Ana's head snapped up and stared at the brother who had betrayed Christian. "Christian." Elliot's voice shook. He stared at him, awe and disbelief warring to dominate his features. His brother looked good, incredible in fact. The sight made him ashamed of the way he looked, he was a drunken mess most of the time, he knew he looked no better right then.

"Baby, ready to go?" Christian asked ignoring Elliot. Deep down he knew what it was like when Elena had her claws firmly in you. A big part of him understood Elliot keeping quiet. Fear and guilt were strong emotions all on their own, but combine the two, and you were sunk. With the Grey's refusing to believe him why wouldn't his brother keep his mouth shut, it didn't mean he wasn't deeply hurt by it. Right now, he just wasn't ready to deal with him.

"Yes, let's get out of here." She quickly shuffled out of the booth and into Christian's arms.

"Christian, please… I…" He wasn't sure what to say. Should he admit to his brother he knew he wasn't a rapist, but a victim? Should he say he was sorry he made no effort to contact him in the last four years because he was ashamed and drowning in guilt? In the end, he said nothing but followed them out of the restaurant hoping something would come to him.

"Christian, just one minute." He tried again as his brother helped the girl into a town car. "I should have said something, looked for you after you left… I don't know why I didn't do anything to help…" that stopped Christian in his footsteps just as Elliot rushed forward and gripped his arm.

"Take. Your. Fucking. Hands. Off me." Elliot couldn't believe the look of disdain staring back at him.

Without a word, Christian reached into his back pocket pulled out his wallet and took out a folded picture and tossed it at Elliot before getting into the car.

He watched the car disappear around the corner before he bent over and picked up the picture. He quickly dropped it and sunk to his knees. The knowledge that Christian had known about his time with Elena shook him to his core. Christian was the reason his pictures had not been among the other victims. His brother had taken it, he had proof the entire time that he had hung him out to dry. And just now he had lied about why he had done nothing, why he hadn't come to his defense or looked for him.

Elliot recognized the town car as part of a fleet belonging to The Fairmont. He picked up the picture, got to his feet and walked to his truck. After driving to The Fairmont, he found it impossible to get out of the car. His phone vibrated on the passenger seat, but he ignored it. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody but Christian and yet he had no idea what to say to his brother. He had the perfect opportunity to tell him why, and instead he had lied. After another hour he drove off and headed for the nearest bar. If what he felt before was guilt, he had no idea what he was feeling now. Whatever it was, it was eating away at his insides.

Can't say you don't deserve it.

Christian was surprisingly calm about his encounter with his brother. He had no intention of revealing what he knew about Elliot and Elena, but to have Elliot lie as to why he did nothing was a step he couldn't ignore. Christian had carried that picture as a reminder of the level of betrayal his brother was capable of. As much as he was angry and disappointed with Elliot's behavior, he also remembered the brother he had growing up. He had kept Elliot's pictures out the stack he gave to the old man. He knew the old man would not have kept quiet about Elliot's involvement had he known. The Grey's would have found out years ago about their mistake had the old man known about Elliot. He knew that wasn't the reason he didn't tell him about Elliot, for some odd reason back then he wanted his brother to save face, or at least that is what he told himself.

"Christian." Ana drew his attention to the here and now. He looked around to find they were back at The Fairmont. "Are you okay?"

"I always thought I was too hard on him… right then he had a perfect opportunity to come clean, but instead, he chose to lie. He had no idea I knew about him and Elena and attempted a way back into my life with a lie. Who in their right mind wants to build a relationship on a bed of lies? There was a part of me that knew I would always forgive him, that was also part of protecting him… keeping his secret. That little bit of guilt I had left about running away instead of facing the truth with them… today his actions just evaporated that. I want nothing to do with the three of them, and you know what I am really at peace with it." He smiled down at her, and indeed she could see it.

Back in the suite Christian still couldn't shake something about Elliot. He knew what been under Elena's claws could do to a person. He wasn't the only boy, he wasn't the first and more than likely the last boy to fall for Elena's machinations. That afternoon, after his parents walked in on them, he was still in the mindset of defending Elena so he could understand Elliot keeping quiet. Today something just didn't click, why would he not tell the truth, if he genuinely wanted a relationship with Christian why not tell him why he had kept quiet. Christian could understand guilt, understand the anger, understand the shame, but today that was not what he saw. He saw some form of guilt and shame, but what he certainly didn't see was anger. Why the hell is Elliot Grey not angry about what Elena did, why is he still keeping quiet? Carrick and Grace know who Elena is so why is Elliot not telling them his story.

