CHAPTER 104

(CHRISTIAN)

Ana and I are making our way over to Sadie's house, and I glance at Taylor who is driving.

"Have there been any more developments we need to know about?" I ask.

Taylor shakes his head, "No sir, you know as much as I do" he replies.

I sit gripping Ana's hand tightly. I am still trying to process this whole situation. I can't actually believe that Kate has done this. I had never liked her and knew she was bad news and that she used people and that dislike only intensified after Ana eventually told me about what she had said and done regarding Elliot and what she thought of him, but to be capable of something like this. I would never have assumed she had it in her to go so far. The only thing I can think of to rationalise this is that she has had some kind of mental breakdown.

"Do you want me to go in and fetch Ava?" Ana asks and I turn towards her.

"No baby, it's fine I'll get her you wait here" I say absently as I am still thinking about everything that has happened.

Taylor glances at me in surprise and I realise that he assumed he would be going to collect Ava from Sadie. I don't say anything though, and I just continue to sit and try and make sense of everything that has happened. It is a huge relief that Meg isn't badly hurt, that has to be some kind of miracle, she is hurt but it could've been a damn sight worse. That makes me think, did Kate do that on purpose as well? Was she trying to eliminate the babies but not kill Meg? It was very risky if she was as Meg could quite easily have died as well and then Kate would be facing a murder charge, but if she did it shows she was in full control of her faculties to be so controlled - which then raises even more questions towards her motives.

As soon as the car pulls up, I see the front door open and Sadie appears looking worried. Lucy appears beside her and to my surprise Mia is also here.

"It appears we have quite the welcoming committee" I say nodding my head towards the house.

Ana leans forward to look and smiles, "If Lucy was there and told Mia what was happening it is only natural that she would show up as well".

I nod, and climb out of the car.

"Christian, how's Meg?" Mia says immediately before anyone gets chance to say anything.

I hold up my hand to silence the slew of questions I just know she is going to follow that opener with, "She's ok, a few broken bones but it could've been a lot worse. You know she lost one of the babies?" I ask and pause.

Everyone wordlessly nods, "Elliot told me" Sadie says simply.

"One of the babies survived and as far as can be determined is doing ok, but they are keeping Meg under observation for now and of course El wants to be with her".

Sadie nods, "That's understandable" she agrees.

"What does Ava know?" I ask carefully and Sadie shakes her head.

"Not much, I think she realised something was wrong when Elliot dropped her off as he was very upset, but she didn't say anything. She hasn't said anything and because she hasn't said anything I haven't volunteered anything as I wasn't sure what to tell her and what Elliot would want her to know. She fell asleep and as you know she woke up a short while ago, I told her that you were coming to collect her and she was fine with that but she didn't ask anything".

I nod and glance at Mia, who smiles weakly at me.

"Lucy called me and told me what had happened" she explains, "I came over as I knew that El would call here first because Ava was here" she adds with a shrug.

Before I can respond to that I see Ava appear pushing past Mia, "Uncle Kiss Chun!" she exclaims and runs to me. I smile and lift her up into my arms.

"Hello squirt! I've come to fetch you, you are going to stay with me and Aunty Ana for a while" I explain and Ava nods at me in understanding.

"Where's daddy?" she asks carefully.

I swallow hard, I don't want to lie to her but I also don't want to tell her something that will worry her, in the end I decide to just go for it.

"He is at the hospital. You see your mommy was in an accident, so he went to be with her. Don't worry though because she isn't badly hurt but the doctors want to keep her in the hospital for a while" I think about what I said and that pretty much covers what happened.

Ava nods, "Ok" she says simply and doesn't ask anything else.

oooOOOooo

Two hours later…

"So, that is pretty much what happened" I say. I am just finishing off telling Alex what had happened which caused our rather hurried departure earlier.

"I see, and this Kate person, the police have picked her up now?" he asks.

"They have" I assure him, "…and if I get my way, they will be keeping her after this" I add grimly.

"It was certainly a very strange thing to do, is she… I mean… is she having… does she…" he stops and I know what he is trying to say.

"Is she sane?" I finish bluntly and I hear a small snort.

"Well, I wouldn't have put it quite like that, but yes that was what I was getting at" he replies.

I sigh, "I have no idea what her thought process was. She seems to have this notion that everything that has happened is everyone else's fault and she hasn't once acknowledged that everything that did happen wouldn't have happened had she behaved differently. She wanted to get back with Elliot, and when she discovered that he had moved on – quite comprehensively moved on and so quickly I think that took her by surprise. I also believe there may be a degree of her feeling insulted that he did move on so quickly. I think she was hoping he'd still be pining for her and therefore agree to take her back, but obviously that didn't happen and I think her ego couldn't accept that".

"Then there was the fact you all practically gave her the middle finger when you all did that interview and made the fact he, Ana and Eva were siblings public. The fact you, Gideon and Megumi were all present and Megumi was outed as his wife couldn't have been easy for her to watch" he says.

I sigh again, "No, and as you know that whole interview was because we had got word she was sniffing into the story about El, Eva and Ana. We knew if she broke it she wouldn't do it tastefully, so as I told you previously we decided to make it public and control the narrative".

"It's all a bit of a mess isn't it?" Alex says after a moment's silence.

"It is" I agree.

Before I can say anything else, I see my study door opening. I watch as Ava pokes her head round and I smile at her.

