she didn't wake up at all during the flight, or even when we moved from the jet, to the car and then to the apartment. I left her at the apartment with Collins looking after her so that I could attend the first meeting at eight o'clock. When I arrive back at the apartment at eleven Collins tells me that she is still sleeping. I'm trying to keep her on the same sleep schedule she has at home so I need to wake her.
I walk into my bedroom expecting to see her stirring, but she is sleeping peacefully. My baby girl. I hate to wake her, but I know if I let her sleep she won't take her nap this afternoon while Collins looks after her again.
I gently sit and pull her into my lap. She moans and stirs until she finds a comfortable position. I plant kisses on her head and say her name a few times. She rubs her nose and her eyes a few times before she opens her eyes. "Good morning, Sweet Pea. We need to wake up now, okay?"
"Daddy"
"Hi Baby"
"Can we watch Wapunzel?"
I can't help but chuckle. She isn't fully awake yet. "Not right now. We need to get you dressed so that we can go out. We're in New York."
She snuggles to me and appears to be thinking about it. "Weaw's Mommy?"
"Mommy is home in Seattle. We're going to see her later on the computer. Okay?"
"Okay"
I let her relax for a little bit and then get her dressed for the day. She picks out a purple dress and white leggings to wear. I am wearing a gray suite and a purple tie. We head out with Collins, Taylor and Dovis following closely. Even though I've been having Barlow travel more with me, Taylor wanted to take this trip so that he could see Teddy. Maybe he can talk some sense into my son in regards to coming home for a while.
We walk a few blocks in the city until we reach a Dunkin Donuts. Dovis checks out the clientele and gives us the okay. I carry Natalie to the counter and order coffee and a muffin for myself. I look at the donut choices to see if there is something my daughter would like. They have a big selection. Some have frosting, some are cream filled, and they also have munchkins. "Do you want munchkins?" She nods her head and leans in closer to me. "We'll take 5 munchkins too" I tell the cashier. She happily goes about completing the order while smiling giddily at my daughter. Yes, she's cute. I know. I still get the jaw dropping looks from women when I'm out and about, but when I have my daughter with me, I might as well be invisible.
I wait by the napkins and straws for my security to get their coffee and then we head out to my office. I need to work there for at least an hour to prepare for my afternoon meeting. Natalie can eat her breakfast and play while I'm working.
I get her settled with her juice, banana and a few munchkins at a table in my office. I don't come to New York often, but when I do I need some place to work, so I've kept this office for myself. My father has also used it a few times whenever he needed to do some work in this city. It is spacious and has a great view of the city. I sit with my daughter and talk to her for a few minutes before I start my work. "I have a surprise for you later, okay? I need you to be a good girl today so that I can give you the surprise."
"Okay, Daddy."
I work for a while and glance at my daughter every so often to make sure she's okay. She's really good at keeping herself occupied. When I finish I send a text to Ana to get on skype. I wait a few minutes and then I see her gorgeous face on my screen.
"Hi" she says softly. I guess Monte is sleeping. She's holding Maddie in her lap.
"Hi Baby. Miss me?"
"You know I do. How is our baby girl?"
"Natalie, come here Sweet Pea." She walks over to me and I pull her into my lap.
She gasps. "Mommy!"
"Hi Baby. Are you having fun with Daddy?"
"Uh huh. We at Daddy's office."
"You are? What did you have for breakfast?"
"Um" she looks at me and taps her finger on her chin. She is too cute. "Daddy, what wah dey called?"
"Munchkins" I tell her and Ana. Ana giggles. She knows I like to visit Dunkin Donuts anytime there is one close by. I see Maddie squirm around in Ana's lap.
"I think she can hear your voices" Ana says as she lifts Maddie and props her up higher so that we can see her.
"Maddie. How's my baby girl?" I ask her animatedly. "Maddie Baby?" She moves her arms around more and more as she hears my voice. I try to get Natalie to say something too. "Baby, say hello."
"Hi Maddie" she says softly.
"You need to speak up so that she can hear you" I say into her ear.
"Hi Maddie!" she says louder, and Maddie continues to wave her arms around.
"See that" I tell Natalie. "She can hear you. She knows your voice." This makes Natalie happy.