What possible reason could he have to keep quiet?

"Welch, I need you to look into Elliot Grey."

"What am I looking for?" Welch asked already on his computer.

"Everything, go back at least ten years." Somewhere in that time, he knew he would find the answers he was looking for.

"On it, I should have something for you by the end of business tomorrow."

"Thanks, Welch." He tossed the phone on the armchair across from him and slumped sideways on the couch.

"You think he took money to keep quiet," Ana uttered the very thought he'd been afraid to give voice to. If that was true, there was forgiving Elliot, not today, not ever.

"I don't know if that makes it worse or better. I find myself hoping Elena gave him the money like she intended to do with me when I dropped…" he yanked his hair and let out a loud yell. "Except, Elliot didn't drop out of college and therefore got access to his trust fund.

"Maybe it's not money." Ana murmured.

"You don't believe that any more than I do." He said with a humorless chuckle. "No point in speculating I have Welch looking into it. I will call you when I know." He put his hand out for her. She joined him on the couch laying her head on his chest. "This is not the weekend I had in mind when I asked you to meet me here." He apologized, not that she felt he needed to.

"There is nothing wrong with our weekend, we still have a few hours left and can make the most of it." She runs her fingers under his shirt.

"That's an idea I can get with."

"What did Robert say?" Grace was on her feet eager for news.

"He's going to be there tonight, GEH bought six plates," Carrick said bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"We have to have a few minutes to apologize and hope he will understand why we jumped to the conclusion we did," Carrick mutters.

"I think he does… our refusal to listen when he tried to tell us what had been going on is the issue. How do we make him understand? How do you make anyone understand our reasons for not listening to our child?" Grace found herself on the verge of tears.

"I don't know… I was in shock with the sight before us, and then we chose to listen to Elena. When he left, she sat there and she told us it wasn't the first time. She told us he had been forcing himself on her for over a year. We had no reason to believe otherwise considering everything we saw." Carrick sat down, his elation at getting to talk to Christian that evening was quickly evaporating. "We chose to listen to Elena, but refused to listen to our son… why didn't we give him a minute to tell us his side of the story." He added.

"My parents will not answer my call," Grace whispered.

"When we get back to Seattle we can go and see them." Carrick wondered if they'd even open the door.

Grace couldn't care less about the décor, or indeed what the charity was in aid off. She wanted a moment to beg for forgiveness. She didn't care what she had to do, she just needed to admit to Christian she now knew she was wrong. "Aren't you a long way from home." Anders Brava commented strolling over to the Greys with his wife on his hand. Carrick knew Brava well, he was a protégé of Theo and a very well respected litigator. He had wiped the floor with Carrick a few times. Carrick knew he moved to New York a few years ago and was now in mergers and acquisitions.

"Brava, I heard you were applying your trade in these parts." Carrick griped looking around for any sign of Christian.

"Yes, you must have blown out a huge sigh of relief when you heard the news." He quipped.

"Enjoy your evening, Brava," Carrick mumbled through gritted teeth as he pulled Grace away to their table. He had managed to get a table next to GEH's, it cost a considerable amount of money, but it was worth it as far as he was concerned.

He had the shock of his life when Brava pulled his wife's chair out of her at the very table he was keeping an eye on. "That is Christian's table…" Grace started.

"I know," Carrick whispered. After another fifteen minutes and with no sign of Christian, Carrick spotted Robert and made a beeline for him.

"Carrick, I was just coming over. I've just been informed that Christian will not be attending." Carrick shut his eyes trying to stamp down on the disappointment threatening to overwhelm him. This had been their one real chance to talk to him.

"Carrick," Grace called out. He turned around knowing something was wrong. "It's Elliot… we should go. It's Christian… I think it's about Christian." Carrick took her hand but was stopped by Robert.

"You are going to leave two chairs up front empty. You asked for a huge favor, and I burned bridges to make it happen. Now you are going to leave me hanging.

With a sigh, Carrick turned them back to the table, it was the last place either of them wanted to be, but Robert was not a bridge they'd want to burn.

Over an hour and a half later they were on their way back up to their room. They had booked a room at the Ritz Carlton the same place the charity dinner was held. "What did he say?" He asked Grace.

