I would like to give thanks to my beta, Sherryola from FF.

A/N: Christian discovers a link with Hyde, Ana gets another lesson in protocol. Christian learns the true meaning of sadism. *** TRIGGER ALERT - An act of extreme violence and cruelty will be discussed after the fact during the investigation of Jack Hyde and Elizabeth Morgan. CONTENT WARNING: Viewer/Reader discretion is advised. The related content may be disturbing to some individuals as it contains allusions to extreme violence and grisly images. ***

Chapter 10: Corrupt

I could corrupt you
In a heartbeat
You think you're so special
Think you're so sweet

What are you trying
Don't even tempt me
Soon you'll be crying
And wishing you'd dreamt me

You'll be calling out my name
When you need someone to blame

I could corrupt you
It would be easy
Watching you suffer
Girl, it would please me

But I wouldn't touch you
With my little finger
I know it would crush you
My memory would linger

You'd be crying out in pain
Begging me to play my games

I could corrupt you
It would be ugly
They could sedate you
But what good would drugs be

But I wouldn't touch you
Put my hands on your hips
It would be too much to
Place my lips on your lips

You'd be calling out my name
Begging me to play my games

-Sawyer takes Mia home at her insistence, while Taylor and Patterson escort us to Escala. I have a lot to think about. Following protocol helped save Mia's life today. The only thing Morgan and Hyde have in common is me. Did they try to kidnap Mia to use her as bait to entrap me?

CPoV

Once upon a time a young woman brought joy, excitement and brilliance into my life, merely by falling into my office. I didn't know it yet, but she was to become the center of my universe. Today, she saved my beloved sister, the first person to give me an inkling that touch didn't always have to hurt, by missing work and helping foil Mia's abduction.

I've always been told that things happen for a reason, but usually it was said that after yet another fucked up thing had happened to me. I don't want to think that hurting Anastasia led directly to Mia being saved, but even allowing for a circuitous route, the correlation is clear. I'll be damned if I continue to allow serendipity to be solely responsible for our safety.

Since someone obviously dropped the ball, Mia's safety was placed in the hands of an alcoholic. What's worse is that GEH has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol and substance abuse, so how did this fucker slip through the cracks? This is a sign, the final fucking straw!

There's a strong chance that if Hyde and Morgan didn't try to kidnap my sister, she could have ended up in a car crash with a drunk driver at the wheel. Our CPOs also function as drivers, who may or may not be armed. Fuck random drug testing; all the people working within my sphere of influence will be tested as soon as possible. This shit is unacceptable.

Once again, Anastasia has shown up my security, helping to identify that fucker Hyde. Ana can be frightfully insightful and observant, which hardens my resolve to never lie to her about anything again, even by omission. She was so infuriated by their attempt; I know she feels personally responsible, yet I still have the niggling feeling this is related to me. If Hyde was trying to hurt Anastasia, he would have targeted Kavanagh. He'd taunted me from the beginning, letting me know how he had Ana under his control and that he was her boss.

Anastasia may be angry, but she's right; there's absolutely no way this is Hyde's first time at the rodeo. And Morgan's up to her eyeballs in this shit, too. They're both sitting in the can, saying nothing. They haven't even lawyered up. Ana thinks they may have had an affair in the past, but that can't be it. Fucking's not nearly enough incentive to kidnap a Grey.

Somehow, he has this bitch where she lives. The SUV was rented in her name, but the contents of the vehicle: chloroform, horse tranquilizer and duct tape, even the gun have Hyde written all over them. The last time I saw him in person, he had assaulted and attempted to rape Ana. Who escalates so quickly from attempted rape to espionage and kidnap, unless violence is his ordinary currency?

Who is Jack Hyde? His file is thin, but everything seems to be there. However, how much would a person really learn about me if they read my file? They wouldn't see my years fucking Elena or my penchant for beating and fucking brown-haired girls who resemble my mother. So clearly such background reports aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Ana has clearly forgotten that the bastard sabotaged Charlie Tango and tried to incinerate GEH's server room.

Now that I know that Morgan most likely drove the car that chased Ana and I down on the highway, and pursued us to Escala, I realize their initial aims were harming or even killing us. Perhaps due to our around-the-clock security, such as it is, abducting Mia was just a ruse to draw us away. One other thought persists: Would I have known Hyde's intentions had Anastasia never applied to SIP?

