A/N: Christian 618: Thanks for sharing your ideas with me, they really helped me with this chapter. We'll see more of Fi-fi in this chapter :)

References from Freed for this chapter (NOT in the order listed) : pages 90, 93, 123, 140, 142, 143, 146,147. ALL QUOTES STRAIGHT FROM THE BOOK ARE IN BOLD.

IMPORTANT: I changed the ending of the last chapter (the last two sentences), so unless you're a new reader, you will need to go back and re-read.

Chapter Seven: Bright and Pink

ANA POV

He gives me a quizzical look. "Something the matter with the wine?"

"Hmm. I just don't...I think I have a bit of an upset stomach." I say. "I think I'll just have some club soda if you don't mind." I go to the fridge and fix myself a glass of Canada Dry mixed with apple juice. Christian doesn't seem to think much of this as he's seen me drink this before. It takes me about five minutes to feel better, and Christian is relieved. I tell myself this NOT a bout of morning sickness. I'm just under a lot of stress, that's all.

"I have a surprise for you," He tells me with a twinkle in his eye as I return to sit with him at the kitchen island. I can tell from his expression that whatever he'd been concocting is big. "Are you ready for the big surprise?"

"Another one?" I smile at him. My man is full of surprises.

He smiles back giving me his best boyish look. "I'm the new owner of SIP publishing." He pauses studying my reaction. My mouth completely drops open. "And you, Ms. Steele, are the new president of the company."

I choke on my drink. Wh-what?"

"That means Mr. Roach steps aside and you take his job." He clarifies. "Oh, and I'm changing the name to Grey Publishing, by the way. Kind of catchy, don't you think?"

Three months ago, the company didn't want the expense of hiring a new senior executive so it was apparently decided that I would take over Jack Hyde's job...I barely had time to adjust to my new position...and now, this?

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Holy cow! I can't freaking believe this. President of SIP/Grey Publishing. Me?

"Christian, when I took this job, I'd only just met you," I say patiently, struggling to find the right words. "I didn't know you were going to buy the company."

I can only imagine the disgruntled and whispered recriminations of my colleagues when they find out that Christian bought the company AND promoted me to CEO.

"I don't think I can do it," I say lamely.

"Sure you can, Anastasia. You've had what-three months as a senior executive? I'm confident that in that time you've learned enough to become president of the company. I believe in you, Anastasia."

"Christian! I...I can't run a business! I sold paint and cable ties for three years, for heaven's sake!"

"I ran my own business from the age of twenty-one."

"It's not the same. Christian, you majored in economics before you dropped out. At least you have some idea what you're doing."

"Anastasia, you're the most well-read person I know. You know so much about books...what sells, what doesn't, what writers think. Plus, you have three months of experience as a senior executive under your belt. You're a very bright woman, I'm sure you'll manage."

"Are you crazy?"

"Crazy about you," he whispers, and I snort because that's all I can manage.

"You'll be the laughingstock. Buying a company for your little -live in-girlfriend?"

"Do you think I give a fuck what people think? Besides, you won't be on your own. You will have Roach as your assistant for as long as you deem necessary."

All of a sudden, I let out a small, confused laugh.

"Something amusing you, Ms. Steele?"

"I was just thinking...the look on Roach's face when HE finds out that he now answers to me. It's not funny you know... It's just...weird."

His gaze hardens. He' s watching me as though there's something about me he can't fathom. "I thought you'd be happy, a step up in your career." He then drains his glass of wine. "And I don't like drinking alone."

I let out another inappropriate laugh as I'm reminded of my earlier apprehension-the fear that he would go ballistic if it turns out that I am indeed pregnant.

"So what if everybody thinks you got the job because of me," he says casually. "Don't mind what other people think. People are going to talk regardless, they're gonna think whatever they want. That's not something we can control. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere in life by seeking approval from others. If I had, I wouldn't have dropped out of Harvard...I wouldn't be here today by being a people pleaser."

"So I'm a people- pleaser now?" I can't help the tone in my voice.

A frown crosses his face and then his face softens as he realizes I've taken offense. "Being a pleaser can have its advantages you know. You need it to a certain degree to do business and get along with others. I'm just saying, you shouldn't let it overpower you... don't let over sensitivity to other people's opinions stand in your way."

I blink at his little pep talk. He's making perfect sense, and I'm finding it hard to argue his point.

"I just want to give you the world, Ana. Anything and everything you want. And I really thought you'd be happy."

I know, baby, I know. I feel a lump in my throat. I love this man to the end of the earth and back. And I'm positively terrified. This is such a big change. What if I don't live up to his expectations? What if I end up doing something that causes a shift in our relationship?

…..

Christian is singing softly to himself at the piano. Kate and Elliot are cuddling in one of the overstuffed couches, while Ethan, Mia, and Carrick are in a deep conversation about psychology, I think.

