"Morning, Daddy!"

I turn away from the stove, ripped from my thoughts of last night. Granted, the night didn't end with Christian and me in the throes of passion, but that didn't stop me from waking up with a smile. We sat on the floor together for hours, talking when we wanted to talk, taking comfort in each other's silent presence when we didn't. When we finally pushed ourselves off the floor, we spent a few minutes awkwardly trying to figure out where we stood after our talk. I actually think Christian was willing to leave the room without any sort of physical affection apart from having our arms around each other for hours. The fact that he didn't expect anything from me meant one of two things: either he's made a hell of a lot of progress or I've managed to break him completely. I think I'll stick with the former.

Regardless, I felt both of us needed something, whether it be reassurance or something else, I didn't know. Before I had time to second guess myself, I'd pressed Christian against the bedroom door and placed my lips against his. For once, I think I genuinely surprised him; it took him a moment to realize what was going on, and in the moments that followed was quite possibly the best kiss we've shared. I know I've probably said that before, but this was definitely in the top five. It certainly wasn't the most passionate we've shared. In fact, it was on the opposite end of the spectrum: slow and sweet and full of promise and apology and love. When we reluctantly said good night, I swear his eyes were glazed over and he had the goofiest grin on his face.

I was pretty proud of myself, actually.

Now though, I'm suddenly feeling shy again as he enters the kitchen in full Christian Grey work-mode. From his perfectly shined shoes to his always-just-fucked hair and the little smirk on his face, he looks... perfect.

"Morning, Teddy," he says, his voice still thick with sleep. He's smiling as he crosses the kitchen to kiss the top of our son's head then he looks to me, his smile widening. "Morning, Ana."

I turn away as I roll my eyes, biting my lip against a grin. "Morning, Christian." I flip the pancakes then the bacon, my eyes darting towards my right as Christian pours himself a cup of coffee and leans against the counter beside me. "Sleep well?"

He chuckles, bringing the cup to his lips. "Not bad," he mutters evasively, his eyes glinting in amusement. "You?"

I shrug indifferently. "Hungry?"

His eyebrows rise at my question and his glinting eyes darken. I only realize what it is I've said when I feel the blush growing up my neck. "Could be," he says thoughtfully.

"For breakfast," I blurt.

He's laughing. Actually laughing. I can't remember the last time I've seen him really and truly laugh. It's refreshing. "Of course," he says silkily, still snickering.

I roll my eyes at myself. Why is it always like this after we kiss lately? Part of me wants to believe it's more to do with us growing closer to one another after all the time apart or the progress we've been making. I can feel the wall between us cracking a little more with each of these conversations, despite the problems still hanging over us.

It's not a bad feeling...

I fix the plates for breakfast and join Christian and Teddy at the table, discovering Christian already prepared my tea for me. The fuzzy feelings are back. My subconscious has scoffed, rolled her eyes, and retreated, slamming a door in her wake. Whatever. Let me enjoy this win for a change.

"So I was thinking about inviting my parents over for dinner later this week," Christian says to me, mopping up a puddle of syrup with pancake.

"Oh?"

He nods, glancing at Teddy briefly. "I need to have a conversation with them," he says cautiously, raising his eyebrows pointedly.

I suck in a breath as I catch his meaning. "That conversation?" I respond. He nods grimly. "Oh."

"It's going to be a pretty rough conversation," he tells me, looking nervous. "And I don't want to force you, but I think I'd like you to be with me. I have some things to say to you as well and I need to get it all out at once."

My eyes widen and suddenly I'm feeling just as nervous. "Okay," I say, nodding. "Let me know when they're coming over."

He looks relieved and rewards me with his sweet, shy smile. "Thank you," he whispers gratefully, reaching for my hand to kiss my knuckles. When he returns to eating his breakfast, he keeps my hand wrapped in his and I don't protest. As he finishes off his coffee, he sits back in his chair, a small smile on his face as he looks at me. "So I've been thinking about our second date. How about this weekend?"

A smile slowly grows across my face. "I was hoping it wouldn't be too long between dates," I tell him rather shyly. "I suppose you've got it all planned out?"