I made a call to Roach to fire Elizabeth Morgan as soon as I entered my office. When he asked why, I felt like firing him, too. Media coverage of the attempted abduction has saturated all the news outlets. There was a special news alert on all the local stations both TV and radio. How the fucker could've avoided finding out what that bitch attempted is a mystery considering GP's thriving grapevine.

I have Barney and Welch on her e-mails, electronics and financials. I've also directed them to perform an even deeper background check on both of these bastards. I want to know more about this Morgan bitch than her priest and gynecologist. Anastasia claimed there was a connection between Morgan and Hyde, but I just didn't pursue it quickly enough. Well, that was the past. Hyde and Morgan now have my fullest attention.

I attempt to organize my thoughts. These past few days have been filled with one disaster after another. This should be the best time of our lives, yet Anastasia and I have struggled from the very beginning by misunderstandings, mishaps and misadventures. I glance at the framed sonogram photo on my desk. Without fail, every time I attempt to discuss Ana's decision to terminate our baby, babies, there's an interruption. Is Fate's hand at work here?

I'm still somewhat concerned about her determination. What's worse is that she honestly believed that this was something I wanted. While it's true that I never saw biological children in my future, I never saw Anastasia in my future either. If I had known she was coming, I would've run as far and as fast as possible in the opposite direction, and I would've made the biggest mistake of my life.

Anastasia has tried many times to convince me that Elena had abused me. Now, at more than any other time, I'm finally beginning to believe her. Most of the tripe I regurgitated to Ana was spouted from Elena years ago. "Love is for fools… People like us don't need it... Love isn't real… Making love is for pussies... Life is short, fuck hard…They're all a dime a dozen…I don't do more."

I could see how, newly married, Ana would have been terrified to tell me. She might have thought I'd snap when she told me. With a much cooler head, I think she made the decision to save our relationship, though what kind of bond would have remained after such a travesty has yet to be determined.

She has obviously forgotten that she is my more. She's confusing herself with the plethora of replaceable pussy I once had on retainer. Escala used to have a revolving door. As soon as one disappointed or inconvenienced me, they would be efficiently directed out of the apartment, usually by Taylor, kicking and screaming, begging, crying and broken, attempting to retract whatever words or actions which caused me to permanently eject them from my life.

But of all the infractions, the biggest offense they could ever commit was asking me for more. More what? Cock? I had plenty more where that came from. Money? Sure. I'll have it wired to your account posthaste. You want to meet my family? Oh, ho-ho. Silly rabbit. Trix are for kids! Suck my cock and stop talking nonsense. Take you out in public? Whatever for? I'm not an exhibitionist. I'm not taking you anywhere I won't fuck you, and I'll only fuck you here. You want to be my girlfriend? I don't do the girlfriend thing, or the friend thing, for that matter. You want to have my baby? You're a breeder? Pee in this cup, hold your ass cheeks open and wait for the beep. That was a close call. Fuck, that vasectomy is looking better and better right now. Have you read your contract? You want me to meet your parents? What the fuck! Let's imagine the conversation, shall we? How did you two meet? Well, my former Domme procured your subservient daughter for me to beat and fuck in extreme, deviant ways. Please pass the potatoes.

It was baffling that seemingly intelligent, liberated women signing contracts carefully delineating all of the ways I could or could not strike, restrain or fuck them decided to change their minds after a certain number of days or strokes. Almost without fail, they'd start hinting around at the two-and-a-half-month mark when the contract was about to expire. Hard limits would often soften, if not disappear entirely, two weeks before termination or renewal negotiations. I fisted so many pussies and asses in the final days of contracts that I could probably moonlight as a vet birthing calves. There were a couple subs that pissed me off, attempting to breach my hard limits when I began discussing extensions. They must've confused renewal with upgrade. I bound them to the horse, wrote 'fucking idiot' on their backs with permanent marker and fucked them up the ass until they sweat the ink off. The scent of their desperation permeated Escala.

They simply couldn't understand why we couldn't be more when I had only acquired them to scratch an itch, even if it was a rather persistent itch. Beautiful? Of course. Experienced? Vastly. Replaceable? Infinitely. I'd actually lucked out with my preference: petite, pale brunettes. I lived in Washington state; a place where you had to purposely tan not to be pale. I'd started my sex life with a cougar, so they didn't even have to be particularly young. All they needed was the ability to fuck for hours, take whatever I dished out, come when allowed and leave when commanded. Who knew there were so many pretty little masochists in the world? My cup runneth over.

