Thank you to those who reviewed last chapter. I appreciate it. I am glad I kept you on the edge of your seats. Enjoy this next update and please review.
Title: FSOG: From Heartbreak to Happiness?
Chapter 31
***The Park***
(As Ana is being airlifted to the Seattle Hospital by ambulance, Kate goes to the hospital to be there for her friend. Christian and Taylor stay back to take care of Jose and Jake, making sure they go to jail where they belong. As the police is handcuffing the men, they speak)
Jose: "You just had to get involved, didn't you, Grey? There was no need for your involvement."
Christian: (raises his eyebrows) "You were hurting Ana, so you were hurting me. It's that simple."
Jack: (growls) "If you hadn't of been here, everything would have worked out, you asshole."
Christian: (laughs incredulously) "Are you fucking serious? Jack, or should I say 'Michael', you got here all on your own." (narrows his eyes) "Besides, I'm not about to let you hurt the woman I love any longer."
Jack: (smirks) "You mean before or after you shot her in the chest?"
(Christian's eyes go wide before he decks Jack, causing the police man to warn Christian to calm down. After Christian wipes his hands of any traces of Jack, he smiles)
Christian: "You're going to jail, where you belong."
Jack: "You WILL pay, both you and Ana, if it's the last thing I do. If you would have just left things alone, you prick, everything would've been fine."
Christian: "Is that before or after you tried to blackmail Ana and Kate for money? Hyde, you're a police detective. You should know the difference between right and wrong. Guess you're just that stupid."
Jack: (nods) "Just you wait, Grey. You and Steele will get what's coming to you. Maybe not now, but someday."
(Christian tells the cops to take Jose and Jack away to jail. The two men try fighting with the cops. Eventually, they give up and do what they're told. A detective comes up to Christian and Taylor)
Detective: "Hi. I'm Detective Pierce. Which one of you would like to explain what happened here tonight?"
(Christian looks to Taylor for assistance)
Taylor: "Go be with Ana. I got this."
(Christian nods and pats his friend/bodyguard on the back before rushing to the hospital to be with an injured Ana. While in route to the hospital, Taylor stays behind to answer any questions Detective Pierce may have. Taylor calls Welch to come, being Welch is Christian's lawyer. Within fifteen minutes, Welch arrives at the park to Taylor. Taylor briefly excuses himself to update Welch on what is needed to be said to the detective. When that's done, both Welch and Taylor go back to Detective Pierce, who doesn't look very amused)
Detective Pierce: (tilts his head) "Are we ready now?"
Taylor: (nods) "Yes. This is my friend, Christian Grey's lawyer. He is Mr. Welch. He is here to advise me on what to say or not to say."
Detective Pierce: "And why isn't your friend, Grey, here, too? It does involve him, as well."
Taylor: "He is with the woman who was hurt. He wants to make sure she is okay. He trusts me on what to say."
Detective Pierce: "Considering who your boss is, I'm surprised that you guys called. I thought you would've waited until you as well as everyone else, was at the hospital. You know the law that when there's a shooting, the hospital is required to contact the authorities."
Taylor: (nods) "That's why we called now. We wanted to get it over with so then we wouldn't be bombarded with questions at the hospital."
Detective Pierce: "Smart move." (clears his throat) "Okay, let's begin."
(Detective Pierce gets out his little notepad and pen so he can write down any important information)
Detective Pierce: "So, what happened here tonight?"
(Taylor glances at Welch, who nods for Taylor to start)
Taylor: "Christian Grey and I were led to believe that Anastasia Steele and Kate Kavanagh were in danger."
Detective Pierce: (weird look) "Danger, how?"
Taylor: "The two young ladies have a complicated history with the suspects in question, Jack Hyde and Jose Rodriguez."
Detective Pierce: "Care to enlighten me on their past?"
Welch: "I will advise both Christian Grey and Jason Taylor on not saying anything on the matter. It may not only incriminate Miss Steele and Miss Kavanagh, but also my clients. Here's what Jason Taylor does know."
