A/N BONUS update for all your fantastic reviews for the last chapter. Thanks everyone for the great response. I only wrote this today and I've proof read it once so please forgive any mistakes.
I think most of you certainly do give a shit that Ray has come into the story (I do read reviews even if I'm awful at responding!)...so let's gets right to it shall we?
Ray POV
Man I'm nervous. I'm here in GEH to meet Annie's boyfriend at his request, although I'm not sure what this meeting actually entails. I addressed the letter I wrote to this building as I had no other way of making contact. I wonder if he told her about my letter, and if he did, does she even remember me? Lord, I hope so. It would break my heart all over again if my Annie wants nothing to do with me.
I couldn't believe it when I saw her picture on a magazine a few weeks back. It was a complete accident as I don't read any of that rubbish, I was buying a few groceries at my local store when I walked by a magazine stand and there she was. Anastasia has grown up a lot in the last fourteen years, gone is the adorable, tiny little girl I used to carry around on my shoulders and sneak off to buy ice cream with when her mother was having one of her hissy fits. In her place is a beautiful young woman that would surely make any parent proud. I genuinely choked up when I saw that she has kept my name all this time.
I bought every magazine and paper on that rack and soaked up all the information I could about her life, which I have to say, wasn't a whole lot. Apparently Annie wasn't well known before she met this Christian Grey character but I'm assuming Carla did well for them if she was moving in the elite circles of the rich and famous.
I decided to research Grey instead to see if I could gain more I formation about my baby girl through him but again, nothing. So lacking a home address I wrote to Grey Enterprise Holdings...and here I am sipping a coffee that a polite young lady, Andrea, has fetched for me while I wait. I don't even like coffee.
Before long his office door opens and I see him standing there. Sizing him up I note he is an impressive fellow. Tall and athletically built, he gives off an intense, powerful vibe. This is a man who clearly likes to be in charge. Is he like this with Annie?
I stand and take his outstretched hand and shake it firmly. ''Mr Grey," my welcome is short.
"Good to meet you Mr Steele, if you would come into my office please and we can talk in private," he gestures for me to go ahead while he talks. Once we are seated I look around, what does one man need with all this space? My disdain must be obvious as he chuckles quietly but doesn't comment.
I clear my throat and decide to get right to the point, "how's Anastasia?"
His lips purse a little, "Ana. She prefers to be called Ana."
"I always called her Annie," I say quietly, allowing myself a small smile.
"Annie?" he grins for the first time and I feel a little more comfortable in his presence, "it suits her."
"I always thought so, though her mother hated it. Said she named her daughter Anastasia and that's what she should be called." I refrain from calling Carla the names I want to use as I don't want to be thrown out before I get to meet my little girl.
Christians features cloud angrily and he turns his head to look out over the impressive Seattle skyline. He doesn't say anything for a few moments and I decide to stay quiet too, it's obvious mentioning Carla hit a nerve and I want to know why.
"Ana..." he starts slowly then pauses for another second. He turns back to look at me and I get the feeling he wants to study my reaction. "Ana no longer speaks to her mother."
The way he said 'her mother' through clenched teeth has me instantly on alert. "Why not? What did the bloody woman do?" I knew I couldn't trust that bitch to take care of her properly. Annie was never more than a nuisance to Carla.
Grey gnashes his teeth together. "It's not my story to tell. If Ana wants to tell you about it I'll leave it up to her to do so."
I sigh, "fair enough."
There's an awkward silence as we sit at opposite sides of his large wooden table. Both sizing up the other. Him wondering what my angle is in trying to contact Annie after all these years and me wondering if she could be happy with this rather severe man I see in front of me. Each waiting for the other to break first.
Suddenly there's a buzzing sound from his desk and I hear Andrea's voice. "Ms Steele for you, Mr Grey."
I barely have time to catch my breath with the realisation that it's Annie before I hear her sweet, soft voice for the first time in so many years.
"Christian?"
"Hey baby, is something wrong?" The change in this man's demeanour when speaking to Annie is startling. Gone is the tough, no bullshit business mogul and in his place is a man who obviously adores the person on the other end of the line. I feel myself relax for the first time in his presence.
A little giggle from the desk phone, "no...does something have to be wrong for me to call you?"
He smiles indulgently, "of course not baby. What are you up to?"
A pause, "ummm, just hanging out with Gail." He rolls his eyes at this and I'm left wondering why.
"I know you're rolling your eyes Mr Grey!" she scolds playfully. "I miss you."
