Elena Lincoln was losing her hold on Christian Grey, it had been happening for some time, but it had become more obvious since June. Elena had arrived for his birthday party, she knew her Christian hated these things, so she was extremely surprised the morning of his birthday to find out it was still happening.

She went purely out of curiosity and a chance to talk to Christian; he had canceled their last 3 dinner meetings.

Elena wasn't sure who she was looking at, but there he was laughing, joking and actually enjoying himself if that wasn't enough he gave a speech, a fucking speech. He was gracious, thanked everyone for coming and worse he meant it. In business, he had to do these things on occasion, and as much as he loved GEH he never liked the public aspect of it and hated giving speeches, but here he was happily doing it. Something was going on with him, and she was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she did.

"Grace, how are you?" She didn't really need to ask the mile-wide smile on her face was all the answer she needed. Yes, Grace should know what was going on with Christian for a change.

"Elena glad you could make it." Why did she have the feeling Grace didn't mean it.

"Well Christian having a birthday party, wouldn't miss it for the world."

"I know… we are all surprised by his sudden… burst for life. I don't know what is going on with my boy, but I am too happy to care." It was clear his mother didn't have a clue, but then again when did she.

Elena tried for most of the night to get Christian on his own to no avail, she decided to call it a night and speak to him on Monday. Little did she know it was the last time she would speak to any member of the Grey family.

Jack Hyde had tried to reign in his interest in her, but as the interview went on, he couldn't help himself. He wasn't too bothered by it, that was until she turned down the job. If he could pinpoint the moment his life started to spiral out of control, it would be the day Elizabeth had told him Anastasia Steele had turned down the job. He wanted her badly he needed her, she was meant to be his next fix, she wasn't one he was going to let get away from him except she had.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, after all, he could now focus on The Grey's. The family that had rejected him for a fucked up little boy.

Come the end of August Jack's surveillance of Grey had come to a standstill, it was clear someone had been stupid enough to make a direct threat against Grey, and now he was on lock down. Things were already difficult as it was, Elizabeth had disappeared without a word, he'd been given a male assistant and as hard as he tried H.R wouldn't badge. He was stuck with Brad or Ben whatever his name was.

If Jack thought things were bad, he had no idea just how bad it could really get.

Linc for years had searched for a way to pay back Christian Grey, and he had found none. He guy had his company and nothing else, not anything Linc could find anyway. He had been discreet in his search, but somehow Grey knew.

Edward Lincoln hated Christian Grey with a passion but loved money more, and crossing Grey meant losing all his money.

Jason Taylor didn't know how he missed it, but he had, I mean it was bad that he had missed it considering his job consisted of knowing almost everything. He couldn't really be blamed for missing such a significant occurrence in the gallery his employer called a home simply because his employer was a different man. He'd only noticed when Grey had accidentally called Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Taylor, it was more his explanation for his slip of the tongue. He had a dream, he had a dream, it was at that moment when he slapped himself and wondered how he hadn't noticed that Grey hadn't had more a handful of nightmares in the last year.

One morning in May Grey had woken up or rather he had woken Grey up to find him in a jovial mood and bar a few occasions that mood stayed in place all year. The only thing he could think of to explain all this was the 7 black and white portraits hanging all over the penthouse. The girl in it was simply stunning; Jason had absolutely no idea what color her eyes were, but whatever it was it would be breathtaking.

Then there was the playroom, yes he still had a playroom, but it was less dungeon more I'm going to romance the pants off you. He still had his toys and the cross, but the belts and canes were gone in fact all the harsher aspects of the lifestyle Grey enjoyed was gone. It was now a bed with an actual mattress, most of the leather was also gone in came silks of every kind. Gracing the blood red walls was white and a unique color of blue. The most surprising thing was a portrait of the girl biting her lip, hell even Gail commented on how sexy the whole room looked and felt, gone was the fear and in was everything that would make you drop your panties in a heart beat.

Grace was enjoying yet another Sunday dinner with all her children. In fact, Christian spent more time at Bellevue than Mia who lived there. She didn't quite know what to make of her youngest son who out of the blue and for no reason started spending every weekend at home with his parents. She was happy, and for the first time in over a decade, Grace felt she had her son back except it wasn't all good news.

CHRISTIAN

I sat by the pier on the marina and enjoyed the peace and quiet it brought especially at this time of day. Every day the temptation grows, today more than ever. How I had stayed away all this time was beyond me. Exactly a year ago today was when it all started. I had worked till late in the night before sleep finally forced my hand, why I don't know it wasn't like I was going to get much sleep.

I couldn't have been more wrong, in fact, Taylor woke me up. That was the night my dreams started.

I caught a reflection of my suit in the glass wall and noticed I had on the same suit as my dream. I didn't grant interviews, but in my dream, it looked like one and the bits I could hear sounded like an interview. "Andrea, do I have any interviews today?"