(Welch looks to Taylor to divulge what they talked about)
Taylor: "Everyone has secrets from their pasts. Anastasia and Kate are no exception. Well, the thing they did in their past, they deeply regret. Jack Hyde and Jose Rodriquez found out about it and tried to blackmail them and used Mr. Grey, as well."
Detective Pierce: (raises his eyebrows) "And I'm guessing you won't tell me the secret."
(Welch just stares at the detective before speaking)
Welch: "I think you know the answer to that, detective. I will not let my clients say something that may hurt them."
Detective Pierce: (sighs deeply) "Fine. Next."
Taylor: "Mr. Grey and I agreed I would wear a wire incase anything went down, which obviously it did. The
wire was not only for the young ladies' protection, but Mr. Grey's and mine, as well."
Detective Pierce: "And the reason the men were shot along with Miss Steele?"
Taylor: "Jack Hyde pulled a gun on Kate and Ana as they wanted ransom money in exchange for Jack and Jose keeping the ladies' secret. Mr. Grey and I had a plan that some of the money would be real, but most of it wasn't real. It was fake. The first few rows of money in the briefcase were real money. Mr. Grey and I were hoping that Jack and Jose wouldn't notice this. That Jack and Jose would think the money was real and walk away."
Detective Pierce: (tilts his head) "But, obviously they did notice in the end, didn't they?"
Taylor: (grumbles) "Don't remind me." (clears his throat) "Anyway, when Hyde and Jose realized that they've been duped, they thought of a last-minute plan. Jack pulled a gun on us while Jose tried to distract me and Mr. Grey." (sighs) "I admit that I didn't want to use my gun, but I had no choice. Jack wasn't about to let the ladies go without a fight as he wanted his revenge against them. So, he shot Miss Steele in the chest. I, in turn, shot Jack in the leg as Jose was still trying to distract us at the time. When it was clear that Jose was willing to take Ana as a hostage, I shot him in the leg, as well. I saved Miss Steele and Mr. Grey kept the gun on Jack and Jose to make sure they didn't try escaping. I immediately called 911 so the ambulance could take Anastasia to the hospital. Kate joined her friend in the ambulance. Mr. Grey thought it was only respectful to let the friends be together. Mr. Grey took his car to the hospital to be there for both ladies."
Pierce: "I'm still surprised that Grey left you in charge of it all."
(Taylor turned away from the detective while Welch spoke)
Welch: "Detective Pierce, surely you understand that Mr. Grey felt the need to be there for those he tried to protect. And, if I wasn't clear enough, Mr. Grey made it known that he trusted not only Mr. Taylor, but me as well. Mr. Taylor and I have been working for Mr. Grey for years." (raises his eyebrows) "I take it YOU don't have anyone is your life that you trust with your life completely when the situation calls for it?"
(Taylor couldn't help the smirk from showing at Welch's bluntness to the detective. Detective Pierce mumbles under his breath and sighs deeply before speaking)
Detective Pierce: "This goes for you two, as well, but tell Grey not to leave town. I may have more questions regarding the incident."
Welch: (shrugs) "You have all of our numbers. If not on file, then in the public database."
(Welch and Taylor could tell that Detective Pierce wasn't very amused with their attitude, but they didn't give a shit. Both men wanted to go to the hospital in case they could help)
Detective Pierce: (annoyed) "You two can go…for now. I'll say it again. Don't leave town."
Taylor: (shakes his head) "We wouldn't dream of it."
(Welch and Taylor walk away and leave the area to go to the hospital. Meanwhile, at Seattle Hospital, Christian is looking all over for information on Anastasia. The doctors and nurses were either busy or with patients. He sighs loudly as he was getting impatient by the second)
Christian: (low voice) "How am I supposed to get a goddamned update on her if no one is around?"
