A/N: I thought I'd try Taylor's POV. See how Taylor is fairing twenty years later. I hope you enjoy.
I do not own the characters. They belong to E.L. James. This is just for fun.
~o0o~
Taylor's Late Night Thoughts
"How are you holding up Jason?"
"Nervous as hell, Gail. How long is this going to take? It's already past midnight."
"It'll take as long as that grandchild of yours wants it to take," she tells me as she gently squeezes my hand.
~o0o~
I can't believe my baby is having a baby. I'm going to be a Grandfather. A cool, bad ass, pistol packing Grandfather, that is. I hope Sophie is alright. I hate to think she's in any pain. Her labor has been going on forever.
I spot her mother across the waiting room with her moron husband. Bitch! I put on my "mask of civility" as Gail calls it when I'm forced into social situations with that wench. And I've been scolded by my wife to "play nice." enough times today. I'll keep a polite distance and avoid her.
Sophie's wedding was the last time I had to see her. I have to laugh when I think about it. The ex's invites were her equally bitchy sisters and her trashy family and friends. Mine were my beautiful wife, my sharp dressed security detail. and a family of fucking billionaires. Bitch was speechless when the Grey family actually showed up at the wedding; I thought she'd die right there on the spot. Fucking Priceless! Of course, they'd come to the wedding. She didn't realize that there is the high level of respect and, yeah maybe you'd call it friendship, between me and my employer. And they adore Sophie, of course.
Who would have thought I'd still be with them after all these years. They sure put my nerves thru the ringer. Actually, it was Grey who put me thru the ringer….with his twisted lifestyle and hot temper.
I never approved of his lifestyle, neither did Gail. But they were all consenting adults. Not sure why someone would consent to having the shit beat out of them. But it was none of my business if it was consensual. Whatever floats your boat.
Truth be told, when Ana came around, Gail and I were both thrilled for him and afraid for her. We knew what a twisted son of a bitch Grey was. She was so sweet, young, and innocent. In the end, she was a breath of fresh air and brought some laughter and life into the penthouse. He was happy. I never thought I'd see Grey genuinely happy. For such a fragile looking girl, she challenged him and certainly didn't take his crap.
Except for that once. It still makes me angry to even think about what must have gone on in that playroom. But she smartened up and left him. That was a pretty dark time. The penthouse was so… still. Uncomfortably still.
I watched Grey quietly crumble into little pieces. The guy was never much of a talker, unless it was to yell at someone, but this was a whole different level of quiet. I was nervous for him. I had no idea how he was going to cope. I don't think he had a clue how he was going to cope. He was completely lost… working on a fucking model plane kit, like his life depended on it.
When they got back together, something seemed to click into place for Grey. And after seeing her, with her distressing weight loss, it was clear to me that these two were miserable without each other. When he told me to get rid of the whips, canes and all that shit, I knew they reached a turning point. He wasn't going to hurt her. He was giving up that shit, just to have her be a part of his life. It was clear that things would be different, good different.
Not that Ana didn't give up things to be with Grey too. In many ways, I think she gave up a whole lot more. Anonymity, mostly. The paparazzi were relentless when they got word about them. That poor girl couldn't cross the street without being accosted with cameras flashing in her face, no matter how hard her security tried to shield her. They'd try to follow her into bathrooms, stores, everywhere... just to get a statement from the girl who captured the intensely private billionaire's heart.
She lost a lot of her personal freedom. She always had security detail attached to her. Mostly Luke. Lucky they got along so well. I don't thing Grey was too fond of their friendship at first, jealous bastard that he is. Her friend Kate used to give her a pretty hard time about the extra baggage she had. But when you're married to Mr. Control Freak of the Century and you're richer than fuck, it's a necessary evil. Must have been hard for her to go from a simple uncomplicated life, to never going anywhere alone. I think once they had their kids, she understood why Grey was in a constant state of worry for her safety, as she began to realize what being Mrs. Grey or Grey Jr. entailed.
How she deals with his hot temper is beyond me. The woman has the patience of a saint. He sure as hell doesn't deserve her. At least the bastard knows it and that keeps him in check.
All in all, I have no complaints. In all that Grey craziness, I found Gail. I can't imagine a day without this woman. She is the glue that holds me together. Took me forever to convince her to marry me, but when she finally agreed, it was the happiest day of my life. I don't know what I did in another life, to win such a prize in this one, but I'm grateful everyday.
~o0o~
It's 2:00 am and the waiting room doors open. Sophie's husband Steve comes out, looking exhausted and ecstatic at the same time.
"It's a girl! Sophie did great. The baby is great."
Thank fuck! Mom and baby are well! I'm a Grandpa! I grab Gail and plant a huge kiss on her lips, Steve a nice hearty pat on the back and, even hug the Bitch.