A/N: Before we start, I want to address a theme I've seen in the reviews. There are some who think Ana is the "bad guy" and some who think Christian is. I don't see it either way. If there's a bad guy, it's Elena, so I'm going to quickly defend both of our main characters. (By the way, I'm not specifically calling anyone out so please don't worry!)

Ana isn't selfish and dramatic, she's insecure and afraid of getting hurt again. There's an Audrey Hepburn quote that we have two hands, one to help ourselves and one to help others. Ana has spent her whole life thus far thinking about others. Now she's thinking about herself, figuring out her wants and needs and dreams, in a way she never has before. Self-care is not selfish, and I hope that those of you who think she is don't hold yourselves to the same standards, because that's not a healthy mindset and you deserve better.

Christian isn't calculating and manipulative, he's a victim of trauma and abuse who has made some awful decisions and is dealing with the consequences of that, but trying to mend his relationships and do the right thing. He should absolutely still be held accountable for his actions, but it's important to note that they were not out of malice. He's trying.

On with the show!

Chapter 28

Christian

I wake up with an aching but rested body, still nestled next to Teddy. The events of last evening quickly come flooding back and my eyes fly open. Ana's side of the bed is rumpled, but empty.

I rub my eyes and look at Teddy, who could not be more zonked. His mouth is slack and he's wrapped in his covers like a little burrito. It seems we both slept well…

Ana fell asleep after only a few minutes, and I stayed up as long as possible just watching both of them. I had no idea when I'd get a chance like that again, and I wasn't about to waste it. But something about sharing a bed with two of the people I love most in the world, coupled with my sleep deprivation from being separated from them for so long, eventually became too much for me to fight and I fell asleep too.

I look at the clock on Teddy's wall. It's almost 8:30. I can't remember the last time I stayed in bed until this hour. The Ana Effect.

I slip out of bed carefully, so as not to disturb Teddy, and go to check on Phoebe. She's typically an early riser. I find her bed empty. Pausing in the hallway, I look at the closed door next to Phoebe's that used to be our bedroom. Morbid curiosity overtakes me, wondering if Ana still sleeps there, and I open the door.

The bed is undisturbed, and the room is as orderly as a museum. An ancient ache settles in my chest as I look around. She clearly isn't staying in here. I realize that I'm still wearing the clothes I wore yesterday, so I look inside the closet and find that I still have some here. I grab a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt and head back into the room.

I look around once more, and my breathing falters when my eyes land on the dresser and I see her wedding and engagement rings. The room is deserted, cold, a memorial of our time together, down to the moment it ended. I quickly turn and exit the haunted room, closing the door firmly behind me.

I change clothes in the bathroom down the hall and then head downstairs. I hear some movement in the direction of the kitchen. Pausing to peek around the corner, I see Ana holding Phoebe with one hand while she stirs yogurt with the other. Her phone buzzes on the counter and she taps it. "Hey, sorry I didn't call you back. Teddy had a bad dream and wanted me to come sleep with him."

"Not a problem, I just wanted to check on you."

I recognize the producer's voice. Fuck. Now I'm eavesdropping. It strikes me as wrong, but the desire to witness their unfiltered dynamic together wins out.

"I'm fine now… you caught me at a bad time."

"Was it about the headlines? Normally, you just sigh when you see their drivel. I've never known you to cry over it." Yeah, well, you've also known her five fucking minutes, asshole.

She sighs. "It wasn't just that. Now that I've slept on it, I really don't care. My mom called and… let's just say she was in agreement with the sentiments of the media. She just started going off, and I basically told her to… "f" off, and then you called right after that."

I feel a swell of pride that Ana stood up to her mother. About time. That woman is a parasite. "Why are you being so PG? I assume that your language was a bit more colorful," he laughs.

"It was, but my daughter is here. And you're on speaker, so behave."

"Oh. Hello, Phoebe! It's your Uncle Ezra."

Ana rolls her eyes. "I have one more thing I wanted to talk to you about." She pops a spoonful of yogurt into her mouth, which momentarily distracts me. That mouth and I had a very good time last night… I refocus my thoughts and adjust myself.

"Yes?"

"The Greys have a charity called Coping Together. I saw my sister-in-law yesterday and she asked me if I would perform at their gala… next week."

"And you need a plus one?" Motherfucker.

She giggles. "No. Do you think I should do it?"

"Well, obviously. And I have a proposal. It's for charity, why don't we add a livestream and people can buy tickets for an exclusive link to it?"

"What?!" She drops her spoon on the counter with a clatter, then puts Phoebe into her booster seat.

