Grey Clouds On The Horizon

Within These Walls

Christian's POV

The days that followed were quiet in the prison I had built. Our new home was a source of both public scrutiny and familial strife, leaving us more or less trapped inside. Chains had been wrapped around the wrought iron and padlocked on our side, strong enough to disable most consumer market vehicles before they could force themselves through. No member of my security team had flinched when I made the request, the need clear as day. If my father or Elliot chose to go to the police, they would not come on the premises without an armored vehicle to assist them. It was unlikely to be a problem, and I knew that. I also knew that unlikely things happened every day.

In the moments we should have been talking, there was silence. Reminders for Anastasia to stop biting her lip and Emilia not to chew on her acrylic nails were the most frequent words out of my mouth and became a tiresome routine. Only Delilah seemed unaffected. She played with her new toys, asked for snacks, and repeatedly questioned Ana about her belly.

"There's a baby inside." She answered, smiling at the girl who crowded what was left of her lap. "He's your little brother."

Delilah put her hand on Ana's belly as she was shown and seemed perplexed by the concept. "Why?"

Both her and Em's faces reddened, holding back laughter in a rare humorous moment that I wished more than anything they would both enjoy. I walked over from where I had been leaning against a doorway, watching them silently, and sat next to Ana.

Little blonde eyebrows furrowed in frustration, "Why?" Delilah asked again, her voice more demanding than I had ever heard before.

I reached under her arms, pulling her onto my lap to give Ana relief. She settled in, still shooting me an expression that quite efficiently communicated her belief that she had been scorned. Her lips pursed into a hard line, her little jaw flexed the sides of her round face and her grey eyes became daggers intent on stabbing through to the answer. All she would have had to do was pull her own hair and I would have been looking in a behavioral mirror.

"No one knows, Princess." I told her, shrugging my shoulders with a forced smile. "I promise that if I ever find out, you'll be the first one I tell. Deal?"

To that she nodded in agreement, obviously still skeptical, and resumed staring at Ana's belly as if under a constant eye the suspect would eventually talk. Curiosity and interest too strong to keep at bay, her dimples hands eventually returned to the top of my wife's bump. Soon Emilia had moved from her chair to a pillow she dropped at my feet, encouraging Delilah with her own exaggerated smile and soon joining her in touching Ana's belly - at her invitation of course.

Time seemed to pass differently within the gates and fences I had erected around us, and there was no greater example of that phenomenon than the three sets of eyes trained on one little girl for both a fleeting moment and an eternity. Delilah was perfect, and at times all we had to unite us. No one wanted the press cameras outside or the angry words of our family to corrupt something more pure than any of us could ever hope to be.

"Mr Grey," Taylor said after what I finally registered was the sound of him clearing his throat for several minutes. "I've had Charlie Tango II moved from Grey House to the south lawn. When I was out, I also obtained the account cards you requested." He held a case in his that he knew without being told needed to be divided between the office and playroom safes. A million dollars in cash could not just be left laying around.

"Thank you, Taylor." I said, accepting the stack of new cards that I immediately divided and handed to my wives. They both stared at the several each held with uncertainty, not recognizing the names of the banks in question. That is, until one of them did.