Leila Williams was a sweet ride. The perfect submissive. Supple. Flexible. She took everything I gave and begged for more. Then she asked for the dreaded more and ruined it all. All of that lovely convenience. Gone in a blink. Oops! She was crazy in love and wanted to complicate our arrangement. She had met someone who would give her that elusive more, and I was pleased for her once I was convinced she hadn't risked my dick and my health by fucking around; better her than me. I even let her carry on a one-sided e-mail thread regaling me with fantasies of their wonderful life together, since she stayed the longest but was the only one to leave without much of a fuss. I didn't watch much television but she was like a one-woman reality show. Absolutely no way in hell was love and marriage going to work for her unless her husband had a fucking machine and wasn't afraid to use it.

Elena was pissed off. She took Leila being such a flake as a personal affront. People she made introductions for leaving the community made her look bad, especially when their desertion cost her fifty grand a head. Hopefully, when Leila regained her senses, Elena would take her back. Elena wouldn't send her my way; I've never taken a sub back after our arrangement ended. Sex was one area in my life where I never recycle, much to Elena's chagrin. She was the one who taught me to never look back and keep my eyes on the prize. Perhaps she would match Leila with some wealthy, older Dom desiring arm-candy.

What irked me most was going back to the drawing board, waiting for Elena to send a batch of files and using Barney and Welch to investigate the lucky bitch who drew the short straw. After they'd compiled the usual blackmail file, I'd have to get to know her, from her hard and soft limits to her circadian rhythm and fertility cycle, so she didn't get any crazy ideas to bond or breed. That had happened of course, attempted breeding. There was a reason I'd bought out the drugstore's supply of pregnancy, ovulation and fertility test kits and kept updated menstruation trackers. I was rich, disgustingly wealthy and apparently possessed great genes based on most of the subs' stupefied expressions when they got their first look at me.

There was no way I was entering monogamous contractual arrangements with these creatures just to have to wrap it up. They had to submit to me in all things: urinalysis, blood tests, drug tests, STD tests, full panels; I even had a nutritionist generate food plans based on their test results. I needed them healthy to prevent illnesses that required antibiotics because antibiotics nullify birth control. Yes, I was that paranoid because, yes, they were out to get me. And yes, all of this was required before they got a gander of me or my contract.

I knew that Ana worries about these women, especially Elena and Leila, but truthfully, I couldn't see it. Elena was very old news who struggled to remain relevant. I felt tremendous guilt that our affair destroyed her marriage, resulting in injuries requiring two surgeries and near destitution. Yet Elena was the one who came on to me, and held on far longer than I ever desired. I provided all the startup funds for Esclava and even gave her the land for its first shop. Sometimes, she reminds me that she 'saved' me and gave me the one hundred thousand I needed to form GEH, and I have to laugh.

She had, and still has, no concept of money. She may have loaned me a hundred grand of Linc's money, but she didn't put in the hundred hour plus workweek that I maintained for the first several years. She didn't put together a team of economists, lawyers, publicists, engineers and scientists. She wasn't glad-handing with heads of state. That shit was all me. Besides, a loan isn't a gift. When Carrick cut me off and Grace covered her eyes and ears to his shit, my mother's father took a chance on me, and loaned me the additional nine hundred thousand dollars needed (quickly liquidating assets and leveraging some debt). He was pissed at Carrick's reaction to me dropping out of Harvard. Apparently, Daddy Warbucks had forgotten that most of the money in our trusts was put there by Theodore Trevelyan himself. It wasn't as if I had decided to take a gap year, or join a commune. I had withdrawn from Harvard with a 4.0 GPA, rowing and taking honors classes. It was really fucked up that he wouldn't allow me to access my trust. All the money I needed and more was there, even allowing for taxes and early-withdrawal penalties.