"Trust me. Ask your sister-in-law. Or give me her number and I'll pitch it."

"How many people would that be?"

"We could cap it at 100,000."

"Ezra! I've only done this for a roomful of people before, and you want me to go straight for a small city?"

"Ana, you're ready. And you won't be able to see them. It's not like a stadium tour, although you could..."

"Just stop talking."

He chuckles. "Fine. Are we still on for tonight? We can discuss it then."

"Yes, please. I'll see you soon." She taps the phone again, ending the call. "Christian, you can come out from loitering in the hallway now."

Well, fuck. Busted. I come out from around the corner. "Good morning."

She smirks. "Good morning. Would you like to summarize the conversation you just overheard?"

Only have one burning question, actually. "You have plans with the producer tonight?"

She sits at the breakfast bar and slides a cup of coffee towards me. "Yes. The single is coming out at midnight, so we're going to have champagne. Mostly to distract me from the nerves."

"Ah." I feel a pang of jealousy that he's the one getting to share that moment with her. You did it to yourself, Grey.

"I see you found some clothes?"

"Yes. I hope you don't mind."

"No. Like I said, it's your house, too. I never go in there." She clears her throat. "About last night…"

I glance at Phoebe, who is distracted by her breakfast, paying no attention to us. "If you regret it, please don't tell me." I can't bear to hear that.

She shakes her head and gazes at the mug in her hands. "I don't. None of it. But it can't become a regular thing. It's… too intense. There are so many other things we have to deal with."

I lower my voice. "Then, let's do that. I want that, Ana."

She looks up at me and nods. "Okay."

I put my mug down so I don't drop it. "You're saying…?"

"My therapist told me that couples counseling doesn't always mean you get back together, but it can still help you work through the feelings. With that in mind… yes, I agree. We should try."

I rush over to her side of the counter and sweep her into an embrace. She laughs in surprise, and I'm thrilled when she hugs me back. "Thank you so much, Ana. I swear you won't regret this."

She pulls back and looks at me, but doesn't push me away. "I do have a few conditions."

"Name them."

"Could we wait a few weeks? My individual sessions are going well, and with everything going on, I'd like a little more time to process on my own. I won't back out, I just need a little time."

Could be worse. "Whatever you need." I kiss her cheek, making her blush.

Phoebe laughs from her chair behind us. "Hugs!" she giggles.

"Hugs!" I repeat, scooping her up and kissing her cheeks. She laughs and squeals adorably. How did I ever live without mornings like these?

"Hey! What about me?" Teddy's indignant voice demands from the doorway. He runs up and tackles Ana, who nearly falls off her chair.

"Gently, Teddy!" I scold.

"One day you're going to be too big for me to pick up, mister. But that day is not today," Ana says as she hoists him up and puts him on the counter. Not very far from last night's scene of the crime…

For the first time in far too long, we enjoy a family breakfast together.

It's fifteen minutes past midnight, and all I can think about is Ana. Is she having a good time? Is she nervous? Is she thinking about me?

I have her song on repeat. I bought it, and I'm also streaming it on Spotify. Her artist name is Anastasia Steele… I'll have to ask her about that sometime. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt a bit, but it's softened by the news that she'll go to counseling with me. Once we can talk through everything and get it all out in the open, I'm confident that our connection will weather this storm.

Calling her should be okay, surely? Just to say congratulations? I'd already ordered flowers to be delivered tomorrow, but I'm itching to talk to her now. The last 24 hours have spoiled me.

Before I can talk myself out of it, I tap her contact. My heart rate climbs with every ring, but she finally picks up on the fourth. "Christian? Hey, wassup?"

That is decidedly not Ana's voice. "Mia? Where's Ana?" I hear a commotion in the background. Music, talking, laughing… and Mia has clearly had a few. What the hell is going on?

"I dunno, somewhere around here. There's a lot of people here."

"What are you doing there?"

"I called her earlier and she said Kate was coming and I could come, too… I'm glad I did, 'cause Ana's people are really cool. Elliot is here, too." I hear a voice yelling on the other end. It's familiar, I recognize it as the producer again. "Mia! Who's on the phone?"

"One second." Her voice becomes muffled. "It's Christian." She addresses me again. "Have you seen this Ezra guy? He's hot. And he has great ideas. We convinced Ana to sing at the gala. With a livestream! And he's British! God save the Queen."

I'm struggling to control my jealousy and temper when I hear the producer's voice again. "Christian? Tell him to drop by. We're popping bottles. Oh, well, let me ask Ana first."

