It is just outside of Seattle and after driving down the long driveway, I see a beautiful white house. It is pretty big. I see a lot of other vehicles parked around so I park myself and get us out. We are parked a little bit away from the house because of all the other cars. We walk to the door and I'm suddenly nervous. I bend down in front of Liam and adjust his shirt. "Only shake hands with people for now, until you get to know their names and stuff. Can you behave for me?"

"I will behave. I give him a kiss on the cheek and stand back up and knock on the door. I hear Kate through the door.

"I've got it." A little bit later, she opens the door with a huge smile and I smile back at her. She brings me in for a hug and I reciprocate. "Thank you for coming, Ana." She lets me go and looks down at Liam. She bends down and hugs him as well. "It is nice to see you again, Liam."

"It's nice to see you again, too, Kate. You are beautiful."

She pulls out of the hug. "You clean up pretty nicely yourself."

She stands up and that is whenever I notice that she is in a cocktail dress herself so I relax a little. At least we dressed appropriately.

She invites us in and the inside of her house is just as beautiful. She guides us through her foyer and Liam is following right behind me. As soon as I walk past a wall to what I presume is her family room. I glance in the room and I freeze whenever I see Christian sitting there. My eyes widen and his do as well. I shake it off and think quick. I turn around and pick up Liam before he sees him. I step out of the view of the family room and turn to Kate. "Kate, where's your bathroom? We need it before we mingle."

"Oh. Follow me." She walks me past a few people and I successfully block Liam's view of the family room. She leads us down a hallway. "It's right there. I will wait out here and lead you back to where everyone is whenever you are done."

"Okay. Thank you, Kate." I take Liam into the bathroom and lock the door behind us. I close the lid on the toilet and turn on the sink because we don't really need to use it and I don't want Kate to hear us. We used the bathroom before we left the apartment.

"I don't need to use the bathroom, Mom." He says, confused.

I set him down on the toilet. "I know, baby. Can we play a game tonight?"

He smiles. He LOVES playing games. "Yes, Mom."

"Okay, great! Daddy is here tonight. I didn't know he was going to be here." I see him smile. "No one here can know that we know him right now." He looks discouraged. "We need to pretend that we don't know him and he will probably act like he doesn't know us, because he likes to play this game as well."

"Okay."

"If you do good, I will get you a surprise at the end of the night. I need you to JUST call him sir until someone else tells you his name. Only then, you can call him Christian, not Daddy. Also, don't tell ANYONE else that we are playing a game. I will try to gently remind you if you almost slip up because I really want you to win this game, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy." He says, his excitement returning.

He smiles and I smile back at him. "Are you ready?"

He nods his head vigorously. "Yes, Mommy." I give him a kiss on his forehead.

"Then let's go out there and see what you have got, kid." I help him off the toilet. "Are you sure you don't need the restroom while we're in here?"

"I'm sure. Let's go play." I get up and flush the toilet and put the seat back up and I take a little bit so it sounds like we're washing our hands after using the bathroom. I turn off the sink and take Liam's hand. I take a deep breath before opening the door back up. We can do this.

We go back out into the hall and whenever we come to Kate, she asks, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Everything is great."

She nods with a smile and she takes my other hand and walks us back to the family room where there are people sitting around the room. There are also some people standing close by. I look around the room and see everyone. I recognize Elliot from Christian's penthouse. As I keep looking around, I quickly look past Christian so that we don't make eye contact. This is when I notice the woman sitting next to Christian and my heart sinks a little. I keep looking around the room. I see Ethan, Kate's brother. I saw him a few times when he visited Kate while we were in college.

Kate clears her throat. "Can I have everyone's attention?" Everyone gets quiet and looks at her. She puts her hand on my back and looks at me. "Ana and Liam, this is my family." She looks back at the many people. "Everyone, this is my best friend, Ana. She has been gone for a LONG time, but she finally came home and I wanted her to be here with us tonight."

I nod. "It's nice to meet everyone." I say.