I had a kick-ass, yet time-sensitive, business plan, requiring immediate action. My age was already working against me; the last thing I needed was to be a part-time business owner because I had classes to attend. School was in my fucking way. My grandfather, understanding my vision, realized that my window of opportunity was a rapidly-shrinking crack and, loaned me the money and acted as a mentor the first few months. The cost of failure was high. Not only would I have to find a way to pay them back, I'd have to return to school. We made a gentleman's agreement that not even Grace knew about, thus Elena never knew. It didn't matter, as I had soon repaid them both tenfold. I tried to give my grandfather an interest in GEH, but he refused, saying that seeing me succeed and while watching his son-in-law squirm was enough reward. When Elena's business suffered a few setbacks, I became a silent, yet majority stakeholder.

Leila was a sadness. She reminded me of the crackwhore, only she didn't die on me. She was the sub that held out the longest; I was convinced she was a true devotee to the lifestyle. That's why I continued to renew her contract again and again. I never expected for her to try to attach herself to me with anything other than her mouth, pussy or ass. Hearts and flowers? I felt terribly sorry for her husband since she ran off with him into the sunset whilst ostensibly 'in love' with me. Usually people getting married have experienced some form of limerence, but unfortunately Leila was simply in love with being loved, so she could just transfer her emotions from one guy to the next in a snap. Love really was for fools.

When she made her less than triumphant return, I was disgusted to learn that she was mourning the death of her love. What? Love didn't work so she thought I'd help her get back in the saddle? Her husband had given her the shaft when she fucked around on him. I was mightily pissed because now she was bringing her problems to my door. This was exactly the type of messiness I'd spent almost half my life avoiding. I had to pay her husband thousands just for him to inform us that he had cut her loose. And in an almost gleeful tone, he announces that her lover died in a car accident. Perhaps he considered it cosmic justice for Leila fucking around on him, but to me, it was just a colossal annoyance.

It was obvious I couldn't send her to Elena in her condition. Elena would take one look at her and direct her to the nearest street corner. Then she would become the crackwhore instead of just looking like her, and it would be my fault for not rescuing her from love by keeping her on a much shorter leash as a sub. I could have convinced her, but once she got that infernal more idea in her head, I only saw tears, paternity and palimony suits in my future.

Further muddying the waters was my burgeoning pursuit of Anastasia Steele at the time. She had turned my world on its ear, and it showed. Moment by moment, layer upon layer, she was revealing my belief system to be faulty and ridiculous. Within days of requiring her to sign the usual NDA and trying to stuff her into the submissive box, I was taking pictures with her, meeting her parents and introducing her to my family. I had even followed her to Georgia where we chased the dawn. I held desperately to my rules and expectations to the last, but in a choice between my former, secret, sterile, carefully controlled associations and a deeply sensual, passionate (and public) relationship with Anastasia, she won, hands down. I hadn't become a billionaire by letting the best deal in my life slip through my fingers.

I was jealous over a woman for the first time. Before, I had not cared if a sub had ridden hundreds of dicks before she got under mine. I was just grateful that they were well broken in, could exercise their Kegels and never safe-worded. However, Anastasia was all mine. It wasn't just her virginity, because I dispensed with that flap of skin as soon as possible. Stupid me, I thought planting my flag would be enough to extinguish the endless fascination I had with her. If anything, it got worse. She should have come with a fucking warning label.

I thought that her appeal was between her legs and if I just had her once, I would be replete, satisfied with my knowledge of her, so that I could move on in my usual way. Unfortunately, my condition was much worse than envisaged. She was my addiction, but the side effects were insane. People, mother especially, started looking at me as if I was normal for once. There was actually someone at my side that I wasn't embarrassed to be seen with in public. No, Christian Grey was not gay, sorry ladies, and gents. He just wasn't into you. I began receiving more invitations with reservations for plus ones when I'd only just labelled her a friend.

Elena was self-elected to talk me down. She couldn't understand why I had to change my way of thinking. Why didn't I just take Anastasia's refusal as read and find another sub? She had several great choices in reserve. Why was I taking pictures with a woman? She was shocked that I had introduced her to Grace. She wasn't in the lifestyle? Why was I texting at the table? Smiling? Somehow our weekly dinner to discuss her salons had devolved into unwanted, unsolicited advice about where I inserted my cock. She asked me if I was in love. Then she told me that I was. When I put her in her place, she encouraged me to seek Ana in Savannah. Maybe she was using reverse psychology, but it didn't matter since Elena's words and my conscience were saying the same fucking thing: go get your woman.

