Christian

Holding Ana in my arms while she is sobbing her heart out is the most helpless I have ever felt in my life. Not even coming to it in the trunk of a car was as scary as this moment right here, because I know if she wants to leave, if the truth is too much, there is nothing I can do to make her stay.

"Why Christian... why didn't you just find a way to let me know you were okay?" She sobs and I know she won't like my answer but I don't want to lie.

"I promised my mother I wouldn't... she was so worried... and I couldn't break that promise, Ana." I tell her and she tenses but says nothing.

"But you came back when I was at the hospital." She says after a while.

"I know, I lost it when I overheard that phone call between my Dad and Ray... stole Jason's car, somehow made it over the border... my mom had a nervous breakdown and made me promise never to do something like that again..."

"But you did when Mia was sick. Why do you act like you don't care about your siblings?" She asks and I close my eyes before I answer.

"I do care if they are alive or dead... I just don't want them in my life... they are not my family, just a bitter reminder of the past."

"Is that what I am to you too?" She asks and I cup her face in my hands.

"No, you want to know what I see when I look at you?"

"Yes."

"I see the same thing I've always seen... my future. It's that simple, Ana. You are my future the only girl I've ever loved. So, you can be mad at me, you can disagree with how I'm handling things but it won't change how I feel about you. I love you, Ana Steele and I promise you if you give me the chance I'll make you forget that I ever left." I say trying to convince her that I'm still the same... I'm dying to kiss her but I know it's too soon, she isn't ready and I couldn't take it if she would reject me.

Ana

I look up at Christian, still reeling from his declaration of love and for the first time it feels like I'm seeing my Christian, the boy I knew and not the man he has become. And I decide that I need to give him a chance because I'm not the same girl either and he doesn't seem to care... he still loves me and I still love the boy he was, so now I have to give the man a chance.

"Tell me about your life here, your company... I want to know everything you've done in the past six years." I say and we sit down.

"I was home schooled to graduate high school and then went to college here in Vancouver so I could stay home. I studied business and economics, got my degree last year and started my company, doing mergers and acquisitions... I have a COO, her name is Ros, she handles most of it for me, so I have a lot of time to spend with my family... it's more important to me than sit in the office all day." He says surprising me because he was always so passionate to make a big career and now he is talking about it like it's merely something he has to do.

"Are you happy?"

"I am now." He says with a smile. "And I would even be happier if you agree to go on a date with me tonight."

"Can we just order pizza and watch a movie? I'm kind of tired and I want to give CJ a little time to get used to your parents before we leave him with them... he can get shy around strangers."

"Sounds like a great plan. Do you think CJ will like my parents?"

"He seemed to like your Dad... we just have to wait and see... sometimes it's a little hit or miss with him but he'll get there in his own time."

The next morning I wake up a little more hopeful, because the evening with Christian was actually nice... we talked a lot and it felt almost like before. Since it's Saturday today, we are going to have breakfast with his family. I'm surprised that after I've gotten ready and go to wake up CJ, I find him wrapped up in his bathing towel with Christian drying his hair.

"You got him to bathe?" I ask.

"We had a little guy talk about hygiene." Christian winks at me and I smile and quickly gather an outfit for CJ before I kiss his chubby cheek.

"Mommy, Daddy says I can have pancakes for breakfast, can I?"

"Sure, you don't have to ask me if your Dad already allowed it, sweetheart."

"Yeah!" He cheers and so I help him get dressed and we meet his family out on the big patio to have breakfast.

Christian's younger sisters are delightful and his little brother, who is only two years older than CJ has won my baby boy over within seconds, but I feel like his mom is eyeing me the entire time.

"Did you already find a job, Ana?" She asks after a while.

"No, but I have some interviews in Boston next month and one of my professors has offered me to work for the Literature department at Harvard."

"Oh that sounds exciting, are you taking him up on his offer?"

"I'm not sure, it's a huge opportunity, but I really want to work in publishing and now... well, I'm not sure if I'm going to return to Boston, so I have to see what comes next."

"Well, you better make your mind up fast, children are expensive." She says and for some reason, I'm getting defensive.

"I'm fully aware of that. My parents gave me fifty percent of my inheritance when I had CJ, so I don't need to find work immediately or any time soon if that's what I want. Right now, all I need to find out is where CJ and I are going to live before I can go on a job hunt." I say with a smile but apparently, she isn't done yet.

"Well, if you want to work in Boston we are happy to keep CJ here. You can visit him when you get some time off... it only seems fair since Christian has already missed so much time with his son." She says and I take a deep breath because just like that she has thrown down the fucking gauntlet and I so want to pick it up and smash it in her face, instead I go with the truth she is going to hate.

"I would never move to a different city without my son... in addition it wouldn't be possible for me to simply leave him here with Christian."

"Why ever not?"

"Because CJ's birth certificate states Christian Grey as CJ's father not Christian Taylor and I'm still not sure how all of that dilemma is going to be solved, so we better not bring this topic up again." I tell her with a smile.

