Disclaimer: I own nothing but, my creative license to bend Fifty Shades into whatever I want! ;)

A/N: I am going to apologise for the shortness – I am dealing with potential burn out and the issue of some reviewers killing my love of writing. I hope you can deal with me and still enjoy this chapter =)

Thank you as always.

Mind my mistakes!

A Heart Worth Fifty Shades – Chapter Fourteen

"Welcome to the twelve days of Christmas, Miss Steele," Christian commented as he woke Ana up softly.

Ana groaned and rubbed her face into her warm pillow, her hands curling around it, one just showing off the coloured cast, "It's too early."

Letting out a laugh, Christian pushed her hair from her back and watched her smile at the feel of his touch on her, "It's coming up eleven actually."

She had to smirk at his tone there, "Too early for Christmas," She rectified and remained unmoved, her eyes still closed.

"You've got less than two weeks, Baby, and we haven't done any decorations. It's really not too early. I was giving you until today, so now we are going to make our first Christmas together a spectacular event," He told her and he had to sink down so he was more or less at her level on the bed. "C'mon," He prodded hoping she would listen.

"You sound like a petulant child," She told him and smiled half into the pillow, half to him. "I've kinder made you neglect Christmas, huh?"

"You have," He told her with a pout as she finally looked to him. "But c'mon, Baby, it's twelve days until Christmas and I promised you an amazing Christmas. That involves decorations and we need to get that underway. We're behind."

"Is this why you made me book today off work?" She asked suddenly feeling everything cling back together.

"Guilty," He grinned at her and he heard her laugh. It just never seemed to get old. Her melodic laugh was always like music to his ears. It was quite possible the most beautiful orchestrated sound ever to grace his hearing and he wanted to hear it every day of his life.

"So what's the plan?" She asked as she gave him the satisfaction of waking up.

I have a surprise at mine," He said and kissed the bare skin on her back, but he heard her groan again and close her ears. She still hated surprises it seemed. "Get up!"

Ana just opened one eye as Christian got up and she had to grin.

God she loved having a man that slept butt naked!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A Heart Worth Fifty Shades -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Few more steps, Baby, and you'll be there," Christian told her, shielding her vision with his palms, her hands on his as she shuffled her feet forward. He was going to use a blindfold but he had to admit the thought of using any form of sensory deprivation on Ana terrified him and he didn't want to risk making her revert back to a dark time.

Using his hands seemed to work well and Ana giggled at the playfulness of the current situation.

"Christian," Ana whined as he remained persistent about her not seeing and she could tell that the surprise was looming ever closer just from Christian's energy. "I wanna see," She continued in the same drone of a tone.

Laughing, he stopped her and spoke with a teasingly playful tone, "Okay, little girl." He leaned in so his face was by hers, his lips to her ear. "To our firsts," He whispered and parted his hands, letting her see what was in front of them. "Our first Christmas tree," He commented and stepped away from her, allowing her to devour the tree.

She looked up at the grand tree, her head carrying on so far back that it might as well fall off. She had never seen a tree this big and it wasn't until now that she had realised that Christian's ceiling seemed to go on for miles. The tree, in all its green glory, did not even scratch the white of the ceiling.

"Fancy decorating it with me?" He asked her and suddenly he sounded like a child set free.

Ana couldn't resist it anymore, the mood was taking her over and the way Christian was right now was wearing off on her. "Yes!" She exclaimed and rubbed her hands together, "Where do we start, Mr Grey?"

He grinned and turned to show her the couches covered in decorations ready to be placed around the apartment, "Here I think," He told her and allowed her to get busy. He didn't hesitate to help her and he was actually pleased when she coerced Gail, Taylor and Sawyer to help them. It was Ana that brought in a sense of family to this place and she showed him the righteous path to perfect.

He stalled whilst placing a bauble and watched her as she mastered the art of decorating with one hand trapped in a cast. The memories might still be inflicted on them, but Ana was the epitome of strength and courage and here she was able to tell the tale. Carrying on, he watched her and helped and found that he and Ana worked as a pair and were even more intrinsically bound than ever before. He's favourite moment of the entire decorating experience was holding onto her as she placed the star on top of the tree and as he brought her down he deliberately dropped her so he could catch her and issue her with a kiss.