They all nod with smiles on their faces. Kate proceeds to take us around the room and tells us everyone's names, individually, and she walks us around the room shaking hands with people as she introduces them. Whenever we come to Sasha, she puts her left hand with a huge ring on it up like she is royalty or something. The ring is way too huge for my tastes and frankly, it looks tacky. She also has her nails done and they are way too long and pointy on the ends. I shake her hand and nod to her and continue through the room. I shake Christian's hand and just glance into his eyes as I feel the connection that I have always felt with him. I let go as quickly as possible. Ethan gets up and hugs me. "It's nice to see you again, Ana."

"It's nice to see you again as well, Ethan." He releases me and sits back down. As I'm shaking hands, Liam is following, giving everyone fist bumps and a lot of people look confused but they go with it. Christian does good at pretending that he doesn't know us, but I still feel him looking at me from time to time. Once I am done shaking everyone's hands. I stand back beside Kate and Liam comes and stands in front of me facing everyone and leans back against me. I put my hands on his shoulders.

"Ana, would you like some wine or beer?" Kate asks me.

"Wine, please?"

She smiles and nods. "Coming right up." And she turns and walks off. People start coming up to talk to me and Ethan gets Liam's attention and starts talking to him. I try to pay attention to Liam because the last thing we need is him spilling the beans right now.

I talk to some people and Kate finally brings me my wine and she stands beside me and we talk with everyone that approaches us. When I'm finally standing without anyone talking to me, I notice Elliot talking to Liam on the couch. I approach and sit down next to Liam. "Are you having fun, Liam?"

He looks up at me with a HUGE smile on his handsome little face. He looks so much like his Dad whenever he smiles like that. "I'm having a GREAT time! These people are so nice!"

I smile back and glance up at Elliot, who winks at me, knowingly before getting up and walking away. I shake it off and look back down at my son. "I agree." He hugs me.

"Thank you for bringing me here."

"You're welcome, baby."

He pulls back and looks at me embarrassed. "Mommy, don't call me baby in front of other people. I'm not a baby!" He whispers loud enough for me to hear him.

"Okay. I'm sorry, but you will always be my baby." I whisper back to him.

"I know, Mommy. I just don't want other people to think that I am a baby."

"Okay, well your secret is now safe with me." He nods.

"Dinner is served." I hear and look up and a woman with an apron on entered the room. Kate approaches us as we stand and takes my hand.

"You two will be sitting by me." She says excitedly. I smile at her excitement and nod at her and take Liam's hand and we follow her to the HUGE dining room with 2 long tables set up in it. She leads me to a table and everyone is seated and Elliot is at our end of the table and Carrick is at the other end. Kate is seated next to Elliot and we are seated next to her. Grace is sitting next to the other end with her husband and Christian is sitting next to Elliot with his fiancé sitting next to him. She has a huge smile on her face and he looks miserable with an obviously fake smile on his handsome face. He glances up at me and I look away quickly.

The servers bring everyone a plate and as soon as everyone has their plate, I see everyone else putting their napkins on their laps so I do the same and I take Liam's and do the same. "What's this for, Mommy?"

"In case you spill your food on your lap, it won't get on your clothes."

"I'm a big boy. I don't spill my food." I hear giggles around the room.

"Well even all the adults have one in case they spill their food, so you need one, okay?"

"Okay."

We sit back up and Elliot announces, "Eat up, everyone."

Everyone starts eating and having light conversation. I feel Christian looking at me occasionally but I manage to avoid looking at him, although it is very hard. "Ana?" I hear from Ethan and I look up at him.

"Yes?"

"How long have you been back home?"

"I've only been here a few days so we haven't had time to do much yet."

"How about I take you and Liam out and show you the new stuff around the city and maybe we can have lunch together?"

I think about this for a little bit. It shouldn't matter. Christian is getting married so we will never be together, although I love him with all of my heart. What the hell. "Sure, Ethan. I still have my old number so feel free to call so we can set that up some time."

