Christian

I storm through the lobby of the top floor huffing and cursing without caring a flying fuck if someone hears me. Entering my office I slam the door shut behind me. The designer vase on the table by the door is the innocent victim of my fury as I sweep it up and launch it towards the window overlooking Seattle. The frail vase hits the bulletproof glass and shatters to a million pieces. But destroying a hugely overpriced piece of art doesn't make me feel any better, in fact I feel worse. I fight myself, as the urge to go downstairs and beat Rob to pulp is almost too much to handle.

Those lying, greedy bastards. God damn it! How can they talk about her like that, like she's just making everything up? A chill runs down my spine. Holy fuck. What if they are telling the truth? No! Don't even go there Grey, you know the truth. He assaulted her. There's no doubt, is there? I pick up the crystal paperweight which happens to be the closest thing on my desk and lunge it into the wall by the door. Another hundred bucks go down in a million pieces. I need to clear my head, so I practically run past a frowning Andrea sitting by her desk. "Tell Taylor I'm at the tenth floor when he comes up."

I run past the elevator and head for the stairs running down as fast as my legs can take me. When I reach the tenth floor I unlock the door and barge in. The treadmills are quiet and the lack of the usual chatter and grunts of people lifting weights and throwing punches is deafening, as I walk through the deserted gym heading to the locker-room. By the time I reach the door I'm already pulling my tie open and before the doors have even closed behind me my shirt has joined my jacket on the bench.

I grab a pair of shorts and a wife beater from my locker and change. As I bend down to tie the laces to my shoes I drop my phone to the ground, and it shatters, the backside slides under the bench and the battery skids over the tile floor.

"Fuck! Just what I fucking needed! " I slam the locker door and head directly to the treadmills and set a punishing pace trying to get Rob fucking Thomas out of my head.

I'm on my second mile as Taylor comes out of the elevator.

"Get me the gloves when you've changed."

"Alright." He replies and passes me heading to the locker-room.

After two minutes he comes back in black shorts and a white t-shirt, carrying my red boxing gloves with him.

I slow down the treadmill and jump off, drinking a swig of water and catching the gloves Taylor throws me.

"So, I assume you need a new phone?" He says after a moment of heavy silence.

"It's been almost two months since the last change, I'm sure Barney has started to wonder." I smirk and pause to drink a little more. "I think it'll be fine if I just collect the pieces. It fell from my pocket."

Taylor lifts his brows.

"Like the vase and the paperweight?" Taylor is threading on thin ice, but I let it go by. He usually doesn't step out of formalities, but now I need him as a friend more than an employee.

"Get Andrea to call the cleaners..."

"Already done, Grey. Already done."

The sack, hangs in the corner and I go to throw a few punches. Taylor follows my lead and comes to spar with me.

"The shitheads left okay? Didn't 'cause any problems?"

"No problems whatsoever."

"Damn. I was hoping you might have needed to rough them up a bit."

"I was hoping for that too."

The sweat is running down my temples as I continue throwing punches. Left hook, right, left. Imagining the face of Rob on the receiving end of my fists, I hit harder. Taylor doesn't budge, he's been through this before.

A good hour later, I hit the shower drenched in sweat, but my thoughts clear of the rage I felt before. As I dry myself, Taylor is already dressed and waiting.

"Taylor..."

"Yes?"

I take a deep breath and look him in the eye.

"What if they were telling the truth?"

I regret the words as soon as they leave my lips.

"You believe them?" Taylor sits down on the bench on the other side and leans his elbows on his knees.

"No! I don't believe them, but what if Ana..."

"Don't even go there, Grey." Taylor cuts me off. "Welch would have found out if she wasn't telling the truth. Even with the missing pieces, the picture is clear. Something bad happened to her and it was covered up. End of story."

I hang my head, shaking it slightly. I can't believe I doubted her. I can't believe I let Carla and Rob affect me like that. They made me doubt the one person in my life that I trust implicitly.

"You are right, I know you are. I know she's for real and I'm ashamed for even thinking that she might not be." I lift my gaze from the floor to meet his icy stare. "This stays between us."

He just nods once. He gets it.


Anastasia

I push open the door to Leila's office and see Ros sitting by the desk going through the financial records for the last year or two.

