A/N: Some info: In this story, Ana and Kate are both twenty-four and met during college. Just thought I would put that out there. Thanks for reading. Enjoy!

"My room at the Fairmont is all booked and ready for me to arrive tomorrow afternoon.", my dad tells me over the speaker phone while I'm putting away my laundry. I sit down on the bed and fold my pair of washed skinny jeans.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at the apartment?", I ask. Since Ethan's going to be house sitting for his parents this weekend, I offered to take the sofa while my dad took my room, but he's insisted that he stay in a hotel.

"I'm positive. Tell me, do I get to meet Christian?" When I told my dad about my relationship with Christian, he was happy for me but also said that Christian better treat me right or else. I didn't ask what the else entailed.

"Yes. Christian's anxious to meet you. I was thinking the three of us could have dinner tomorrow evening if that's ok with you."

"Of course it's ok with me." I hear a loud yawn on his end of the call. "I think I'm going to head to bed before I fall asleep here.", he chuckles.

"Ok. I hope you get a good nights rest and look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Goodnight Dad."

"Goodnight Annie."

I hit the end call button and then glance at the alarm clock to see that it's nine-thirty. I would call Christian, but he's probably still at the mayor's gala. When he asked me to go with him, it took all I had not to say yes. I would have went, but my article is due tomorrow and needed some adjustments.

"Remember not to have any raging parties this weekend.", Kate's telling Ethan when I open my bedroom door. He turns his head from the baseball game on tv and rolls his eyes at her, only to have her do the same. "I'm serious. No parties." Both of them end their glares at each other and smile when they see me moving to the other end of the sofa.

"Kate, need I remind you that I'm not the one who would throw parties in high school. Our house was known as Party Central."

"Party Central is a little extreme.", Kate sighs from her spot on the love seat. "Just because the police were called once doesn't make the place some major party spot."

"No, you're right, but the police were called more than once. They were called at least three times, the most memorable one being the infamous goat incident." Seeing the widening of my eyes, Ethan nods his head. "Yes I said goat incident. This guy who Kate liked, Timothy, had a pet goat. Kate wanted him to come to the party and joked that he could even bring his goat. Well, the guy ended up taking her up on her offer. I came downstairs and found Kate and Timothy making out in my dad's study, but the goat was nowhere to be found."

"Where was it?", I ask.

"Gertrude was her name.", Kate corrects me.

"Ok...Where was Gertrude?"

"I broke apart Kate and Timothy so they could help me look, but trying to ask a bunch of partying teens if they've seen a goat is not an easy thing. One would tell me they had seen her in the upstairs bathroom while another had seen her in the kitchen. We went all over the house but didn't find her. I did find evidence of her having been in my parents' bedroom." I'm sure I know what the type of evidence. "Two hours later, the last guest was on the way out the door when a police car turned on to the street. Other than the fact that Gertrude had disappeared, the party was more low-key than past ones." I'm literally on the edge of my seat, tapping the arm of the sofa while waiting for him to continue. "The police car went to our neighbor's house across the street.", Elliot laughs. "We went out on to the front lawn to try and find out what was going on. What did we see? Gertrude. She was being led by a police officer out of the house."

"What in the world?!", I giggle. "It sounds like the excitement was at your neighbor's."

"Apparently when our neighbor, Mrs. Nelson, took out the garbage Gertrude ran into the house and started ransacking it. Mrs. Nelson was terrified so she ran into her bedroom and called the police. When she couldn't hear Gertrude any more, she slowly left the room and went downstairs just as the police were arriving. They found Gertrude in the pantry where she was resting."

"Mrs. Nelson wasn't positive, but she told the police that we had something to do with Gertrude's appearance.", Kate adds. "Of course the fact that Gertrude was wearing the blue silk blouse which Mrs. Nelson had given our mother during the neighborhood Christmas party was what confirmed her suspicions."

"How did the blouse get on the goat..er..I mean Gertrude?", I ask.

"To this day we don't know, but it was more than likely one of the party goers. That was the last party I threw at the house and the night I stopped having feelings for Timothy."

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about me throwing any parties.", Ethan says, standing up and walking to the kitchen. "I've been meaning to tell you guys this, but in addition to looking for a job, I'm also looking for an apartment. I've got some money in savings. There's a few prospective ones in the paper that I'm going to check out."

"Ethan, you don't have to move out.", Kate tells him. "You can stay here as long as you want. Right Ana?"

"Yeah. We enjoy having your here.", I answer.