Later in the day I am sitting through the second meeting. This is just dull. I could have done this meeting by phone back in Seattle, but I needed to be present for this morning's meeting. I feel that I am more effective when I am in the same room with the people that are out here leading my current projects. But this, I should just reject this guy's offer to do business with GEH just for his lack of presentation skills. I don't know if he's nervous or just completely unprepared for this meeting. Either way I am pissed. This is a complete waste of my time. I'm about to put this guy out of his misery, but my anger increases when his cell phone rings and he excuses himself to take the call. Are you fucking kidding me?
"Am I keeping you from something, Mr Jenkins?" I ask him. I can't keep the venom out of my voice. The other men in the room stay silent and look between me and Mr Jenkins.
"I'm…. I'm so sorry, Mr Grey, Sir. That was my midwife. Well, not… not my midwife, but my wife's….. oh no, my wife." He grabs his head and looks to be on the verge of panic.
"Is your wife in labor right now, Mr Jenkins?" I ask him.
"She….sh… Yes. Yes."
"Then you need to get to the hospital."
"Right. Right. I need to go." He pats his pockets and his panic increases. "Keys"
"Gentlemen, this meeting is over" I dismiss the other men in the room as I stand and adjust my suit jacket. "Mr Jenkins, you are clearly in no condition to drive. My driver will take you."
"Th thank you, Mr Grey….. b..but that won't be necessary."
"I insist. Let's go."
Taylor and I make sure that Mr Jenkins gets to the hospital. He tells me on the way over that his wife has had a very tough pregnancy, and with today being her actual due date he was a nervous wreck. He knew he had blown the interview and apologizes for wasting my time. I do feel badly for him. When Andrea reached out to him to schedule the meeting for today, he said he wasn't available. My response to that was that he needed to make himself available or there would be no meeting. Had I'd known the circumstances I hope I would have been more flexible. After all, I know what it's like to worry about my wife in labor.
I don't agree on any business dealings with him. I tell him to get his wife through this, and then in a few weeks I'll have Andrea call him to set up a phone meeting so that he can try again. He thanks me several times as he stumbles out of the car and through the hospital doors. I shake my head. I'm pretty sure I was that messed up when Ana was in labor with Teddy.
When I return to the apartment Collins tells me that Natalie is asleep. She started her nap two hours ago, so she should be waking up soon. I pour myself a little wine and sit at the kitchen bar with the New York Times. I read it for a bit until I hear Natalie call my name. I smile and leave my wine and paper to get my baby girl. I'm very excited for tonight. I wanted her to have something to enjoy while we were here, so I'm taking her to dinner and a show.
"Is someone awake from her nap?"
"Hi Daddy" she says with a big smile. She reaches up and pushes her hair out of her face. I pick her up and swing her around a bit before I hold her. She giggles and wraps her arms around my neck.
"Were you a good girl for Collins?"
"Yes"
"You were? I guess that means we can have our surprise tonight. What do you think?"
"Yes, Daddy. I want the supwise."
"Okay. But first, you need a bath. Then we need to get you dressed, get your hair done, and then we can go."
At five thirty we are ready to leave the apartment. Natalie has been so well behaved and cooperative, I guess because it has just been the two of us. She has been getting all of my attention, aside from the two meetings. It's tough to give her this much attention at home, but I need to figure out a way to do it.
We go to dinner at a restaurant that is close to the theater. Natalie and I are seated at a booth while Taylor and Collins are at a table close by. I have Natalie sat next to me because it will be much easier to help her if she needs it. The waitress brings her some paper and crayons to keep her occupied. While we wait for our food she gets to work and starts to draw. I can't see what she is drawing until she moves her hand. "Look, Daddy. 'N'."
I look at the sheet and see a neatly written 'N'". Wow, I didn't know she could write any letters. "That's right, Baby. Good job. Do you know how to write any other letters?" She shakes her head and looks down at the sheet again. "Would you like to tray an 'A'?" She nods so I help her draw the letter 'A'. Then 'T', and before I know it we have her name spelled out. "That's your name, Sweet Pea." She giggles and starts to trace and say the letters that we wrote.
"Can we do Daddy?"
"Of course." I take her hand in mine and we write the letters together. "How's that?"
"That spells Daddy?"
