A/N: I've always kinda wondered this about the books- so Christian meets Ana and just BAM falls in love with her and never really saw what else was out there? Never really dated anyone else? Once he realized he wanted more and had opened up his heart, it was a wrap. And yes some people get it right the first time around but... that's the exception. Not the rule. So I started thinking what if Christian met Ana AFTER he had already given a bit more to someone else. It's kind of like if he had never met this other woman, he would have ruined things with Ana from the start. So, she might have been what started to soften Christian's heart, but it belongs to Ana. (This story is NOT about this first woman, but what comes AFTER her- Ana!). So YES since I know you guys will all be asking, this is a HEA FOR ANA AND CHRISTIAN.

"Another Moscow mule?" The bartender says to me causing me to look up from my phone. I'm on a deadline and yet here I am at this bar around the corner from my apartment engaging in mild flirtation with the cute man with sparkling grey eyes. He's giving me major Bradley Cooper vibes and I'm here for it.

I look up at him through my lashes. "I probably shouldn't, I need to be writing" I say holding up my phone where I do most of my writing when the environment isn't appropriate to whip out my laptop.

"Writer, huh?" He asks. "What do you write about?"

I bite my lip wondering if I want to divulge the contents of my explosive, world-reknown column to this man I may want to take home later. Usually when I say it guys get all weird, thinking they're like an experiment of mine. "Love" I say with a shrug as I swirl the straw around my copper mug, effectively avoidng eye contact.

He leans over the bar towards me. "What about it?"

"Just... everything. I find it fascinating. How people find it, where to find it, how it works. How people lose it. It's... the most important thing in the world, after all." I hear a snort next to me and look to my right to see a man downing a good amount of what appears to be whiskey.

"You don't agree?" I ask.

"Love is overrated" he says and my heart hurts for him.

"You've clearly never experienced it" I say before turning my attention back to the bartender. I am about to continue our conversation when the stranger next to me speaks again.

"You just said you also write about how people lose it... why would you ever want to put yourself through that."

"Haven't you heard the phrase it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?"

He snorts again and points at his drink signaling that he wants another. "Sounds like bullshit"

"Well it's not. Love is... beautiful"

"Are you going to launch into that quote about love being patient and kind and... whatever else, because I'm really not in the mood" he says rubbing his forehead and I can tell he looks tense.

"Well with all due respect sir, you interjected into my conversation with your ever so gentlemanly snort" I say rolling my eyes.

"Are you always such smart ass?" he asks and I smile.

"Only on days that end with a Y"

He chuckles and shakes his head clearly at a loss for words. I think he's done when I turn back to the bartender only to see that he's across the bar taking the order of a blonde girl with at least two cup sizes on me. I look down at the black t-shirt and dark blue jeans I'm wearing with the flanel shirt still tied around my waist from when I got warm earlier. Seattle fickle weather. I guess I'm not really wearing my 'come fuck me' clothes. I go back to my phone when I hear his voice next to me. "Sorry I interrupted your banter with the douchebag bartender"

I look over at him and frown. "He's not a douchebag"

"Oh please. I can't believe that shit even works"

"What, being nice?"

"No, you couldn't tell how hard he was hitting on you?"

"He's a bartender. He flirts with all girls... to get tips. What are you new?"

"And you don't care?"

"I'm not trying to marry him, maybe just a friendly makeout" I shrug and he furrows his brow. "What you've never made out with a stranger?"

"Can't say that I have"

"Really? A hot guy like you, I'm surprised you don't have them lining up to take a turn" I say.

"A turn? Really? I'm not a carousel"

I start laughing immediately and he looks at me questioningly. "I was going to make a joke about riding carousels but you seem like kind of a prude, and I don't want to offend"

He almost chokes on his drink and I blanch. "I am anything but a prude"

I shrug and decide maybe I will have another drink so I beckon the bartender over with a flip of my long brown hair and a smile and sure enough he comes strutting back over. Okay a little douchey.

"Changed your mind?"

"Yeah, I'll have what he's having" I say pointing at the stranger who I have to say has intrigued me since we started this conversation.

"It's a Manhattan."

"Perfect. Straight up, please"

"A girl that drinks whiskey is my kind of girl" he winks and the stranger and I share a look when his back is turned. I smack my head when he gives me a look that says 'told ya so.'