He beams proudly. "Possibly," he says evasively. "In the meantime, I've got mergers and acquisitions to tend to, so I should be going."

I nod, disappointed that the morning has already come to an end. "Don't forget our appointment with Flynn this evening. Do you want to meet there?"

He takes his plate and coffee cup to the sink, frowning slightly. "No, I'll come home first," he decides.

I smile, having hoped that would be what he said. Though it wouldn't be much trouble for me to meet him for our appointment, there's something to be said that he wants to take the time to come home and for us to go in together. It shows unity to me, a mutual dedication for us to fix our marriage.

I watch Christian say goodbye to Teddy for the day, promising some playtime after our appointment with Flynn then walk him outside. Taylor is waiting beside the SUV, determinedly looking anywhere but at us. I smirk to myself.

"Have a good day, Mrs. Grey," Christian says softly, drawing my attention again. When did he come to stand within inches of me? He reaches up to gently run his thumb over my bottom lip, making me gasp and him smirk. Despite knowing what's coming next, I find myself surprised when he leans down to press our lips together. It's a brief kiss, leaving both of us wanting more, but Christian pulls away, his eyes glazed over again.

"You, too, Mr. Grey," I respond, fully aware of the breathiness of my voice.

With a wink and smile, Christian turns on his heel and walks towards the SUV, glancing back at me only briefly as he closes the car door behind him. I watch and wait until the car disappears completely. I let out a groaning sigh before returning into my house to spend the day with my son.

"Ana and Christian. Please, have a seat."

My hand is against Ana's lower back as I guide her to the couch to sit, immediately taking her hand in my own and resting our joined hands on my leg. Flynn is looking at us in slight surprise, but hides it with a small smile.

"Well, I have to say this is a very different couple than the one I saw last time you were here," he comments, crossing one leg over the other and resting his tablet on it. "Dare I ask how things are going?"

I glance at Ana, smiling. She's smiling back. "Things are going very well," I say quietly, hoping she believes the same. "There's been a slight setback, but we managed to move on past that."

"Oh?" Flynn's interest is piqued. "And what setback was this?"

Ana sighs, her smile slipping slightly. She explains the incident with Kate at my parents' house and the almost immediate fallout from it. Listening to how we reacted to each other's lack of communication, I'm back to self-flagellation at how easily we reverted to that bad habit. It just goes to prove how much work it will take to get to where we want to be.

"What were you thinking when you came home from work to find your wife and son gone, Christian?" Flynn asks. "As well as when you realized they'd come home?"

My eyes close briefly and the coldness is returning at the thought of what I could have gone through that night. "Terrified," I croak. "I couldn't get in touch with her, couldn't find her, and I really believed I'd fucked up so badly that I drove her away again. I don't know how I would have been if she hadn't come home that night. I think it would have actually broken me. I wouldn't have any reason to go on. As for the realization they came home..." I shake my head in wonder. "It was the complete opposite feeling. The relief was overwhelming. All I wanted was to have her in my arms again. I felt undeserving of her and so desperately thankful that she was still there." I swallow hard, still feeling that same way. "I've never felt that way, in that extreme, and I never want to feel that way again."

"So you're more dedicated than ever to make this work," Flynn comments quietly.

"Yes," I say simply.

Flynn nods, turning his gaze on Ana. "What were your thoughts to Christian's reaction to you coming home?"

She sighs again. "Surprised," she says bluntly. "I thought somebody was hurt and in the hospital. He was trembling, actually trembling, and I didn't know what to do to make him feel better. All I could do was hold him. When we went upstairs to talk, and he told me what he thought had happened, I was relieved and I almost laughed. I certainly didn't mean to make him think I was running from him again; I didn't intentionally leave my phone at home. When I left the house to meet Kate and Ava, Teddy and I were in a rush and I forgot to grab it. I didn't even see his email until this afternoon."

"And how were you feeling yesterday towards Christian?"

"Angry, hurt, disappointed." She rattles off the words so quickly that I know she had lingered on those feelings. I squeeze her hand gently and she shoots me a brief smile. "I knew Kate had laid into him about the affair and the aftermath, and all I wanted was for him to talk to me. Even if he was angry, I felt he needed to open up and get it out. When he threw my own lack of communication in my face, it pissed me off. I didn't realize until the next morning he was right and I was being hypocritical about the whole thing."

