Epilogue.
A year later...
The clang of metal bars echoes around me. The burly guard, who towers over me, ushers my nervous body through one gate to another. Directly in front of me is another tall man, dressed in the same brown shirt uniform, checks the bags of everyone in the line before allowing them to enter into the next adjoining room. The tension filled chatter circles the space and apprehensive eyes survey the dull, lifeless, intimidating building. If Christian found out I was here, he would undoubtedly have a coronary, not to mention my behind would be aching for days.
"Ma'am." The guard murmurs as he waits for me to hand over my purse. He runs the hand-held scanner over the Hermes as a female guard pats me down; no doubt checking to see if I am smuggling any illegal paraphernalia. Once I receive the all clear, I follow the rest of the group into a room which is lined with a wall in the centre, effectively cutting it in half, and sectioned off into booths. I take my place and nervously pick at my fingernails. Over the past few days, this moment has been replayed constantly in my head; to the point where sleep has eluded me. Christian has been oblivious to my dilemma as he prepares to host a multi-billion dollar takeover; this deal has effectively stolen my husband away from me, I haven't spent more than a few hours with him for nearly two weeks and my poor neglected body is crying out for some loving and his touch. When this take over was first brought to my attention, I immediately had reservations; Christian explained, in very simple terms, that it sets to make us one of the richest and most powerful couples in the world and our net worth at an estimated twenty three billion dollars. I know my husband probably assumed that I would immediately leap into his waiting arms, and then whisk him upstairs to have crazy, wild sex on a bed of hundred dollar bills, but that is just not me. The money isn't important to me. Not one little bit. I would be happy and content if we lost it all tomorrow. As long as my loved ones were healthy and settled and I still had Christian by my side I would be fine, great even, but this is my life now and I have to get used to it, and the fact that currently Christian has moved into Grey Headquarters. His absence is the reason why I am able to slip out and come here. Sawyer has been sworn to secrecy.
Last Tuesday Kate, who is now my personal assistance, waltzed into my office, baby on hip, and handed me a bunch of envelopes which had been sitting in my mail box for over a week. Kate isn't the best assistant in the world; in fact I would go as far as to say she is almost inept. This all came about after Elliot and Kate's gorgeous daughter, Jessica, was born, Kate found herself reluctant to go back to full time work because she couldn't, understandably, bear being away from Jess. I offered her the opportunity of a part time assistant job with the added bonus of a crèche which I had given the go ahead, only weeks before, on the floor above the office. The prime location suited everyone and incorporated the message I am tirelessly trying to promote. I champion women in the workplace and anything I can do to encourage more ladies to come back to work after having children I will do; the crèche is inexpensive and allows the mothers to be near their children at all times and so far it has proved to be a huge success. When I first pitched the idea to Christian I was sure he would laugh in my face and lecturer me about an unfocused workforce and creating an unnecessary distraction but instead he gave me the biggest smile and his complete approval; he even went as far as to say he was proud of me and may install a similar set up at GEH. So now Kate works for me three days a week and Jess attends the daycare. The pile of unopened mail sat on my desk for the next two hours because I was in and out of meetings all day. When I finally had some spare time to deal with the mountain of letters, I came across one which had my heart racing and palms sweating. After the reveal, dark memories haunted my thoughts for days, the fear rising within me and the terror I thought I had buried a long time ago, resurfaced. With the help of Dr. Flynn and a few choice words with myself in the mirror, I summoned up the courage to face the demon head on. Literally.
My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden loud buzz, the rattle of keys and the click of a large lock being opened. I take a deep breath, tug down my shirt, smooth my hair and straighten my shoulders, not to mention mentally preparing myself for war. A group of women dressed in orange jumpsuits are hoarded into the room and I scan each and every one; some look downbeat and remorseful, some are covered in tattoos and wear a smirk of honour and some look like they have just waltzed in off of Rodeo Drive with their manicured nails, earrings and neat hairstyles. Despite the clear division in the group there is one thing that unites them all, the silver handcuffs chained around their wrists. The ladies pile in one by one however there is still no sign of my inmate. Hope blooms in my stomach; maybe this was just a pathetic game conjured up by her sick brain to play with me and now I won't actually have to stay and face the person who caused me and my family so much pain. Figuring this is the case; I pick up my purse and head to the exit. That is when I sense her presence and a chill travels down my spine and goose bumps prickle my skin.