"I like being here, but the truth is my stay was only supposed to be a few days. I need to branch out on my own."

"I understand." Kate and I both stand up and bring our arms around him. "We'll still see each other."

"Yes we will."

Back in my bedroom, I throw on my light pink tank and matching shorts before setting the alarm. I pick up my phone and settle in the bed to call Christian. The gala may still be underway, but I'm going to take a chance. The fifth ring is followed by the standard voicemail greeting to leave a message.

"Hi. It's me. I'm just calling to say hi and that I hope you had a nice evening. I missed you. Well...I'll talk to you later. Night.", I say. I put the phone back down on the nightstand and turn my lamp off. Pulling the comforter over my body, I close my eyes and fall into a peaceful slumber.

"Shit.", I hear being murmured from the other side of my bed. The street light below the apartment is casting just enough of a glow in the room for me to see a figure. I try to remain as still as possible while reaching over to the nightstand for something to fight off the stranger in my bedroom. "Are you going to fight me off with your vibrator?" What? How? Christian! I reach over and turn the light on to find him still dressed in jeans and a black tee.

"Is that what you wore to the gala?"

"No silly girl. I had Taylor stop by Escala so I could change into something more comfortable. I hope my being here is ok." I raise up in the bed and pat the empty spot next to me. He flashes a relieved smile and kicks his shoes off before climbing on to the bed.

"I'm glad to see you, but how did you get in? Please don't tell me you scaled the wall and climbed through the window."

"I got your message and called you back, but you didn't answer your phone." I pick up my phone and see that I must have accidentally put it on silent. "I wanted to see you even though it was already after eleven. Luckily for me, Ethan was still up and let me in."

"He tends to stay up late.", I sigh. "How was your evening?"

"I mingled, had some appetizers, mingled some more, had dinner, and mingled a few more minutes before leaving. All in all, it was a very boring night. I almost fell asleep in the middle of a conversation with a city councilman."

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"Would you have wanted to listen about how he can't rid of the bunions on his feet?" I snarl my nose up at the thought. "See. Your night was probably much more exciting."

"Not really. I did work on my article, had dinner, and talked to my dad. He's excited about meeting you. I suggested that we have dinner tomorrow night if you're not busy."

"I..uh..I'm..not..busy.", he stammers. His response is a contrast from the other night when he seemed to be looking forward to meeting my dad. "Choose the time and place."

"Why don't you tell me what's going on with you first? You were all gung-ho for meeting my dad. What changed?", I ask. He runs his hands through his hair and licks his bottom lip. "Did you suddenly lose you ability to hear?"

"Nothing has changed except for how nervous I am. Don't get me wrong, I want to meet your dad. I'm worried that he's not going to like me which is new for me since I'm usually the type of guy who could care less whether someone likes me or not. Your dad though is this huge influence in your life and having his approval is important for me." I lean over and place his face in my hands, pulling him into a fiery kiss.

"The number one thing my dad wants is my happiness. It's what he's always expressing. As long as I'm happy, he's happy."

"I realize that you're tired, but do you mind if I stay the night? I just want to be close to you."

"I don't mind."

"I need some new panties.", Audrey murmurs while browsing in Victoria's Secret during our lunch break. I was going to stay at the office and eat the turkey sandwich I packed this morning, but she convinced me to tag along with her. She picks up a tiny pair of black lace panties and holds them up to me. "What do you think?"

"Cute.", I answer.

"Yeah, but I'm not going for cute. I'm going for va va voom. I want something that's going to leave little to the imagination. The smaller the better."

"Why not skip the panties then?" She puts the panties back in the pile and seems to be considering my suggestion. "I'm assuming your plans are for Daniel."

"Yep. Now that he's over his stomach bug, I'm going to rock his world. Hell we may have to go to the outskirts of the city where no one can hear us.", she smirks. "I do like your idea of not wearing anything, but I think I'm going to keep looking."

While Audrey heads to the other side of the store, I stay behind and look through a display of bras. I'm debating over a deep purple strapless when I glance up and see Elena Lincoln walking towards me.

"Anastasia, darling, hello.", she purrs. The She-Devil is appropriately dressed in all red, from her skin-tight red dress to her red stilettos.

"Hi. Elena right?", I ask, knowing damn well who she is.

"Yes Elena Lincoln, Christian's family friend." And former pedophile dome. Her eyes go to the bra in my hand. "That's adorable. We missed you last night at the gala." Whoa!

