Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot of this story.

Chapter 35

Anastasia's POV

Taylor pulls out of Escala and I watch as the familiar building fades away. It is still early and we meander slowly through the sleepy city of Seattle. I feel strangely guilty, yet satisfied right now. Leaving the Christian Grey hanging on for more? Yeah, that kind of power can go to a girl's head.

Damn right it can! I wonder what he's doing though... My inner goddess swoons. She's been completely obsessed with Christian and his easy grace and banter.

You'd better focus. We've got so many transcripts to go over with Yvonne. Shit, we are so late! An involuntary groan escapes my mouth and I slide my head to the back of the seat and close my eyes. My subconscious is right, I can't screw up this job too!

"Everything alright Miss Steele?" Taylor's bass voice calms me and I let out a contented sigh. I nod, my eyes still closed. We stop for awhile, stuck in traffic and the quiet peace is interrupted by the shrill ringing of my phone.

Kate. Dammit!

I press 'Accept' and hold the phone from my ear.

"ANASTASIA ROSE STEELE. HOW COULD YOU LEAVE LIKE THAT? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME AND WHY THE FUCK DID WATE LEAVE? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU WITH? I HAD A PANIC ATTACK, DAMMIT!"

I wince, and Taylor's eyes shoot to mine in the rearview mirror. He tries to hide his smirk, but fails and opts to raise his eyebrows at me instead. I give him a toothy grin and respond.

"Hey mom. I'm doing great! I stayed with Christian last night."

"Fuck you Steele. I think I'm losing my voice."

I deem it safe enough to bring the phone back to my ear and laugh. "Good. I'm sorry by the way, I didn't know you would be so worried."

"Fuck, of course I was worried! You and Wate were gone in the morning and at least he left a note. Apparently Michael woke up from his coma. Seth said he'd spend the day with him. You on the other hand had me worried."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Christian showed up last night and, uh, things got intense."

There's a chuckle on the other end. "I'll bet. Did you guys do it? Was he any good?"

"Kate!" I flush, mortified, and she laughs loudly.

"Come on Steele, gimme the deets."

"Um, yeah. It was, um, very good." I admit, rushing out the last part. I'm beet red and when I look at Taylor, he's trying to suppress his smile. I wonder how many conversations he's heard. Hmm.

"Very good? That's it?"

"Dammit Kate, what d'you want me to say?"

"Tell me everything! Is he big? Because Elliot is and when we-"

"OH MY GOD, I did not need to know that!"

She laughs again and I'm happy that she's so light-hearted. "Don't be such a child Steele. It's a part of life."

"Yeah, a big part."

We snicker at my crude sense of humor and she sighs on the line. "Sorry I flipped out by the way. I know that you're on your way to work though."

"It's okay. It's nice to know you care. How do you know where I'm headed?"

"Of course I care, bitch! As for how I know? Well, you're a workaholic Steele, of course you're on your way there! I'm coming to see you by the way."

"What?"

"Yeah. Today's kind of a chill day for me so I thought we could hang out at your office. I'm entering your building now. See ya!" She chirps and hangs up, leaving me speechless. That's Katherine Kavanagh for ya.

"Hey Taylor, any chance you can drive faster? I'm already late, so..."

He nods. "Of course Miss Steele."

"Ana." I correct instinctively. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat and I roll my eyes.

"You know you don't have to do everything Christian says, right? I'd like to be called Anastasia or Ana. When you say 'Miss Steele', it sounds like I'm 40. Besides, I won't tell. It'll be our little secret."

"Okay. Ana." He gives me a beam and a chuckle and I smile. He really is very kind.

As we near the building, traffic flows heavier and something's not right. The road is blocked off and a cop directs traffic away from where I need to go. Over the top of another high-rise, I see an uncharacteristically dark plume of smoke. What the fuck?

"Taylor, what's going- oh my god!" I clap my hands to my mouth in horror at the sight as we turn.

The Becker & Mayer building is on fire.