(He sees a nurse go to the front desk in a hurry. Just as he is about to rush to the nurse and start demanding information on his girl, he hears a familiar voice call out his name)
Kate: (yells) "Christian!"
(He turns around in the direction of where the voice is coming from, revealing Kate. He sees her waving at him to come to her. He runs to the young woman and is a tad out of breath)
Christian: "Where's Anastasia?"
Kate: (nods) "She's in surgery."
(Christian could tell that there's something she wasn't telling him. He speaks in a worried tone yet with a serious face)
Christian: "What aren't you telling me, Kate? What's wrong with Anastasia?"
(She tries to remain calm, but was failing miserably)
Kate: "On the way here to the hospital, she flatlined. Thankfully, the paramedics got her heart started again."
Christian: (eyes widen) "Holy shit."
Kate: (sadly) "It's bad, Christian. She's lost a lot of blood. The doctors are working on her now. They said that when there's an update, someone would come out to talk to us."
Christian: (nods) "Okay." (briefly smiles) "Thank you."
(Christian places his hands on his hips and momentarily looks to the ceiling before cursing under his breath)
Christian: "It should have been me, Kate. It should have been me who got shot." (scoffs) "I tried playing the hero and look what happened. Anastasia got shot because of me."
(He waves his arms violently as he loudly swears, causing Kate to jump a bit)
Christian: "Why the hell did I have to fight Hyde for the gun?! It probably would have ended differently if I hadn't tried playing the fucking hero! Now, because of my stupidity, Anastasia may die! When will I fucking learn?!"
(Kate observes Christian's passionate expressions during his outburst. She crosses her arms over her chest and tilts her head as a smile slightly forms. She continues to watch him pace back and forth in fright. Even though Christian shouted from the rooftops earlier his love for Anastasia when she was shot, it dawns on Kate how Christian truly felt towards her best friend. When he sees Kate staring at him with a little smile on her face, he grows confused. He didn't know why she was smiling at a time like this)
Christian: "I don't get it. Your friend is in the emergency room, fighting for her life and you have a smile on your face. What's wrong with this picture?"
Kate: (nods) "I know Anastasia is in surgery. I'm well aware of that. But, did you hear yourself while you were cursing up a storm? Because I certainly did."
Christian: (scoffs) "Yeah, it's my goddamn fault that she's in the hospital, Kate. You can't possibly blame me more than I already do."
(As Kate speaks, she waves her hands around and gestures)
Kate: "Okay, for the record, I don't blame you on what happened. I know Anastasia doesn't, either. When she gets through surgery and wakes up, she will tell you that, too. Christian, her and I knew that you were just trying to help. For that, we will be forever grateful."
Christian: (shakes his head) "I don't know how you can be grateful for my help when I almost got your friend killed."
Kate: (sighs) "Okay, for the record, accidents happen. In a perfect world, Ana wouldn't have been shot and Jack along with Jose would've gotten much worse than a shot in the leg and prison time." (shrugs) "But, shit happens."
(She walks to him and rests her hands on his shoulders while smiling)
Kate: "Are you aware that, while having Ana in your arms, you admitted how you truly felt about her in the park?"
(Christian takes a moment to realize that Kate was right. He looks around before facing Kate)
Christian: "I was caught up in the moment that I didn't realize that I said that." (sighs softly) "Watching her fade away, it scared me to death."
(She takes her hands off of his shoulders and shrugs)
Kate: "Do you regret it? Do you regret telling her you love her?"
(Christian stares at Kate for a long time before turning away. After a moment, he faces Kate and shakes his head)
Christian: "No. I don't regret it." (sighs deeply) "Truth be told, it was a long time coming. I probably should have said it a long time ago."
Kate: (perplexed) "Why didn't you?"
Christian: "Simple." (sighs deeply) "Kate, she works for me. She's the editor for my magazine at my company. I made a vow to never get involved with someone at work. Besides, it'd never work."
Kate: (squints her eyes) "Why do you say that?"