"Yes, D-A-D-D-Y." She giggles again and traces those letters. "How about Mommy now?" She nods her head and we write those letters. We do this until our food comes. I've ordered a steak with potatoes and asparagus for myself and macaroni and cheese for Natalie. She loves it and eats almost all of it. When we are ready to leave I look over at Taylor and Collins. They nod and that is the signal that we can head out.
We walk to the theater, and as soon as Natalie realizes which show we are going to see she cannot contain her excitement. She is squirming with excitement as I carry her through the lobby and to our seats to the Broadway show Aladdin. Taylor takes a seat next to me and Collins is next to Natalie. "Gentlemen, enjoy the show" I say jokingly. I know this is not a show they would see if they weren't working for me, but I pay them plenty to sit through it. They both just shake their heads and smile. I put my arm around Natalie and feel her bouncing in her seat.
"Daddy, weaw's Jasmine?" she asks after some time has gone by. The show should start in a few minutes.
"We'll see her very soon, Baby. Are you excited?"
"Uh huh"
When the show starts I pull Natalie into my lap and keep her there for the entire production. Aladdin is not a show that I would see, but I enjoy the show just the same. What I enjoy the most is Natalie's reaction to it. She loves the music and she sings some of the songs softly that she knows from the movie. She is still awake when the show is over and her face is just beaming.
"Did you enjoy that?" I ask her, and she nods. "I'm glad. Shall we head back to the apartment now?" She nods again and wraps her arms around my neck when I stand. She's tired. She usually goes to bed around this time when we're home.
When we arrive back at the apartment I help her into her pajamas, brush her teeth and tuck her in. She will be sleeping in the bedroom next to mine since we have the video monitor set up. That way I'll know if she needs me.
"I wanna sleep in you bed" she says sleepily.
"You are going to sleep in your own bed, and I'll sleep in my bed. You'll be okay." I gently brush her hair off of her forehead with my fingers. "If you need me you just have to call for me, just like at home, okay? And I'll be here. Goodnight Sweet Pea." I kiss her goodnight and wait for her to close her eyes before I leave the bedroom.
I give Teddy a call and talk to him for a few minutes. He insists that he is fine and does not need to come home, but lets me know that he appreciates that I call him. I always like to make sure that he is looking after himself so I ask him about the meals he had today. He goes through the list. Eggs and fruit for breakfast, ham and cheese hoagie for lunch, grilled cheese for dinner. Grilled cheese? For dinner? I offer to hire someone to cook for him but he turns me down. I might just do it anyway so that cooking and preparing meals is one less thing to worry about.
When I hang up the phone I hear Natalie crying. I rush to the bedroom she is in with Collins right behind me and I'm by her side instantly. "What's wrong Baby?" I hold her in my lap as she cries. "What do you think happened?" I ask Collins.
"She's not used to this place. She probably woke up and got scared."
I pull her away from me so that she can see my face. "You're okay, Baby. Daddy's here. Mr Collins is here too, see?" I point over at Collins and she follows my finger. She stops crying but cuddles to me. "Were you scared, Baby?" I feel her nod against my chest. "I'm so sorry, Baby. I don't want you to be scared." I stay with Natalie and let Collins know that we're okay. I settle Natalie back in her bed after she's calm and I lie down next to her.
"You sweep in you bed and I sweep in my bed."
I can't help but chuckle. Even right now she's funny. "I know I said that Baby, but I want to stay and make sure you're okay. Close your eyes and go to sleep." She stays awake for a little bit and talks about random things. I just lie next to her and listen. She tires herself out and eventually falls asleep.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Christian's POV
Natalie and I arrive in Cambridge the next day with Taylor, Collins and Dovis. Teddy does not know that we are visiting, but Taylor had given Reynolds the heads up so that the security team is aware of our visit. It is almost two o'clock when we arrive at his apartment.
Reynolds opens the door for us and welcomes us in. I put Natalie down and she runs to Teddy as soon as she sees him. I can see the shock in his face, and then a big smile for his baby sister as he lifts her into his arms and hugs her tight.
"Hi Munchkin! It's so good to see you."
I look around the apartment and observe the mess. There are clothes on the sofa and tables. There are newspaper articles scattered on the floor and used plates and napkins throughout the kitchen. My son has never let things go like this, but I honestly can't blame him for not keeping things tidy. I look over at my son and offer a smile.