He gives me a big smile and I smile back softly. "I will do that." I nod and continue eating, but I don't miss the tension building in the room and I wonder where it is coming from.

Once we've all finished eating, the servers come and take our plates to prepare to bring us our dessert, apparently. Elliot stands and he takes Kate's hand and she stands beside him and he puts his arm around her. "We brought you all here this evening because we have news." The room is silent, waiting for this news. "I proposed to Kate and… she said yes!" Everyone applauds them, including myself. "Thank you, everyone." He looks to Christian. "I'd like you to be my best man, Christian." and Christian smiles genuinely.

"It would be my honor, brother." Elliot smiles back and pats him on the shoulder. Kate looks at me.

"Ana, I would like for you to be my Maid of Honor." I gasp, shocked because I'd been gone so long, yet she chose me over everyone else.

"It would be my honor and my pleasure, Kate." I say with a smile and she approaches me and leans down and hugs me.

"Thank you so much, Ana!"

"You're very welcome!" I say back.

She stands back up and they sit down and out of nowhere, Sasha stands up. "Sasha, now is not the time for this." Christian says, encouraging her to sit back down.

"It is time, Christian. Your family deserves to know." She says and he sighs and looks down with a frustrated look on his face. "Congratulations on your engagement, Kate and Elliot, first of all." They nod and she continues. "Christian and I have an announcement as well." Everyone looks at her curiously and I can feel my stomach sink. I have a feeling this is going to break my heart. "We're pregnant!" there are gasps around the room and just like that, my heart is broken. My fate is sealed. We will never happen. "We're 12 weeks now and we couldn't be more excited."

I glance over at Christian and he is looking back at me with a sad smile and a concerned expression on his face. I feel the tears threatening to fall so I look down quickly and I feel a tear sneak down my cheek as everyone applauds them on their bundle of joy. Kate puts her hand on my back. "Are you okay, Ana?" she whispers in my ear.

I use the napkin and dab away the tears that escaped. "I'm fine. Just thinking about how I can't have that anymore." I whisper back.

She gives me a sad smile, "Oh, Ana." She wraps her arms around me and I glance over at Christian and Sasha is now sitting back beside him. He looks at me with a pained expression. It also looks as if he is contemplating something.

"Will it be.." I hear come from Liam before I pull out of the hug and grab his leg lightly and he looks up at me and doesn't say another word. He nods at me.

I look back up and see people are back to talking amongst themselves. I glance at Christian and he still has a pained expression on his face and I see Sasha snake her claws and giant ring up his arm and leans over to kiss him and he dodges the kiss and takes her hand off of his arm. "I can't do this anymore." He says with finality.

Everyone looks up at him and I do as well. He takes the napkin off of his lap and sets it on the table. "Can't do what anymore, Christian?" Sasha asks.

He sighs. "Pretend to be happy with you." He looks at her. "Sasha, you have been a wonderful companion throughout the last year or so. I like you, I do, but I don't love you and I never have and you know that, but you forced me into this engagement." I hear gasps around the room and I stifle my own whilst hiding the joyful hope that I'm beginning to feel in my heart again. "We will co-parent this baby, but I cannot continue this façade. My heart lies elsewhere and I need to follow it. I gasp when I realize that he basically just said that he loves me. Unless he is talking about someone else? "You can keep everything I've given you as well as all of the stuff that you've bought yourself with my money and I will have your stuff at my place moved to your own place as soon as possible. I will continue to support you financially throughout the pregnancy. I'm sorry about this but I cannot deny my heart what it wants anymore." She is crying by the end of this. He glances over at me with just the slightest hint of a smirk playing across his lips. I look away quickly.