Flynn looks pleased. "The fact that you both realized you were wrong and worked out the problem on your own is incredible progress. I know you two better than you think and I know only a year ago something like this would have been left to fester until one of you exploded on the other. How was your date this weekend?"

Ana and I are both smiling again. "Wonderful," Ana says before I can. "We flew to Portland in Charlie Tango, had dinner at the Heathman, saw a movie together, had coffee, and went home. I couldn't have asked for a better night."

"No pressure," I mutter, rolling my eyes exaggeratedly.

She giggles.

"Aside from the very interesting thought of seeing Christian Grey sitting in a movie theater full of common folk, what made it so wonderful? Specifically."

"I suppose," Ana starts slowly, "it was the effort he went through to recreate our beginning. Our first night together, he flew me in Charlie Tango. We had the same meal we had the evening at the Heathman when he was trying to convince me to become his submissive—which in itself wasn't my favorite memory, but it was still a very memorable night. The coffee was our very first date, before I knew what kind of relationship he was looking for with me. And the movie was another first for us. It's not something we've ever done together; we're more likely to spend the evening in our home theater room alone rather than surrounded by strangers. It really meant a lot to me that he stepped out of his comfort zone for me."

I'm feeling proud of myself suddenly.

"Why were those events the ones you chose to recreate, Christian?" Flynn asks me curiously. "From what I understood, you wished to start a new beginning with Ana. It doesn't seem like you've done that."

I start to bristle at the accusation, but I know Flynn's only trying to get deeper in our heads. "I do want a new beginning," I say firmly. "But at the same time, I wanted to remind Ana about what it was that brought us together in the first place. I wanted us to experience the things that meant so much to both of us. It might not have been the most creative date we've had, but I wanted to rediscover that connection."

"Did it work, Ana?"

I turn to see my wife's reaction. She's smiling, biting her lip, and looking up at me through her eyelashes. I fight not to groan aloud. "I think so," she says shyly. "It certainly ended at a high point..."

I chuckle. Flynn raises an eyebrow at me and I have the sudden urge to defend our actions. "It was a kiss," I explain. "A truly wonderful, beautiful, arousing kiss, but it went no further than that. I know we're not to the point where we could do anything more yet and until she's ready, we won't be going any further."

"Probably wise, all things considered," Flynn muses. "Have there been any other things you wanted to discuss?"

I look to Ana. This was her appointment originally, but when she extended the invitation to me, I didn't want to turn it down. She glances briefly at me before turning back to Flynn. "I'm having trouble getting past certain issues," she says cautiously, her brow furrowed. "As much as I want to trust him when he's at work, I still have the moments of doubt." Her eyes close briefly. "When I went looking for him before dinner when we were at his parents' house, and I found him and Kate together in a room with the door closed, I had a fleeting image of something I knew wasn't in the realm of possibility."

"What was that image?" Flynn asks. I don't want to hear her answer, knowing immediately what it will be, but she needs to say it out loud. I need to know what she's thinking.

"Even though I knew they'd been arguing, I couldn't help but think they were..." She hesitates, looking for a suitable phrase to use. "I thought there might have been something going on between them, that maybe they'd been having an affair together while I was in London." She turns to me, her face red. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head dumbly. "Don't be," I mutter coolly.

"Christian," Flynn chides. "This isn't the time to shut down."

There are times that I hate that he knows me so well. "I'm not shutting down," I lie. "Ana, I can't blame you for being suspicious, but I swear to you I wouldn't put you through that again. Let's forget for a moment that Kate and I can barely be I the same room together without tension... She doesn't and has never attracted me in that way."

"I know," she says quickly. "And it's not that I think there's a possibility that you and Kate would throw aside your mutual dislike to start screwing each other. It's the fact that the affair is still so fresh in my mind that I can't help the suspicion."

