1.

"Mr. Grey, we believe that we have found your wife," the officer on the other end of the line clearly spoke. The simple sentence made my sleep deprived brain kick into high gear. I jump out of bed despite the early morning air.

Who cares that it's 3:47 in the morning, they found my wife. In my bones I felt it, this time it is my Ana. The police and I have combed through every face and profile of missing women, some have been found but none of them were my Ana. My wife and my entire life.

"Do you want me to come to the station?" I ask fervently, already getting my clothes on and running down the stairs.

"No, sir, at the hospital… she needs some medical attention."

"When did you find her?"

"Three hours ago."

My stomach dropped. "Why did it take you so long to contact me?"

"We weren't sure… we had to make sure."

"That's fine," I shake my head and let it go… pick my battles. "Thank you, I will be there shortly."

"See you soon."

The line goes dead just as I was out of our door, looking up at our two-storey brick home with olive green shutters. The garden that you cultivated is alive and well, and every inch of our house has not changed so when you come home you can see that I've kept our house exactly the same. I've held onto you, what I went through was hell but what you came from is completely unfathomable. I wish they took me instead.

Rushing down our quiet neighbourhood, pushing the speed limit and eventually careening into a parking spot, all under eight minutes. I notice two police cars and my father-in-law's sedan parked closely together near the ER dock. When I asked for Ana's hand, Ray made me vow that I find a "stable" job and to not sign up for another tour, I quickly agreed because in all honesty even then Ana was my everything.

To the soldiers I commanded I was First Sergeant Grey for the United States Marine Corps and up for another promotion, but the woman who wanted to spend forever with me changed all that. I had nothing before her, and now I had everything because of her. I enlisted right after graduating university at twenty-one, but three and a half tours later I met the love of my life. My soul mate.

Her father was working at the same military base in Washington as I was at the time, he was the commanding officer and I was there for my fourteen day R&R. Two days into my stay stateside, I met the enigma that was Anastasia Rose Steele.

She had beautiful mahogany hair that ran down her back, beautiful blue eyes, and a body that I couldn't forget. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on in my entire twenty-four years of existence. Her body had gorgeous curves, toned everywhere but still so soft.

She was perfection.

Our relationship wasn't a cakewalk, since she had a no-soldier rule and I was pretty adamant that she let me date her. I don't know why I was so selfish, I knew I had to come back to my company but I knew there was something there; something more that we shared. But just before my last weekend at home she finally caved and let me take her out. I don't think I ever had so much fun, but we ended up staying out all night and getting to know each other. And after that night, we exchanged information and had been together ever since.

I ran my hand through my hair and the scruff that was seemed permanently growing in my face. I can't even remember the last time I shaved it off, it used to be itchy as fuck but eventually I just stopped caring. There was more important shit to attend to, like finding my wife. I ate, trained, and slept… well whenever I wasn't trying to find my wife that is. For the first six months I dogged everyone, raising the ante, but then I was politely told to stop and to let them do their job.

I did, but it took another three months for another word about Ana… that's not to say, I didn't do my own searching. I lived off my saving for the last nine months, but when money started running out I was told not too nicely by Ray that Ana wouldn't want me living like this.

"Son, you have to stop and let them do their job. The whole country and even Canada knows about Ana. Now all we can do is wait."

"I can't just wait," I replied, exasperated.

"Listen, when Ana comes home do you want to be dead broke and unemployed? Is that what you want her to come home to? What I know is that she won't be working for awhile and you need to be able to support her."

"I know, but I just can't stop-"

"Then do it for her, and we'll find her. I believe in that, so now you need to buckle down and find real work. You can't always run off on your responsibilities here, fix your house, replant her garden. Just do something so when she comes home she comes home to you."

"You're right. You're right, I have to fix this thing I've created."

"Good, I know I let you marry my daughter for a reason."

Then four months later, the garden that Ana created was thriving with a few more flowers and cherry blossom trees that she always wanted. Two in the front and one in the back, and since spring has just begun the trees were beginning to bloom. I even repainted the house the same colours; fixed everything that wasn't running perfectly well, and most importantly landed a job at an accounting firm in the city.