Before I can even realize it, I've moved over the two bar stools separating us so I'm sitting next to him and as I get closer I realize I've seen his face before. "Hi"

He chuckles and shakes his head. "I'm really too drunk for too much more back and forth"

"You look familiar"

"I'm sure I do" he says.

"Are you famous?"

"I guess you could say that. But couldn't tell you why"

"What's your name anyway?"

"If you're trying to make out, I thought I had to be a stranger"

"Who says I want to makeout with you? I make it a habit not to mix business with pleasure"

"I'm business?" He asks looking at me with wide eyes.

"Yes. I'm billing these hours to the magazine" I say looking at my watch. "I want to pick your brain"

"God woman, about what?"

"Why you're drinking your weight in whiskey? And why you're trying to pretend you've never experienced love when clearly this is over a woman"

"It could be work" he retorts.

"Nah... you've got this whole, woman ripped out my heart and left it on the kitchen floor vibes" I say waving my hand over him.

"I don't have a heart"

"Okay tinman, tell me why?"

"Tinman?"

"You've never seen the Wizard of Oz either? God what planet are you from?"

"Mars"

I laugh at his reference though I'm not sure he meant for it to be. "They do say men are from Mars. You're evading the question"

"Life. Made me hard I guess"

I furrow my brow wondering what he means. As I go to inquire I see that the bartender has put my drink in front of me. I thank him and as I am about to look away, I notice a phone number written on the napkin with a name. I look up and he's gone again and I smile. Tanner. Okay... maybe file that away for later. "What about life?"

"I don't really want to do this. Get into this now, all the bullshit that has happened. Keeps me from being happy"

"The only thing that keeps a person from being happy is that person. Don't use your past as an excuse to create chaos for your future"

"Is that on a pillow somewhere?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow to let him know his sarcasm isn't going to get him out of my question.

He rubs a hand over his jaw. "Jane"

"Is that her name?"

"Yeah"

"Well what happened with this Jane"

"I fucked everything up"

"As so many men do. What happened?"

"You wouldn't understand"

I purse my lips together. "Okay. Did she break up with you?"

"I broke up with her... kinda. I think"

"Well that's... clear?"

"She wants more."

"Oooooooh" I say my lips forming an O shape. "Tale as old as time. I didn't really peg you for a fuckboy though"

"What the hell is a fuckboy? And I am certainly not"

"No ya kinda are. Have you slept with her?"

"Yes"

"But you don't want more than that? But she does? You know the only two people that really know what go on in a relationship are those two people, BUT from an outsider looking in, ya sound like a fuckboy"

"What is that!? Stop calling me that"

"A guy that just wants sex and isn't really clear about that motive from the start. He'll say whatever he can to get what he wants from her and then claim she's a stage five clinger when she wants more after you promised her the moon and the stars"

"I didn't promise her shit"

"Okay well... that's... pleasant"

"She slept in my bed with me. Twice"

"Ummm" I say to fill the silence while I am trying to come up with what to say. "That's... bad?"

"I don't sleep with anyone"

"Sleep like night night sleep? Not sex?"

He rolls his eyes at my elementary explanation. "I have nightmares... and I have some issues with.. touch. So I don't like to sleep with anyone"

"Okay, so she slept in a bed with you"

"Twice"

"And that's weird"

"Not normal. She affects me like no one has before. She's too good for me. She's so innocent and pure.. I took her virginity for Christ's sake!"

I spit my drink out a little and stare at him with wide eyes. "Oh my God, she is at least 18 right?"

"Shut up. I'm not a... pedophile. She's 22"

"And she's never had sex? God damn what planet is she from?"

"She was saving herself"

"For marriage?"

"For someone special"

"That's... damn can I talk to her too?"

"No." He says sternly.

"Oookay, testy. So you took her virginity. When?"

"About a week ago"

"How was that?"

"Amazing"

"Virgins that are like oddly good in bed, I swear they are like mermaids. A 22 year old virgin. Wow."

"How old were you?" He asks and I smile recalling my high school boyfriend who I still randomly keep in touch with.

"Sixteen, you?"

"Fifteen"

"Damn that was 9 years ago. I feel old as fuck"

"You're twenty five?" he asks with wide eyes and I nod.

"Why? How old do I look?"