"That's normal, Ana," Flynn interjects. "It will take time for you to trust Christian fully again. And while I don't want to side with either of you on this issue, I would like to say that I really believe Christian is turning over a new leaf and that I don't believe he will stray again. From the first time the two of you stepped through that door together," he gestures with his pen at the office door, "I knew there was something special between you, something that could get you through anything. More than anything, I want to see the two of you succeed, as I've said before. And I believe the way Ana handled her friend's interference into your marriage wonderfully. There are only two people who need to be involved—Christian and Ana. Naturally, you're free to consult anybody you wish about your problems, but that should be something initiated by you, nobody else. That includes me. I will not pry any deeper in your lives than you wish me to and if either of you feels as though I am overstepping my bounds, please call me on it."

Ana and I nod in acknowledgement.

"Having said that, I think we need to discuss Elena Lincoln."

I feel Ana's entire body tense and the grip she had on my hand go limp. Panic fills my veins, but I think I'm successful in hiding it. "What about her?" I ask.

"Christian, over the years as I've gotten to know you, I've noticed Elena is a recurring event in your life. I know most of the people in your life who are even slightly aware of the nature of your relationship with her have told you she's detrimental to your life and your marriage. I don't want to get too far into details and risk upsetting either of you, but in order for you to move forward with Ana, you need to acknowledge the toxicity of your relationship with Elena."

I nod heavily. "I know," I say hoarsely. And I do. "I know I shouldn't go to her whenever things aren't going right for me in my life, but she always seems to pop up when I most need a confidant. Whatever her reasoning for reestablishing contact with me I always end up telling her far more about my personal life than I should."

"You shouldn't have been telling her anything," Ana snaps, surprising me. I don't think she meant to interrupt, but she probably couldn't remain quiet anymore. "Yes, we were having problems, but I should have been your confidant—if not me, then John or Elliot, or hell, your mother! After everything she's done and said to you, the fact that you haven't realized that she wants nothing more than to destroy our marriage is frightening. You've told me over and over that you're not her submissive and you haven't been since you were in your early twenties, but the second she tries to pry, you're dropping to your knees and giving her whatever she wants, however she wants it. It may not be sexual, but it's still cheating. You've been having emotional affairs with that woman all throughout our marriage, and that's almost worse than a sexual one."

I'm staring at my wife in shock. How long has she been holding that in? Not that she's wrong on any count... "You're right," I tell her honestly. "Theoretically, I know she's toxic and our relationship is abusive. I know she's in control of that. Believe me; I know I need wash my hands of her for good. The last thing in the world I want is for my son to grow up and end up in the same sort of situation. It would kill me, and then I would kill the person who's put him in that situation. I want to be a positive role model for my son, like my dad was for me, despite our relationship being so strained for much of the time."

"I want that, too," Ana admits. "More than anything. He's young enough right now that if we manage to fix this, he won't remember any of it."

Flynn nods his agreement. "Very good point, Ana," he says quietly. "But as I've told you both, you don't want try to fix your marriage for your son's sake. It has to be because you each want it and each of you is putting one-hundred percent into changing your relationship for the better. I'm not a marriage counselor, but if you'd like, I can arrange for you to see one. It could be beneficial."

I look at Ana questioningly; she's considering the option. In the end, we take a business card for an associate of his, say our goodbyes, and walk out of the office hand-in-hand. Unlike our last visit with Flynn, we're both smiling as we get into the car. She's still holding my hand as we start the drive home, deciding on ordering a pizza for dinner and watching a movie or two with our son.

I couldn't have asked for a better session than the one we experienced this evening. We both put several things out on the table that normally might have us glaring at one another. This won't be the last time we discuss Elena—in fact, we'll be doing it again in a couple nights when my parents come for dinner. And somehow, I don't think that session will end on nearly as high a note...

When Christian arrived home from work this afternoon, I felt tension running off him in waves. I know it's not directed towards me, or even his business, but towards what is coming this evening. Carrick and Grace are joining us for dinner. I've given Gail the evening off and decided to cook myself. After dinner, after Teddy is in bed, I know exactly what will happen: Christian is going to come clean about his relationship with Elena. Carrick already knows to some extent, but Grace is clueless. I know the last thing Christian wants to do is hurt his mother further than he has by lying about why I left him. She needs to know, though; things will start coming to the surface soon and it will be better for her to hear it from Christian himself.

It still doesn't stop him from being incredibly nervous.

