Author's note: Some very mixed reviews to the last chapter. In case I forgot to mention it in my reply, thank you (those who objected to Ana's guest list) for voicing your objections so respectfully. If you've been paying attention, I'm sure you'll agree that this site could do with a little more respect.

Original Characters:

Brit Hertz is a sexually submissive, masochistic, homosexual Assistant District Attorney in his fifties, who also happens to be Christian's best friend. They met by chance and, since then, have hosted an annual charity dinner that supports various at-risk children. But they only really became close friends after Christian met Ana. Well before then, they had attempted kinky sex, but Christian wasn't into it, so nothing really happened. He's never been jealous of Ana; recognizing instantly that she's good for his unfortunately heterosexual friend.

Felice and Jacque Pretorius are a couple, now married, that we met in my fic "Pebble Beach". At that time he was a gigolo and she was his mega-rich divorcee client who'd previously had the misfortune to fall for the worst of Dominants; a true sadist who kept her captive (against her will) for many years and beat almost her to death before she managed to escape and put him in prison for what he'd done. They own a chain of mixed martial arts gymnasiums, and (despite a rocky start) have remained good friends with Ana and Christian.

I think that's all you need for this one. But feel free to ask questions. And thank you, for reading.

Chapter Eleven

Predictably, the crowd of reporters, photographers and gawkers outside the reception hall is intimidatingly large. This is the scariest part for Billy; he knows that, if an attack will happen tonight, it'll be while the perpetrator has a chance of disappearing in the crowd. Of course, the Greys and their staff know this, too. So there's no lingering for photo-ops or interviews, despite the fact that the family's names are being constantly yelled out by people hoping for a decent photo. Having Phoebe on his arm lends him courage, and he makes it inside the relative peace of the entrance foyer without embarrassing himself.

They're greeted by attendants who accept any superfluous clothing; which doesn't take long, as even the weather cooperated for this evening and it's mild enough that no one needed a coat. He smiles a little on seeing Teddy and Christian hand over their black homburg hats. Teddy had joked earlier that this method of concealing their currently dyed hair would ensure the hat receives a level of popularity not seen since Al Pacino wore one in The Godfather. Billy had laughed, at first, until he realized that his brother-in-law was serious. He's still getting used to the fact that his in-laws are famous simply because they're wealthy. If Phoebe hadn't been taught to ignore all that, he would never have stood a chance with her…or maybe he would; almost four years with her—ten months as man and wife—has taught him that Phoebe has a remarkable strength of character. She has a strong sense of what's right and wrong, and no one can change her mind once she's decided something. He loves her for that perhaps most of all, even if it sometimes leads to arguments.

He only realizes that he's staring at her when Phoebe arches an inquisitive brow. He'd eventually run out of superlatives to describe his love for her, and started repeating them, but it still puts a smile on her face. So he kisses her cheek and murmurs "Gratefully," and is rewarded by the smile that eclipses everything else.

They both glance in that direction when a stranger's voice loudly announces, from the next room, "Your guest of honor, Mr. Christian Grey."

Phoebe giggles and whispers, "Glad I'm not Dad tonight; he hates crowds."

Remembering that, only this morning, Ana had mentioned that Christian is shy, Billy quietly asks, "How did your mom manage to talk him into this?"

"Silly Billy." It's always delivered with such affection, that he can't be upset.

Catching on, he smiles and guesses, "Because he loves her."

Rewarding his cleverness with a kiss, Phoebe slips her hand in his and follows her parents towards the double doors. They open to reveal hundreds of people, from teenagers to octogenarians; all on their feet and applauding as Christian comes into view. The noise is phenomenal, and Billy's legs want to run; he's not great in crowds, either. He's just close enough to hear Ana say to her husband, "As promised, only those people who truly care about you."