I close my eyes and fight off the fear threatening to consume me. To show her any kind of weakness will play straight into her hands and I refuse to give her any more ammunition. I will not let her win! Whirling around I come face to face with pure evil.
I sit back down and pick up the receiver hanging at the side; her lips curl up into a sly grin and my anger builds inside. "Going somewhere Anastasia?"
"No, I just presumed you had lost your nerve and chosen not to face me after all." I snarl. Defensive is good Anastasia!
"Funny I thought the same about you." She folds her arms over her plastic chest and appraises me.
We sit glaring at each other. Being imprisoned has not dampened her glamorous appearance. Her hair, although longer and scattered with hints of grey, has been pulled up into a demure ponytail, her eyeliner and lipstick has been heavily applied and she is wearing a gorgeous pair of raindrop pearl earrings. On the surface, Elena looks as in control and demeaning as she ever has but behind the façade I can see the tiredness and defeat shining bright. This gives me the strength to stand up to her; Elena has nothing left and I have everything. I have everything she has always desired.
"Thank you for coming little girl. I thought it was about time we sat down, woman to woman, and got a few things straight."
"Oh yeah and what possibly could that be Elena?"
She doesn't answer me; instead her eyes flick to my hands resting on the small table in front of me; my diamond wedding and engagement rings gleaming at her through the glass. "He did good." she murmurs wistfully.
"Excuse me!?"
"The rings. They are beautiful."
"I know my husband has good taste" In all senses of the word. Elena doesn't miss my implied insult and narrows her eyes at me.
"You think you have won, don't you?"
"Yes." I reply in a matter-of-fact manner.
"You should be dead." Her face scrunches in disgust.
"And you should be in the depths of hell but that's life." I shrug.
"Sassy aren't you?"
"Cut the crap Elena and get on with it."
"How is the baby?" My body stiffens at the mention of my daughter. Eva Grace Grey is the light of my life and perfect in every way. Christian and I love every inch of that little girl; from her cute button nose to her chubby baby toes. If I thought I knew what love was before she was born I was wrong, there is nothing that will ever compare to the moment I held that beautiful little human being in my arms for the first time and looked up to see tears openly flowing down Christian's cheeks. In the latter stages of my pregnancy I was confined to bed rest as a result of my extremely high blood level and the strain the baby was having on my spine. To say my body resembled that of a whale would be an understatement however Christian made it his mission to make me feel sexy and desirable and despite my gigantic size, we still made love daily. My labour was a traumatic affair because Eva was sitting at an awkward angle and it caused some significant tearing. Unfortunately I lost a lot of blood during labour and was rushed immediately into surgery and spent two days in intensive care. My poor husband nearly had a breakdown; a critically ill wife and a newborn baby to deal with nearly sent the control freak into meltdown but I recovered and the first thing I did was hold my child. My maternal instincts kicked in straight away and I swore in that moment that I would love and protect Eva with everything I have. Even the notion of Elena and Eva together threatens to send me into a fit of rage. The woman before me will never lay eyes on my daughter!
"Don't you dare utter her name." I spit.
"It is such a shame she has you for a mother." A direct hit to my insecurities. I constantly question my ability to be a good mother and hearing somebody say it aloud, no matter of their intention, never fails to send me spiralling into a world of doubt.
"Look Elena, I don't have to sit here and listen to you spew your venom. I get it, I really do, I have the happy ending you were always hoping for. The man you have spent the majority of your adult life lusting after fell in love with me and realised that the relationship he shared with you was toxic and wrong. I have shown Christian the love he deserves because fuck that boy has been through a rough time and you Elena, contributed greatly to that. When I first met my husband he was a closed off, angry man who was carrying some deep seated issues on his young shoulders. Was the way we started our relationship a mistake? Absolutely but you know what I wouldn't change it for the world. He doesn't love you, he never did. He was brainwashed and clung onto anything that showed him affection. What you two shared was sordid and you as a grown woman took advantage of a vulnerable teenage boy.
"You are incorrect, I was the centre of Christian's world and because of my influence and love he is the successful and powerful man you see today. He owes all of his success to me and once I am out of here, you, Anastasia, will be a distant memory and Christian and I will be together. I suppose I will look after your spawn if you ask nicely."