"I couldn't hear him, there was too much noise in both backgrounds. It sounded like it was about Christian. I told him we would call him back. Carrick shrugged his suit off and called Elliot. "Elliot." He could hear him crying.

"He is in town… Christian is staying at the Fairmont with his girlfriend… he called her baby…. so yeah…"

"Christian is in Seattle." Grace slumped on the couch in disbelief. They flew all the way here to accost him at a charity function, and he was in Seattle. Carrick put the phone on speaker.

"He looked at me with so much hatred…" Elliot wept. "I couldn't get a word out of him until I touched him… the disgust… like I was the worst kind of vermin… told me to take my fucking hands off him. He really hates me... I didn't accuse him of a damn thing." He still couldn't bring himself to admit why Christian couldn't stand the sight of him.

"We are coming home," Carrick said hanging up. Grace was already up and packing while Carrick called the airline to get the first flight home, but stopped. "He will come back here. This is his home, Seattle was temporary, and if we go back, we will more than likely miss him. I say we stay for the planned week."

"And what if he doesn't care to hear what we have to say. You heard Elliot, he didn't accuse Christian of rape… we did. Why would he want to see us when he couldn't stand the sight of his brother?"

"We have to at least try."

"Ana, you already showered," Christian warned as she sauntered into the shower.

"I know, but I don't feel clean enough." She runs a finger over his fast growing erection.

"And you think this will do it?" he moaned as she gripped his cock. "Oh, fuck it." He lifted her up and held her against the glass. She giggled and lowered herself on his erection with a moan. Pinning her against the wall, he started undulating his hips slowly. Ana threw her head back against the glass as she felt every bit of him against her walls. "Christian, please… more." He pulled out slowly and pushed back in just as slowly, but before her frustration could get the better of her, he really started to move. He kept pumping his hips until she came hard and loud. With a few more thrust he followed with a grunt.

"There is something to be said for spontaneity." He remarked while she climbed down his body. She chuckled as she got cleaned up. When she had told Christian he didn't need a condom the look on her face had her laughing for the better part of fifteen minutes. She certainly didn't understand the big deal until they had sex and he was the one laughing then. She loved it when he had that carefree look about him. The look that showed his past wasn't on his mind in the least bit. Of course, there were moments when he would sit there with a far off look. She'd immediately know he was back in his head and that was never a good thing.

She looked through the digital camera he'd got her when they were in New York looking at the pictures she'd taken of their weekend. There were several with his grandparents as well, she looked forward to sending him those.

"Ana, your driver is here." Her shoulders dropped. Even though she knew this moment was coming it wasn't any easier.

"I will see you in a couple of weeks or next week if you decide to surprise me." He looked so hopeful she would visit New York the following week, she decided to do just that.

"I can't wait for college to be over." It sounded very much like she would be moving to New York after she graduated.

"Come, let's get you to the car before I can't let you go." He realized her leaving or him leaving wasn't getting any easier for either of them.

The walk to the elevator, the elevator ride to the lobby, the walk through the lobby was all done in silence, each dreading the moment they will part.

"I will call you before I board the flight, you should be home by then." He wanted to say so much more.

"I will see you soon." She also wanted to say so much more. She got in the car and shut the door willing herself not to cry.

It's only a week, seven days.

The minute the car drove past the block, she knew she had to do it. "STOP." She opened the car door. "Circle the block." She rushed out as she bolted back to the hotel. She found him just as he entered the elevator. She ran after him and jumped in before the doors closed.

"Ana, what the…"

"I love you." She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you. I had to tell you even if you are not there yet, I needed you to know where I stood." She blubbered.

"I love you too." The elation he felt from uttering those words could not be adequately described. "I love you so fucking much." He said again. She finally let him go and looked at him. She saw the tears swimming in his eyes. "I have loved you since you startled me in the kitchen." He admitted.

"I have loved you since you moaned at the taste of my meatball marinara." He lifted her off the floor and kissed her. Ana opened her mouth and welcomed the kiss, her tongue dancing around his, as he held her tight afraid she would disappear. His life had been one fucking nightmare after another. By all accounts, if real life was a nightmare, this must be a dream. Things like this didn't happen to him, and yet there she was in his arms, telling him she loved him.

This isn't a dream, she is not going to disappear… this is indeed your life now.