First unraveling myself from Christian's arms and legs which were snaked around me tightly like vines, I quietly got out of bed, making sure not to wake my sleeping husband. I made my way towards the small balcony that extended from side of our bedroom, grabbing a thick cardigan from the side and silently unlocking the door, tiptoeing outside only to be greeted by what finally looked like the beginning's of spring.
I quickly glanced over the meadow that surrounded our beautiful house before closing my eyes and feeling the sun on my face. Who would of guessed three years ago that little Anastasia Steele would now be married with two beautiful children under the age of two. Granted having too small babies can sometimes make things difficult, especially when it comes to sleeping through the night, but I wouldn't change any of it for the world.
As the sun's rays warm my face, I hear footsteps behind me, before feeling those familiar gentle arms snake around my waist.
"Morning baby" Christian whispers as he kisses my hair before resting his head on my shoulder.
"Good morning Christian," I whisper back as I lay my hands upon his that were still placed around my waist.
"I cant wait to be able to take the kid's into the meadow when its summer, it looks perfect," Christian says, and I tilt my head up to see his beautiful grey eyes staring out into the landscape. When he acknowledges my gaze he tilts his head down before placing a soft kiss on top of my lips. I look back out towards the meadow imagining all the good times we are going to have there in the future.
"I know, can you imagine when there a bit older, it will be perfect for Teddy to play football and Phoebe can play picnic's with all her little dolls." I smile excitedly at the thought.
"Who knows we might even have more little munchkin's roaming about this place by then too," Christian states with a glint in his eye. The change in him has been unbelievable, thinking back to the horrendous time when I told him I was pregnant with Ted, to his absolute delight when I fell pregnant with Phoebe such a short time after Teddy's birth. Granted he was constantly worrying himself to death about me, especially after Ted's stressful arrival but apart from that, he couldn't wait to be a daddy for the second time, and now apparently for the third or fourth.
"Christian I think we should wait a couple of year's before we have another or you'll forget what its like to not have a fat wife and be trading me in for a younger model."
I feel him tense as he looks down at me like I am stupid. Well done Ana, you've upset him now my subconscious sneers. "Ana, don't be so ridiculous, I will never leave you, you and the children mean everything to me, I couldn't imagine my life without you." He takes deep breath and I feel like chest rise against my back. "I love you baby, you know that," and with that comment he pulls me tighter into his arms.
A few moments pass and suddenly he lets go of me raising an eyebrow. "Anyway what do you mean trade you in for a younger model, your twenty five Ana, and for the record your certainly hotter than any models I've ever seen." He grins at me, and I cant help but beam back at him, my husband has to be the best husband on the planet.
"I think your biased in that comment Mr Grey, after all we are married." I answer, flashing my wedding ring at him whilst looking up at him with a slight smirk.
He smirks back at me before replying. "Don't talk bullshit Ana, every man I know would agree with me and you know it."
"Sure Christian," I reply letting him believe he has won this argument, but I'm pretty damn sure the majority of men wouldn't look twice at me if faced with the likes of Heidi Klum. I put my arms around him and lean into his chest, closing my eyes. I can hear his soft heartbeat drumming away beneath my ear, as we stand on the balcony in the warm sunshine.
"I'm sure one of the kids will be waking up pretty soon, I think last night was the first night I've slept through in about… let me think two year's." I giggle as I'm certain that Christian will have got up in the middle of the night to deal with kid's, making sure not to wake me.
"Your probably right Mrs. Grey, little Phoebe doesn't like not being the centre of Daddy's attention for even two minutes." I smile up at him and I know he is right. Phoebe is besotted with her Daddy, the only way I can get her to stop crying in the middle of the night is to take her to our bedroom and wake up Christian and just like that she stops crying.
"She has you wrapped around her little finger already Christian and she isn't even one years old." I reply, expecting the screams to echo from the baby monitor any second now.
"She's daddy's little princess that's why," Christian states happily. I will never tire of seeing the way Christian is with the children, he has all the patience in the world when he is dealing with them, which is completely the opposite of the way he behaves at work, screeching if something takes longer than two seconds to go his way. I know when she is older Christian will insist Phoebe gets anything she wants instantly, he will never have his children go without anything other than the very best.
"Nothing and no one will ever come before you and the children Ana. Ever," he states confidently as I turn around assuming are original position my back against his chest, so I can once again gaze out into the surrounding's of the house.
We stand in silence for a few more second's and that is when I feel a strange sensation. Something feels as though it has flown right by my ear, but with virtually no wind, it seems strange, and I conclude it must have been a bee or something. I flinch swatting my hand's around to check, turning slightly towards Christian and it is in this moment that my world stops turning. Time stands still as I see the small red stain spreading across Christians white t-shirt.
"Christian!" I scream as I immediately attempt to take his weight and stop him from falling, lowering him as carefully as I can to floor. His eyes are wide and I'm not completely sure he's acknowledged what is happening
"Ana?" Christians voice penetrates through my panic, as I desperately take off my cardigan and try to stop the bleeding. That is what I'm supposed to do isn't it. I can't think straight, I don't know what to do, and I feel like my husbands life is in my hands.
"Its going to be okay baby, your going to be okay." I say I stroke his soft cheek with my other hand.
"TAYLOR" I scream hysterically as the tears begin to fall, I feel like I'm hyperventilating but I know I need to get to my phone, as there's no hope of him hearing me in the cottage on the other side of Grey house. I stupidly managed to convince Christian to let the staff have Sunday's off a couple of months ago, so there is literally no one here but me, Christian and the children. I know I have to get my phone now but that means leaving my husband here and I'm afraid that when I return from the ten seconds it will take me to get it, his beautiful grey eyes may no longer be open.