A crowd of people are on the sidewalk and I watch in dread as another ambulance roars past us, to the site of destruction. People are crying and many are hurt. A loud crash sounds as the 'B' from Becker clatters to the ground. Firefighters are trying desperately to put out the fire, but to no avail.

I have to go see what's going on.

While Taylor is trying to get us away from the burning building, I unlock the door and tumble out. "Anastas-" His panicked voice cuts off as I slam the door shut and rush towards the sidewalk. A cop tries to stop me, but I push past, spotting a familiar head of flaming red hair.

"Fiona!"

"Ana? Holy fuck!" She rushes towards me, her arms outstretched and we engulf one another in a hug. Within seconds, she bursts into tears and I soothe her, cooing and rubbing her back reassuringly.

She looks like a mess, her hair out of its distinguishing bun, tendrils charred and ash and dust coating her face. She's wrapped in a blanket, shivering with shock. "Hey, it's okay. What happened?" She lets out a strangled cough and gulps, refusing to let go of me as we walk over to join the others.

"It was really early and I had just got in. I started to unpack and then Yvonne walked in. We greeted one another and we were talking when this perky blonde walked in. I was about to ask her for identification when the fire alarm went off. I don't know what caused the fire, but we rushed out with the crowd and now, we're here. It's been about 15 minutes since it happened."

My blood runs cold. "Fi, did you see that perky blonde walk out?"

Her eyes widen momentarily and her mouth forms an 'o'. She shakes her head no and I go numb.

Kate.

My best friend.

No.

In a daze, I skitter towards the dilapidated building. A couple medics try to help me, but I wave them off. Everyone else is so preoccupied with putting out the fire that they barely notice when I plunge inside headfirst.

At first, my senses are numbed. All I hear is the blood pounding in my ears and I can smell and taste nothing. I feel cold and then, my world lights up. Everything I see is red. It's beyond hot and my eyes water immediately, but I don't give a shit.

"Kate!" I yell and immediately regret it, coughing violently. I recognize the lobby and Fiona's charred desk. Getting my bearings, I make my way towards my office, checking everywhere.

"Kate, it's Ana, come out, please!" I cough again and spit, skirting a flaming piece of carpet. I'm thanking the heavens that I chose to wear low heels today.

"Kate, where-"

I let out a blood-curdling scream as a heavy piece of wood slams towards me. I dodge to the side instinctively throwing my arms over my head as I hit the floor. Ashes rise in the air and the heavy roar of the fire surrounds me and a red-hot pain lances through my body. I look down to see that my dress is torn, but that's the least of my concerns.

I have multiple cuts scissoring up my legs and a couple of splinters embedded in them. On my left arm is a collection of angry red welts and I shudder. I stand up, wobbling for balance and sway.

Whoa, why's the world spinning?

I bring my hand to my head and when I pull it back, it's wet with blood. Fuck. I know I don't have much time before I need to get out and I already feel like coughing up a lung.

"Kate!" I scream in a last attempt as I approach my office door. I lean against it for support and close my eyes when there's a frantic banging.

"Help! Someone, help!"

Huh? "Kate?" Over the roar of the fire, her voice is muffled but she's there. She's in my office.

"Kate!" My body charges with adrenaline and though my head is pounding, I don't feel anything as I rattle the doorknob. The door won't budge. What the fuck?

"Ana! ANA, help!" The pounding increases and I gasp, starting to feel dizzy. No, not now. Kate, dammit, Kate!

"I'm here Kate, back up!" I yell. Forcing myself to focus, I look around and spot a thick piece of charred wood. It's hot and heavy, but I manage to stumble over with it, my senses tingling as they glaze over. "Kate, back up! I'm coming in!" I aim the wood like a battering ram and count down.

3.

2.

1.

I scream, and charge towards the door nearly impaling myself as the door rattles against the wood. My hands are filled with miniscule splinters and the door has several cracks in it and the knob is a little looser, though it hasn't budged. I ram the door again two more times, and drop the wood as it cracks in half.