"You were at the gala?"

"Yes. I'm friends with the mayor's wife so my attendance was pretty much expected. When I saw Christian, he told me that you weren't able to attend. It was a shame, but never fear, I kept him company." The woman is clearly trying to get a rise out of me, but I refuse to let her see the effect she has on me.

"We made up for it later when he stopped by my place. He actually ended up spending the night there.", I gloat. I can play this game as well.

"Ah, how sweet. Anastasia, I want to give you some advice, don't put all of your eggs in one basket where Christian is concerned. He's going through a stage that's causing him to make rash decisions."

"Let me guess, decisions like being with me? Christian's told me all about his past." She seems to be shocked that Christian's shared so much with me.

"You seem like a nice girl who deserves to be with someone who can offer her a real relationship, but unfortunately, Christian can't give you that. Sure he's saying now that he wants to be in a normal relationship, but it'll get stale, making him regret things. I'd hate for you to become collateral damage as a result of his phase." I should walk away from her, but I can't. Could she have a point?

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm a big girl who can take care of myself. I'm fully confidant that Christian is exactly where he wants to be, doing what he wants to do. I can see it when he looks at me, says my name, kisses me." She purses her botoxed lips together.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Ana, what do you think about these?", Audrey asks as she comes up beside me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"I was just leaving. Have a good day." Elena struts away from us, leaving a curious Audrey looking at me.

"Who was that?"

"Elena Lincoln, a friend of Christian's family." I'm as polite as possible with my answer.

"She should have gotten some liposuction done instead of botox. That dress was way too tight."

"I'm so glad we're friends.", I giggle.

"This place is nice.", my dad smiles while observing our surroundings at Tap House Grill. "When is Christian supposed to be here?"

"He should be here soon." Christian called earlier to let me know that he had a late meeting but would be meet us at the restaurant. I didn't tell him about seeing Elena since I don't want her to ruin our evening in any way although it's been difficult keeping what she said pushed to the back of my mind. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Not much really. Don't laugh, but I enrolled in a cooking class."

"Why would I laugh?", I ask.

"I don't know.", he shrugs. "Although I can cook basic things, I want to broaden my skills." He starts picking his silverware up and rearranging it on the table which he does when there's something on his mind.

"Dad, you're not telling me everything. What are you leaving out?" He rolls his head on his shoulders and exhales a deep breath.

"I've been getting to know someone...Rebecca. We met when in the produce section of the grocery store. She dropped her bag of potatoes so I picked them up for her. After she thanked me, we ended up having a fifteen minute conversation." While my mom didn't have any issue moving on after the divorce, my dad has stayed single. He's gone on two dates, but nothing serious has come about.

"That's great.", I tell him. "You should date."

"It isn't serious, but I really like her. She's a first grade teacher who has the best sense of humor. Her cooking is incredible. She's always inviting me over for dinner, and I want to return the favor by learning how to cook."

"I think that's a wonderful idea. How long have the two of you been dating?"

"Only a few weeks.", he replies. "It's new, but the feeling is amazing. I'm sure it's the same way you feel with Christian." I turn towards the front of the restaurant at the same time Christian is walking through the door. He's saying something to one of the servers, but stops when he sees me. His lips curl into a smile as he heads towards the table. I want to jump out of my chair and throw myself at him.

"Sorry I'm late.", he apologizes, placing a chaste kiss on my cheek and then holding his hand out for my dad. "You must be Ana's father. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Steele."

"It's nice to meet you as well. Please call me Ray.", my dad insists while shaking Christian's hand. Christian nods and takes the chair next to me as the waitress comes comes over. Her eyes only momentarily land on me and my dad before resting on Christian. When he finally looks up at her, she hands us our menus.

"Good evening. I'm Meredith, and I'll be your waitress this evening. Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?", she asks.

"I'm going to have water with lemon.", I answer as Christian and my dad skim over the drink menu.

"I'm going to have the Guinness Stout.", Christian replies. My dad's continuing to look over the beverages with uncertainty in his face. "The Guinness Stout is excellent."

"All right. I'll take your word for it. I'll have the same.", my dad tells Meredith.

"Coming right up.", she says before leaving us.

"Again, I'm sorry for being late. My meeting was last minute and couldn't be avoided."

"It's fine. Ana tells me that you operate GEH. I've seen bits and pieces about the company in the news. You're making a huge mark in the solar power business.", my dad says.

"I've only just started. There's so much more work that can be done."