Everyone is just watching him, in obvious shock, as he gets up and walks around the table and he stops by me and I look up at him. This is actually happening. He offers me his hand and I hesitate for a minute but I take it in my own. He pulls my chair out for me and I clear my throat nervously and take the napkin in my lap and set it on the table as he helps me to stand up. Whenever I am face to face with him, I look up at him and he lets go of my hand and he lifts me up against his firm body by my waist until my face is only inches from his. He keeps one arm tightly wrapped around me as he holds me in place and he brings the other hand up and gently places it on the back of my head after brushing a stray hair out of my face. He scoots his face closer to mine as we just stare into each other's eyes and the room is still silent. "It's always been you." He whispers just before his lips crash into my own and I am frozen for a moment before I wrap my own arms around his neck and I eagerly reciprocate the passionate kiss as there are more gasps around the room.

I hear our son clapping. I hear someone whisper, "Did you know this was going to happen?"

The other person replies, "No clue."

After a minute, he finally pulls back from the kiss and continues to look into my eyes as he lets me back down on the ground and my knees are shaky so he holds onto my arm gently. He turns towards Liam, who is now standing on his chair with his arms out and he scoops him up. "I will see you all later. I'm going home with my family." He looks to Kate and Elliot. "I'm sorry to disrupt your evening. Congratulations." They nod and he helps us out of the door. Once outside he sees his guy, who I remember as Taylor, and we approach him. He points towards the house. "Take her wherever she is going, but I'd prefer that she not go to the penthouse unless it is to just get her stuff."

Taylor almost smiles, but quickly composes himself. "Yes, sir."

"Keep me posted on her whereabouts, but I will have my phone off for a little while. You know where to find me."

"Yes, sir."

Christian nods and we start walking through the cars. "Where are you parked?"

I think I'm still in shock, but whenever I am able to speak again, I say, "At the end there."

He nods and he takes my hand again since my knees are now back to normal, but I'm overflowing with joy. Whenever we get to the car, he puts Liam, who has yet to say anything, into his car seat and then he helps me into the passenger seat and I hand him the key and he goes around and gets in and starts the car. His phone starts to ring and he hands it to me. "Push and hold that button and turn that off, please. You may want to turn off your phone as well."

I nod and take his phone and turn it off and I dig my own out of my clutch and turn it off as well and I put both phones into my purse. He drives us off and reaches over the console and takes my hand in his and puts it up against his lips and kisses it. "I've been wanting to do that since I first saw you in that little café, Ana, but I didn't think it was a good idea because of the baby." He glances at me to find me staring silently. "I'm sorry about that, by the way. It wasn't supposed to come out that way. It wasn't planned at all. It was an accident, unless she somehow planned it in an attempt to trap me. I've always used condoms with her."

"It is okay now, Christian." I smile at him as he glances back at me. I want to kiss him so badly, but he is driving.

I decide to glance back at Liam and find out why he is being so quiet. "Are you okay, buddy?"

He looks at me with a sad expression. "Do I still get a present?" I giggle. That's what he is worried about.

"Yes, buddy. You get a big present." He smiles again and I look at Christian again. "I owe Liam a big present. Can you take me somewhere to get him one?" He smiles mischievously.

"I have his present at the penthouse. I will go get it really quick whenever we get to Escala and then we can stay at your apartment tonight, if that is okay with you?"

I smile and shake my head slightly. "You're truly a marvelous man, Christian Grey. I would love for you to stay with us." He grins and glances at me again and winks with a smirk on his face.

Once we arrive at Escala, the attendant lets us in as soon as he sees us. Christian goes ahead and parks us in my spot. I look at him questionably. "I don't want her to come here and see your car and do anything to it. I'm sure she is quite angry with both of us at this point."

I nod. He is definitely right about that. He leans over the console and gives me a sweet kiss after turning off the car. "Do you have our phones, baby?"

I nod. "I have them in my purse." He nods back and smiles and kisses me sweetly again. He gets out and races around the car and opens my door and I grab my purse and he offers his hand to help me out and I take it with a smile of my own. I, actually, haven't stopped smiling since we left Kate and Elliot's house. I've never been as happy as I am right now. I know drama will surely follow all of this, but I'm going to enjoy our little family as much as I can before it starts.

Once I'm out, he opens the back door and lets Liam out and picks him up. "We need to rush to the elevator in case she decides to show up. We don't need her to know that you live here just now."