I needed Ana, and I didn't need anyone. She was a thrill surpassing sex, drugs and music and she had pulled me far beyond the borders of reason. And that's why every other ball got dropped. A year ago, I would've had Leila on the slow-boat to bum-fuck Egypt had she appeared in Escala uninvited. However, the sum of my vigilance was directed toward a young woman barely out of university. Everything about her enticed me. I knew I was smothering her because I had never focused so much of my attention on anyone. She had rendered me awestruck, so it was only fair that I overwhelmed her, too.

It didn't help that she was fucking blind to her attributes. It's as if she had never looked in a mirror or something. There was absolutely no vanity in her. That shit just wasn't normal, especially when I could see the line of bastards salivating after her and trying to get into her panties with my own fucking eyes. Paul Clayton, Jose Rodriguez, Ethan Kavanagh, her goatfucker of a boss, Jack Hyde, and quite a few nameless undergrads and men on the street. I'm surprised she wasn't knocked over by the rush of testosterone and pheromones as she entered a room. Even women wanted a piece of what was mine!

Now, married to her, I still can't get enough. She has absolutely no idea just how fucking serious I was about abducting her for 24/7 TPE before we started seeing each other exclusively. She had me completely unhinged. I felt sorry for Ray, trying to keep a little girl, who must've been utterly fabulous even as a teen, safe from all the horny bastards in Montesano. He told me she never dated, and only went to Montesano High's homecoming and prom because he forced her to observe those rites of passage. How could she not notice men adjusting their pants to hide erections popping up wherever she goes?

So yes, I had lo-jacked my wife. If I couldn't be with her, I was at least going to know where the hell she was so I could have some idea of who was even looking at was mine. Unfortunately, my obsession and worry about Ana's had influenced Taylor to devise the unthinkable. He told me we had to scare her into security because she didn't follow protocol and didn't respect the danger she was in. Of course she didn't respect it. It's not as if I or anyone else ever sat her down to explain it. Still, I allowed this shit to happen because deep down, and sometimes bubbling up to the surface, I was still pissed about the bitter confrontation that got this train rolling. I had forgiven her, but I hadn't forgotten and I'd be damned if I let her risk herself, or our two babies inside or outside her, ever again. I'm glad she didn't leave, although she was currently torturing me by staying away in her study.

I hear the tone as someone seeks entry to the apartment. Soon, Taylor enters my office ushering in Welch and Barney. I knew they were delivering bad news, as I had not summoned any of them. That, and they all looked noticeably aged by the knowledge of whatever the fuck it was. A voice told me to call Anastasia into the room. She hates secrecy. I used the house intercom to tell Ana we had visitors in my office and I wanted her to join us.

The men looked decidedly uncomfortable with that, but fuck them. It totally defeated the purpose to keep her out of the loop when they were here, if I was only going to inform her as soon as they left. Ana may as well get whatever it is straight from the horse's mouth.

As Ana walked in, the rest of us stood to our feet, retaking our seats. Ana came around and sat on my lap, since there were no other chairs available. Lucky me. Or so I thought, until Welch opened his mouth and took us both on what seemed to be a field trip exploring the circles of Hell.

WARNING: TRIGGER ALERT - Search for "safe 2 read" to avoid this passage

"After Hyde and Morgan arrived at the police station, they were immediately processed, "Welch began. We knew this, so why the intro? He continued, "Hyde's file was expedited, since he's already in the system and his injuries had to be treated. Elizabeth Morgan, on the other hand, was the wildcard. You have to understand that neither requested an attorney nor would they answer questions. You're for all intents and purposes the crown prince of King's County. The police had to be seen to be doing something besides putting your enemies in time-out, so they searched Morgan's prints against the known fingerprints in the AFIS database. Honestly, sir, ma'am, no-one expected a hit, let alone two."

Two hits? This bitch committed at least two other crimes? I was afraid to ask; turns out, I didn't have to, as Welch began to speak again.

"The first instance of the print being entered into the system is a missing persons case. A coed freshman disappeared from her dorm about ten years ago, but the case was ice-cold. Her single dorm was wiped clean; cops only found a partial print of an index finger. Her parents had some important friends, so the city casts its nets every year for new clues and leads."

"What was her name?" Ana asks, with a trembling voice.