Curious how so many people could fit that category, when Christian's sometimes ruthless business tactics have made him several enemies, and his personality is often aloof—occasionally downright rude—Billy looks around as they enter and are ushered to their seats. He recognizes several people; Phoebe's grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins, of course. He's surprised to see Elliot and Kate at the same table, as he'd heard that they're separated, but then he notices that Ava and Mitchell are between them, and surmises that the apparent solidarity is just for this evening. Brit is here; Christian's best friend. Billy hadn't been sure what to make of the openly gay and incredibly flirtatious man at first. But Phoebe adores him, so he'd paid attention and soon worked out that the brazen façade was just that, and beneath it beats the heart of a gentle, caring man. Jacque and Felice he'd met on his wedding day, and has got to know the couple since Phoebe talked him into learning self-defense. He recognizes about a score of other faces, but cannot recall their names, which still leaves a scary amount of people that he's never met before, so he whispers to Phoebe, "Don't let go."

She smiles, squeezes his hand, and vows, "Never."

Teddy is a little surprised how much he's missing Asha. Current circumstances didn't permit him inviting her to this party. They've been texting each other all afternoon; her starting it with an inquiry about his food preferences for tomorrow's picnic. He'd rejected any vulgar replies that had leapt to mind, instead reassuring her that he's not fussy or allergic to anything. And then had nearly choked on his own shock when she'd asked, "What about after dinner?"

Praying he hadn't misunderstood, he'd replied, "Only one thing I like to eat after dinner."

He was actually holding his breath when she'd replied with a smiley face and, "Just checking." At nineteen, she's clearly experienced enough that, though he's no innocent, he's becoming increasingly worried that he won't be enough for her.

He's surreptitiously glancing at his phone yet again when his mom taps it and commands, "Put that thing away and go see what's holding up the third course."

Glad that the dinner is mostly going well, he grins and stands up to obey as he says, "Yes, ma'am." Only Teddy is privy to Ana's full plan, so he knows why she needs dinner to finish on time. He's heading for the kitchen, tapping a message to Asha, so he's not quite quick enough to avoid bumping into someone. "Shit. Sorry."

He's looking into a stranger's eyes when she says, "It's all right. My son's the same; can't go an hour without his phone." Extending a hand, she smiles and reveals, "I'm Gemma, an old friend of your father's."

He almost says "Eddie", but remembers in time and shakes her hand as he says, "Teddy. If you'll excuse me, I'm on a mission for Mom."

Gemma smiles and steps out of his path as she says, "Then you'd better accomplish it. Nice to meet you, Teddy."

"Yeah; nice to meet you, too. Enjoy the party."

Christian only relaxes when he sees Gemma move on towards the ladies'. Not that he really expected her to do anything wrong; she always had impeccable manners. Ana, of course, notices his unease and quietly asks, "Want to meet them? It's not necessary; they're only here to show their support. I promise you, darling, no one will make a scene. If they even look like doing so, I'll throw them out myself."

The image of petite Ana acting as bouncer puts a smile on his face, but it doesn't last very long. "Okay. But you're coming with me." When they stand as one, the others at their table predictably glance at them for the reason. Christian considers lying for a moment, but he's not lied to his family since meeting Ana, so he shrugs and explains, "Won't be long. Ana has gathered the ghosts of girlfriends past. I'm just going to say hello."

Phoebe's head snaps around, looking for who they might be talking about, as she echoes, "Girlfriends?"

Of course she's curious. Christian smiles and instructs Billy, "Don't let her leave that seat."

Billy smiles at his wife and says, "You can't even control her; how do you think I stand a chance?"

It's a fair point, though Christian knows that Billy is just being modest; Phoebe's love for the unassuming young man is powerful enough to have almost torn the family apart. Smiling, Christian reminds his inquisitive daughter, "In that case, remember that curiosity killed the cat; at the very least, made them wish they hadn't asked."

Phoebe laughs and says, "Yeah. Fair enough. But behave yourself."

With a grin, Christian asks Ana, "When did we put her in charge?"

Ana laughs and slips her arm through his as she says, "Darling, most of our guests know that Phoebe has been in charge of you since she could speak."