"Like you used a fake ID to get in here"

I slap his shoulder and laugh heartily. "Dick. Sorry I'm not dressed like Trampy Barbie at the end of the bar. I typically save that attire for weekends. Okay we are getting off topic. I want to know more about this Jane. How did you meet?"

He sighs. "Short version. Her best friend was supposed to interview me for her college newspaper. She got really sick with the flu, so Jane came instead. When I saw her... I had to know more. There was this spark. She intrigued me. And I am not easily intrigued."

"Mind if I take notes?" I say pulling out my phone.

"Be my guest" he says putting his head in his hands. "So I found her at work, I-"

"How?"

"How what?"

"How did you know where she worked?"

"Oh she told me, she mentioned-"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would she mention where she worked? Did you guys talk in the interview, do you know her favorite food? Color? Book?"

"How is this relevant?" He says clearly getting irritated.

"I'm a journalist. And I do this for a living. Just want all the facts"

"Okay you want the facts? I had a background check run on her and I found it through that, yahappy? Make me sound like a super stalker"

I laugh. "I love it. And my readers will too"

"So we talked, I created a situation where I knew I could see her again and then I asked her out for coffee. She drinks tea though. Twinnings"

"Eh I grew into my coffee addiction at twenty three, there's still hope for her"

"Stop interrupting me. Do you want to hear or not?" I zip my lips throwing away the key and smile. "She was an English Literature major... I should have known then. A hopeless romantic. Not for me... But I continued to pursue her. She had never had sex and I couldn't take her to my - I mean I had to do something special for her first time, right?"

"Sure. First times are special"

"So we had vanilla"

"Vanilla? Like... boring?"

He chuckles. "It wasn't though. I have certain... tastes. So I'm not used to having sex without... I mean just not that way"

"Oh.. so you have like a kinky fetish or something. What is it?" My eyes dancing with excitement. I always did love hearing about people's predilections. It's like getting a glance inside their psyche.

"I'm not telling you"

"Why not? I've seen it all. Well maybe not all.. it doesn't involve like animals or bodily fluids or something right? Only minimal judgment if that's what you're into"

"No. Just... some spanking and stuff"

"Oh like BDSM? Very interesting, I wrote a piece on that a few months ago. That's very normal, almost mainstream days. I blame books" I say shrugging. "Every day there's a new book coming out about some macho caveman guy spanking his cute little girlfriend to keep her in line. And we- as in women eat that shit up! It's what we all want yaknow. A guy to take care of us. Am I breaking like all kinds of girl code right now?"

His eyes widen at me and I wonder if I've said too much. "Anyway, she wanted to see..." He looks at the bartender. "Can I get two shots of whiskey?"

"Need some liquid courage?"

"No one is for you" he says as the bartender pours us two and retreats back to his blonde. "We down them and I immediately take a sip of my water afterwards." God that shit is dumb strong.

"I have a playroom. I knew I couldn't take a virgin in there. So I made love to her... in my bed. She was the first person I ever did that with. I was just looking for a god damn submissive" He groans rubbing his forehead. "And she had to go and fall in love with me"

"She's in love with you"

"So she says"

"Do you love her?"

"I can't"

"Why?"

"Dammit, because I'm not worthy of her. I'm too fucked up and she's... too pure and perfect" he starts to slur and I wonder if anyone is looking for her.

"So you broke it off?"

"There's more... but I just... can't tell you"

"Why?"

"You'll think I'm a monster"

"What do you care what I think?" I ask genuinely curious and also so I can get some more material for my column. This is gold. So the lamb fell in love with the lion...

"She didn't safe word! It wasn't my fault. I mean it was but... she should have said stop!" he says pulling on his hair before he puts his head in his hands.

"I-" I reach out to touch him when I remember his touch issues so I retract my hand immediately. "Did you.. hurt her?"

"I would never..." he says looking up at me with glossy eyes. "I didn't... she wanted to know how far she could go"

I bite my bottom lip and wonder just how far he pushed her. "Is she...okay?"

"Yes. Physically. I just spanked her too hard."

"Oh" I say letting out a breath.

"With a belt"

"Oh" I say downing the rest of my Moscow Mule.

"And then she ran?"

"No... well yes. She told me she loved me"

"After you hit her with the belt?"

"Yes"

"Well that's... an interesting turn of events?"

