Control Part B

by bluesky5679

Christian has lost the love of his life and is once again a dour and sour loner. Ana has moved on, he's learned from Welch, to a new life, a new man and even a child in Philadelphia while she pursues a Ph.D at the Wharton School of Business. He has no interest in learning anything from this loss because he has, it would seem, no incentive. Ana is gone.

Due to a computer glitch, my page called bluesky5678 is no longer operative. You can still reach it by entering bluesky5678 under writer but I can no longer submit stories to that page. All stories after the first 20 will post on bluesky5679. Meanwhile, I've been revising and proofing as many of the original 20 as Word will let me find and transferring them to bluesky5679. I hope this isn't too confusing. Questions? Please PM me.

Hello, everyone! Here is #20. The story is mine but the characters and the inspiration are all due to E. L. James. Jamie Dornan has done some wonderful work since 50 Shades. He's just finished "Belfast" with Kenneth Branaugh and before that he did a six-part series in the outback of Australia that will be available soon, I hope, on HBO MAX…since I just signed up for it despite it being against my religion to sign up for pay channels . I hope that you've all seen Wild Mountain Thyme with Jamie, Emily Blunt, Christopher Walken and Jon Ham. It was wonderful!

So, this is 78 chapters and an epilogue. Since I submit completed stories, many readers are disappointed that they are unable to review each chapter so, as always, let me remind you that you can review each chapter on PM whenever you wish. Oh, no one mentioned to me but I discovered while revising that somehow most of chapter 34 had gone missing. So sorry about that. Fixed now…I hope. Sometimes FanFiction gets a bee in its bonnet and won't let go.

Christian has lost the love of his life and is once again a dour and sour loner. Ana has moved on, he's learned from Welch, to a new life, a new man and even a child in Philadelphia while she pursues a Ph.D at the Wharton School of Business. He has no interest in learning anything from this loss because he has, it would seem, no incentive. Ana is gone.

Control Part II

Christian Grey is 30-years-old today, no cause for celebration in his mind. On the contrary, with the exception of a few months, his life has been a waste of time. It is a terrible thing to think of your life as a waste. It isn't as if he's done nothing with all that time…on the contrary. He has built a multi-billion-dollar company that provides jobs to almost 60,000 people around the globe. It is an ethical company that treats its employees with exemplary care in the form of wages, benefits and respect. In its nine years of existence, never has a complaint been lodged against GEH by its employees for any reason. GEH is known for its generosity toward employees in need of help. Turnover is rare and there is a long waiting list for a chance at employment under Christian Grey.

Grey does not give himself credit for this. He worked hard. He got lucky. He's only doing what he should be doing. He doesn't consider himself to be anything special even though everyone else does. This incredibly handsome man calls his good looks "just a pretty face". He thinks of himself as, like that of Dorian Grey, having a painting hidden away…a hideous image of his true soul. His brilliance he calls simply a knack for business. His mountain of philanthropic endeavors he shrugs off as being pragmatic. He has the money. It is needed elsewhere. Therefore….

His personal accomplishments…learning to fly a helicopter and a glider and recently his own jets…attaining a concert level as a pianist…being a captain of his own sailboat and a host of other talents…all these mean nothing to him.

His own family both idolizes and loves him yet see little of him. He feels their company is too good for him.

Yes, he is a truly unique and valuable human being who is simultaneously conceited and arrogant yet burdened with an intense self-loathing.

For a few brief months, he was king of the world but then she left him…and now, he is nothing…less, indeed, then he was before her because she took what little decency he had with her. She took everything.

For almost three years he has clawed at the ravaged heart within him by continuing to keep watch on her through his private investigator, Welch, who keeps him up-to-date on all things Anastasia Rose Steele. Grey can't let go and besides, Ana might need something. She might get into trouble. He couldn't let her be hurt.

When Welch informed him that the father of her child, Richard Meyer, had moved out of their shared home and begun an affair with a male professor, Grey was livid. Who the fucking hell could abandon a woman like Ana Steele? Well, Welch replied, a man who wanted another man. Nonetheless, Grey arranged for Mr. Meyer, who'd never bothered to marry the mother of his child, to have a series of misfortunes, including a broken leg. Welch had no part in this and when he discovered what Grey had done, he warned that should Grey ever again behave in like manner, he would have to find himself another investigator. There was no one better than Welch and Welch understood Grey's needs so Grey had promised to rein himself in.

