Thank you guys so much! Hope you enjoy this one. Next one Ana and Christian will meet again, I promise :)


It felt almost surreal to Christian as he stepped down the staircase on his way to inform Taylor they had plans for the evening. He had dreamed of this moment constantly the past eight months; Of getting the chance to see Ana again, and make amends with her. To hold her in his arms and tell her he is sorry, so sorry, and that he is willing to try again if she was. Gail Jones, the housekeeper, was cleaning around the kitchen when he entered. He was trying to find Taylor, only the man who nowhere near his wife this evening.

Mrs. Jones smiled at him kindly as she took in his appearance. He was dressed handsomely in a black dress shirt, and black trousers, which could only mean one thing: He was at last getting out of the penthouse to be sociable and interact with the outside world again. "Finally getting out of the house for some fresh air, Mr. Grey?"

"I am, Gail," he replied to her curtly. "Now where is your husband Taylor? I need him to escort me somewhere."

"I believe he's around here somewhere. I think I last saw him reading in the foyer. Will you be wanting something to eat before you leave?"

Like every other time Gail had asked him if he would like for her to fix him dinner, he declined politely, "Thank you, Gail, but that won't be necessary. I really don't have the time to sit and eat. I have work to do." Like getting his girl back.

"Then you'll make sure you eat something substantial tonight, yes?" She told him with concern. "You look as if you have already lost a few pounds from under eating, Sir. Make sure you eat something, and not let your sadness take over you."

This had been the same painfully awkward conversation Christian had experienced around the house for a while now; He knew that Gail had a faint idea he was still upset over Ana, and having worked for him in the house for over four years now, he knew that she was naturally concerned for him and his health. Gail was a kind and understanding woman; much like her husband had grown to be over the years towards Christian. But Christian did not like them viewing him as weak, and he preferred to keep his suffering strictly to himself, in the privacy of his own bedroom.

It was funny how although he was surrounded by people constantly in his penthouse, he still felt alone.

He found Taylor sitting in an armchair by the front door, reading an Anthony Burgess novel. As if hearing Christian's approaching footsteps, Taylor quickly cornered the page he was reading, cleared his throat, and stood. Taylor was surprised to find Christian dressed and ready, as if he was planning to go out for the evening. Lately Christian preferred to stay indoors, unless it was something due to business. "Are you needing the car?" Taylor asked Christian amiably. "Do we have plans to head out this evening, Sir?"

Christian smiled at him, but Taylor saw the way the smile did not touch his eyes. "We do have plans for the evening, Taylor," he confessed. "I'll need you to drive me to a club Welch sent me the address to."

"Feel like drinking tonight, Mr. Grey?" Taylor's question was filled with irony.

"Not so much drinking, Taylor. It is more that Miss Steele has finally arrived back in town. I want to see her. Will you please get the car ready?"

"Of course, Sir." Taylor nodded and couldn't help smiling to himself.

Taylor couldn't deny he was relieved to hear that news. He knew Christian had liked Miss Steele very much and that she was the main reason for his dark attitude these past eight months. Now with her reappearance, Christian almost seemed his old self again. Christian had the tendency to be too stubborn and proud to admit Anastasia Steele was the reason why, but Taylor believed he could see through the man's exterior. The fact now that Christian was eager to leave the house after being virtually housebound for eight months was evidence enough Miss Steele affected him a lot more than he let on.

But she was back now and it seemed Christian had finally returned to himself. And, hopefully, she wouldn't be going away again.

Once seated in the plush leather backseat of his Audi while Taylor drove, Christian found himself feeling nervous more and more as the minutes went on by. One of his favorite piano concerto pieces was played around the car through the stereo, only he never heard it. His mind was stuck on other things, and he felt ill with nerves. Well, he wouldn't say he was nervous exactly; More so anticipating seeing Ana's face again, and restoring it in his mind. To have her not just a memory, but a real caricature of herself again. It had been too long and there were so many things he wanted to say to her, so many things he wanted to do.

He had missed her terribly.

He missed the way she would bite her bottom lip through awkward silences shared between them.

Missed her lying beneath him in the sheets, sated and exhausted. Missed the way she looked while sleeping, with her face crumpled by the pillows. Missed her small hands always trying to touch him, desperately needing to touch him, and not being able to fulfill that wish. That blush every time he said something inappropriate.

He still remembered, clear as day, their last and final conversation before the end; The way she had packed her things and wanted to leave the Mac laptop, car keys, and the Blackberry he had given her behind.

"I don't want these things, Ana, they're yours," he had told her- something he had meant. "Please, take them."

"Christian, please, I don't want them. I don't want anything that reminds me of you."

"Just take the Blackberry then. It's all I ask. I'll give you a call sometime..."

And despite her unwillingness, she had cracked underneath the pressure and finally agreed.

She took the Blackberry with her, only it never seemed to matter that she did; She switched it off, and Christian had tried to call her a countless number of times, to no avail. He only was greeted with her answering machine, each and every single time he tried. She had shut him out completely. But then again, could he really blame her?