"Why would you put his name on the birth certificate... Jason, is this going to cause issues?" Grace asked.

"Don't worry about it, Grace, Ray and I are handling it... hold on... if you put Christian in as a father, Ana, then what is CJ's last name?" Christian's Dad asks.

"It's Grey."

"How could you do that?" Grace actually yells at me and I slowly but surely had enough of her.

"In America a child usually carries the name of his father even if the parents are not married. And since no one bothered to tell me the truth, my son received the last name I assumed to be his fathers." I snap.

"Well, are you going to change it now?"

"Yes... I don't want my son to carry that name any longer."

"So you are changing it to Taylor?" Grace asks while sitting down again.

"No, I'm changing it to Steele. After all Taylor isn't his real last name either."

"Christian say something!" Grace says appalled and I look at Christian already pissed that so far he has said nothing.

"Mom... changing his name to Taylor might not be possible for a long time and I don't want CJ to have Grey as a last name either, Ana is his mother, so why wouldn't his last name be Steele." Christian says and that seems so upsetting to his mom that she gets up and leaves.

"Did you have to antagonize her Ana?" Christian asks me and with that I had enough too.

"Come CJ, we're going out for breakfast..."

"Ana wait please..."

"Screw you, Christian, I did not antagonize her... she threw down the gauntlet and it is not my problem if she can't take it that I picked it up." I say and lift CJ who already ran to me up and leave the house. Since I don't have a car, I walk to the nearest diner which is just down the road, have breakfast with CJ and then take a cab to a car rental.

I know I should go back but damn it, I don't want to fight with Christian and I know that as long as I am this upset, that is just what is going to happen, so instead I take CJ to explore Vancouver for a little while and return in the early afternoon. I'm just out of the car when Mr. Taylor approaches me.

"Hey buddy, why don't you play over there for a while so I can talk to your mommy." He says and CJ runs over to the front door where some soccer balls are lying around.

"My wife is upset." He says.

"So am I." I simply reply.

"She was just making an offer, Ana."

"Well, your wife out of all people should know that separating a mother and her child is unacceptable." I reply and he sighs.

"Grace loves having her family around... she didn't mean to upset you, Ana... but I would appreciate it if you would apologize."

"Apologize?! No! Absolutely not! Your wife started to pick on me, if she can't stand having people returning the favor then she shouldn't act like that. I already have enough to be very angry and frankly hurt about... right now, I have no desire at all to be the bigger person. So, what I can offer you is to not talk to her at all but that's the best you can get from me at this point." I let him know. Yes, I feel horrible about what was done to Christian's mom, no questions asked, but that still doesn't give her the right to act like a bitch for no good reason.

"If that's how you want things to go... very well, just remember this is my house and if you keep making my wife upset then I have to ask you to leave." He says.

"Fair enough, if Christian and I work things out, we won't live with his parents anyway." I snap and walk past him.

Inside Caleb is already waiting for CJ to return, so I let them play in Caleb's room and walk towards Christian's apartment but I'm just outside the door when I hear his mother.

"Christian, she is not right for you, the girl is pushy and rude."

"Mom, Ana is upset... try to put yourself in her shoes. She had to go through the entire pregnancy herself and raise our son alone, all the while she had to wonder what happened to me. And then she found out I was here, living my life and her own father knew."

"And what about you... you've been through so much yourself... and the boy... Christian I really think we should take the child in. She isn't mature enough to raise a child. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have little CJ here... I can take care of him while you work and..."

"Mom, please, Ana loves our son... if I get the feeling she is not fit to raise him that would be another scenario but right now all is fine where I'm concerned and I will not take CJ away from her when there is no reason. I want to be with her... just give her another try."

"I can't she is not right for you... but I guess you have to find that out for yourself." His mom says and I have to force myself not to storm in there and yell at her. Instead, I walk in as if I didn't hear them talk and excuse myself to get changed.

I had hoped I would get along with his family, but right now, all I want is to strangle his mother.

Once I hear the door it takes Christian all of two seconds to come into the guest room that is currently mine.

"Ana, my mom is very upset... can you please apologize to her?"

"I heard what she said before I came in... so, let me put it this way, it will be a damn cold day in hell when I'm going to apologize to this woman. I'm two seconds away from leaving, Christian... so do not push me."

"You want to leave?" He asks alarmed.

"I might not have a choice since your Dad just informed me that the next time your mom is upset because of me I have to leave and actually, right now, I'm not happy here. Can you leave work for a while?"

"Why?"

"I would like to go to Boston and take you with me."

"Ana... I can't ... not as long as my mom is upset... she will think I won't be back... but I promise we'll have a great time here." He says and against my wish to yell at him I get up and hug him instead.

"It's ok... I'm going to take a shower. Can you check on CJ, he is playing with Caleb."

"Sure... can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm good..." I murmur and watch him leave. Right now, I know I'm not going to be here for long because I get the feeling that Grace Taylor does not like me and whatever relationship Christian and I could possibly build will be doomed from the start...