"Fuck!" I yell and I can hear Kate's frantic sobbing on the other side. I sink to the floor, my vision becoming hazy as the pounding in my head increases. A crash reverberates through the air as a heavy piece of metal clangs to the floor in front of me. This is it. We're going to die. At least I'll go out a hero.

My marred legs swim before my eyes and an incoherent thought forms in my mind.

Pretty shoes.

Shoes...

Heels!

I gasp and widen my eyes in an attempt to wake myself up from the overwhelming darkness that threatens to engulf me. I take off one of my heels and teeter to the weakened doorknob.

"Kate, I'm back! Hang on!" With all the strength I have left in me, I bring the shoe over my head and crack the heel down over the doorknob like a hammer. The knob clatters to the ground and with a heavy groan, the door swinging open slightly.

"Ana!" Kate rushes out with a shriek, her green eyes wide and terrified and engulfs me in a hug. She looks just as bad as me and I gasp for air as she squeezes.

"Holy fuck, you're bleeding!"

"So are you." I grip her bloodied hands tightly and smile. Suddenly, a beam from the ceiling crashes down on my office and we both scream, moving from the doorway as rubble rains down from the ceiling. Ash and soot fly in the air and airborne flames jump at our hair and clothes.

"Shit! We have to get out of here!"

"Come on!" A sudden rush of adrenaline spikes through my tired body. Kate is back with me. We can do this.

I pull her along, back the way we came, and we dodge helter-skelter. Smoke swirls around us, making our eyes water and our noses burn.

"Here!" Kate rips apart her designer scarf and hands me a piece. We both cover our noses and mouths, trying to breathe through the suffocating air. Finally, as I pass Yvonne's office, we pause and Kate lets out a strangled sob. The lobby desk has collapsed, barring our way and hindering our progress.

"Fuck, we're gonna die!" She wails and I grit my teeth.

"Not yet we're not. Come on!"

She grabs my arm and I pull her back the way we came. My office is in ruins and the rubble digs into my bare foot. My heel is still in my hand and one is still on my foot. Kate limps along, wincing occasionally. I then realize that she has a deep cut on her leg, embedded with glass. I don't want to pull it out since I can damage her tissues, but how she's managing to walk, I have no idea.

We bust into the break room and I have never been happier to see windows in my life. Kate squeals and as we immediately approach the openings, all hell breaks loose. I watch in slow motion as the section of ceiling behind us collapses. Rubble rains from the roof and Kate lurches me forward so that we land under the window. Glass rains over us, missing narrowly as the windows shatter and furniture collapses.

The flames have somehow managed to enter the break room. They roar around us, engulfing everything in their path greedily and Kate and I sit huddled against the wall under the window. My legs lance with pain, and I notice that they are badly cut, even more so than before. Kate grips my arm, pulling me up against her and the wall. We support each other and gradually manage to stand. Her arms are bruised and when I look down, I realize that mine are heated and covered in blood. The welts have receded somehow, only to be replaced by twitching burns.

Kate starts to cough as the smoke billows around us. More ashes are raining down from the ceiling and I watch with horror as the wooden chairs ignite the fire further. I look over at Kate and she glances at me.

"Ready?"

She nods and I push her out the window. She lands outside with a groan and collapses immediately, her weight finally too much for her damaged leg to support. The ceiling section above me begins to groan and I know that I have to go now before it collapses.

"Ana!" Kate's wail motivates me further and I nimbly pull off my other heel. I'm about to climb out when an overwhelming dizziness capsizes me and a groan escapes my mouth as the floor rises up to meet my face. My head injury has caught up with me and I know that this time, it really is the end. I'm going to die, so close, yet so far away.

"ANA, NO! SOMEONE HELP!" Kate's scream from outside dizzies me further and everything swims before my eyes. All I see before I can faint is a lean muscular body jumping in through the shattered window. Familiar and crinkled blue eyes meet mine, but they're filled with worry and fear.