I throw the lasagna I've prepared for dinner into the oven, set a timer, and head off to find Christian. He's sitting on the back deck, glancing occasionally to where Teddy is playing in the yard, while the rest of the time, he's staring at the ground broodingly. I sit down beside him, scooting sideways until we're pressed together, and take his hand in mine. He looks at our hands, then at me, in pleasant surprise.

"Hi," he says quietly.

"Hi." I smile at him. "It'll be okay."

"I wish I believed that," he admits. "My mom is going to be so pissed."

I nod in agreement. "Probably," I say. "But she needs this, Christian. So do you."

"What about you?" he asks, cocking his head curiously. "Do you need this or will this only make things worse?"

I sigh, actually thinking about the answer, knowing he's terrified about it. "I want to say it won't make things worse," I respond carefully, "but I honestly don't know. I want to believe you've told me everything there is to tell me about this whole thing. But until it's over, I can't. I promised you I'd be by your side through this conversation, because I know it's not going to be easy for you. And by doing this, I could be opening myself up to god knows what."

"I really honestly believe I've told you everything there is to tell you, Ana," he says emphatically. "If there is something else, it's something I'm not even privy to, in which case I apologize now for whatever you might hear."

I giggle. "Never a good sign when you apologize ahead of time for some unspoken threat," I tell him, trying to lighten the situation. Inwardly, I'm desperately hoping there is nothing else, because I don't know if I could handle it.

Teddy runs towards us and we stand, heading back inside to prepare for the evening. I get Teddy changed out of his play clothes and arrive downstairs just in time for the doorbell to ring. I glance above me suddenly when I hear a crash in what I think is Christian's bathroom. I hear a shout of "I'm okay," and continue towards the door. The next few minutes are filled with Teddy greeting his eager grandparents and general conversation, until Christian comes downstairs. I watch as Christian says hello to his parents, his father a little more stiffly and formally than I'm used to seeing, and Grace has clearly sensed the tension between the two of them, but judging by the pursing of her lips, she doesn't know what's going on.

Dinner conversation is casual and tense at the same time. Neither Christian nor Carrick speak much, leaving the discussion topics up to Grace and me. Those subjects revolve around her anecdotes about the hospital or me talking about Teddy. After dessert, we move into the family room until it's time for Teddy's bedtime. I'm almost overly enthusiastic about taking him up to his room, and Grace accompanies me. I know she wants to ask what's going on with Christian and Carrick, but she doesn't. Instead, we prepare my son for bed, read him his story, and kiss him goodnight before returning to the family room and our husbands.

Christian jumps up eagerly at the sight of us and goes to the bar to prepare drinks for all of us. Grace takes hers with a resigned look on her face, clearly realizing the drink has been given to her for fortifying reasons. Christian sits down beside me on the loveseat across from the couch where his parents are sitting, takes a deep breath, then a deeper drink of his brandy.

"Before I begin," he says quietly, looking between his parents, "I need all three of you to know how sorry I am for hurting you over the years." He turns towards me first. "Ana, I've put you through hell and like I said in Flynn's office, I feel indescribably undeserving of you, your love, and your attention. I'm doing everything possible to prove I want and need you in my life, for the rest of my life. Please continue to be patient with me—I'm trying so hard, and this..." he gestures vaguely towards his parents, "is part of that."

I nod, glancing at his parents as they watch us closely. "I know," I tell Christian quietly. "I know you're trying. And it means everything to me that you are."

He sighs in relief before tearing his eyes from me to look at Carrick. "Dad. I haven't been the greatest son in the world and I know I've probably aged you more quickly than you would have done without the stress I bring. Despite our differences, I appreciate what you've done for me, even when I've said otherwise."

Carrick nods. "Thank you, Christian," is his only response.

I see Christian's face fall slightly before he manages to hide it behind his mask again, so he turns to his mother. "And Mom..." I swear his voice breaks. "I can never tell you what you mean to me. You saved me. You took me out of a situation that could have led me down a disastrous path. You loved me even when it would have been easier to turn your back on me. The things I plan on telling you tonight... They're not going to be easy to hear and probably very upsetting, because I've broken a promise to you." Grace's face goes from touched to confused to hard in a matter of seconds, and it's clear she's worked out what's going on. Christian sighs shakily. "I've seen Elena after I said I wouldn't."