I was finally turning my life around, and when Ana comes home everything will be perfect. She will have the support she needs to get healthy again, because I rebuilt our home.

Now a year and two months later, I find myself walking into the busy ER, I quickly find Ray talking with Officer Michaels. Taking long strides to meet them quicker.

"Where is she?" I ask, ignoring all pleasantries.

"She's with a doctor," Michaels answers.

"Can I see her?"

"Of course, but-"

"Christian, it's bad," Ray interjects.

"Where is she?"

"They had to sedate her because she was thrashing and endangering herself."

I don't care what state she's in, she's so close I can practically feel my skin tingle from her presence.

"Just let me see her, I need to see her," I almost growl.

"Alright, but it may be hours until she wakes."

"I don't care."

Michaels leads both Ray and I back to Ana's room, a doctor was speaking to the police and nurses were inside with her. I see them wrap her legs up in bandages, but I could barely see anything else. Her long dark hair lay limply on the pillow, her left hand in a cast and a sling, but other than that she was barely visible in the same colour sheets and gown. I hesitated at the door, I don't know why… this was what I had been waiting for, for the last year and two months this is was all I was dreaming of. Well, I didn't dream of her lying in a hospital bed, but I imagined that she was just going to find her way home. Somehow her captors would let her go, but then again I lived in a fairy tale world when I think of her coming back because from the looks of things that wasn't the case. She's been hurt and worse, I couldn't do anything to stop it.

Ray gives me a pat on the back and moves me forward just when the doctor re-enters.

"Mr. Grey and Mr. Steele, I'm Doctor Sanders," the middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair greeted us.

"Pleased to meet you," Ray greets, as I merely nod.

"It's unfortunate that we had to meet in such grave circumstance," the doctor grimaces.

"Can you tell us what happened to her?" I ask.

"First off, she is suffering for what we call dissociative amnesia, which can last few hours to a few years. We ran the standard tests and found no brain damage, so this was not organic amnesia thus it leads us to believe that she is suffering from her bout of amnesia due to the highly stressful situation she was in.

"We then went from there and did a full-body scan. We found a severely broken hand and two ribs that did not heal properly. The former was an obviously easy fix, but the ribs will need to be re-broken so they can be set right. We cleaned her up as much as she would permit us, but of course she was confused and disoriented when she first came in. She doesn't remember much: how she got her scars, how she got herself here other than 'through the woods', she barely remembers her name, and the only reason we could place her was having a police officer identify her. There are clear signs of abuse, but without her knowledge we can barely piece together what she went through. I'm so sorry."

All the information broke me, it tore me up and I slumped on the floor. I quickly grab the nearby trashcan and lost the contents of my stomach. I ran my hands over my face, thinking that my wife went through all of that, she fought to get out… they didn't let her leave. After the sorrow cleared from my system, I got up and anger filled my body when I was finally able to see Ana in all her entirety. Her face was battered with bruises and cuts, her right eye was cut and swollen shut, her neck and her right hand has rope burns, there were bruises all over her arms … fingerprints everywhere. I grit my teeth and clench my fists, my wife went through all of that.

I walked up closer to her bed and touched the one spot that did not have a bruise. I pushed her hair out of her face; grabbing the nearby chair I sit myself down. Ray is on the other side, holding Ana's unbroken hand, and I lay my head next to her and begin to cry.

"When is she going to wake up?" Ray asks.

"In a few hours, then we will run more tests," Dr. Sanders answer.

"How long will Ana have to stay?"

"A few more days at least," he sighs. "After resetting her bones, she'll stay just one more day. Then if nothing else comes up, we'll give her the all clear and you'll be free to go."

"Thank you doctor."

Once he exits the room, I wrap my arm around her loosely and try to breathe in her scent. My Anastasia, my wife, and my life. No matter how much shit we have to get through to get to that place we once were, it will be all be worth it because now I'm whole.