"I've never heard you sing, Christian, ever," Grace says when the song is over. The rest of the Greys stop talking and stare at Christian.

Christian sits at the piano stool, looking absently at her and after a beat, he shrugs.

"Oh, darling girl!" Grace grasps my hands and then suddenly folds me into her arms. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispers, pulling me aside.

"Um," I hug her back, unsure of what exactly I'm being thanked for.

"Oh, Ana. I'm so happy. For the longest time, Christian had kept us at arm's length and now, look at him," she gushes. "He was always kept us at a distance, shutting us out. But now, you're both having us over almost every Sunday...and at last, I can say the change in him is permanent." She pauses. "The other day he gave me the most heartfelt hug," she sighs.

I follow her gaze, and we both look at Christian who started playing another song, this time an instrumental.

"But that has all changed since he met you. At last, my son is happy, at peace. And even though he still has a long way to go, he's starting to open up, I can feel it," she says excitedly. The happiness in her voice takes my breath away. "And it's all because of you, my darling girl!"

...

Christian POV

"Something is wrong with Fi-fi," Ana says, looking worried.

This is the second night in a row she says that and I roll my eyes. Honestly, I'm not terribly fond of the dog, and in more than one occasion, I 've regretted getting the darn thing and wished we could just take it back to wherever it came from. I swear Ana treats the pup like a baby sometimes and now, she's insisting we must have Fi-fi in bed with us.

But I have to draw the line somewhere. If it were up to Ana, she would be sharing her pillow with the dog. So we reached a compromise: she can sleep curled up at the foot of our bed but not an inch closer.

"Look at her," she lifts up the puddle and settles her on her lap. Her big brown eyes look sad and lethargic. "She's obviously feeling ill, and she's lost her appetite for sure. This is the second day in a row. "

Alrighty," I say, wanting to calm her fears. "let's call the vet." It's 10:00 O'clock at night on a Sunday afternoon and I don't want to drive to an animal hospital late at night, so I'm hoping to find a vet willing to make house calls this late at night.

"Oh, poor baby," Ana says, stroking the giant poodle, cuddling her in her arms while I look online and make the calls. I swear I hear the pooch make whimpering sounds; it's as if she's ramping up all the sympathy she can get. She's enjoying it for sure.

I couldn't believe my luck. Right away I found a veterinarian willing to make house calls after I offered twice the money he makes per hour at his clinic.

While we wait for the veterinarian to arrive, I notice that Ana had taken out a notepad and started sketching Fi-fi and making little captions and speech bubbles like a comic book. What had started as her list of questions for the vet has turned into a work of art.

ANA POV

"You have talent, Ana," Christian says admiring my illustrations of Fi-fi and the funny captions I wrote. "You should consider writing a children's book."

A great idea quickly forms in my mind. "How about a children's story about Fi-fi targeted to middle schoolers," I say remembering how I loved reading animal stories when I was that age.

"Yeah, maybe," I say.

Shortly after that, the veterinarian arrives and examines Fi-fi. He brought his own medical tool bag along with a doggy scale. The veterinarian is an attractive man in his thirties, and I realize as soon as he and Christian shake hands that this will be a one time visit only. Furthermore, he immediately takes over and does all the talking, barely giving me a chance to get a word in edgewise. Oh, Fifty. You're so insecure sometimes. You're jealous of Fi-fi AND jealous of any half-way attractive member of the male species that comes anywhere near me. And I'm worried. If this is any indication, then it would be fair to assume that you'll also be insanely jealous of the baby (if there is a baby that is). I quickly shut down the thought. I don't want to think about that right now.

"Well, it looks as though Fifi seems to have a bout of the common cold," the vet announces, his blue eyes shifting between Christian and me. "I'll order some blood work to rule out other possibilities just in case. But I really think it's a cold."

"Oh," I breathe a sigh of relief, putting the notepad away. "Thanks so much, doctor Adams for coming so late at night. When will we know the results?"

I will send the labs out in the morning, and we should have an answer early afternoon." Adams nods and smiles at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Christian glaring at the doctor. And then, he suddenly starts rushing the vet and ushering him out the door of our bedroom. "Just keep her warm and make sure she's drinking plenty of fluids."

"Doctor Adams, when are you coming back for a follow-up visit?" I ask.

The veterinarian stops, his gaze shifting between Christian and me. "You can bring him tomorrow at my clinic," he says handing Christian his business card. "Or better still, I can stop by tomorrow evening if you prefer."

Fi-fi lets out a perky bark as if in agreement with the last statement. She looks adorable with her two pink bows tied about her ears.

"Not necessary, doctor," Christian says. "We will bring Fi-fi to your office tomorrow for her follow up visit," he adds. "Goodnight, Dr." He shows him out to the elevator and assigns Taylor the task of walking him out to his car.