It's so true that there's nothing to be said in opposition, so Christian merely shrugs at his family and heads towards the scariest table in the room. Every circular dining table has one seat vacant, so the guest of honor can easily mingle during the evening. With Gemma in the bathroom, there are currently two. Even so, Christian doesn't hesitate to sit down and gently pull Ana onto his lap as he looks at the changed but familiar faces around him and says, "Ladies; I believe you've met my wife."

That's shocked her. "I didn't tell you that."

He smiles at his own cleverness and says, "Baby, there's no way you would have invited them if you weren't certain they'd behave and, other than your love for me, you remain an excellent judge of character."

They all laugh, but it's Elena who says, her voice altered by extreme age, "Ana, darling, you should know by now that you can't keep anything from him."

Angie chuckles and agrees, "It's true. Christian knew before I did that what we had wasn't enough for me."

Christian memory supplies "Iris" when a dark-eyed beauty now in her forties asks, "Ana, are you able to surprise him with gifts? I never managed it."

Iris was with him every weekend for almost two years. Christian smiles and interjects, "That's because you're a terrible liar. I could always tell when you were hiding something."

Ana conspiratorially leans towards the center of the table and reveals, "The secret is a poor memory. I'd totally forgotten that I'd ordered this necklace when it arrived."

This sparks interest in the design of Ana's custom-made jewelry and suddenly Christian might as well not be there. Listening to the easy conversation, he realizes something; these women he'd been thinking of as his submissives haven't been that for a very long time. They've moved on. And he knew that, intellectually, but realizes only now that his mind had been stuck in the past. A couple of them are still in the life; he's enough of a Dom to recognize the vigilant deference in their gaze and manner. But they're all well and apparently happy. He's still lost in thought when Ana chides, "His attention span hasn't changed, as you see." When he apologetically shrugs, she adds, "Kelly was asking how it feels to be fifty."

Thinking about the fact that "Fifty" is one of Ana's names for him, Christian's smile is genuine when he says, "Fucking fantastic."

Kelly smiles and says, "I'm glad. You deserve all happiness."

Jostling Ana a bit, he says, "Okay, you can go." Remembering that she set this up without asking his permission, he cheekily adds, "I want to talk to my girls."

Ana steps off his lap and shoots him a warning glance before getting her revenge by telling the women, "He was scared of meeting you; somehow deluded into thinking that you're all still pining for him."

More laughter and Elena jokes, "Honestly; the ego on the man."

As usual unaffected by Christian's warning glare, Ana kisses his temple and says "Exactly," before leaving him alone with his past.

Only when she's out of sight does his mind panic. The sudden, heavy silence is broken by Gemma resuming her seat across from him and complaining, "Couldn't wait for me, huh?"

He shrugs and says, "You're the reason I came over here. I was worried when you spoke to Teddy, so thought I should face my fear."

"All I did was say hello."

"Yes, I realized almost immediately that you would never do anything indecorous. I'm sorry; I should have known better than to doubt you."

She cheerfully nods her acceptance of his apology, and Elena supplies, "Ana just revealed that Christian has been imagining us weeping and wondering what life would be like if we'd stayed with him."

Gemma grimaces and says, "Doesn't bear thinking about; all that worry through the week and then barely a moment's peace all weekend."

Louise finds the courage to lean forward and quietly ask, "And what's with his obsession about food?"

Becoming increasingly uncomfortable, he's silent when Elena comes to his rescue. "Because, in a world where so many have so little, Christian rightly abhors waste."

Lou immediately lowers her gaze and visibly withdraws at this thinly veiled criticism. Only then does Christian realize that Elena is the matriarch of this unofficial club, so he asks, "How long have all of you stayed in touch?"

Angie shrugs and says, "Since forever. Elena called it 'after-aftercare'."

Remembering that he'd dumped all of them—sometimes none too gently—Christian grimaces and says, "I'm sorry. I hope you understand that the person I was then couldn't have treated you any better."