"Ros?" She looks up from the books and her face lights up as she sees me.

"Oh! Hi Ana! I didn't know you'd be coming here today."

"Yeah, I needed a change of scenery. It's good to be working again instead of just sitting at the penthouse. Especially when Christian is not there."

"You've got it as bad as Grey, haven't you?"

"Pardon?"

"He's totally head over heels for you. I've never seen anything like it." Ros explains with a smile on her lips. My cheeks heat up, as her words warm me from within.

"What are you doing here? If you don't mind me asking."

Ros looks at me, her expression revealing the conflict going on inside her.

"Ah, fuck it, you'll find out sooner or later anyway." She mutters barely audibly. "I'm looking into the finances and the general paperwork for the shelter as GEH is thinking about taking over."

"Huh?" The cat stole my tongue apparently. But my brain is working on overtime. Christian's company is going to buy the shelter?

"Buy the shelter?"

"Well, take over, invest in and watch it succeed."

"Really?"

Ros nods and continues reading the numbers in front of her.

"Um… I don't know what to say. That's amazing actually, such a generous offer… But you should talk with Leila though, as she runs this place."

"Actually I was, but she got a call and had to leave, so she left me here with the papers."

"Well, if there's anything I can do to help..." The doorbell to the backdoor rings interrupting me.

"Now, that would be the vegetables."

"Okay, go do your thing... Or actually, do you mind me tagging along? You could give me the grand tour Leila never got around to." Ros stands up, not waiting for my answer.

"Sure why not." I smile and run down the stairs as the bell rings again. "I'm coming, hold your horses..."

I yank the lock, and open the door to the alley behind the shelter where the delivery guy is already waiting by the open doors of his truck.

"Hi, Jake was it?" I say as I go to the truck to pick up the box of lettuce.

"Jack." He corrects, with a sly smile, going to lift the box with carrots and potatoes. He pulls his cap lower as he sees Gwen and Ros waiting by the door, nodding politely without making eye contact, as he passes them.

The boxes are soon carried into the storage and Ros has returned to the office, as her phone has been ringing nonstop, making her a lousy helper anyway.

"So, Ana." Jack leans against the truck. "Have you been working here long?"

"Since I was a teenager, why do you ask?"

"You just seem so comfortable here, it's clear you know what you're doing."

"Yeah, years of experience will do that."

"What else you do, besides work here?"

"Um... I paint, and that's about it. There's really not much to mention."

"Oh, I doubt that, I think you are fascinating... Do you like Italian food?"

I frown at him, and then it hits me, he's interested in me and wants to ask me out. Better nip this in the bud.

"I am flattered Jack, I really am," Not! "But I'm seeing someone."

"Oh?" He seems more intrigued than disappointed but it goes unnoticed.

"Anyway..." I break the awkward silence. "I'm sure a lot of people are waiting for their veggies, you better get going."

"You're right, I better go. But hey, you can't blame a guy for trying... Your boyfriend is one lucky fellow."

I give him half a smile, as he climbs into his truck and smiles at me as he removes his cap, straightens his ponytail and puts on sunglasses.

"Bye Jack."

"Bye Ana! I'll see you around."

Gee thanks, but no thanks.

Walking up the stairs, I think about the odd conversation we just had. I don't know what it is, but something about him just irks me.

"You believe that guy?" I ask Gwen who hasn't left my side.

She rolls her eyes and shrugs.

"Let's go give Ros her tour, shall we?"

A mere half an hour later they have gone through the basics of the shelter. They've looked at the rooms, the kitchen, the dining area, and Ros has been taking notes, typing on her iPad every few minutes.

"So you get some of the food as donations?" She asks.

"Yeah, some farmers deliver regularly."

"Like that guy today?" Ros frowns and pauses.

"Uh-huh." I nod, and look at her."What?"

"There's something about that guy who delivered the veggies. I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before. He's been doing this long?"

"A week or so, this was his second delivery."

"Huh." Ros says, and continues walking.

I look at my phone for what feels like the hundredth time, and again I'm disappointed as there no word from Christian.

"Hey Ros... Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Does Christian have many meetings today?"

"A few in the morning... Why?"

"Oh it's nothing..." I can't just tell her I miss him, we've hardly been apart a few hours. "... His phone just goes straight to voicemail."