"Hi Dad"
"Son" He puts Natalie down and I pull him into a hug. "How are you holding up?"
He pulls out of the hug and nods. "I'm doing alright. I need to get this place straightened up because Mr Lincoln's going to be staying." He starts to walk around with a trash bag to collect the trash. "Would you like something to drink?"
"I can get it. Son, I want to help you" I say to him as I open the refrigerator and find it empty. "Why don't you have any food in here?"
"Er, today is my shopping day. I was going to go later after finding out what Mr Lincoln needs from the market."
I don't believe him, of course. I find a bottled water and take a sip. "Natalie, I have a juice box for you, Baby. Would you like to drink it now?"
"No" she says as she shakes her head. She has also been looking around at the mess.
Teddy continues walking around the apartment collecting trash and straightening up. I observe for a few minutes and then I stop him by stepping in front of him. "Stop"
"Dad, I'm fine. Really. You just caught me at a bad time."
I decide to go along with that. "Okay. But I'm here now. Let me help you straighten up. We'll send Dovis and Collins to get groceries, and we'll order some lunch. And it's not because I think you can't do it, it's because I want to spend time with you."
Taylor walks in and greets Teddy. "Hi Mr Taylor"
"Good to see you kid."
"Taylor is going to join us too" I tell my son as Natalie walks over to me and lifts her arms. I pick her up and hold her. I think she senses that things aren't right. "Sweet Pea, we're going to get some lunch soon, okay? Would you like to watch something on television?"
She nods. Teddy takes her from me and helps her find something to watch. While he's doing that I write up a grocery list and hand it over to Dovis and Collins. This isn't something they normally do for our family, but they happily take the list and head out.
After we've eaten, Natalie takes a nap on the sofa while Taylor, Teddy and I discuss Rebecca's disappearance. The authorities don't have any leads, and my people haven't been able to find anything. We go through the events of that day, even the insignificant details such as what they ate, when they ate, the fact that they did two loads of laundry that morning, and the clothes that she wore that day were nowhere to be found in the apartment. The walls and the items in the shower were dry so he knows she did not take a shower. Teddy insists that they were working on their relationship and that Rebecca would not have left him. They were fixing up the apartment that weekend, moving stuff around and making plans to paint the walls in their bedroom. And the fact that the bedroom was left with things tossed around and blood spots on the carpet just scares him.
"She wouldn't have set that up or faked her kidnapping" Teddy says with disgust. "She wasn't crazy like that. I really do believe that someone out there has her."
"What about this Carlos Hagen" Taylor speaks for the first time since we've sat down. "Have the authorities questioned him?"
"I don't think so" Teddy says as he plays with his fork.
"We need to check into him, check out all of his movements and what he was doing that day. I'll have Welch get on it." Taylor's phone rings and he excuses himself.
"I'm glad you came, Dad. But you didn't have to."
I reach over and pat the back of his shoulder. "Teddy, the woman you love is missing. It's okay to lean on your family and let us help you. You don't have to take all of this on by yourself."
He nods and looks away from me. "I know that. You and the guys have been really great. And Rebecca's father, I can't believe how great he's been. This is his little girl." As he says this Mr Lincoln is shown through the door with his bag. He walks over to us and we both stand to greet him. He gives Teddy a hug and pats his back. He leaves go and holds his hand out to me. I take it for a firm shake.
"Mr Lincoln"
"Mr Grey, I know your men are conducting their own search and investigation to find my daughter. I can't thank you enough for their efforts." He puts his hand on Teddy's back. "We're going to find her."
Taylor walks in and gives me a look that tells me something is up. "What is it, Taylor?"
He looks at Teddy and Mr Lincoln first, and then he looks at me. "Sir, we need to go. We are needed back in Seattle."
"What's up?" Teddy asks and then looks at me. I look down at my son and then back at Taylor. Is this about Rebecca or something else?
"It's alright, Taylor. What's this about?"
"Your sister, Sir. There's been an accident. She's in the hospital.
Hello Readers! I am so sorry for disappearing from this story for so long. I needed to take a break and focus on work and take some time to enjoy the lovely summer weather we've been having. I'm hoping to make more time for this story because I have a lot more ideas to put into it. Happy Reading!