I laugh. A proper belly laugh, "How delusional can one person be? Christian despises you Elena! You make his skin crawl. I am his wife! The mother to his child, something you will never be because you are so old your ovaries have shrivelled up and died along with your dignity! I will trump you at every turn bitch. I came here today for two reasons; the first was to see if prison had altered your perception and you had finally realised that what you did was beyond the realm of insanity and secondly for my own benefit. I nearly died, twice, because of your warped psyche and although I have moved on there is always that fear lurking in the back of my mind and that is because I have never dealt with it head on. That is all different now. Elena Lincoln, no longer poses a threat to our life. You can send all the letters to Christian you like, yes he told me about that, you can sit in your cell and dream of the life you believe you will have with my husband because this is never going to come true. You were sentenced to life, Elena, that cell of yours is where you are going to rot. I, on the other hand, will walk out of those doors and into the arms of my loving, gorgeous, kind and extraordinary husband and kiss our beautiful baby girl to death. Enjoy your delusions, you demented bitch." I stand and walk out of the room, leaving Elena speechless.
Adrenaline flows through my veins. God that felt good! There was no way I was going to sit back and let her tear me a new one. I charge through the prison and burst out into the open air. Victory has a great taste and I close my eyes to savour it. Little ole' Ana Grey won't be the one to change Elena Lincoln but it sure felt good to shower her with a few home truths. I gradually open my eyes and they fall on a figure leaning against the hood of my car. Shit!
Christian.
My husband stands cool and stoic in his Tom Ford business suit. His face impassive and his bulging arms crossed over his broad chest. I tentatively walk over to him, hurriedly creating various excuses in my head. It's no use, the man can see straight through any lie I attempt to tell him. My feet come to a standstill in front of him and I wait for his reaction; my bottom lip being nervously chewed. Christian leans forward and frees the flesh from my dangerous teeth. His touch still sending shock-waves coursing through my hyper aware body, even after all this time.
"Where is Eva?" Christian asks quietly. I hate quiet; it is dangerous.
"Um... with your mother." I reply nervously. He nods and suddenly pulls me into a tight embrace; his nose quickly buried into my hair. I automatically relax and grip his waist.
"What are you doing here baby?" He sounds confused. Worried.
"She sent me a visitor request and my stupid curiosity got the better of me."
"You should have told me Ana. I have been going out of my mind." Christian chastises me and it riles me up.
"And when was I supposed to do that Christian? During our three minute phone calls? The one sentence emails? You haven't been around! This deal has taken over your life and me and Eva have been cast aside" it feels so good to get this off my chest. For days now I have pushed down these feelings and repeatedly told myself that this won't last forever and doesn't matter but it does. I want my husband back. The tears I have only allowed to fall when I am alone start to leak down my cheeks and I stubbornly brush them away.
"Baby, it is because of you and Eva that I am doing this. My girls are the only thing I think about. Please don't cry sweetheart."
"I want you home Christian."
"Then that's where I will be."
"I want you to help me bathe and put Eva to sleep every night."
"I will be, without fail."
"I want you to make love to me and hold me in our bed for the rest of my life."
"It would be my honour."
"I want you to take me back to Greece for a second honeymoon where we can make a brother or sister for Eva." I smile up at my husband. We have already discussed trying for another baby and our honeymoon destination would be the perfect place to conceive our second child. That trip was out of this world. We spent our wedding night making love and staring into each others eyes; Christian kept the destination a secret right up until I descended from the plane. The view that greeted me was breathtaking. We landed in Santorini, Greece and blue skies and water surrounded us for miles. The hotel was perched on volcanic rock and featured stunning views of the Caldera and the Aegean Sea. We had a jacuzzi, an infinity pool, our private terrace and dined on Mediterranean cuisine for two weeks. There were no cell phones, no laptops and the rooms were soundproof which came in very useful.
"We leave next weekend."
"We do?"
"If that is what you want sweetheart then that is what we will do. I will make sure the jet is prepared."
"How did I get so lucky huh?"
Christian scoffs "I think I am the lucky one babe."
"She still believes you two are going to run off into the sunset together."
"Elena is sick, Ana."
"I know but..."
"But nothing. It will never happen. There is only you, always and forever."
"Hey isn't that a One Tree Hill reference?" I giggle.
"Blame Mia." He throws an arm around my shoulders and leads me to the passenger side of the car. "She also made me watch CSI:New York."
"Danny and Lindsay rule!"
"Women! When we get home, we are watching Die Hard."
"Again!" I groan. Seriously I have seen those movies a thousand times since I have been with Christian.