I note Gwen and Ros exchanging a look and Ros whispers, "She's got it so bad, just like Grey."

"Just a sec, Ana." Ros touches the screen of her smartphone and taps on her earpiece.

"Andrea. Where's Mr. Grey?"

Ros goes silent, listening to what Andrea is saying.

"Really?" What?

"Visitors? ... Broken glass? Jeez... Tenth floor? Oh, okay."

She taps the phone and closes the line.

"Broken glass? What the hell is going on? Is Christian alright?" The words are out before Ros gets a chance to say anything.

"Calm down, Ana. Everything's alright. Your hothead boyfriend is blowing off steam at the gym."

"What was that about broken glass on the tenth floor then?"

"The broken glass, is in Christian's office. And the tenth floor is where he is now, at the gym."

A small wave of relief flushes over me, but there's still something off.

"A visitor broke something in Christian's office?"

Ros rolls her eyes.

"No. Let me explain. Christian got unexpected visitors, whom he met downstairs. When he came back up, he was livid and obviously the vase and the paperweight got in his way as he crashed them. Why, am I not shocked? Because he has done it before, during the trial..." Ros stops, realizing she might have said too much.

"I know about the trial, don't worry." I tell her.

"During the trial we had to remove all glass stuff from his office. Apparently when he's furious, he tends to throw things." I frown, I'm still not getting it.

"What could've made him that angry?"

"I have no idea."

Getting that sinking feeling in the pit if my stomach, I look to Gwen. "I need to see him, how fast can we get to GEH?"

Before Gwen gets a chance to reply, Ros answers.

"We can take my car, we'll be there in 15 minutes tops. I'm done here anyway."

On my way out, I pass the kitchen and notify Marge who's stirring the huge pot of soup, that I'm leaving and that Leila hasn't returned yet.

In the car I try calling Christian again, but as before, it goes directly to his voicemail. Hanging up before the ping, I don't leave a message. He's at the gym, no reason to panic.

I look out the window and frown as I see us passing Leila's parked car only a block away from the shelter. My eyes must be deceiving me, or I'm going crazy. She's sitting there talking with a man, or a woman, I can't quite see as the sun is reflecting off the windshield. She left a stranger, a potential investor, alone in the office, to meet with someone in her car? Has she totally lost it? I turn around and stare at the car becoming smaller the further away we get, comforted by the tinted windows blocking anyone from seeing me.

The door to the underground garage of GEH opens as Ros' car approaches and she parks in the slot next to Christian's. Within seconds we are in the express elevator that goes straight to the top floor.

"Where is he?" I blurt, reaching Andrea's desk.

"Still at the gym on the tenth floor, ma'am. I can call him and let him know you're here…"

"No, thank you…" I'm already back at the elevator pressing the button for the tenth floor, leaving Andrea by her desk holding her phone.

As the doors close and I realize I'm all alone in the elevator I let out a breath I didn't realize holding. My nerves are getting to me and I have to count to ten not to start panicking.

The gym is empty and silent as I get there. Oh crap, did I miss him? I should've let Andrea call him.

I walk around the deserted floor and jump as Taylor opens one of the doors in the back.

"Christian?" I ask, and Taylor nods, tilting his head towards the door he came from. The men's locker-room. Should I go in?

"Go ahead, Miss Steele. He's alone." Taylor notices my hesitation.

Inhaling deeply, I knock on the door before pushing it open.

"Christian?" He sits there on the bench, half dressed, trying to put his phone back together.

"Ana." He stands, putting aside the phone pieces, and takes a few long steps until he is standing right in front of me. He looks at me, his eyes drilling their way into my soul, leaving me bare in front of him. The air is filled with his scent, deliciously shower fresh, and the familiar electricity between us crackles as he wraps me in his arms, crashing his lips onto mine. Kissing me with relief, desperation, hunger and desire.


AN: Thank you for reading!

I know it's been a while since the last update, but working full time while moving has been an equation that has left me without time to write. But now we are all set at the new place, so hopefully I'll get back to updating weekly :)

While trying to get back into writing, a one shot popped up in my head. Posted it here, a few days ago, so if you haven't read it, go on and read it. It's called Paradise.

H xx

If you read it, please review it

- goes for all of my stories, and actually for all the stories on here.