AN: For those checking in for The Beginning there won't be a chapter tonight, it isn't finished and I'm way too tired.
Chapter Twenty-Two
After Christian's little intervention Ana was now getting ready to meet with the Leader of the Opposition. He had been trying to get a meeting with her since she'd lost her Cabinet position, but she'd been rejecting him. However, now she was feeling stronger, she saw less harm in going to see what all this was about and why he was so desperate to chat with her.
He had been sensible, asking her to meet him at The Wellington Monument on the edge of Hyde Park and Ana had dressed in a pair of jeans, boots and a cardigan. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself, the controversy that meeting with the Leader of the Opposition could cause made her nervous.
"I was starting to think you'd stood me up." Douglas Hall said as she approached him shuffling her feet along the floor, her eyes downcast.
"I considered it." She replied dryly, he chuckled heartily. He liked how spunky Ana was, she'd always had this little way with words even when she was doing extremely serious interviews there was that little bit of sarcasm and dry humour that would appear.
Douglas Hall wasn't a young man, but he had a young attitude. He was so friendly, always remained calm even when being wound up by members of the Government. His hair, what little he had left was grey just like his eyes. He was a tall man, thin-framed, those around him knew he kept healthy and active which kept his weight down. Ana loved how he always had a small smile on his face, even when angry or stressed. He was what she imagined a grandparent to be like.
"So come on, what's this about?" Ana asked scowling at Douglas as they started walking into the park, side by side. Ana was acutely aware of the police protection that was following them closely, the Leader always had security with him.
"I was wanting to ask you how you were, after everything." He explained gently. Ana looked at him, why would he care how she was doing. "I haven't seen you around Westminster lately."
"I've been keeping a low profile. The media have kicked up such a storm with my sacking." Ana shrugged with her lips then returning to their pursed position, she was suspicious of Douglas' motive. It wasn't exactly his business why she'd not been around.
"I think what you did was admirable." He replied, his grey eyes bright when looking at her, though she kept her eyes straight ahead. "You stuck to your principles."
"And got fired for it." Ana bit back, her hand swatting the air. Sticking to principles was always something she believed in but the consequence of that was she'd lost a job she genuinely loved.
"I think it's interesting how the PM hasn't been honest about why you were removed from your position." He continued softly, Ana was already annoyed that he wasn't getting straight to the point and sighed exaggeratedly.
"How do you know she didn't?" Ana replied sarcastically, her eyes narrow as she turned them onto the man beside her. She wasn't in the mood for this whatsoever.
"Come on, Ana, the Liverpool terrorist attack wasn't the first terrorist incident you've dealt with. No one is naïve enough to think you couldn't handle it and this comes just after someone on our side of the House refers to what you said on Question Time?" Cocking his head and raising an eyebrow towards her.
"It doesn't matter anyway." Ana shrugged, her jaw clenching. She'd been fired, the reasons were just that, the reasons. It didn't change the outcome.
"Oh, I think it matters a lot." He smirked. Ana gaze flicked upwards as though she was praying for patience and strength. "I do wonder why you're still a member of the Conservatives, the only thing I can think of is that you don't know what changing would mean." Ana tutted. This was tedious.
"I have no intention of changing." Ana replied sharply.
"My sources tell me you've set up a constituency food bank and have got some local hotels to lend their rooms out to homeless people. Is that true?" He was talking around in circles here and it was just winding Ana up more and more, she just wasn't in the mood for this.
"So what if it is?" She asked exasperatedly, her hands flying upwards. What did that have to do with anything?
"Well, that isn't very Conservative." He explained softly, not giving any rise to Ana's impatience. He had the patience of a saint. "It's the type of thing a socialist would do, asking people to share their wealth with the less fortunate."
"I just wanted to help people." Ana sighed. "I mean is that so wrong?"
"No." He shook his head softly and smiled gently towards her. "Helping people is never wrong. However, in the eyes of the Conservative Party asking hotels to share their empty rooms goes against capitalism, giving stuff away for free goes against the core of what they believe in. Yet, you've actively sought people to give things to help people less fortunate than they are. Socialism is partly about the fair division of wealth."
"Mr Hall…"
"Call me Doug." He replied with such a friendly smile on his face Ana felt guilty for being so curt with him. Her eyes fell to the floor as she tried to compose herself a bit more.
"Doug, my father is a barrister, my mother a paediatrician. I went to an all-girls private school in Buckinghamshire. My family aren't wealthy but they're comfortable. My background doesn't scream socialist." Ana didn't know why he was trying to persuade her that she was more socialist than Conservative, she didn't know anything but conservatism.
"I think your own actions speak louder than your background Ana. What you've done in your community, what you tried to do for SEN schools and what you did for those children in Liverpool and their families. It speaks volumes about your character. You don't want people to suffer because they're unable to work up the ladder, you want people to be able to afford to put food on the table. You believe that people should have a roof over their head doesn't matter what their circumstances."
