AN: I do not own these characters. All rights go to E.L. James

"Members Only"

Chapter 25

People do get fired doing this, you know.

It was seven-thirty in the morning. Christian tried hard to ignore his pounding headache and the knot of fear tightening in his stomach. He was standing in the crowd of lunatics, who were apparently singing some traditional running song. Next to him was an old stone building that had statues on top with what looked like angels wielding clubs. The air was almost sticky with excitement and fear.

Christian was wearing the traditional white shirt, white pants and red handkerchief around his neck. He also had his good running shoes on.

He felt like an idiot. A possibly soon-to-be-dead idiot.

"Whooo! Right on!" Luke yelled, bouncing like a six-year-old on a sugar rush. "Are you excited? Are you pumped?"

"Are you hungover?" Jason asked, at a more normal volume. Luke was surrounded by a bunch of members, all wearing the white clothes…well, except for Luke, who wasn't wearing a shirt. Luke was self-admittedly "clothing challenged."

"I'm a little hungover," Christian said.

"It'll be fine. It's the people who are still roaring drunk that usually get hurt in this thing," Jason said casually, as if he were standing in a drawing room instead of on a cobblestone street in Spain, waiting for some pissed-off, really large bovines to start tearing after him.

"After this, I'm in, right?" Christian said, through gritted teeth. Luke was leading a bunch of the guys in some song in very broken Spanish. From the sound of the crowd, it had a bawdy edge to it.

"You're in like…well, like Flynn," Jason said with a grin. "Sure you still want it?"

"Would I be here if I didn't?"

Jason shrugged. "I think you'll be a good addition, Christian. As long as you're joining for the right reasons."

"What are the…"

Before he could complete the question, there was a shout, and suddenly the crowd went quiet. Tensions and anticipation were palpable.

Oh, crap. Christian felt adrenaline flood through his system, making him hyperaware. He felt as if his skin was crawling.

"Good luck," a female voice said next to him, and he jumped, startled.

Ana.

He quickly moved her through the crowd, glancing over his shoulder at the guys. "You didn't…I didn't think you were going to run."

"I came all the way to Pamplona," she said, and her voice was filled with that determination that he was starting to realize he totally loved. "I won't just be a spectator. I'd kick myself for the rest of my life."

His mouth went dry as he suddenly got the implication. It was one thing to think of himself possibly dying. But Ana…

"You've got to get out of here," he said sharply. "Now."

She stared at him, incredulous. "Um, no."

"People get killed doing this," he growled.

"Yeah, like you," she said. "So let's just focus and get through this, okay? It'll be a hell of a story."

Anger quickly replaced any nerves he might've had. "An…"

Suddenly, a rocket exploded and people started yelling. "Correr! CORRER!"

Christian didn't even need the translation. The crowd started moving, white-clad sprinters headed down the uneven streets as the crowd cheered. They'd let out the damned bulls.

He started running, jostled by the crowd as they lurched as one headlong down the hill on the uneven street. He wondered if this was what lemmings felt like, just before they found out there was a cliff ahead. He saw Ana, moving like a gazelle. He felt better being able to see her, and made sure he was close behind. The pace picked up, people yelling. Somebody tripped, almost dragging Ana with him. Christian caught her and they both jumped over the guy's body, just before he crawled out of the way.

"Oh, my God!" Ana shouted breathlessly. The crowd was thinning.

"Bull's coming!" a deep Texas drawl bellowed out, and people pushed to the sides. Christian jumped into one of those little alcoves, grabbing Ana and pulling her flush against him…just before the biggest frickin' bull he'd ever seen in his life rushed past, like a lumbering freight train that snorted.

"Holy crap!"

Ana looked at him, fear and exhilaration bright in her eyes. "Oh, my God," she repeated.

"Run!" He nudged her, and they started sprinting down the street, amidst the crowd.

The rest of the run was a blur. The ground was uneven and rocky under his feet, it was a miracle he didn't twist an ankle. Thankfully, he'd done some internet research beforehand, had memorized where the turns were. He herded Ana on the right path. She was graceful, and damned fast.

The bull run was mercifully short, and he saw the end at the Plaza del Toros, a stadium where the bulls would be fighting later that evening. Christian felt a burst of relief when the stadium was in sight. Pouring on one last desperate push of speed, they went through the darkened tunnel and broke out into light.

Christian was in the middle of the stadium, right in the heart of the bullfighting arena. The stands, he noticed, were fully crowded, everyone cheering like mad. He slowed down, walking around the dirt-packed floor of the stadium, stunned by the surreal feeling. This must be what it felt like to go into the World Series, he thought inanely.

"I can't believe that!" Ana said, as more and more bodies milled around inside the arena floor. It was like a big party and the spectators were cheering them on like returning, Boyceious heroes.

He kissed Ana, holding her against him. "That…was…incredible."

She smiled, holding him fiercely. "Thank you," she breathed. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

He smiled back. "I am going to make love to you all night. And most of tomorrow."

"And then we're…"

"Move it, man!" Luke said as he bolted past them. Then he skidded to a stop. "Who's this?"

"This is Ana," Christian said, then remembered she was not supposed to know about them, and they probably shouldn't know about her. "She's…"

"Over the wall, Ana!" Luke said, tugging her arm.

"What?" she asked blankly.

"They're letting them in! Move it!"

"Letting who in?" Christian asked, feeling dumb. Then he glanced back at the tunnel.

The bulls. They were letting the bulls in with them!

He didn't know where the energy came from, but suddenly, Christian was chasing Ana and Luke toward the nearest stadium wall. "What the hell?" he shouted, just before boosting Ana up over the wall. A bull was heading right toward them. Luke skinned up the side of the wall like a squirrel. Christian couldn't get a good hold, and wound up running a little. The bull was distracted for a quick moment.

Move it! Christian took a running leap at the wall, felt his fingers connect and clasp around the top. By sheer willpower, he hauled himself up and over, practically feeling the beast's breath against his butt as he did so.

The gathering crowd helped him up, and Ana was at his side in seconds. Her eyes were wide as dinner plates.

"Congrats!" Luke called, crowing like Peter Pan. "You're in, baby! You're in!"

"I'm in," he chanted, and then looked at Ana. She was thrilled, it shone on her face. Her confidence and belief in him, her admiration, lit her up like a beacon.

He had everything he wanted. He was suddenly incredibly glad that she was the one sharing it with him.

"What are you going to do now?" Luke asked, punching him on the shoulder. "We have to celebrate…"

Christian wrapped an arm around Ana.

"Back to the hotel," he said.

Screw it. He wanted to be a member, but right now, he wanted Ana more.