"Miss Ste-"

Too late, everything fades.

Everything hurts. I was floating, but now, I'm dry. The life has been sucked out of me with a straw and I can't open my eyes. I want to see. Ouch! Thinking hurts. On the bare edges of my consciousness, I can make out faint voices. Never mind, they're blasting full volume now. I wince inwardly as the throbbing of my head ceases, only to be replaced by a familiar husky voice shouting.

"She jumped out of the fucking car and you didn't stop her? Shit, what am I paying you for Taylor? Look at her now, what the fuck! I don't give a shit if Kavanagh was inside, it's your job to look after her! Just fucking look after her, and you couldn't do that!"

No, no, no, Taylor did save me! He did! My mind is back, stronger and resilient, but the aching throbbing persists. I register that my fingers are cold, but some warm force grips them. Oh so slowly, I squeeze. The angry voice stops.

"Ana? Ana! Wake up, look at me! Taylor, go get the doctor! Ana, baby, look at me."

I hear scurrying and somehow, I manage to peel open my eyes. The light is blinding and I cringe, wanting to close them again. Then I see the Greek god before me and my world stops. He looks disheveled and distraught, but glorious all the same. I reach up with my hand and cup his face. He sighs and rests his hand on mine. Immediately I wince and his eyes widen with fear. I let my hand drop to my side.

"Shit, did I hurt you?"

"N-no. Where am I?" I'm disgusted to hear my croak and he visibly sags with relief.

"Northwest emergency room. Baby, why did you do that?"

"Kate is my best friend. She would've done the same for me." It hurts to talk, but I do it anyway. I need him to see my reasoning. Inside, I'm quaking with reprieve and desire. Wow, he's calling me baby. I like it.

His eyes narrow into slits and he looks disapproving and hot. "I don't give a fuck. You'll never do that again. In fact, the moment he steps in, Taylor is fired."

What? No no no. "Christian, no. He saved me."

He lets out a snort and shakes his head. "The fuck he did. Look at you. That's not called saving."

"If he hadn't been there, I would've died." I say flatly.

"Don't you dare-" He begins in a furious voice.

"What? I'm being practical Christian. I don't want to do this right now, okay? Refuse it all you want, but that man put his life on the line for me. If he goes, then I will, too. Capiche?"

His eyes widen and his knuckles tighten on the railing of my bed. "Fine."

I cough again and inhale sharply and he seems to panic. Finally, a swarm of nurses and a doctor rush in, checking my pulse, my blood pressure, and my vitals. I feel uncomfortable amongst all the attention, but it's amended when a nurse helps me sip some water. Mmm, yes.

"Hello Miss Steele, I'm Dr. Evans. How are you feeling?"

"A bit sore and hoarse, but not too bad, really." The nurses trickle out until there's no one in the room but me, Christian, and Dr. Evans.

"Good. That's expected. Any nausea at all?"

"A little dizziness, but no periods where I feel like throwing up. Yet."

Dr. Evans chuckles. " Good. Everything seems stable Miss Steele. The oxygen mask we put on previously seems to have helped tremendously. You have minor burns on your arms and legs, but they're starting to heal up nicely. I'll prescribe you some ointment that you'll have to apply daily." She pauses and makes a note on her clipboard, then turns her kind brown eyes to me again. "When you came in, you were like a little Christmas tree. You had so many splinters and cuts, but they were thankfully small." I chuckle at her remark and she gives me a warm smile.

"However, I do have two reasons to be concerned. One, is smoke inhalation. You surprisingly didn't inhale much smoke as you and your friend were intelligent in how you kept pieces of cloth against your mouth. But, I'd like you to be on high alert for the next couple of days. If you feel any nausea or start coughing up a lung, come straight back here. Lots of fresh air, cool drinks, and bed rest for you, my friend."

I give her a small smile and sip some water demurely. I'm capable of moving my limbs now and the throbbing in my head has reduced to a dull ache.

