Ana lounged on the couch in the great room reading yet another manuscript. She'd been ploughing through them since she'd been back at the office but she knew she still had loads to catch up with. Thankfully Hannah had rated each one on a scale of one through ten, one being the worst and ten being the best and Ana was working backwards, to decide which ones were worth pursuing. So far the ones ranked nines and tens were all so good she couldn't put them down and the late nights were killing her.

"What are you doing today Ana?" Taylor asked casually strolling into the room in his chinos and polo shirt.

"Working." Ana replied suspiciously, she never saw Taylor like this around the apartment.

"Hmm, fancy taking a break?" He asked shoving his hands awkwardly into his pockets.

"Why?" Ana queried suspiciously.

"Thought you might like some fresh air and time with Uncle Jason." He teased making her laugh.

"Ok!" She said realising he also wouldn't let this go if she said no. "Let me go and get dressed." She explained already getting to her feet.

Ana quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoody with her sneakers before making her way down to meet Taylor in the foyer. She was really freaked out by everything that was going on because it was weird to her that Taylor wanted to go for a walk with her because other than visiting Luke's apartment they hadn't spent any time with one another since Luke had died.

Taylor handed her coat over and she tugged it on before stepping into the elevator. The silence was awkward. Ana wanted to ask what this was about but chose not to figuring he'd tell her soon anyway.

"I thought we'd go to the Louise Boren lookout." Taylor said as they jumped into the SUV. "Nice short walk and it's not a very busy location."

"Ok." Ana nodded before turning to look out the window, the conversation was over for now.

In the apartment Christian stood in the middle of the former playroom with Gail Jones. He couldn't believe how amazing it looked and hoped that Ana would love it just as much.

"So if we can get some flowers please Mrs Jones and I'd like to order some of her favourite books for the shelves so Bronte, Austin, Hardy. I want her to feel at home in here, safe." Christian explained as Gail quickly wrote a list.

"Mr Grey, please excuse me for crossing a line here but is Anastasia staying?" Gail asked awkwardly.

"I don't know." Christian mumbled. "I hope she does." He added turning to his housekeeper with a smile.

"Me too." Gail replied making Christian smile a bit wider.

Taylor and Ana walked side by side slowly, at a leisurely pace. Ana felt the tension between them and it made her really nervous.

"Ana, does Christian make you happy?" Taylor asked eventually breaking the silence but not the awkwardness.

"Taylor…" Ana sighed.

"No, I'm serious Ana. Does Christian make you happy?" Taylor asked not letting this go, it had a purpose.

"Yes." Ana nodded. "He's helped bring me back to life." She said with a small sad smile.

"How much of his past before you has he shared with you?" Taylor asked not reacting to her answer at all.

"Not much, just… he said something about his previous relationships and that I didn't fit the mould." Ana chuckled lightly remembering standing in the janitor's closet in the courthouse.

"He has changed so much." Taylor said quietly making Ana strain her ears to listen to him. "Before all of this, he was a self-centred and arrogant son of a bitch and he liked very specific type of women." He sighed softly and Ana couldn't help but be very intrigued about what was coming. "When he met you that first time, he saw something in you that was like those specific types of relationships. When I figured it out that he was pursuing you I spoke with Luke and we realised we needed to keep him away from you and you away from him. We were scared for you."

Ana was surprised to hear this, why would they have been scared for her? Christian had shown her nothing but love and care since the moment he'd told her that Luke had died.

"When Luke died, it was like something changed in him. Having you to look after was one thing and your attack did something to him." Taylor knew he couldn't tell Ana everything. Christian would have to tell her the whole truth but there was a purpose to everything Taylor was saying.

"Grace told me he'd changed." Ana said quietly. "I don't understand because I didn't know him before."

"He was closed off, no one got close and no one ever touched him. He'd flinch when his own mother would give him a kiss yet from the moment he told you about Luke you've been able to hold him and touch him and he doesn't react." Taylor explained and Ana shook her head, she wondered what had happened to him that made him hate being touched. She'd been fearful of touch since her attack though that was getting better.

"What is this about Taylor?" Ana decided to ask because she was concerned about where this conversation was going.

"I just want to make sure you're happy. That's all that matters." Taylor explained. "If Christian is making you happy then that's great. I just want you to know he has a past and I'm hoping in time he'll tell you about it. But if he ever hurts you, in any way I want to be the first to know because I'll kill him and make it look like an accident."

Ana laughed awkwardly. She wasn't sure she wanted to know about the old Christian, he didn't sound like a lot of fun. Though a part of her wanted to know all about him, all his highs and lows so she could love everything about him. Yet, she feared not being able to love him when she knew.

"I'm not ready yet." Ana said quietly. "I'm trying and I adore Christian and being with him but I'm just not ready to put Luke and what we shared behind me."

"That will come in time." Taylor reassured. "And when you are ready, you'll know."

"Christian said he loves me." Ana said surprising Taylor.

"I didn't think he knew what love was." Taylor chuckled. "But I'm glad he's recognised that."

"I don't know if I love him." Ana replied. "I mean, I'm struggling to imagine life without him and I yearn for him, but it feels different to what it felt like with Luke."

"Ana, I don't know if you've noticed but you've technically already been with Christian longer than you were with Luke." Taylor said referring to being at the apartment and the day Luke died.

"I know." Ana replied sadly as she blinked away the tears. "I guess that what makes it so hard at the moment, coming to terms with just how short that time was."

Christian and Gail continued to move some of the furniture around in the room. He wanted it to be perfect for Ana.

"Do you think she'll like it?" Christian asked as Gail put a floral display on one of the end tables.

"I think she'll love it." Gail replied honestly.

"Do you think it will make her stay?" Christian asked hopeful.

"Mr Grey I hope you're not trying to bribe her to say. Has she mentioned leaving?" Gail asked feeling the need to say something because she would not allow her employer to control Ana, she was vulnerable.

"No, she hasn't mentioned leaving." Christian replied. "I just want to show her how much I want her to stay."

"Mr Grey…"

"Christian if we're having a personal conversation." Christian replied awkwardly surprising Gail as she had never been told to call him by his first name.

"Ok Christian. If Ana wants to stay, she'll stay. If I know anything about that girl, all of this won't be something that will impress her. She isn't the type of girl to want material things. She wants to be loved and cared for and give love and care in return." Gail explained feeling a little odd giving this kind of advice to her employer. However, she had known Ana a little longer, she'd known her with Luke.

"I know. She's got a heart of gold." Christian smiled softly. "She has so much love to give."

"She's still healing." Gail said gently. "Give her time and just keep doing what you're doing. You've made her smile again and laugh. Jason and I love hearing her laugh filter through to our apartment." Christian smiled, Ana had been laughing more and more and it excited him so much. He wasn't the funniest guy but he tried everything to get her laughing because it was music to his ears.

"She's become everything Mrs Jones." Christian breathed and Gail smiled, she never thought she'd see the day where Christian Grey became human but here they were and she was ecstatic that two people she cared about could find happiness together.