"She thought if she let me spank her, show her the worst... she could touch me"

"Did you let her touch you?"

"No"

"Why?"

"Because... it's not like I'm a fucking germophobe. The human touch is... unbearable in some places. My chest, my back... It feels like it's burning my flesh"

"That's deep. Do you... see anyone?"

"Like a shrink?" He snorts. "Try once a week"

"What happened... to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it" he says as he stares into his empty glass.

"Something when you were a kid?"

He's silent for a moment. "Can we talk about something else?"

I sigh and I feel for this man in this moment who has obviously experienced something so traumatic it's effecting him years later. "Well where is Jane now?"

"She went to Georgia. Visit her mom... hide from me... I don't know" he says rubbing his head. "She won't take my calls"

"So wait, rewind, she said she loved you and you pushed her away"

"Yeah"

"Do you want her back?"

"Yes. I.. fucked up but it's been three days and it's like I'm in perpetual night here. I already have trouble sleeping and now I'm having nightmares that include her. And I... I miss her. Her smile, her laugh. God she's beautiful" he says rubbing his forehead.

"And you say you've never been in love" I say sadly.

"I don't love her, I want her"

"Two heads of the same coin, if you ask me"

"Wait till my family finds out, they loved her. My brother is dating her best friend. God Kate is going to rip my balls off" he says groaning. "I'm surprised the witch hunt hasn't already started"

"Maybe she hasn't told them. She did say she loved you. Why would she villainize you? What if you two get back together? Women know better these days. Don't talk shit about a boyfriend unless you're SURE the relationship is dead and gone otherwise your friends who obviously have your back are going to hate him forever!"

"Maybe Kate doesn't know" He looks down at his watch. "Fuck when did it get to be 1:30?"

"Time flies when you're sharing war stories"

"I didn't hear any of yours" he says his eyes drooping from probably fatigue and definitely the alcohol.

"Some other time. I should probably head home"

"Where do you live?"

"Literally around the corner... how are you getting home? You are in no place to drive"

"My driver is outside" he hiccups.

"Oh.." I say and I wonder who the hell is this man that he has a driver waiting outside while he gets drunk in a bar for three and a half hours?

"It's late. I should walk you home"

"Oh that's not-"

"I'm walking you home." he says cutting me off and I sigh.

"Fine"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

We arrive at my apartment and I look over his shoulder to see the Audi from in front of the bar a few hundred feet away. Must be his driver.

"Well thanks for walking me home" I say reaching for my keys.

"You're not going to invite me in?" He asks and I know it's the whiskey talking.

"I thought you didn't make out with strangers?"

"Who said anything about making out. Come on you didn't take the napkin with the doucebag bartender phone number so who's going to keep you company tonight?" He winks and I curse myself. Dammit I did leave it!

"Look, you're... very drunk and sad about Jane. You don't want to do this. And I'm not going to let you, no matter how insanely good looking you are. Fix things with Jane"

He sighs and puts both hands over his eyes. "I don't know how"

"Tell her you love her"

"I don't"

"You sure about that?"

"I don't know"

"Well you think maybe you should figure that out?" I ask crossing my arms over my chest.

"Look if you post any of what I told you-"

"Relax, I don't even know your name. Besides... I don't mix business with pleasure remember?" I say smiling. This felt way too personal to put in my column. Drunken admissions don't count. I like my sources to be sober and willing. This man seems like he probably doesn't ever share anything and would be less than pleased to see his words splashed all over the internet. No matter how good it would look.

"This isn't business?"

"No... I like you too much" I smile. "As a friend!" I correct myself.

"It's Christian" he says.

"Christian" I repeat back as he starts walking away towards the car.

"OH I'M ANA!" I call after him. He doesn't turn around but he waves his arm indicating that he heard me. He gets in the car and it doesn't move, probably waiting for me to enter my building.

I'm in the elevator. "Christian Christian Christian? With a driver.. and I know I've seen that face before." I whisper to myself. "Who the hell was that?" I think before dropping my keys in recognition. "GREY!"

A/N: DON'T PANIC. HEA, remember?! Let me know what you think! Thank you to all of you guys on facebook that got a sneak peak of this yesterday and pushed me to post it! You guys are awesome. And special thanks to Diamond Child who I rapid fire messaged with this idea yesterday morning and helped get the ball rolling with writing it! Xx