Ana went on, raising her child and completing her Ph.D. years before her peer group. She secured a VP position at a top publishing company. Grey knew that it wouldn't be long before she started her own concern and he would see to it that her financial institution of choice would be thrilled to offer her a start-up loan. She would be a great success.

All he wanted for her was that she become the courageous and spirited woman he had nearly destroyed with his need for control over all in his life. Flynn did his best to convince Grey to work on his self-hatred…to learn to lessen his control issues…but Grey saw no need since he would never love again.

Elena Lincoln had never ceased her insane campaign to bring him back into her domain of BDSM. She had women begging her to get them an interview with Grey. His loss as a dominant in their world was a crushing blow. There was no one like him. Most imagined themselves already in love with this man that they'd never even met…and, remarkably, for most it was not a matter of money or appearances. It was just that he had a reputation as the finest dominant they'd ever know. His skills were unparalleled.

Elena congratulated herself for his talent, of course, when, in fact, he deliberately avoided doing anything she'd done to him. He was a dominant…not a bloodthirsty sadist. If a potential sub had come to him requiring extreme pain, he politely sent her on her way. He was about pleasure…mostly. Anyway, it didn't matter anymore and kink didn't matter to him either.

Occasionally, loneliness overcoming him, he would pick up a brunette at a bar and go home with her. Most of the time, the woman didn't know who he was…just that he was a very nice gentleman and they, too, were lonely. He never led them on. He merely needed to hold someone, to pretend that she was Ana for a moment. He cried out her name when he came inside a strange woman and usually they were understanding. Sometimes, he saw a woman several times in his dire need for relief but then he would gift the woman a diamond tennis bracelet from his stash and thank her. After, he'd have her sign an NDA.

There were instances when a strange woman would approach him on the street as he got out of a car, offering herself to him, telling him that Elena Lincoln had sent her. She just wanted to help, she'd say. He'd sigh and tell her to go away and stop listening to Elena Lincoln.

His mother called him on this morning, the morning beginning his 31st year of hell on earth. Please, she begged him, come to dinner. Everyone misses you so. You're breaking our hearts. It was the wrong thing to say. It only reinforced his belief that he was no good for anyone.

CHAPTER 2

Though it didn't appear readily to anyone else, Gail and Jason Taylor saw their boss aging. It wasn't just the bits of gray hair at his temples or his pale complexion. It was his lack of energy. It was the way that he would just stare off into space while holding his fork. Eating healthily had always been a sort of religion with Grey but now he'd lost weight and Gail struggled to find interesting recipes to lure him to eat more. Often, she stood by the breakfast bar with him while he ate, talking and encouraging him…reminding him to take another bite.

"He's like a child, honey, and you're his mother, tempting him to eat all of his mushed peas," Jason said.

"I know…but it works, Jason. If I stick it out, I can get him to eat most of his meal." Jason kissed the top of his wife's head and returned to his office.

His job, guarding Grey, had gotten more demanding as well. Often, in the middle of the night, he would be awakened as usual by Grey playing some great opus on his grand piano but then Grey would stop and Taylor would hear the elevator ping. He would alert the night security to follow immediately while Taylor got dressed and ran for the garage. Sometimes, Grey would simply walk off down the street. Other times, he would get into his car and just drive. Occasionally, Taylor would trail him to Avenue North. Ana's old building had been condemned and torn down but Grey had seen to it that all the tenants were suitably relocated. Anaville was also radically different. It had become such a draw and so crowded that Grey had purchased a block of ancient buildings and demolished them to make way for affordable housing. He named the complex, of course, Anaville. The residents of the former tent village loved their new homes. Grey turned the entire area into a full-service village offering a free clinic, a low-cost market, second-hand stores and even a tutoring centre. The original Anaville space was turned into a park surrounding the old oak tree beside which lay the grave sites of Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs.

The condos offered to the Anaville residents comprised a kind of co-operative with everyone sharing what they had. People watched out for the elderly and disabled. Those who could get jobs put money into a general fund to keep the whole place funded. Still, all of them knew that Grey would always watch out for Anaville. Grey continued to buy dilapidated buildings in the area as they became available and as more housing was required and so Anaville continued to grow.

As it had in the beginning, Anaville voted in a mayor and a council who saw to it that even new residents understood that Anaville was a special place built on love. If you weren't interested in being a good neighbor, you could move on to low income housing provided by the city.