He had made a complete mess out of everything. All the grief he had felt during the past eight months, the listlessness- was all of his own doing. He had brought everything on himself. A perpetual darkness. A hole he couldn't dig himself out of, unless he saw or heard from her again. Only Ana didn't want that. He didn't know how she would react to him appearing tonight, and that unnerved him most of all. Would she be angry and use that smart mouth of hers that he loved so much? Or would she ignore him?

He couldn't help but wondering how much it was that she had moved on, with this other guy. Was it something serious? If it was, Christian wouldn't know how to take that. He wasn't too sure whether he could handle doing the right thing, which was inevitably letting her go and trying to move on himself as well. But he was far too selfish, and Christian wasn't ashamed to admit that.

He wanted her back. Just her. He wanted no one else but her. Eradicating anyone else in the way was not a problem to him.

Sighing through his nostrils and trying to ignore the tight knot in his stomach, he rested his elbow against the door and peered out at the traffic. He tried to distract himself by the night-life of Seattle- the cars and the bright headlights- but even that wasn't enough. He couldn't seem to stop thinking. He couldn't seem to stop anticipating.

His phone vibrated and he read Welch's text message. Apparently Ana was inside a club with her new boyfriend, and a couple of other friends she was catching up with. Kate Kavanagh was most likely one of them. Hopefully that fucker Jose was not included among her guests.

"Take the street on your left," Christian ordered Taylor. "She's in the club there. I want to see Welch first so pull up at the curb where he is and signal for him to come in."

Taylor did as advised and Welch, broad-shouldered and in his late forties, came into view. He let himself inside the car while Taylor tried to find a parking spot for them.

"Good evening, Mr. Grey," Welch greeted nervously. "I take it you received my information?"

"I did, yes." Christian turned in his seat to face him. The man's face was pinched tight with apprehension. "Who is he?" He tried to seem as if he didn't care, but he did. It was dangerously bothering him. He wanted to know the specifics. He didn't want Welch withholding anything from him, despite how painful it might be to hear it. "This new boy she is apparently seeing now, Welch. Who is he?"

"His name is Paul Clayton, Sir."

Paul Clayton. Christian pursed his lips, chanting the name repetitively inside his head. Now why was that name so familiar to him?

"His older brother owns Clayton's Hardware Store, Sir," Welch continued after a moment quietly, and it was then that the light bulb went off in Christian's head. Ah, so she was dating that fucker she worked with at Clayton's apparently. Christian remembered him; Not well, but well enough. He couldn't believe she was now dating that fucker after him. "He is currently studying Business Administration at Princeton University. Anastasia Steele went to visit her father Raymond Steele in Florida. Her and Paul Clayton crossed paths along the way, and they have been literally glued to each other ever since."

"I can't believe she left me, and now she's with him," Christian muttered under his breath bitterly. It was unbelievable of her. "She has seriously downgraded, that's for sure. How much does he earn annually while working part-time at Clayton's Hardware?" Not that it was any of his business, of course. As if he even cared what that fucker made annually.

"Less than twelve grand yearly, Sir."

Christian smiled to himself. Yes, she was definitely downgrading. What the fuck was she doing? "And how did Miss Steele look to you, Welch? Happy?"

"I'm no good with these things, Sir." Welch hesitated for a moment, then he said uncertainly, "But yes, she did appear quite happy. He makes her smile and she seems relaxed with him, if that is what you're asking, Sir?"

Christian squinted at Welch thoughtfully. Ana hadn't been much of a big smiler when they were together. If anything, she had always seemed tense and on-guard around him, as if he was unpredictable with his moods and was someone she ought to have taken wariness of. And, to be honest, Christian had liked it.

It had gotten him off, and boosted his ego in seeing the way she reacted to him. He intimidated her and that was very clear. This was something he had reflected on the past eight months. He saw the way his mother and father reacted to each other; Even Taylor and Gail, when he saw them together. They didn't seem as if they were on pins and needles while in each other's company. Everything was on an even keel. Maybe that was where him and Ana had gone wrong?

"Has she given you any indication that she has missed me?" Christian asked next, struggling to keep his voice devoid of everything. He knew he failed the instance he began; His voice shook pathetically.

Welch hesitated for a very long moment again, as if worrying what to say and what not to say. Even Welch, it seemed, was wary of Christian's moods.

"It's fine. Answer me." Reaching over with a tight smile on his lips, Christian patted Welch on the knee companionably. "Don't hide anything from me. I want the truth."

"No," Welch choked out.

"No what, Welch?"

"No, Sir. It's a no. No, she hasn't given any indication that she was missing you. At least, not by her body language anyway. Not from what I have observed from her."

Hurt flashed in Christian's eyes and he deliberately glanced outside the window so that no one in the car could witness it. He gritted his teeth as a burning flash of anger throbbed in the center of his forehead. "Very well, Welch," he said coldly. "That will be all." As if scrambling for his life, Welch opened the car door and climbed out quickly. Bracing himself, Christian reached over and pulled the door open. "Well, Taylor. I'm going in."

"Good luck, Sir," he heard Taylor call politely. "And say hello to Miss Steele for me."

For some reason, Christian felt as if he was going to need all of his luck tonight.

Hope this one was okay? Liking? Hating? I was thinking of doing it all from third person point of view. I hope that is all right? :)