Placing her down on her own feet, he couldn't take his eyes off of her as she looked up at the tree.

"Oh!" Ana cried out excitedly as they were done, "We need to get the lights on now!"

"On it," Christian said and went for the plug. Moments later there was still not brightness of tiny lights. "Damnit, the leads not long enough," Christian moaned as he realised they had spent hours decorating and it still wasn't entirely finished.

"Go and get a drink, we'll find an extension lead to power it up," Sawyer commented promptly, remembering exactly where the chord was. He rushed off as Christian drew Ana to the kitchen and made quick work.

Christian knew he had to work hard. His surprise still hadn't landed even though Ana thought so. However, he now had a plan. With them needing to wait on the chord, he could quickly slink off with the excuse that he was checking up on things and then he could place his surprise.

When he could hear Jason and Sawyer, he slipped away with a kiss to Ana and left her talking to Gail. He headed the men up and ran to the bedroom. Grabbing what he needed he headed back, gave Taylor a smirk when he saw that the man knew what he was up to and placed what he had grabbed under the tree.

"Ana," He called out and he felt excited suddenly. He never expected to be the kind of man that would be like this but he guessed it was the Anastasia Effect. He loved how she challenged his rawest dynamics and how he wanted to change to appease her. He wanted to be the root cause of that smile he loved so much.

As she walked out, Ana's head looked at the tree and even though her and Christian had decorated it, the fairy lights seemed to transform it furthermore and issue that Winter Wonderland effect. As she skimmed down the tree she had to look at her man and give him a smile before going down the rest of the tree.

"Here," He said and almost leapt at the tiny package that sat under the tree. He wanted to wait for her to see it but then he wanted to give it to her and gauge her reaction.

"What is this?" She asked as she reached up for the small rectangle gold box. She looked at it and looked back. "I didn't get you anything."

"I don't expect anything. To be quite honest, my present is here with me already," He quipped and she smirked. "It's your first present," He pushed the box towards her.

"First?" She asked, an eyebrow going up immediately with questions galore rife in her gaze.

"You've got another eleven to come, Anastasia," He teased, his expression becoming alive with the intent of the oncoming days. "Open it," He pressed further.

Giving in, Ana pulled at the golden box and let it fall loose so she could take the lid off. Ana peered into the small rectangular box and flashed her gaze to Christian in confusion. He got her keys? Why was he giving her a set of keys? Out of all the things and this is what he got her. "What is this for?" Ana asked with utter perplexity to her tone, "Why?"

Suddenly Christian was overcome with nerves, almost a rumble of embarrassment as he realised she didn't understand and it scared him – If she didn't understand, would she accept? He reached forward, his eyes dropping into the contents of the box and pulled the keys out with its 'A' key ring and dangled it before it. "You're new key back for this place."

"I don't need a key," She banished the idea without thought and watched him look hurt. "I mean, not yet anyway. I will only be coming here with you. I mean until I'm completely used to this place again like I used to it," Ana tried to make him see what muddle her mind was in when it came to Escala still.

It might be different, but she could still see Stephen's bodied body slumped on the floor from time to time and that was a haunting she would eradicate as she grew and developed back into this life.

"I'm not using this as a way to force you into staring here and I don't want you to give up your independence like I tried once before. I am not that man anymore, but I want you to see that I am serious about this exploration into a relationship. I want to use your place and mine alike and I want you to be able to just come here after work if need be or in the middle of the night. Any reason whatsoever and I want you to know that this is a sanctuary for you, Ana," He told her honestly.

Ana bit her lip as she listened and she could feel her heart faltering as she just fell continually in love with him – God would it ever end?

"I knew you wouldn't take it as soon as you were back, but I was hoping you would now. I just want you to know that my home is yours. Always. Wherever you are is my home, Ana, whether it be here or at yours or on the other side of the world," Christian told her with ever growing sincerity and smiled at her as he spoke one of the most truthful things in his heart. "It's that simple now."

There was a time when Christian questioned his ability to change, to be someone she wanted, to be someone that could offer her more. Having given into his biggest demons for Ana, Christina had become someone he always wanted to be. He was a man he now admired – Strong, trusting, loved.

He looked to Ana and she smiled and clasped the keys in her hands and they both had knew they had the same thought on their mind.

She was home for good.