"As for your head injury, it was quite a cut. You began to lose a lot of blood and that's why I was expecting you to feel like vomiting. You'll experience episodes of dizziness, headaches, and irritation. I'm going to also prescribe you some pain medication and some pills for the smoke inhalation. Whatever you do, do not itch the cut. Understand?" She gives me a stern look over her glasses and I nod, then wince immediately, reminded of my mother. "Good. I'm happy to see that you can move around a little bit, but you are not to perform any strenuous activities for the next week. Otherwise, you're set."

"Thank you Doctor."

"You're welcome. As for your boyfriend," She turns strictly towards Christian, who tries to suppress his shock as I blush. I wonder what her reaction would be if I told her about our contract. "She'll be doing a lot of reading and sleeping, so plan accordingly." She points an accusatory finger at him and stalks out to give us some privacy.

There's a heavy silence in the air as I finish my water and place it on the table beside me. My head feels light and she's right, I do feel a little nauseous.

"So. Boyfriend, huh?" He smiles goofily down at me.

I giggle and instantly regret it as my head pounds. "Yeah. Funny how you didn't correct her."

His gaze darkens and he reaches to pull my lip from my teeth. I gulp at his expression. Holy fuck this is hot. "I didn't want to." He admits quietly, softening.

I raise my eyes to his and beam.

He still wants me.

"Careful. Shit, Ana!" Christian catches me before I fall face first into my apartment. I've somehow convinced Christian to let me walk on my own, but he's still hovering right behind me. Cute, but annoying.

"That's it. Fuck this." He swoops me up into his arms bridal style and I protest, but he gives me a glare that shuts me up. I lean my head against his chest and resist snuggling against him as he pauses at the contact.

"I won't hurt you." I murmur sleepily against him. My imminent headache has receded temporarily and left me drained.

He sighs heavily as we enter my bedroom. He sets me gently on the bed and I watch him through lethargic eyes. "I know." He says after a beat. He looks deeply pained and lost.

Oh, my poor fifty.

"Come here, please. I'm cold." I say as an excuse to get him near me. He looks positively yummy in his suit from this morning.

Smiling, he unloads his pockets on to my night table and undoes his cufflinks. He then peels off his jacket and undoes his tie, then slowly lowers himself on to my bed. Delicately, we slide under the covers together and he stiffens when I shift to nestle into the crook of his arm. "Mmm, that's nice."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Nice?"

"Nice." I confirm closing my eyes to soak in his comforting scent and warmth.

"Anastasia, if you weren't hurt, I'd fuck you, blindfolded and gagged."

I giggle and I feel him relax into the pillows against me. "I'm sure you would Mr. Grey, but stow your twitchy palm."

He laughs, a rumble that reverberates through his body and spreads warmth from my head to my toes. "I had plans for that smart mouth tonight." He says wistfully.

"Well, this smart mouth will be safely closed and unresponsive." I say, trailing off as a sudden bout of sleepiness overtakes my senses.

Christian's POV

Her comment makes me want to laugh, but I resist, instead reveling in the heat of her body pressed against mine. Is this what it feels like to be normal? Am I cuddling?

I cannot explain the emotions I felt when Dr. Evans called me her boyfriend in the hospital. At first, confusion was prominent, but it was soon overtaken by... pride and possession. I couldn't bear to correct her. If someone had told me three months ago that I would've been cuddling with a defiant ex-virgin, I would've had their ass thrown in a mental ward and moved on, but now...

Somehow, I've come to depend on this strong, witty, and autonomous young woman, just as she has come to rely on me. The thought is sobering and electric. No matter how much I deny it, what we have... it seems to go deeper than a typical Dom/Sub relationship.

The sudden warmth on my arm ceases as she shifts, turning on her side as she lets out a mumble.

"Pancakes." She breathes out and I have to stifle my imminent laughter. She is an angel. Her body rises and falls and I watch the swell, the sight somewhat soothing. I lay down next to her, and pull her close to me, drinking in her scent, her warmth, her innocence.