Janice's father had died a couple of years past and she and Earl Latner had married and moved into the new buildings. Latner didn't qualify due to his income but he was allowed because he was still employed by Grey to watch out for all the residents. He and Janice organized monthly parties and he had purchased a real pair of bongos. They always notified Andrea but Grey always declined.

Jake had turned 21 and moved into his own condo near Elliot. He would have liked to live in Anaville but he didn't qualify and he didn't want to take up space needed by someone without a home. He knew that being Mr. Jacob's grandson would make him welcome but he still wouldn't feel right. He did stop by the park to tend to the graves of his grandparents and then he would visit with some of the residents.

Jake loved his job and he'd gotten two promotions since he started with Grey Design and Construction. He had a sweet girlfriend and a good life. He looked upon Elliot as a father figure and that had resulted in Elliot growing up. He'd given up fucking and ducking and drinking. He wanted Jake to grow out his purple Mohawk and be a success in life so he knew that he had to be a proper example of a responsible adult.

One day a reporter for the Seattle Times approached him on a job site and asked him to lunch. She was a very pretty reporter so, of course, Elliot happily acquiesced. Her name was Kate Kavanaugh, daughter of Eamon and Dana, owners of the media empire that owned the Seattle Times. She wasn't interested, therefore, in Elliot's wealth. She was interested in Anaville but she'd been unable to secure an interview with his publicity-adverse brother. She hoped that Elliot could provide an interview if he couldn't get his brother to do it.

Well. Elliot decided right then and there that his brother would never be available but he certainly would be. After several hours of discussion over several dinners, Kate had her story and Elliot had his first and last love. She was an easy woman to be with and to talk with but not an easy woman to marry. Elliot was now 32 and caring for Jake had made him yearn to be a father. Kate was honest with him.

"Elliot, I'm not the woman for you. I'm sorry. I've never been able to remain true to a man for more than a few months. It's as if a switch gets flipped inside me and the thrill I felt just dies. Also, I've never had the urge to be a mother. Did I mention that I can't cook, clean a house and I rarely wash a dish? Don't you see, Elliot? You could do so much better. You can't want me."

But he did. They dated on and off but mostly on. He tried to talk himself out of her but it was hopeless. He sadly contemplated a future with no children but as long as he had Kate, he'd have enough.

CHAPTER 3

"Christian, you will come to dinner Sunday where you will meet Elliot's girlfriend and my new boyfriend, Armando, and let us celebrate your birthday." Mia stood in his office at GEH, arms akimbo and a look of such determination that Christian couldn't refuse. He could lie, however, and assure his baby sister that he'd be there and then forget to show up.

"And don't forget how well I know you," Mia warned. "You will not "forget". I'll take this Amex and run it to its limit," she threatened.

Christian couldn't help smiling. He adored Mia. "Your card has no limit, sweetie. I'm surprised you don't know that the way you spend."

Mia ignored his remark and once again insisted that he arrive at Grey Manor no later than noon Sunday. She had already decided to show up at Escala a bit earlier and drag him out herself.

Thus, Grey found himself belted into the passenger seat of Mia's Audi R9, griping the dash as if he were a man who wanted to live. He'd purchased the R9 for Mia while he was living with Ana when he was on such a constant high that he'd give people anything they wanted…except for an ice cream cone, he reflected ruefully.

"Mia, if you get one more ticket, this car gets parked in the garage at Escala and you will only be allowed visitation every other weekend," he yelled over the roar of the engine. Mia eased her foot off the pedal. He was right. She'd gotten two speeding tickets in the past month. It just felt so good to do 100 mph!

"So, tell me about Armando. Does he have a job?" Christian figured that he was a jackass after Mia's money.

"Armie is an intern at Mom's hospital. We met at the last gala. He doesn't have a lot of time for dating which is probably a good thing considering how high maintenance I am. I can get him to fall in love with me before he knows what hit him."

Christian groaned as Mia sailed into the driveway on two wheels, slamming on the brakes at the front door and flinging gravel at the house. Carrick came flying out the door with blood in his eyes but forgot about yelling at Mia when he saw her passenger. He beamed. He hadn't seen his son in six months. He threw his arms around him and patted him on the back.

"Christian! Mia said that she'd get you here! Let me get a look at you. Did she drug you?" he laughed uproariously.