"I miss you too, sweetheart. But hey, I think I'll be able to get off early today so maybe we can go out for dinner, tell Gail not to cook okay?"
"Okay," she sounds ridiculously happy and I'm glad. I didn't realise how much I needed for her to be happy until just now. It feels as if a huge weight has been lifted off my chest. I was so afraid Carla would ruin her life, thankfully that doesn't seem to be the case.
"Oh the reason I'm ringing is because I'm almost out of insulin, will you ask your mom if she'll write me another prescription?"
That's another thing I always worried about, Annie's diabetes. Her mother had absolutely no interest in monitoring her daughters illness and I lived in fear that Ana's health would suffer in Carla's care. So I always made sure to explain to Annie, even at a young age, how to look after her shots and taught her what to eat and what foods to steer clear of. Our only cheat was the rare ice cream trips when her levels were good. I guess on some level I always knew Carla would take her away from me, if only to hurt me. She knew I was only with her because of Annie.
"Sure baby," Christian suddenly looks up at me and it's as if he forgot I was here.
"Christian?"
"Sorry honey, I got distracted for a second." Hmm, Annie obviously knows nothing about our meeting today, interesting. I raise a brow at Grey.
"Oh!" she exclaims, and then in a much lower tone, "are you in a meeting?"
"You could say that."
"I'm so sorry, you should have said!" I frown at the panic in her voice, why would she be so worried about disrupting him? I scowl.
"Ana please, it's no problem. I told you before you can ring me whenever you want. I'm never to busy to talk to you."
They talk quietly for another minute or so and I don't miss the mushy 'I love you's' they say to each other before she disconnects.
"Sorry about that," he says but is clearly anything but.
"She sounds happy."
"She is...now," he runs a hand through his hair, the first sign I've seen that he's not as calm as he appears. "I'm not going to lie to you Mr Steele, Ana hasn't had the easiest life since you've seen her last and she still has some pretty big scars to show for it." At my obvious alarm he rushes to add, "scars of the emotional kind. Which, in my humble opinion, can be the worst kind." I nod in agreement, I've been in the military and have seen first hand what mental strain can do to the strongest of people.
I am sitting at the edge of my seat now, unable to hide my own anxiety. "Does she want to see me?"
He hesitates, "yes. But I wanted to meet you first Mr Steele, I can't allow her to be hurt again. She's been through enough at the hands of her parents already."
"Parents? Did Carla find her real father?" my gut twists, Carla always said she didn't know where he was. She wouldn't even tell me his name.
He shakes his head and if I'm not mistaken that is pure fury I see in his eyes. I'm dying to grill him and my imagination is running wild right now but I don't want to push my luck. But fuck, knowing that my baby girl has been hurt in some way I want to demand to know who is responsible so I can find them and rip their fucking head off. The crushing weight is back on my chest ten fold.
"Stepfather," he grinds out but then he sighs, "look, I'm sure Ana will fill you in when she's ready, but I just need you to be aware that although she may be a little...fragile right now, your daughter is one of the strongest people I have ever met." He says this with such pride and conviction and I smile when he calls her my daughter. Hopefully that's how Annie feels as well, that she is my daughter regardless of biology. None of that ever mattered to me.
"I already knew that Mr Grey," I answer proudly, "my Annie has always been a tough cookie, even when she was just a little bit of a thing."
"Christian, call me Christian."
I nod, "alright Christian, and I suppose you can go ahead and call me Ray. I was never one for all that formal crap anyway."
By the time I leave Christian has promised me he will tell Annie that we met today. He also assured me that she will rip him alright new one when she finds out he met me behind her back...not that he looked too worried about it.
I decide not to head back to Montesano just yet as Christian reckons he will be contacting me soon to arrange a reunion between me and Annie. I wait until I am back in my hotel room to allow myself to shed a few tears. I haven't cried since the day her mother took her away from me, the day that almost destroyed me. I haven't been a whole person since.
But now, knowing I'm so close to seeing her again I can't help but allow a few relieved tears to fall and even an escaped sob before I quickly pull myself together again.
The last thing Annie needs right now is a blubbering mess of a dad. Reading between the lines of what Christian said, she needs strong people to take care of her. And I intend on being there for my baby girl, God help anyone who tries to stop me.
A/N Not the longest chapter I know but I think Ray needed a chapter all to himself to welcome him to the story!
Please review and let me know how much you all love Ray xxx