Mmm...

A gentle stroke wakes me and I stir with a groan. When I look down, I'm surprised to see a pair of big blue eyes staring up at me. I blink in confusion and as I get my bearings, I realize that I'm in Anastasia's apartment. We were supposed to be packed and back at Escala over an hour ago. Well, fuck.

"Hi."

"Hey." My voice is husky and too warm. I sit up and she switches on the side lamp with a small stretch.

"Well, I have to pack. Bathroom's right there if you need to use it." She gets up, teeters and falls back on to the bed, all in one swift move.

"Ana! Are you okay?" I clamber on to her side of the bed and she frowns, her brow furrowed.

"I'm fine." She growls and tries to rise, but I know better than to let her do this.

"Sure you are. Stay put. I'll pack." I grab her shoulders and lay her back down, but her eyes widen and she opens and closes her mouth like a gaping fish.

"Wait, what? No, I can pack. I will pack. Christian, you'll probably just pack the most ridiculous outfits."

I scoff and stand up. "Will not."

"Will too."

"Will not."

"Will too!"

"Ana, you sound like a child right now."

"So do you."

I set my mouth in a grim line and give her my best glower and she freezes momentarily. Good. "I'm packing. You rest." With that, I open her closet and look around with disapproval. Cheap jeans, ratty sneakers, worn t-shirts. She should be in the finest materials. "You know what, nix that. We're going now."

"What?"

"You heard me. Come on Sleeping Beauty."

"Hey! That's your nickname."

I pause while putting on my suit jacket. "Since when?"

"Since I... well, you don't need to know. I feel much better now, so get out! I'm packing and I need privacy."

I narrow my eyes at her. "No fucking way. I'm not letting you faint again Anastasia."

"I won't!" She whines and stands up. Immediately, I move to her side.

"Dammit Ana."

"Christian, please. Ten minutes?"

"No."

"Argh! You are so frustrating sometimes. I thought this was a compromise!" She throws her hands up and crosses them over her chest, flushed, her eyes glittering in the most gorgeous way. Even angry, she turns me on. She sighs. "Okay. If you won't let me out of your sight, would you at least help me?"

"Fine." She bargains hard, and I'm not about to pass up another opportunity to watch domestic Ana.

"Here." We're twenty minutes into packing and I marvel at the authoritative woman before me. I pack another set of t-shirts that she hands off to me in her moderately sized suitcase with a wrinkled nose. I'll have to remember to call Caroline soon.

She's folding jeans when I notice a garment sticking out from the closed closet. How interesting.

I stride over and pick it up, immediately liking what I see.

"Christian can yo- what are you doing?" Her eyes widen infinitesimally and I give her a wicked grin.

"You forgot to pack something." I dangle a pair of black lace panties in front of her and she blushes an attractive shade of red, mortified. My cock twitches and I try to quell the swell of images of her turning that color wearing nothing but these panties.

"G-give that back!" She grabs for them and I pull them out of her reach. When she steps forward, I grasp them tightly in my hands and inhale the tangy, musky scent of Ana. Holy fucking fuck. If I had a hard-on before, it was nothing compared to the one I have now.

She watches, agape and embarrassed and I pocket the underwear for later with a salacious grin. Shit. She's so sexy! She gulps and tries to avert her gaze, but I catch the hint of desire written across her blue eyes. So she wants me too... too bad she's injured.

"We should get going." My voice is low and gruff and she turns her back to me and zips up her suitcase. Her hands tremble visibly as she tucks a tendril of hair behind her ear and turns to face me again.

"Y-yeah. Ahem. Lead the way."

I grip the suitcase and her hand and lead her out, keeping her firmly rooted towards me. I cannot get to the car fast enough.

Anastasia Steele is going to be all mine for a week.

2 down, 2 to go! Updates tomorrow for sure! What do you think? ~ HA