"Gracie, get out here!" He hollered for his wife. She rushed out and screamed with excitement as she rushed into her son's arms. She hugged him so hard that he couldn't get loose. In truth, he didn't really want to…it felt wonderful.

Elliot observed all this with his arm around Kate's waist and sighed. "Aw, honey, you know that they adore you. It's just that seeing your brother is like finding a unicorn at the gate." Elliot sighed again.

"Yeah, I know. The prodigal son and the fatted calf and all that. Hell, I'm thrilled to see him, too. Geez, Kate, he looks so gaunt, so sad even while smiling." Kate put both her arms around Elliot's waist and held him tight. He was a great boyfriend and she thought that she was a lousy girlfriend. And now he has to watch this display of favoritism. No fair.

"Chris, man, it's good to see you. Jake is coming in a while with his girlfriend, Daisy. Mia promised all of us that she'd get you here and he isn't going to believe it. Let me introduce you to my gal, Kate. Kate, this is the mythical creature we call Christian Trevelyan Grey."

Christian held out his hand and greeted Kate before hugging his brother. Somehow, he was going to make himself enjoy this homecoming. It seemed to mean so very much to his family. He was such a shit.

The company was great. The food was great and there was much laughter. Christian worked hard to be with them in spirit as well as physically but all he could see was that Kate was sitting in the chair that Ana used to occupy. It was a big table with room for everyone present and more. The vacancy was too obvious to him.

Ana hadn't been seated at that table for almost three years and, although they didn't let on, his family felt her absence as well. She'd made Christian so happy. With her, he'd sit at the table, his arm around her shoulder, kidding his siblings, laughing out loud, constantly looking at Ana and urging her to eat more. Grace remembered thinking that her son should just leave the girl alone if she wasn't hungry.

Now Christian sat listening and trying to smile even as the memories were breaking his heart.

CHAPTER 4

Christian managed to stay put until Jake arrived with Daisy…a tiny brunette with blue eyes and a sweetness about her. Christian needed to get out of there. He needed to get to Escala and his collection of Jim Beam. He needed to get stinking drunk and pass out.

He greeted Jake and Daisy and listened to them talk about Anaville while everyone except Christian ate dessert. It was clear that though they saw little of each other, Jake hero-worshipped Christian as much as he did Elliot.

"Mr. Grey, I can't express what a privilege it is to finally meet you," Daisy said sincerely. "You and Elliot are all Jake talks about sometimes. You've done such wonderful things for him and made such a difference in his life. You even gave him the courage to finally ask me out after years of both of us yearning for each other."

"What do you mean by that?" Armie asked. He was a real sweet guy and Christian hoped that Mia deserved him.

"We've known each other through the years at school but I lived in a derelict building with my grampa. I didn't have any money and no future as I saw it. I figured I'd always be poor and Daisy was going to college. Ana used to encourage me to ask her out because she said that I was a catch but I was scared. Then Elliot and Christian came along and changed everything. After I worked for Elliot for a while, he talked me into being brave." He smiled down at Daisy as she drew a hand across her forehead and said "whew".

Mia was watching Christian and growing more concerned. She knew he was at his limit. She whispered something in Armie's ear and he kissed her.

"Hey, Christian, I know that you got shanghaied by my girlfriend so I feel it's my duty to rescue you. I have to leave early for my shift. Let me give you a ride home."

Grace and Carrick loudly objected, settling only when Christian promised to return at another time, but now he really was kind of tired. Everyone else seemed to understand. Goodbyes took quite a while and there was a lot of hugging. Christian was hanging on by a thread.

"Thank you, little sis," he whispered to Mia, acknowledging her help in his departure. With tears in her eyes, she kissed his cheek and closed the car door.

Christian laid his head back against the headrest and didn't even try to make conversation with Armie. As Armie left him at Escala, Christian asked if he really had a shift now. Armie smiled. "Mia was trying to get rid of both of us…you home and me to a nap. My shift tonight is 12 hours. It was a pleasure, Christian."

Christian waved goodbye and dragged himself into the elevator and then into his bedroom. No one had to know that he cried before falling asleep.