Christian: "Yes, I love her, Kate. I love her more than my own life. I would do anything to protect her." (scoffs) "What if it didn't work out? She's an excellent worker. I would never fire her. However, it'd be very awkward seeing her on a daily basis knowing we had a relationship and it failed."
Kate: (tilts her head) "Christian, how are you so sure that it'd fail? You're not even technically in a relationship yet. Yes, you finally admitted to me and everyone else your true feelings. I'm not 100% sure Ana heard you profess your love to her as she was probably out of it at the time. Just wait to see what happens."
(Christian nods as he walks around again. He couldn't help but wonder how the woman of his dreams felt about him)
Christian: (nervously speaks) "Did she ever admit to you how she feels about me?"
Kate: (smirks) "You mean has she ever told me that she loves you?"
Christian: (rolls his eyes) "Okay, yes."
Kate: (chuckles) "Yes, she admitted she had feelings for you. She wanted to act on them, but she didn't know how you felt about her. For all she knew, you only considered her an employee. She didn't want to put her heart out there again only for it to be broken."
Christian: (nods) "You're talking about Jose."
Kate: (nods) "Yes. He hurt her deeply when he cheated on her because she wouldn't sleep with him."
Christian: (scoffs) "He's a fucking prick who should have his balls cut off."
Kate: "You're right. He didn't deserve her. He was a worthless piece of shit who deserves nothing."
(Christian shakes his head in disgust)
Christian: "Just because she wasn't ready to sleep with him, he looked elsewhere?"
Kate: (raises her eyebrows) "Yep, good old Jose. You can't force someone to sleep with you if you're not ready. If he couldn't have a piece of her, he was prepared to look elsewhere. Can't stand the fucker."
Christian: (snorts) "Neither can I and you know him better than I do."
Kate: "Trust me. You didn't miss much in the end."
Christian: "Ana told me a bit about him. The day I believe she ended things with him was the day we bumped into each other on the sidewalk in the city here in Seattle. She was tear-stained and I wasn't in the best mood." (smiles) "However, what turned out to be a tender encounter in the end was one of the greatest days for me…because I got to know her more." (chuckles softly) "Anytime I am pissed off, just thinking about Anastasia or talking to her, it puts me in a better mood. In the end, Kate, she makes me want to be a better man."
Kate: "You have that effect on Ana, too. It's like she was unsure about life or even Jose. You helped her see that she doesn't have settle."
(Kate can't stop the smile from forming across her face as she spoke)
Kate: "Granted, Anastasia never really went into great detail about her undying love for her. However, she did admit that she loves you when I asked her. I don't think she knew what to do about her feelings, though. Because, like you stated a bit ago, you two work together."
Christian: (smiles tenderly) "For the record, Kate, I love her just as much."
Kate: (nods) "However, I think it's safe to say her true feelings for you need to come from her…from her heart. Yes, her and I have discussed you many times. But, you two need to have a long talk about everything."
Christian: "I agree, Kate. What Ana feels needs to come directly from her. I appreciate you telling me what you've told me so far. Thank you."
(Kate turns serious with Christian and points to him)
Kate: "I will tell you this, though, Grey. If you and Ana admit your true feelings for each other and want to be together…you had better treat her right. I don't want to get a phone call or have Ana crying on my shoulder that you hurt her. If that happens, Grey, all bets are off. I don't care that you're rich and handsome…I'll kick your ass if you hurt her. Jose did that to last her a lifetime. I don't need you adding to that."
(Christian briefly raises his hands in front of him as he spoke)
Christian: "I assure you, Kate, I would never intentionally hurt Anastasia. I could so easily kill Jose for hurting her so deeply. I'll settle for him being in prison. It pains me anytime I see her upset. Once we know that she has survived surgery, her and I will have a long heart to heart talk."
Kate: (nods) "Sounds good. One more thing, Grey."
Christian: (half-jokingly, half seriously) "There's more?"