Her voice is muffled again. "I'll ask, but I told you he hates parties. Hey, Christian, do you want to come over? And don't be mad at Ana, she didn't know there would be this many people here. Ezra surprised her. But everyone is really nice. And Mom has your kids, they're not here. What?" Her voice sounds faraway again. "Oh, okay. Do you want to come? Ana said it was okay."

This I have to see. "Sure. I'll be there soon." I hang up, grab my keys, and text Taylor that I'm going out.

I'm there in twenty minutes with slightly less than responsible driving. The house is all lit up and I hear the typical party sounds. Thankfully, it seems decently tasteful. I wouldn't be thrilled to walk into a rave.

I walk inside without knocking, since it is still my house, and Mia is the first person I spot. She's holding a cocktail. "Hey! I'm so glad you could come. You're not mad, are you? We thought about asking you, but we didn't think you'd want to come."

"Who's we?"

"Me and Elliot. Ana only invited Ezra and Kate and me, basically out of courtesy. Don't be mad at her, it's her night."

"Why would I be mad at her?"

"I don't know, you're unpredictably pissy sometimes." Touché.

"I'm not mad at her. Where is she?"

"In the kitchen. Do you want a drink? Ezra used to be a mixologist and he's a god behind the bar."

Great. My wife's intimate songwriting partner is a "god." "I'm good."

I follow her into the kitchen and immediately zero in on Ana. She's sitting at the counter, surrounded by people, laughing. She looks radiant, and her cheeks are pink, which I attribute to the bottle of Dom Perignon she's holding. Kate and Elliot are in the throng of people surrounding her. Elliot gives me a nod in between swigs of beer and Kate gives me a half smile and a wave. Well, that's different.

"Mr. Grey!" I see the producer walking towards me. "I hope you don't mind my using your humble abode in this manner. I thought Ana could use a pick-me-up."

Knowing that civility with Ana's friends is something that's always meant a lot to her, I swallow my irritation. "Christian is fine."

"Well, Christian, it's good to see you here. And for the record, I wanted to invite you, but your siblings said you wouldn't enjoy yourself, so we left you to your evening."

Jesus. Am I that much of a stick in the mud? "I guess I'm feeling adventurous tonight."

He gives me a knowing look. "Or you're feeling like staring at your wife? You don't have to pretend around me, mate. I see the way you watch her. And just so you know, I love a happy ending. Whatever's going on here, I wish you both the best."

The more this man speaks, the more I'm losing rational reasons to dislike him. Goddamn. "Whatever's going on?"

"You'll be happy to know that Ana is pretty tight-lipped. I don't know any details, but I recognize a man in love. Anyway, fancy a drink? I'm mixing."

"I'm good, thanks." Just then, Ana spots me from across the room. She smiles and waves, then excuses herself from the group and walks over to me. A little unsteadily, I note.

"Hi." She smiles sheepishly.

"Hi." I smile indulgently.

"This is kind of insane, huh? Ezra really went off the deep end. I'm about to go outside, do you want to come? I could use some air."

I nod and she takes my hand and leads me out onto the patio. We stand at the railing and look out at the water. The moon is high and reflecting off of it, giving us plenty of light. "You look like you're enjoying yourself." I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She takes a swig out of her champagne bottle. "I am. I'm surprised you wanted to come. You were on the phone with Mia?"

"I actually called you, but Mia answered your phone."

"Oh." She pats the back pockets of her jeans. "I guess I left it somewhere. What did you want?"

"Just to say congratulations. See how you were feeling."

Her eyes widen in surprise, and then a sweet smile and blush graces her features. "Really?"

Oh, God, tipsy Ana is in the house. How I've missed her. "Really. I was thinking about you."

"I've been thinking about you, too…" She bites her lip. Sweet Jesus.

"Ana…" I warn.

"What?" she says innocently.

"You were biting your lip."

"Oh. Sorry. Old habits." She puts her hand over her mouth.

"I'm trying to do what you asked me to do, but you're not making it easy."

"Yeah, well, maybe it's not easy for me either…" she mutters. She hoists herself up onto the railing and I unconsciously put my hands at her waist to make sure she doesn't fall.

She freezes when I touch her and looks up at me, her eyes full of melancholy. "Do you know that I miss you?" she whispers.

"Oh, baby." I lean in and rub my nose against hers. "I miss you every second. Even when it seemed like I didn't. Do you know that?"

She brings a hand up to my cheek, stroking it with her thumb. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Can I make one more bad decision before we act like mature adults?"