Christian was able to spend time with Ana in his dreams/nightmares. He couldn't remember the last one he'd had about his birth mother and the pimp burning him with cigarettes. Why had he thought all those years that those were nightmares? Now he knew that losing Ana was the nightmare. He sat on a park bench, invisible to Ana as she played on the swings with Richard and their daughter, until the mist closed in and he was alone again. He would wake, his heart pounding, his breathing hard. He didn't get up to play his piano. He couldn't move.

CHAPTER 5

"So, that's Christian.." Kate remarked as she and Elliot lay talking in bed that night. "He's dreamy…better in person even."

"HEY!" Elliot bellowed. "Do I have to worry about some competition?"

Kate laughed. She laughed easily and it always made Elliot's heart swell. "I gather that his heart left the building a long time ago. Besides, he may be dreamy but he certainly isn't you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that we've been together for more than a year now and my switch hasn't flipped. It seems, in fact, to have been disconnected. I've finally fallen in love. Never before have I moved beyond infatuation. It means that you're it, baby.

"Elliot, make love to me and then dig out that ring and ask me to marry you."

"Really? Don't play with me, Kate…not about that…not about the ring," Elliot begged. Kate giggled and pressed her lips to his while she reached for his cock.

Elliot did make love to Kate…with a passionate intensity he'd never before felt. However, he wouldn't relax until the preacher said "husband and wife". He probably would never relax, actually, because he would never feel that Kate would be a sure thing.

.+.

"Hi, honey. Was Chris okay when you dropped him off?"

"Well, he didn't say a word all the way back but he did ask if I really had to go to work. I told him that I had to take a nap to prepare for my shift. Wow, Mia, that is some building he lives in. Hope I get an invite sometime."

"Nobody gets an invitation, Armie. Mostly I just show up. Next time I'll take you with me and give you a tour. I don't think that Christian will even notice that we're there," she sniffled.

"Aw, sweetie, I wish I was with you right now. I know that today was a big day for you and your family but you've never told me the whole story. This girlfriend must have really been something."

"She was, Armie, she was. She was the kindest, sweetest, smartest woman. When Christian was with her, he just gleamed with happiness. He couldn't keep his hands off her…or his eyes. We'd never seen him happy before and his happiness just rubbed off on all of us. No one ever wanted to miss Sunday brunches. Then one Sunday, neither showed up. Elliot and I went over to Escala to find Christian just sitting and staring into space. He wouldn't talk much except to say that Ana had gone to Philadelphia to get her Ph.D. at Wharton School of Business.

"When we tried to get him to tell us why she'd left, he just kept staring off into space. Mom said that she had noticed that Ana seemed more and more dispirited as time went on. She talked less and less. Like Christian, the rest of us didn't notice as much as we should have. Elliot would talk to him about loosening Ana's leash."

"Her leash?" Armie replied with alarm in his voice.

"My brother is very controlling and we suspect that he was slowly destroying Ana's spirit with his need to protect her and get her to do what he thought was best for her. We never had a meal without Christian putting more food on her plate. He was always pushing her to do whatever he wanted. He watched her all the time and had two bodyguards on her who reported back to him. Ana didn't fight back. She'd smile and obey. My brother can be overpowering."

"So. She left."

"Yep, she left and he hasn't been the same since. He's worse now than he was before they met. It's hardest on Mom. She worries all the time about him…afraid that he might harm himself. She talks with his security chief, Taylor, at least once a week. Taylor tries to reassure her that he keeps a real close eye on his boss."

"I guess there isn't anything I can do," Armie said.

"Well, you can keep dating me," Mia giggled. "Christian thinks you're good for me."

CHAPTER 6

As Christian worked in his study on a Saturday evening several weeks later, he heard the elevator ping. He sighed. The last thing he wanted was company…ever. Then he heard an unwelcome and familiar clatter on his marble floors and weariness overcame him. He got up from his chair and poured himself a tumbler of Jim Beam…just as Elena Lincoln shoved the door open all the way. She stood there, looking at him in disgust and then strutted across the room to a wing-backed leather chair. She lowered herself into it, crossing her legs and finger by finger, removing her long gloves…revealing her red claws and her veiny hands. She fancied herself a lady, a regal lady on her throne. He thought her a creature from the deep.

"A gentleman would offer a lady a drink. I'll have a bourbon, neat." He hadn't heard her voice in a while and cringed, as it had become more hardened and raspy. It had only been a decade since he last fucked her but she seemed to have aged several. He ignored her and sat back down in his chair.