"The coed's name was Jaime Wren. Here's a photo," Barney offers, showing us a photo of a petite, redhead with green eyes, standing with a much older couple. Grandparents? "The couple pictured with her are her parents. She was their only child, born late in their lives."

The beautiful, happy family staring up at me was missing an essential component. Jamie Wren. Jamie Bird. Baby Bird. "There was no evidence of foul play, but there was really no evidence at all, except the partial. The problem was that Jaime was a brilliant student, dependable worker and dutiful daughter. She always called her parents faithfully and sent letters once or twice a month. Her room was clean, but all of her things were there. Nothing was missing, not even her keys. It was if she had just simply vanished from her room."

"And you're saying that only a partial print was found?" I asked. How did they link that to Morgan?

"Only a partial print was found in Jaime's dorm room," Welch said. "However, Morgan's full print was found almost a year ago on the plastic sheeting wrapped around the body of a young woman, found in a shallow grave… The body was discovered by a woman walking her dog. Looks like Fido retrieved part of the victim's hand when he returned a bone to his owner."

And with that Ana fled from my lap, diving for the wastebasket, where she emptied the contents of her stomach. What the hell? Elizabeth Morgan killed someone? I pulled Ana gently to me, offering her some water and a handkerchief. What weren't they telling us?

"This victim had been forcibly raped and tortured for days; there was extensive vaginal tearing, handprint shaped bruises and she had ligature marks around her throat, wrists and ankles," Welch told us. I felt the bile climbing up my throat. "Police identified her from her fingerprints. Her parents had registered her in some child safety database. The heavy rain had washed away the soil before it could harden. The body had only been in the ground a day or two."

"But she was raped, Mr. Welch. I thought you said Eliza-," Anastasia began.

"Just Welch, ma'am. It's true. There was also at least one male perpetrator, at least for the rape portion and the hand-shaped bruises, but saliva was found on the victim's eyelids. The body was cleaned pretty thoroughly after the assault, but between the time of the cleansing and the wrapping… There's no other way to say it, ma'am. We believe Ms. Morgan must've spit in the victim's face."

Oh my God. What the fuck was this bitch into? Anastasia was leaning into my chest, tears sliding down her cheeks. Silently sobbing and trembling. "So you think Ms. Morgan had help?" Ana asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Grey, that's what we suspect," Barney offered. "This is partly why we're here. We have other information that the police do not, that would help in their investigation, However, if we submit it, there would be no way to keep this out of the media."

"Why not? What's the problem?" Ana inquired.

"Ms. Morgan's background report has her attending the same university at the same time as the missing girl," Barney said. "When Mr. Grey told us to focus on any connections with Jack Hyde, we only had to look up his resume. Morgan, Hyde and the missing girl all attended Princeton."

Taylor finally broke in to add that the woman whose body was found had been looking for work through an employment agency. "SIP was listed as one of the places she had applied to."

"There's more, sir. When we completed our deep background check on Hyde, we discovered he had a sealed juvenile file. Since we couldn't get into it without leaving an obvious trail, we decided to look deeper into his time in foster care. Considering his obsession with both you and Mrs. Grey, we also cross-referenced your background checks with that of Hyde and Morgan. While Mrs. Grey didn't cross paths with either of them until her interview at SIP, you crossed paths with Hyde when you were four years old. You lived together at the Collier residence for two months while you were both in foster care."

TRIGGER ALERT END - safe 2 read

Foster care? I was adopted by the Greys. Grace was my mother! I could recall everything else from my early life with startling clarity, no matter how much I'd have loved to repress it; I would have remembered being in foster care, wouldn't I? I closely examined an old photo Barney handed to me. Pictured is a slightly threadbare middle-aged couple standing behind several children. I'm the emaciated one in the front, holding a ragged blanket. Apparently, I was a thumb-sucker. Standing in the row behind me is a sour-faced Jack Hyde, future delinquent.

Anastasia is rubbing my shoulders, comforting me. Did I zone out again? Ana says something to Taylor; I must be worse off than I thought if she's actually speaking to him. I've seen Taylor lurking about, waiting for an opportunity to come clean or some shit, but Anastasia isn't having it. It must seriously be fucking his life that Ana is such an excellent cook, because he can't even send in Gail to soften Ana up. Gail comes in, cleans and leaves. Ana makes herself scarce, and my words about engaging with the staff have stymied any of their efforts. I'd speak up for them if Ana wasn't using my stupid rules against me. What could I say? It's OK to like them now?