"Yes, you have one with a Katherine Kavanagh."

"Okay." That must be it, only it wasn't, and I couldn't shake my disappointment. The girl in my dream was small, pale skin, brunette and blue eyes that words couldn't describe.

I had dreamt of meeting her in a hardware store, I must have gone to every hardware store in Seattle and still no sign of her. I quickly came to my senses and asked myself if I was really chasing a dream.

But I made one more attempt, I called Elliot, and when he told me he was hitting a club I couldn't help but feel this was it. The moment we got to the car park I knew it wasn't. I desperately wanted to go home, but Elliot's happiness and glee of having me there meant I stayed and surprisingly I really enjoyed my time with my brother. So much so I suggested we grab something to eat to soak up the alcohol. I couldn't recall a time I laughed more than I did that night.

My dreams did not stop, I woke up one morning completely disgusted with myself, she was a virgin how could I do that to her. As much as I told myself it was a dream, I still couldn't shake the feeling of disgust. That was when my loathing of Elena started to take root. Had I experience an ounce of normality when it came to sex I wouldn't have been so harsh in taking her virginity nor would I have called it a situation?

I attended the WSU graduation even though my dream told me she would be there I refused to set myself up for disappointed, but I found myself disappointed when she wasn't among the graduates.

I was firmly rooted in my believe that it was just dreams when two things quickly changed my mind. Caught in traffic one afternoon, there it was SIP the very place she interviewed. I couldn't help it, I made my way to the front desk flashed a smile Elliot called panty dropper.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could help me?" She looked flustered as she stared at me mouth open.

"Yes, su... sure."

"A young lady came here for an interview sometime last week. Brunette, blue ey…"

"Oh yes, Ana." Oh my, she was real, she really was real."

"Do you have a full name?"

"Anastasia Steele really lovely glad she's not working for that creep." Any other time and I would berate her for giving information to a total stranger, but today I was more than grateful. I didn't know who the creep was, but I found myself feeling just as glad she wasn't working for him.

I read her background report over and over again. Finally, a few things made sense, her roommate was the Kavanagh girl for whatever reason in my dream she came to interview me, and secondly, I had heard the name during the graduation ceremony and dismissed it. Kavanagh collected her diploma on her behalf as the beautiful Anastasia was not well. I now had hard facts that my dreams were not just dreams, I don't know what was happening, but something or someone had changed the course of events, and I was now paying attention.

I tore out the play room and left it bare, I wanted to jump in my dream and rip the belt from his hands, but I couldn't. You love her you fool, but I couldn't stop it, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't wake up either.

Five days, five long days, that's how long it took to get her in the same space with me. I needed her like I needed my next breath, control be damned if I couldn't have Ana. I called the gallery the next day and purchased all her pictures, copies and all.

I also learned a lot. I requested an in-depth and detailed background check on Jack Hyde. Elena Lincoln became the one person I didn't want in my life and the more she tried, the more I hated her.

I quietly and discreetly got help for one of my ex-subs and put my plans in motion to put Jack Hyde behind prison. I first made his access to my family or me very difficult, Mia, of course, put up a fight that was until I showed them exactly what Hyde had on the family. I got rid of Elizabeth Morgan; she got a job offer in New Mexico she couldn't turn down.

When he attacked Ana, I knew it wasn't the first time, and we soon got the evidence we needed to put him away for a long time. As much as I would love to gloat and let him know just who was responsible for his new digs, I rather like the idea of him wondering just how it all went wrong.

Seeing Elena at my birthday party and remembering her behavior in my dream, knowing she had lied to me for years, isolated me from my family and making me dependent on her was the last straw.

My mother wanted to go after her, I told them not to, cutting her out of our lives without explanation was I believed better than anything my mom could say. It wasn't long before the elite of Seattle noticed that Elena Lincoln was no longer welcomed at the Grey's and they took great delight in ostracizing her and her businesses. Elena kept up her attempt to contact me, especially when she found out she had a new business partner and one that wasn't going to allow her the freedom I did.

Linc had been a surprise, somehow my being 15 was no excuse, and he was going to make me pay. Well, that was until he received a letter informing him that I now owned 65 percent of Lincoln Timber. Destroying me will mean destroying himself, and Linc loved money more than his greedy ex-wife.

I sat at the marina staring at her pictures on my phone thinking over my year in my dreams much hasn't happened since Hyde kidnapped Mia. Ana is very pregnant and has completely forgiven my stupidity of talking to Elena when I found out she was pregnant.

"Excuse me, do you mind?" My mouth is wide open, and I'm staring like a fool. Answer her stupid.

"Yes…no… I mean I don't mind." Way to go Casanova. She giggles and I finally understand why I always looked so content every time she laughed. She is far more breathtaking than in the picture or my dreams. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, and I still haven't said anything.

"The least you can do is say hello; last I dreamt I was still your wife after all Christian." WHAT?