"Now, Christian. That was not necessary. It's not as if I was flirting with him," I admonish him as soon as Dr. Adams is gone.

"It's not you. It's him. He's the one I don't trust." He pulls me into his arms, and his fingers start moving into my hair and start playing with it.

"Ah-ha. I say lightly, smirking at him. "So I've been a good girl, then?"

Finally, I'm blessed with his reluctant chuckle. "Yes, you've been a very good girl." He gives me that look that spells kinky fuckery in giant capital letters.

"I still want to punish you," he whispers.

Oh, my! My inner goddess does a flip dance, and my panties end up getting blissfully soaked.

Thirty minutes later, we're in bed. We both lay there naked, rapt in post-coital bliss, our limbs tangled beneath the sheets.

"That was absolutely amazing," I mumble. Talk about absolute bliss. I lost count after the fourth orgasm. Fifi chooses that moment to climb on the bed and find her spot by the footboard. "I guess she figures it's bedtime," I chuckle. Truth to be told, we had both forgotten about Fifi in the throes of our passionate lovemaking.

Christian leans over and ruffles the Poodle's head. "Goodnight, Fi," he tells her. Fi-fi sniffs his fingers and gives him her best puppy-dog eyes. Christian can't help but smile. And I smile too, knowing that deep down Christian cares for Fi-fi more than he cares to admit.

…...

Sunday morning we take Fifi to see Dr. Adams. Yes, he opened his clinic on the weekend just for us. Thankfully, there's nothing wrong with Fi-fi she's just got a little cold. The visit turns out to be much shorter than yesterdays.

Monday morning, Christian squeezes my hand as we pull outside of SIP, soon to be Grey Publishing.

Christian is in good spirits. I wish I were nearly as optimistic. Sawyer opens the door. I squeeze Christian's hand once more before I climb out onto the sidewalk. As I head into the building, I give him a little wave.

Claire smiles at me from the reception desk and Hannah, assistant, follows me to my office. Hannah is tall and highly efficient. She's always been friendly to me but today she's looking at me differently, the reason, plainly written all over her face.

I'm relieved to find my latte waiting for me at my desk. I take a sip and try to engage in small talk, but I soon give up and get right back to work.

Just before ten Elizabeth comes in. "Hi, Ana. Just wanted to remind you of the meeting after lunch. Roach has a big announcement to make." She smiles, but her smile is forced.

The meeting lasts for two hours. All the editors are there plus Roach and Elizabeth. Roach stands up and announces my new position as head of the company and his own status as my personal assistant. He says all the right things and sounds respectful and professional, but his expression is strained.

There's a huge change in the way my colleagues are treating me, and I absolutely hate it. There's a certain distance and a deference, far worse than when I took over Jack Hyde's job. And from Courtney who heads up the nonfiction division, there's downright hostility. Her body language clearly states she doesn't think I'm qualified to run the business.

Shortly after that, I move into Roach's suite office which has its own in-office bathroom. Even though the office is more spacious and the desk is much more comfortable, I try not to let it go to my head.

As is our ritual on a Monday, Hannah comes into my office with a plate for my packed lunch courtesy of Mrs. Jones, and we sit together to eat our lunches. Hannah goes on to relate the company gossip, letting me know in no uncertain terms she's on my side. I'm grateful to have at least one friend at work. She wants to go on and on about Elizabeth and Roach, but I interrupt her. I can no longer keep hiding from this, and I ask her to retrieve her appointment book. She does as she's told.

"Hannah, can you check last months calendar? I believe I had an appointment with Dr. Greene two weeks ago and it was rescheduled..."

"Hmm...yes." Ana looks up at me nervously. "Actually, that appointment was six weeks ago, and it was moved twice after that."

"WH-what? Hannah...are you telling me I've missed three appointments?" I gape at her. This really can't be happening. Holy shit! Six weeks? "Hannah, get me an appointment with Dr. Greene this afternoon come hell or high water. It's an emergency."

Hannah leaves to call Dr. Greene, and I head to my private bathroom. I quickly pull out a pregnancy test from my purse. I've been carrying that thing around for days, putting off the decision making for when I feel up to it. All of a sudden, I must know, and I can't wait another second to find out. My hands shake as I take out the instructions and read them.

Please no, please no. It's too soon. It's too soon. I mumble to myself. I'm shell-shocked. The test shows two unmistakable pink lines. I'm pregnant.

I wave the stick around, hold it up in against the light, looking at it from different angles, hoping it's just the lighting. But no, the pink lines ARE still bright and pink.

A/N: I know y'all read many stories with Christian's reaction to the pregnancy ( I've only read a couple). Even though I have a plan, I'm also taking requests as I want to write something different. Tell me what you want to see happening, what you DON'T want to see happening. This next chapter is critical for this story. Please help. Your comments often spark new ideas. Often, the difference is in the details. Thanks for helping me write a better story and have a wonderful week.

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