Yes. Use me for all your bad decisions. As long as you don't regret them. "Ana… you've been drinking. Are you sure this is what you want?"

She brings her other hand up and weaves them both into my hair. Oh, I'm fucked. She's barely touched me and there's already a tent in my pants. "Yes. Just one bad idea, with no Teddy around to walk in. Do you want this?"

Instead of answering, I press my lips to hers. She tastes like champagne and sweet, sweet Ana. Our tongues tangle together in a dance we've done a thousand times. At first I brace my arms on the railing on either side of her, trying to maintain some semblance of self-control, but soon we're groping each other like teenagers. I find myself standing between her legs again and she moans slightly when I press myself against her.

Oh, fuck champagne, baby. All I need is you.

If you don't get a fucking grip, God knows where this is going to end.

Fuck. I pull back and rest my forehead against hers. We're both panting, wanton beings, still clinging to each other as we come down from the high.

"Fuck," Ana whispers.

"Believe me, I want to." My voice is strained, but I relax as she laughs at my stupid joke. "In all seriousness, I don't want to impede things between us by moving too fast, baby. You agreed to counseling and I want our relationship to be strong before we take that step."

She leans back, studying my face curiously. "Where is this coming from? When did you become the responsible one?"

I shrug and smile sadly. "When I almost lost the one thing that means the most to me in the world for good." She squeezes her eyes shut as if my words cause her physical pain, a tear slipping down one cheek. I quickly brush it away with a kiss. "Are you going to regret this tomorrow?"

"If I do, we can chalk it up to a champagne problem. But… I doubt it. Are you?"

"Definitely not." She rests her head on my shoulder and we just take the moment and hold each other.

I love you, Anastasia.

I don't realize I've said the words out loud until she responds. "I love you, too. Thank you for thinking of me tonight."

"I never stop." Never will.

The moment between us is interrupted by a clearing throat. I turn and see Mia and Ezra standing there looking at us with huge smiles on their faces. Jesus. You'd think they were our parents and we were about to go to the prom together.

"What are you two doing out here?" Mia asks with a suggestive grin.

"We're just enjoying the view and the champagne," Ana answers, sarcastically holding up her bottle and gesturing to the water. I chuckle. Tipsy Ana is a delight.

"Well, we are about to clear everyone out. It's getting late. So, we'll just leave you to your view. Goodnight!" She winks and skips back inside.

Ezra gives Ana a meaningful look, at which she rolls her eyes and shoos him away. He goes back inside and she slides off the railing, stumbling as she does. "Whoa!"

I catch her around the waist and steady her. She giggles. "Sorry. I thought I was fine 'til I stood up. Wow, I'm sleepy." She sounds surprised as she says this and I can't help but laugh.

"Shall we get you to bed?" I wrap my arm around her and lead her inside. In record time, the guests have all vacated the area. I'm not surprised. Mia can be very persuasive.

When we get upstairs, she points to the bedroom she's been using, one of the guest ones near Teddy and Phoebe. Sure enough, her mark has been made on this room. All the personal items that I used to live around have made their way in here. Minus the ones that should be sitting on her finger.

"I'll be right back." She sits on the bed and I go into the bathroom, grabbing a cotton pad and some micellar water. "Look at me." I wipe the minimal makeup off of her face and she laughs, her nose scrunching up. "What's so funny?"

"Déjà vu."

Ah, I do have a history of taking over her routine when she's tired and/or intoxicated. "Well, if you'd do it yourself, I wouldn't have to." I kiss her nose and throw the smudged cotton away. "I'm going to get you some water, and then I'm going back to Escala. Okay?"

"Okay," she pouts.

I chuckle. "Do you want me to stay here?"

She pauses, then shrugs. "Yes and no."

"We'd better go with no. I'm not gambling with us, Ana," I tell her gently. She nods, grabbing her pajamas and walking into the bathroom. I head downstairs.

I tidy up the few bottles and scraps of food laying around so she doesn't have to worry about them in the morning, then fill up a glass of water. When I return, I find her under the covers in her pajamas, already asleep.

I smile to myself, put the glass down, and kiss her cheek, giving her hair one last stroke. As tempting as it is to climb in with her, I stay the path and head downstairs to begin the journey to my tower. No more bad ideas.

I take a deep breath as I remember the two kisses we've shared. Bad ideas aren't all bad…

Second A/N: Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! Provided you aren't like Carla, that is ;) I'm not writing tomorrow so I'm glad I was able to get this out to you tonight! If you get around to reading this later, please remember to leave a review!