Ana rubbed at her forehead, he was right, she had done so much that went against the grain of being a Conservative but that didn't make her a socialist. Her background excluded her from being a socialist, she didn't know suffrage, she didn't know working-class.
"I think you should consider joining us Ana. I really think that you have a bright future ahead of you but that isn't going to be in the Conservatives if you keep trying to make a difference to the less fortunate. They aren't going to appreciate that. We do though, we aim to help those less fortunate and try to balance the differences between those at the top and those at the bottom. Please think about it. I think you could do amazing things in and for the Labour Party."
Ana blew out a breath, maybe he was right. Maybe she couldn't have a bright future in the Conservatives if she wanted to help vulnerable and less fortunate people. It went against their ideal that everything should be run for profit by private companies. Her head was pounding now and there was a tightness in her chest. This was too much for her.
"There's an amazing future available for you. A shadow cabinet position if you want it and we're three years away from a general election, you never know you could be back in government before you know it." He gave her a small nod before he walked away, leaving Ana standing in the middle of Hyde Park completely bewildered as to what had just happened.
She looked at the time and realised she had given Douglas Hall way more time than she'd planned to, she was meeting with Christian for lunch to talk about what he'd said about collaring her and she was running late.
She turned in the direction for Hard Rock Café, Ana having insisted on somewhere casual so she wouldn't have to go home to dress after meeting with Douglas Hall. She needed to feel Christian's arms around her now after everything, she wanted to feel safe again. Douglas had pushed her limits, taken her to a place in her mind she'd never been before. While others had hinted towards her being in the wrong political group she had managed to put it to one side. Douglas, however, had dug, he'd dragged up the things she said and did and shown her why her actions were proof that she wasn't something she had believed she was.
Christian was not impressed that she was late, but when she walked in with a very apologetic look on her face he quickly let it go, she was here, that was all that mattered. He stood to greet her and gave her a polite kiss on the cheek remembering they were in a restaurant and didn't need to be giving anyone a view of them in a full lip lock.
"So how did it go this morning?" Christian asked as Ana slipped into the booth opposite him.
"Uh it was weird, he's basically asked me to join the Labour Party." Ana explained, she was still quite confused about it all and would need a lot of time to think about what he had said.
"Oh?" Christian questioned, he needed more than that especially with Ana being late it meant they were talking for a while.
"He thinks that my actions are more in line with a socialist view." Ana explained. "I mean I guess he's right."
"Ana you work in a Conservative safe seat, you change you will lose your seat at the next general election." Christian told her clearly, he could see that she was considering what Douglas Hall had said but he could see beyond that, she would lose her seat as an MP. Was it worth changing to then be made jobless in a couple of years?
"I know Christian." Ana sighed rubbing at her forehead. "I just don't know if my principles can allow me to continue with the Conservatives much longer. They go against so much that I believe in. I'm not going to progress there any more, the whole future PM thing has gone out the window… which I'm glad of by the way."
Christian gave her a sad smile, he could see how heavily this was weighing on her. He knew this was something he would have to let her decide for herself though, there was no point him doing anything but give his opinion when it was asked for. There was a risk that whatever decision she made would end up in regret in one way or another, and he couldn't be responsible for that.
"Anyway, let's talk about why we're meeting for real." Ana said giving a shy smile, Christian nodded, they were meeting to talk about collaring her. "So collaring… would I have to wear a collar all the time?"
"You would wear a day collar, it would be an inconspicuous piece of jewellery that only we would know it's significance." Christian replied gently, Ana gave a small nod that made sense, she couldn't exactly be seen wearing her pink collar in public as it was quite obvious what it was. "We would have a home collar, something you could change into as soon as you got home or we could reserve a full collar for play. That would be something we could agree upon."
"Ok." Ana nodded, her eyes were glowing. There was something so amazing about wearing her play collar, she hated having to take it off and it always left her feeling bereft and like a part of her was missing.
The waiter came and Ana and Christian's conversation was halted a moment while they ordered their food. Ana was excited because she wanted this so much. She hoped Christian didn't think she'd decided too quickly either, she'd given it a lot of thought but the more she thought about it the more she wanted to get on with it and have him put the collar on her neck.
"So, I think I want to wear your collar." Ana said shyly, her eyes dipping to the surface of the table. The waiter was barely out of earshot which made Christian giggle.
"You think?" Christian teased.
"No, I know. I know I do." Ana said hurriedly, her eyes jumping to meet his out of fear that he wouldn't do it thinking she wasn't on the same page as him. "I mean, it's everything I want and more." Ana explained, her eyebrow quirking as she smiled.
"Ok. Will you move in with me?" He asked hurriedly and Ana's eyes widened in surprise, she hadn't expected that. "I mean it would make more sense if my collared sub was living with me."