"I commend you for it. The subject fascinates me."

I sit back in my chair and listen to my two guys have an easy flowing conversation. They only stop when Meredith arrives back with the drinks and takes our dinner orders, a fact that seems to annoy her. I swear I hear her mumble a curse word when she walks away again.

"We should go fishing one weekend. How does that sound?", Christian asks my dad. Fishing is my dad's passion.

"I would like that very much. Of course you would probably need to sit back for a while and watch the expert so you can pick up a few things."

"I've got a feeling your fishing skills are on the same level as Ana's go-cart racing skills.", Christian laughs with a wink at me.

"She told me that she basically owned you at the track. Annie's fierce when it comes to go-cart. Christian, I can see from the way you look at her that you care about her a lot, and the same goes for how she looks at you. I only want the best for my daughter."

"I want the same for her as well. Your daughter has the most beautiful smile. It's contagious. I can be having a bad day, but just looking at her smiling face in my phone contact list, I feel better. It's a feeling unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's something I don't want to tarnish. I want to make her smile as much as possible." My heart is leaping at his words, but a tiny part of me wonders if he's only saying them to win over my dad. Maybe he really means them for now. What if he doesn't tomorrow? Don't go there Ana!

"Christian has changed my life.", I simply state. "He makes feel special."

"Which is what any father wants to hear. If my Annie being treated well, I won't have to worry about taking matters into my own hands." Christian's eyes almost fall out of their sockets at my dad's joke.

"He's kidding.", I assure Christian while rubbing the top of his hand with mine. "For the most part."

"Tonight went well.", Christian says, closing my apartment door behind him. Following dinner, we went to the Fairmont and had a few drinks in the bar with my dad before coming back here.

"Mmm hmm.", I murmur.

"You said Ethan's at his parents' for the weekend, but where's Kate? Out with Elliot?" I step out of my heels and nod. "She may be out all night. Do you want me to stay and keep you company?" There's a seductive tone in his voice, but I'm still reeling from Elena's words. "Is this how our conversations are going to be? I say or ask something and only get a two-syllable response, if that?"

"It's been a long day, and I'm tired." I sit down in one of the chairs while he keeps standing behind the sofa. "I'm sorry for not being as vocalized as you'd like.", I sneer. He clasps his hands together and looks up at the ceiling.

"Thank goodness. She's capable of a real conversation. It's a miracle."

"The answer to your question about keeping me company is no. Kate may be home, but even if she's not, I'll be fine alone."

"Ana, what's going on? You're not acting like yourself.", he sighs. "Baby, what is it?"

"Acting.", I scoff. "Never has there been a more apt word in this moment. Acting."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"I saw your old friend Elena while I was shopping with Audrey during our lunch break today. We were in Victoria's Secret, and she came up to me." He rubs the back of his neck and sits down on the sofa. "She was at the gala last night."

"Yeah. I didn't know she was going to be there until I saw her talking to the mayor's wife. She asked about you, and I told her you were busy with your article. It was a very brief conversation. Why do I have a feeling your talk with her today was the opposite."

"She told me the same thing you just did and a very other things.", I mutter. "The woman is convinced that I'm going to get hurt by you when you realize that you don't want a normal relationship."

"Fuck.", he mumbles. "You don't believe her, do you? Ana?"

"I don't know. As much as I don't want to believe her, I can't help but wonder if she's right. You told my dad tonight that you care about me."

"Which is the truth."

"Who's to say when you wake up tomorrow morning you're not going to come to the realization that you miss your old lifestyle? If you have even the slightest doubt, tell me now instead of later. Don't string me along because I..."

"You what?", he asks.

"I find myself falling for you more and more every day, so much that it scares me. I've picked up the pieces of a broken heart before, but I have a feeling that it would be even more devastating with you. Even though Bryant and I were together for three years, the connection I feel with you is much stronger. I'm asking you to go easy on my heart." He gets out of his chair and gets down on his knees, crawling over to where I'm seated. He tilts my head so that we're eye to eye.

"I would never hurt you like that. You and your heart are much too precious to me. Why would I go back to the bottomless pit when I've seen how amazing the outside world is? Elena's words don't mean anything. She doesn't mean anything."

"She's still a part of your life. You may not be her sub anymore, but she's still around. She's a vulture who seems to get a kick out of meddling in your life."

"Not for long."

"What do you mean?", I ask.

"I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago, cut her out of my life. I'll sign the salons over to her, but after that, we'll be done."