"Listen Alex I have to go" I say and after I end the call I rise to my feet and cross the distance between my desk and the door.

"Hello what do you need?" I ask crouching down beside my niece.

She throws her arms around me and clings to me and I immediately pull her up into my arms and move over to the sofa, settling her on my lap.

"What's wrong?" I ask gently and I push her hair off her face as I ask her.

I look at her and I see her bottom lip quivering, "Is mommy dead?" she asks and I stare at her in shock.

"Sweetheart, no!" I exclaim, "Do you remember I told you not to worry that mommy wasn't badly hurt, but the doctors wanted to just keep an eye on her for a while?" I say.

Ava nods, "I heard Aunty Lucy" she begins and I tip my head to one side and I realise she must have overheard something.

"What did you hear?" I ask.

"Someone died" she whispers.

I pull her close and wrack my brains trying to figure out how to explain this. "No, sweetheart mommy isn't dead. There was an accident, and mommy got hurt which is why she is in the hospital" I say. I pause and she nods in understanding at that.

"You know how mommy had two babies in her tummy?" I say, and she nods again.

"Well, when mommy had the accident, she got hurt but the accident really badly hurt one of the babies in mommy's tummy and it was one of the babies that died. The other baby is ok though, and is still in mommy's tummy and that is why the doctors what to keep mommy in the hospital as they want to make sure that the other baby stays ok" I explain.

"What happened to mommy?" Ava asks.

I hesitate, "She got run over by a car" I say simply.

Ava's eyes widen at that and her lip starts to quiver again and I see tears appearing in her eyes.

"Hey come on, mommy is going to be fine. She wasn't badly hurt, but one of the babies was badly hurt and the doctors did their best but the baby died. Daddy is at the hospital with her at the moment which is why you are with us" I say.

"And mommy isn't going to die?" she asks.

I shake my head, "No, mommy isn't going to die" I say.

There is a knock on the door of my study, "Come in" I call and the door opens and I see Taylor poke his head round it.

"Mr Grey… Elliot has arrived" he says simply.

I nod relieved that he can now deal with this.

A moment later Elliot appears looking tired but his face lights up as soon as he sees Ava.

"Daddy!" Ava exclaims and struggles off my knee and runs to him, he whips her up into his arms and closing his eyes just grips her tightly to him.

I stand up, "I was just telling Ava what had happened. She overheard some things when she was with Sadie and I have just been explaining what happened. I told her that mommy wasn't dead, that she'd had an accident – I told her that she had been run over by a car, but she wasn't badly hurt. But I also told her that one of the babies in mommy's tummy got really badly hurt and that although the doctors tried to help they couldn't and that one of the babies had died, but I also told her that the other baby was still in mommy's tummy". I pause and wait, hoping that Elliot isn't angry with me for telling her all that.

He just smiles gratefully at me, "Thanks bro, I was turning myself inside out wondering how I was going to explain it and you have saved me the job. Meg told me to get myself off home to Ava as there was nothing more that I could do there, and she didn't want me sitting there all night with her" he says.

I shove my hands into my pockets and just awkwardly stand there not really knowing what to say. I want to tell him the latest information we have received from Welch but obviously I don't want to do that in front of Ava.

Elliot puts Ava down, "Go and find Aunty Ana I need to talk to Uncle Christian for a moment" Elliot says and Ava nods and runs from the room calling out for Ana.

"Eamon called me" he says as soon as Ava has gone.

"Kate called him and asked for his help to make the charges against her go away, can you fucking believe that?!" he splutters.

My eyes widen at that, "She is something else, isn't she?!" is all I can come up with as an answer to that.

Elliot snorts and shakes his head, "He told her to do one! He told her that he wants nothing more to do with her until she comes to her senses and realises that she is to blame for everything that she has done. She said that Ethan had pretty much told her the same thing, and that he would never have lent her his car if he'd known what she was going to do with it. Eamon also pointed out to her that Ethan could've been arrested considering it was his car and get this, she said something that made him think she was aware of that fact and that she was hoping that would happen. She also said something else that made him think that her using Ethan's car was deliberate he said it was almost as if she was punishing him for the way he had told her that everything was her fault and that she should realise that fact".

I shake my head in disgust, "So, it's safe to say that there will be a court case if she isn't accepting any responsibility for her actions then" I say.

Elliot nods, "It would appear so" he replies. "Anyway, thanks for taking care of Ava" he says.

I wave my hand dismissively, "That's fine. Welch called me a while ago, to update he said Kate isn't going anywhere, she's in jail and staying there. He said that she had been given a state appointed attorney. I did wonder why that was the case, when he told me that but if Eamon has washed his hands of her and her financial situation isn't great since she lost her job I can now see why. So, we shouldn't have anything to worry about with all the evidence we have against her. I think I mentioned that Dad has put in place a restraining order, but if she is locked up then it shouldn't be needed".

Elliot nods, "Thanks bro, listen I'm going to get off home. Thanks for taking care of Ava for me" he says.

"No problem" I reply and I walk him out.

As we pass the living room, Ana appears with Ava and she smiles at Elliot.

"Here you are" she says brightly and she hands Ava over to Elliot before reaching for him and giving him a hug.

"If you need anything just call" she whispers in his ear and he smiles at her.

"Thanks" he replies simply.