Kate: "I know about Elena Robinson. Granted, it's not very much as I only know what Ana tells me. Ana's only met Elena once or twice. However, Elena made quite the impression on Ana. Elena make it sound like her soon to be divorce would happen momentarily and then you two are free to be together." (raises her eyebrows) "I hope you're not leading Ana on with this Elena woman."
(Christian feverishly shakes his head as he spoke to the young woman)
Christian: "I can assure you, Kate, that I have no intentions of going back to Elena. I've made it clear to her that she is my past. I want Ana to be my future, if Ana and I both agree to it in the end."
(Christian rolls his eyes and scoffs, shaking his head)
Christian: "Elena has made it clear on more than one occasion that she wants me back. I told her no, that I won't be her fallback guy when she finally kicks Linc's ass to the curb. Linc is her estranged husband, in case you didn't know that."
Kate: "I gathered that the way you talked about Elena and her spouse, but thank you."
Christian: "If you ever cross paths with Elena or Linc in the future, you will understand why I want to break free from both of them. They're toxic and only bring me down."
(Christian shakes his head and speaks in a warning tone)
Christian: "I'm done with them, Kate. I'm done with both of them. I swear that Elena doesn't know what she wants, but it WON'T be me. I won't let her get her hooks in me again."
Kate: "Hopefully, you mean all of that, Christian. You seem like a decent man. If Ana returns your feelings and you two decide to be together, I will support that. I'll say this again, though. If you hurt her, all bets are off. Ana's my best friend and her and I go way back. She's like a sister to me. In many ways, we're each other's family. I will fight for her until the day I die."
Christian: "I would expect nothing less from you."
(Kate nods in response before a thought occurs to her)
Kate: "I'm here for Ana when she wakes up. Shouldn't someone be here for you for moral support? Where's Elliot?"
(Christian sighs as he briefly closes his eyes. He had forgotten all about his brother through all of this chaos)
Christian: "I'm a bad brother. I forgot all about him. I meant to call him, but it completely spaced my mind."
Kate: "Don't worry, Christian. Call him now so he can be here for you. I know he'd want to be."
Christian: (amused) "You've gotten quite friendly with Elliot, haven't you?"
Kate: (shrugs) "He's nice and I'm enjoying getting to know him. We're hoping to go on our first date soon. With all of this Jack and Jose drama, I haven't been able to think about anything else."
Christian: "I hope you'll give him a chance. In the end, though, it's up to you."
Kate: (smiles) "Oh, I have every intention of trying things out with your brother, Grey. It's just a matter of timing. Now, call your brother."
Christian: (laughs) "You're demanding, too!"
(Christian gets out his cell phone to call Elliot and asks him to come to the hospital ASAP. Of course, Elliot is worried, but he is told all will be explained upon his arrival. Within fifteen minutes, Elliot comes in like a bat out of hell. He is out of breath and panicked)
Elliot: "Okay, I'm here. What the hell is going on?"
(Elliot noticed Kate, who smiles politely)
Elliot: "Hi, Kate."
Kate: "Hello."
Elliot: "Okay, fill me in."
(Christian tells him what he was able to so Elliot is caught up on everything. Elliot's eyes widen with his lips parting)
Elliot: "Holy shit. You all have been through hell." (to Kate) "You, too. Now that the two idiots are in jail where they belong, what happens now?"
Christian: "Now…" (sighs) "…We wait to hear from the doctor on how Anastasia is doing. I pray it's going okay."
Kate: (nods) "We have to have faith that she'll pull through."
(All of a sudden, they see a man in a doctor's uniform coming towards them. They stand together to face the man. Once the man in scrubs is standing in front of them, Christian speaks)
Christian: "Hello, Dr…?"
Man: "I'm Dr. Steven Price."
Christian: "Do you have an update on Anastasia?"
Dr. Price: (nods) "I do."
Christian: "And?"
Chapter 31 Done
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