"Ana, do you have to shout," I hear Christian whisper with a slight smile on his face and for a second seeing his smile makes me think that this can't be happening, that this is a horrible nightmare that I'm about to wake up from it any second now.
I force a smile through the tears that are now running down my face and put my hands on either side of his face.
"Baby I have to go get a phone, I will be a few seconds okay, promise me you'll still be here when I get back Christian," I'm practically pleading with him not to leave me. Although to me it feels like hours I think barely a minute has passed since I felt that strange sensation fly past my ear, an object, or bullet that I now know hit Christian in the chest.
"Ill always be here," he whispers barely nodding his head, I place one of his hands over my cardigan on the wound to try and maintain pressure as I jump to my feet and fly through the doors to my bedside table, grabbing the phone and towel from the floor.
"Your back" Christian states weekly as I return to my knees by his side, using one hand to put pressure on the wound, and the other to dial an ambulance.
"Yes baby I told you I would only be a second." I say softly as I key in the numbers as fast as I can, placing the towel I collected gently beneath my husbands head.
"Its my husband…. He's been shot…" I speak rapidly with desperation as the lady gives me instructions and promises they will be there in five minutes. I never take my eyes off Christian as he watches me hazily. I attempt to force myself to smile, and he briefly smiles back taking small rapid breaths.
After getting off the phone to the ambulance I desperately scroll through my phonebook searching for Taylor. As the phone begins to ring I feel the frustration rising within me. "Come on, Answer!" I squeel, Just as I am about to lose hope I hear his voice penetrate from the other side of the line.
"Mrs Grey, are you alright?"
"Taylor, Christians been shot, and I don't know what to do, and the ambulance are on their way and were on the balcony. Please can you get here now. Please." My voice breaks towards the end of my rambling phone call, which is distorted by tears.
"I will be there in one minute Mrs Grey, Stay calm don't panic, Try and keep him awake." I cant comprehend how Taylor can remain so calm at a time like this, even in the worst circumstances, he doesn't let him emotions get he better of him. I know Taylor will be currently organizing a army of security, whilst also calling the police. The gunman could still be here, but I can't think about any of that because the love of my life, could be dying in front of me.
"Christian, help is on its way." I lean closer to him and I notice his hand searching for mine. I grab hold and grip it tightly before bringing it up to my lips and placing a gentle kiss upon it.
"Are the children okay?" He whispers weakly gazing up at me expectantly.
"There fine baby, I haven't heard a peak from them, lets not worry about them for a minute." I state, unable to stop the tears running down my face at the thought of our beautiful children growing up without their father. I can't do this without him, he's my rock and he's always knows what to do.
"Make sure they know that I loved them." This is when the waterfall that had been threatening to fall, bursts and I just can't with hold the tears any longer. Christian is not giving up on me this easily.
"You can tell them yourself later, your not going anywhere anytime soon Mr Grey." Christian gives me a look that says sure which is crippling my heart. I can tell its getting harder for him to breathe and I want so desperately to do something that will help him. "You just concentrate on breathing baby, that's all you need to do." Where is that god damn ambulance, I feel as though I called them hours ago but realistically I know its only a couple of minutes.
"I'm scared Ana," he whispers as he looks up at my face. One of my tears falls onto his cheek and rolls down his face. I Love this man so much. Please don't take him away from me.
"You have nothing to be afraid of, ive told you your going to be fine," I try to sound confident but my heart is shattering into even more pieces than I thought was possible.
"What if I'm not here anymore who will protect you, what if something happens to you?" he has to pause every few words to catch his breath and I feel like I am losing him.
How can he possibly worry about me in this moment. This is typical Christian never taking a second to think about himself, but always worried about his family.
"Christian, I will be fine because I know that you will always be here to protect me, don't think your running out of me this easily. I Love you so so much Christian Grey." I cant express in words how I feel about this man in front of me.
"I love you too Ana." He closes his eyes for a second and I feel my heart rate spike and I begin to panic
"Christian!?" I shake the hand I am still gripping onto tightly and to be my relief he opens his eyes.
"I'm here baby" he whispers, but I know that he's slipping away from me with every breathe he takes. I cant tell if the wound is still bleeding, there's just so much blood, but I have maintained a constant pressure with my right hand from the get go so I pray this has helped him in some way.
"Taylor where are you?" I yell, I don't know how long its been since I called, surely it's a few minutes now, I silently pray he gets here any second. Taylor will know what to do, how to take control of this situation, just like Christian would.
"Ana?" Christian asks
"Yes baby." I am focusing every second of my attention on Christian, a war could be going on around me and I wouldn't notice.
"Make sure Phoebe doesn't get a … boyfriend before she's at least 45 and ..Teddy tell him he can have as many girlfriends as.. he wants," Christian takes a deep breath and smiles and even I smile through my tears. I let go of his hand and let my hand brush through his hair, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on his lips. I notice the tears fall from his eyes and just as he whispers "I love you" I hear what ive been praying for.
"Mrs Grey, the paramedics are here." Taylor comes rushing onto the balcony followed by the medics who rush towards Christian. My tear's start falling hysterically in relief and just for a brief second I have hope, Christian can survive this, he's the strongest person I know, whatever scumbag did this to him will be caught and jailed for life. Just before they circle us I lock eyes with my husband.
"I Love you too, its going to be okay, help's here baby" as I see a sense of relief flood his weak features I fall back against to give them room to work on my husband, my life. Taylor comes rushing over and pulls me into his arms and I just sob and sob and sob.