Angie smiles and says, "We know. No one at this table harbors any ill will towards you, Christian."

"Bro! Is this what I think it is?"

Even without looking, Christian can tell that Elliot has been drinking; heavily. Turning to face him confirms it, so he says, "If you'll excuse me, ladies, I need a moment alone with my brother."

"Nah, I'm good. Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"It's my birthday wish, Lelliot." Use of that childhood nickname works. Christian can see that his brother has remembered a promise they made to each other many years ago. Neither of them ever really cared for the celebration; Elliot doesn't even know his actual birth date. So they agreed that, in lieu of a gift, the birthday boy could ask anything of the other and it would be granted. As children it usually involved some daring escapade that would end with Christian in trouble.

"Yeah, okay." Grinning blearily at the assembled women, Elliot bids, "Laters, ladies."

Christian knows these rooms and corridors intimately, so it's only a matter of seconds before he and Elliot are completely alone; the bustling noise of the party a distant murmur. He turns to his brother and asks, "What the fuck are you doing?"

"What do you mean? I just wanted to meet them. You were always so secretive about your sex life. Until your wedding day, I didn't even know that you had a sex life before Ana."

Smacking his palm against Elliot's forehead to emphasize the point, Christian says, "No, you idiot; what are you doing drinking this much when you're supposed to be fixing your shattered marriage? You can't honestly think Kate enjoys seeing you like this?"

As if he'd been waiting for these words to unlock his grief, Elliot sags in on himself, practically falling backwards against the wall and groaning, "Christian, it's killing me. We're going through the motions with counseling, but I think maybe I've lost her. She's so…polite to me. Have you ever known Kate to be polite?"

Despite the grim nature of their conversation, the very idea is enough to draw a snort of laughter from Christian and he says, "No, I haven't. But put yourself in her shoes for a moment. What would you do if someone had betrayed you like you've done to her?"

"I'd punch their fucking lights out and walk away."

"And if it were a woman; one that you're forced to see on a regular basis?"

"Oh."

Glad that Elliot is sober enough to understand, Christian nods and says, "See? It's just a defense mechanism. Kate still loves you, Elliot; I'm certain of it." He considers, for a moment, revealing the lengthy conversation he had with his sister-in-law about domestic discipline, but she'd asked him to keep quiet while she gave it some thought. So, instead, he continues, "She's just hurt and can't let herself be vulnerable until she feels able to trust you again. And that might not happen. If it does, it could take a while. In the meantime, you need to keep your shit together and do whatever it takes to win her back."

Elliot ponders this for a moment and then offers his trademark grin to ask, "Since when did you become an expert on the female mind?"

Christian grins and says, "Now you're being ridiculous. No one is an expert on the female mind; not even females. But there are several women here tonight who know the worst of me, and they still like me, so I must be doing something right."

"Bro, you managed to snare an angel and keep her all this time. That means you're doing something right."

"And that. Are you going to stop being a dick, now?"

"Yeah. Thanks. Sometimes I just need a kick up the ass. And maybe some bread to soak up the booze? The portions so far have been kind of tiny."

Reaching out to pat his brother's slight paunch, Christian says, "You need to get yourself down to one of your construction sites and work that off, you glutton. Come on; you'll apologize to Kate and the kids for over-imbibing and pretend to be a fucking saint for the rest of the evening."

They're heading back to the reception area when Elliot says, "No problem; I'll just pretend I'm you."

Punching his brother's arm, Christian cheerfully declares, "I'm no saint."

Elliot laughs and says, "Maybe not. But you've made it to fifty, when the hell you were born into meant you shouldn't have made it to five. And you're somehow not only sane, but a truly good man. You're an inspiration, little brother."

Genuine praise from those he loves is the hardest to endure. So Christian is blushing a little when he says, "You talk shit when you're drunk."

Beaming his victory at having managed to embarrass his brother, Elliot says, "I'm not that drunk."