"Barney, Alex; I know you can't open the sealed file, but there's nothing stopping you from following up with the other children he spent time with in foster care, is there?" she asked. "He's obsessed with my husband, and referred to him as an Ivy league frat boy, even though he graduated from Princeton and Christian dropped out of Harvard. I'd hate to think he's petty enough to be carrying a grudge against my husband from something he may have done when he was four, but stranger things have happened."

"Yes, ma'am," the three wise men intoned. When did they come to the conclusion she was in charge? I looked down at her sad, determined face and thought, I stand corrected, nothing to see here folks. Carry on.

"Guys, I think we have to assume that missing girl is dead too. I read about a murder in Texas that happened years ago. A guy cheated on his girlfriend and they murdered the girl to re-purify their love. Elizabeth Morgan seems vindictive enough. You should send some investigators to Princeton. I'm sure Elizabeth and Jack both knew Jamie Wren. They probably know where she is right now."

I added, "Look into all the places Hyde and Morgan may have worked, lived or even visited on vacation. See if you can correlate those locations with any missing persons."

The men nod and depart. Ana is grasping me so tightly, it almost hurts. She whispers, "They killed those women, didn't they?"

"I think they may have, baby," I said, wishing with everything that it wasn't so. Bonnie and Clyde, Morgan and Hyde. It may not have stopped at two. There was a significant gap of time between their attendance at Princeton and employment at SIP. These sick fucks may have been at this shit for years and there's a large stretch of land between New Jersey and Washington state.

Flynn's right, I'm not a sadist. At least I'm not quite that far along the spectrum, but there's absolutely no way I can discuss this with him. I've lost a great deal of confidence in him and to be honest, I'm not flourishing. I've outgrown him and he's coming very close to becoming a Yes-man, which is the last person a Dom needs in a therapist.

"Ana, can I come with you the next time you see Dr. Weiss?" I asked.

"Of course you can come. I want you to. She does couple's therapy, too," she replied helpfully.

"That's great, but I think I might need to talk with her about my own issues."

"What about Flynn?"

"I think we both know that ship has sailed. This is far beyond his paygrade. Besides, I thought you didn't like him."

Warily, she says, "Honestly, I would not care if I actually thought he was helping you, but I don't believe he is. Besides, he's a terrible couple's therapist. I left his office, afraid because I had already said yes."

Well, that's that, I suppose. It's all over but the crying.

The door chimes again. Just as I was wondering who could be at our door now, Anastasia leapt off my lap and sprints out of my office. I got up to follow her. Our new guests were my parents.

Ana comes over to me and says in a low voice, "I had Taylor contact your parents. Chances are, if you knew Hyde when you were four, they might have met him, too. They've brought your adoption records."

And the truth shall set you free. Well, we'll see about that.

E/N: FF is being terrible with reviews. Sometimes I cannot view or reply to any. I had a review wondering if Ana dislikes the house on the Sound because CG picked it. Not so. She loves the house; CG is the one who wanted to tear it down and build anew. She wants to put her stamp on their residence, not turn it into Bachelor Pad 2.0, like Escala or GEH: sleek, glass, modern.

Ana's pissed at Gail because Gail knew all the security measures and could have easily had Leila captured (and treated) by simply hitting one of many silent alarms. Besides, she sees Taylor and Gail as a unit. Since her 'abduction' all Ana sees is people arrayed against her and she's trying to put an end to that.

Neither have CG nor Ana have forgotten the planned termination. He forgave her, but Christian has really not forgotten. Do you think he could? I just thought it would be better handled in the therapist's office.

Guests: I understand you may not always be able to login, but please leave your name or username so I can respond to your reviews. I don't want to be stuck moderating truly anonymous guest reviews. I have been approving them indiscriminately, but that will stop.

Next post: Grace and Carrick help Christian fill in the blanks. Another outing with Patterson. Ana tells Ray about Jose's stalking and subsequent attack. CG discovers something naughty in Anastasia's search history.

As always, teasers for new chapters are at FSoG Fanfic Obsessed FB.

Feel free to swim on over.
Thank you for reading.
Nichole Stewart FB