Grace stares hard at her son for a few minutes. "And when you say you've 'seen' her, I don't suppose you mean passing her on the street," she says coldly.

Christian shakes his head. "No. I mean even after seeing her the night Ana told me she was pregnant and swearing to you it wouldn't happen again, I've renewed our relationship on and off. We cut ties for a couple years after Teddy was born, but started speaking again a few months ago. She was hoping for an investor for a new business opportunity, though as it turns out, that was a ploy. She used the money I gave her to invest in the publishing house Anastasia was working for in London, which is the real reason Ana's decided to come home."

"How much?" Grace asks.

"Three million."

Carrick chokes on his drink and Grace stares at her son as though she's never seen him before and he's the vilest thing on the planet. "What?" she demands.

Christian only nods. "When I gave it to her, I told her it would be the last time I gave her a dime and she was to never contact me again. She lied to me about the uses she intended to use the money for and had me believing she was in serious financial trouble."

"So why help her?" Carrick snaps.

I brace myself for angry Christian who will start yelling at his father, but much to my surprise, it's deeply contrite Christian I see sitting beside me.

"I've been trying to come up with a suitable answer to that question," Christian says quietly. "And I've yet to come up with one. I could tell you it's because there's still a connection between us and I have a soft spot for her—albeit a very small one. I could say I felt sorry for her or that it felt good to be able to have some sort of power and control over her. It doesn't matter what I say, though, because it's not good enough to justify hurting my family the way I have. I'm currently working on booting her out of my life permanently, and I swear to all three of you, once it's done, that will be the last I hear from Elena Lincoln."

Despite his apologetic tone in the beginning, the tone has become hardened and I can't help but believe his every word. He's said them before, and I was skeptical every time, because his actions proved he hadn't meant them. Now though, with him looking at the mother who raised him, the woman he worshipped for saving him as a small child, I think he finally gets it. God, I hope so...

Grace hasn't said a word in several minutes and it's clearly starting to make Christian nervous. It's not long before she sets aside her untouched brandy and stands. "Carrick, we should go," she says quietly, not looking at me or her son. Christian's face shows sudden panic and fear. "Ana, thank you for dinner. It was delicious. We'll see you soon."

I look between Christian and Grace uncertainly then look at Carrick who seems just as bemused as I'm feeling. He gives me a slight apologetic shrug before leading his wife to the foyer where he helps her into her coat. I see them out and return to find Christian still sitting in the exact same spot where I left him, still staring at the spot where Grace had sat. I've never seen him looking so lost and vulnerable, like a little boy who just lost his mother. The irony of the thought isn't lost on me, but I cross the room to kneel in front of him and place my hands on my knees.

"Christian?" I say quietly.

He looks up at me slowly, desolately. "She hates me, Ana," he whispers, sounding just as a small child would. "I actually managed to make her hate me."

"No, Christian," I argue, pushing myself up enough to press against him. I take his face into my hands, trying not to crumble at the tears that fill his eyes. "Baby, she doesn't hate you. She's disappointed, probably a little angry with you, but she's your mother, and your mother can never hate you. Please believe me."

"I want to," he says, his voice cracking.

"Then do," I insist. "It doesn't matter what Teddy might do to upset me; I could never stop loving my child. He's everything to me. And you're everything to Grace. Just give her time and space, then talk to her. It'll be okay."

He nods. "I'd like to go to sleep, Ana."

I sigh, defeated. "Please don't shut me out, Christian," I beg.

I see a small smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm not shutting you out, baby," he assures me. "I just need to sleep on this before figuring out how to deal with it. I promise I will tell you everything I'm feeling once I've gotten myself wrapped around it."

Feeling disappointed nonetheless, I nod. "Okay," I reply. "Sleep, then."

He pulls me up as he stands, wrapping me in his arms. "Thank you, Ana. For staying with me during that conversation, for still loving me, and for everything else you do. I love you."

With a brief kiss to my lips, he releases me and heads upstairs, leaving me feeling sad for him and hoping Grace's anger doesn't extend for too long.