"Of course." Ana nodded her eyes sparkling. "Yes!" She said excitedly. Of course, she wanted to move in with him. She wanted to be with him all the time. To be his girlfriend and his submissive, to be there to please him at all times not by appointment. Christian's eyes were like saucers, his smile would have lit London all by itself. She said yes!
"Ok, that's awesome, we just need to work on the finer details is all." He said trying to downplay how happy he was but Ana could see it all over his face.
"Ok." Ana nodded fast before clutching at her cheeks, a smile spread over her face, she couldn't believe this was happening.
When their food came, they ate their meal and chatted about their future. Ana made the decision that she would tell Kate she was moving out that very evening, that she would then go back to Christian's and they would start living their lives in their Dominant and submissive relationship. They would start by looking at their limits again, discuss the changes in Ana's likes and dislikes and start focusing more on their day to day life likes and dislikes too. Ana's life had changed quite a bit since they agreed where he would dominate her daily life and so they needed to adjust that. They looked so happy, to any passer-by it was obvious how much in love these two were, their eyes were glowing, colour filled their cheeks. They both felt so warm looking at the other, their lives changing as they set on this new path together.
They were both excited when they'd started out on this relationship neither one of them could have anticipated where they would end up. All either one of them knew was that he wanted her for the rest of his life, that he couldn't imagine his future without her in it, without her by his side in all things and she was the same, life without Christian would unlikely be a life at all.
Later that evening Ana took her first bag over to Christian's apartment, she was so excited to be finally starting this new chapter in her life with him. After everything they had been through together, Ana knew they would be able to face anything together. She felt so strong with Christian by her side, allowing him to dominate her had made her a stronger person all round, no longer was she shy and quiet instead she was confident and when she needed to, she could make her voice heard.
After unpacking her bag and stripping down to her underwear as he'd commanded, she met Christian in the living room. He had set it up with candles all around, the light was off casting an unearthly glow around the room. He was standing next to the coffee table where a bottle of champagne and two glasses sat, and a black box. He was in just a pair of jeans, topless. Ana's eyes roamed over him, damn he was gorgeous. He had an incredible body and Ana knew he worked hard to keep on top of it.
"Kneel for me Ana." He whispered, Ana walked towards him before gracefully lowering to her knees on the fluffy rug. Her legs open, back of her hands on her thighs, head bowed and eyes on the floor. She was home! There was no feeling in the world like kneeling in front of her Dominant, it made her feel safe and protected.
"What do you want Ana?" He asked softly.
"To be collared by you Sir." She replied knowing that she would have to ask for it.
"Do you commit to me freely?" He asked reaching for the box from the table.
"Yes Sir." She replied, her voice hoarse, her mouth dry. She had excited butterflies in her belly and wanted so badly to have his collar on her neck.
Christian opened the box and smiled, he was extremely happy with his purchase. This is something he had ordered a while back, knowing it would take time for it to be made with continued hope in his heart that she would say yes.
"This Ana, was made for you." He said and she lifted her head knowing she was being given permission to look. "Knowing so many in your work would still recognise a day collar I searched high and low to get the perfect one."
It was stunning. A thick silver chain made up of multiple interlocking o rings on each strand and in the centre a very odd round pendant with a little flower shape in the middle. Next to the necklace was a weird looking pin. Ana looked up at Christian questioningly.
"It locks." Christian said picking up the pin. "You will not be able to remove it, without this."
He put the pin into the flower on the circle and the clasp gave a soft click. Ana smiled seeing how the chain was now opened. She swallowed as Christian removed the necklace from the box and she beamed as he slowly wrapped the cold metal around her neck. It felt heavy but she knew she'd soon get used to it. Christian locked the clasp in place and it sat perfectly on that soft bit on the front of her neck.
"Perfect fit." Ana could hear the smile in Christian's voice.
Her hand immediately went up to feel it, this was incredible. She was now Christian's completely.
"Oh Ana." He breathed his hand stroked down her face, so in awe of her and the commitment she'd made to him and of course the one he had made to her. He was now her owner, he would be responsible for taking care of her, making sure she was always safe and protected.
"I love you Christian." She breathed, her eyes fluttering closed. She needed him to know that.
"I love you too Ana. More than words will ever describe." He replied softly. "Now, some champagne and then we're going to play." He gave her a cheeky grin.
Ana waited on her knees while he poured them a very small glass of champagne but when he handed it to her, he asked her to stand.
"To you, my beautiful little submissive." He said raising his glass in toast, his eyes sparkling like the liquid in the glass.
"To you, my Sir, my Master." Ana replied. Christian beamed hearing her call him her Master, he'd never been called Master before and there was something incredibly powerful about it. He also knew it was symbolic of the increased responsibility that he now had for Ana.