"It's a classic Ana. And if you make that noise again and it is not a result of my dick sliding in and out of that tight wet pussy, I will make you watch all six of the Fast and Furious films and maybe a couple of the Godfather for good measure."
"So cliché." I sigh over dramatically.
He opens the door and helps me inside. "Where to madam?"
"Bellevue. Your mother has organised a family gathering."
"Oh joy!" Christian grumbles sarcastically.
We walk into Grace and Carrick's imperious house hand in hand. It doesn't matter how many times I visit, I still feel like an outsider and incredibly intimidated. The family room is packed full of relatives all packed into the room and doting on the two babies who are lapping up the attention. Grace is bouncing Eva on her lap as Carrick looks on lovingly, Ray is huddled in a corner with my mother which is surprising and somewhat unnerving, Mia and Ethan, who is still her personal assistant, are winding each other up something stupid, several of Christian's aunts and uncles are milling around drinking wine, catching up and cooing intermittently over the kids while Kate and Elliot are tag teaming Jessica's diaper change. Christian lets go of my hand and swoops in to pick up our daughter who lights up when she sees her daddy. I stand off to the side and watch as he holds her above his head and Eva's adorable baby laughs, which melt my heart every damn time, fill the room. Adjusting Eva in his arms, he sits down on the floor and peppers her face with kisses. Christian is such a wonderful father, just like I knew he would be; those two became best buddies as soon as they laid eyes on each other. I catch Christian's gaze and he beckons me over just as he reclines onto his back and lays Eva on his chest; I huddle into his side and kiss the palm which has been thrown into my face as a welcome from my daughter.
"I love you Ana." He leans down and brushes his lips over mine.
"I love you too Christian." I close the gap and kiss my husband with every ounce of passion and love inside of me.
"Ahh..." Our kiss is broken by our attention seeking daughter. We look down to see her tiny head tilted to the side and a confused expression on her face.
"We love you too Eva!" Christian and I say in unison and with that her face breaks into a toothy grin and she claps her chubby hands.
With our daughter happily content, I give in to temptation and kiss my husband once more.
A/N I was going to write a penultimate chapter but the last one, after re-reading it, felt like the perfect way to end and the epilogue clears up any loose ends. The honeymoon destination (Santorini Islands in Greece) is featured on my Pinterest page and I recommend you have a look because it is a stunning destination.
Okay here goes...
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story. If you have read from the beginning then I want to say a massive thank you for sticking with it. If you have dipped in and out, I hope you have enjoyed it just as much. For all of those who have reviewed, you have no idea how much it means; I read every single review and they have, at various points, given me the encouragement I desperately needed to carry on. I haven't forgotten about those lurkers who don't comment but do read, I love you too. A massive shout out to all of the members of the Fifty Shades Fanfiction Facebook group who without doubt are an extraordinary bunch of talented writers, readers and fans (Their discussions and pictures do keep a girl entertained on a dull day.) To the girls on Twitter, I love you, truly. You ladies never fail to make me laugh and your critiques are just damn right amazing (special shout out to OfficeLadyProbz who promotes each and every update.) And finally to Heather, who took on the beta task towards the end of the story, I thank you.
This story was dreamt up several months ago and has been a joy to write. Real life has been a bitch sometimes and has gotten in the way of my writing but I hope that the updates were worth the wait. It's actually a shame I have finished this story right at the point where I have 3 months off. It has been almost a year since Fifty Shades of Grey was delivered to my house in that brown Amazon packaging and hooked me in. I still remember only ordering Grey because I was convinced I wasn't going to like it and when I finished the book I spent the next day searching in every book store and supermarket for Darker and Freed, like a full on addict, to find it sold out everywhere. Fifty Shades isn't about the sex for me, it is about the love story; if I am honest, the sex is only a bonus. Some criticise E.L. James' writing style and yes maybe it isn't brilliant but that trilogy has captured the world's attention and it is not because of BDSM. I will always continually defend the book. My aim with this story, as it is with all writers on here, is to take the original and put our own spin on it and I truly hope that my interpretation has worked.
My focus is now on my other story Rescue Us but there might be a sequel to this. I haven't a clue what the story will be so any suggestions are extremely welcome. Message me your ideas!
There truly aren't enough words to express how thankful I am because at this point my little baby has attracted: 136,000 views, 248 favourites, 924 reviews and 500 followers. That is beyond what I thought this story would ever achieve. You all rock!