Huffing with indignation, Elena tried to catch his eye but he trained his glare on the liquid in his glass. Elena slammed her hand down on his desktop. He was not intimidated. He was too dead inside to feel fear.

"I don't recall inviting you to visit, Elena."

"And I don't recall being invited. That is how bad things have become. Your mother called and asked if I could get through to you. We were once close, Christian. We could talk." Elena was startled as Christian threw his head back and laughed.

"Close?! Never were we ever close, Mrs. Lincoln. I was like an old rug you hung over a line in the back yard and beat the dirt out of every day…except, of course, with me the dirt was blood…and money. Is that what you're here for tonight? Eh?"

"I'm here to try once again to help you get back to the life that gave you life before you threw it all away on a cheap country mouse."

Elena ducked as a glass of expensive whiskey flew at her head and smashed against the wall behind her. She looked indignant and horrified as Christian nonchalantly removed another glass from the shelf and filled it with Jim Beam.

Elena drew herself up, straightening her back.

"Look at yourself," she snarled in a low voice. "Unkempt, hair too long and dirty, eyes dead. If I weren't sitting in Christian Grey's study, I wouldn't know you. Fat lot of good that girl did you. She made you weak and stupid."

"I added another billion to my bank account since she left, Elena. Not too stupid. However, perhaps you're not all wrong. I never did change the elevator code and now, here you are…the dumbest thing I ever did…getting mixed up with you. If I'd had any sense, I'd have stayed away from the skanky bottle blonde next door and maybe grown up normal. You. You taught me to crave control and that craving ruined me, ruined my relationship with the only person I'll ever love."

Elena now felt ill at ease in her prize pet's company. Now he was looking at her and she didn't like his expression. Perhaps Grace would have to handle her own problems. She hastily pulled on her gloves and stood up from the chair.

"I don't think that I can help you, Christian. You've made up your mind that I am somehow to blame for your inability to have the life you want. The truth is that without me, you wouldn't have had a life at all. We both know that you were on the road to ruin when I saved you. Your company, this penthouse, your fleet of cars, jets…all of it because I taught you how to take control of your world."

Christian set his glass down on the desk and took a step toward her. Elena concealed her fear, backing away toward the door. Christian took another step toward her. Elena quickly turned and hurried for the elevator, frantically pushing the button several times. To her surprise, Christian followed her but then kept going, heading for the security office.

As the doors slid open, Elena raced inside and pressed the button for the lobby floor. The car began its descent and suddenly stopped, the momentum knocking her to the floor. She pressed the button again. Again the car moved but this time…up. It stopped at the penthouse with Elena pressing hard on the close door button. Then the car dropped, picking up speed as it fell 16 floors when it ground to a halt and again Elena slammed to the floor of the car. Elena tried to open the doors but nothing moved…there was no sound, no motion of any kind. She pounded on the doors, yelling for help.

She heard a soft, maniacal chuckle over the speaker. The car then seemed to rush toward the roof as Elena curled in a ball on the floor. The doors opened at the penthouse. Christian looked down at her.

"Don't ever return, Elena. Do you understand?" Grey's voice was a low growl and his eyes darkened like charcoal.

No, she didn't really. He sounded like something evil. Still, she nodded rapidly. He walked away and then the doors closed. The car fell fast, as if the cables had snapped, with Elena screaming for 20 floors. It screeched and then bounced as it touched down. Elena trembled as she pulled herself up on the railing around the car and pressed one of her talons to the open button. As the doors slid back, she ran like the devil was on her, right into a concrete column in the subbasement. She was below the garage level and it was dark. Using her phone as a flashlight, she found a door to a stairwell and climbed two flights to the lobby level.

She would never return to Escala.

CHAPTER 7

Christian returned to his study, somewhat rejuvenated by the fun he'd had with Elena. His phone was ringing as he sat down.

"Welch, I was drinking. What do you want?"

"I have information. You never informed me that I was to stop watching out for Ana. Do you want the info or do you want me to slam the phone down?"

"What do you have?" Christian steeled himself to hear that Ana had a new man in her life or she'd already married him. The high he'd felt a few moments earlier dissipated.

"She's disappeared. Last night my man watched her get into a taxi with her daughter…carrying an overnight bag. He assumed that she was going to Meyer's place as she often has so he followed. The taxi lost him in traffic. Don't yell. It was Friday night rush hour and this wasn't unusual for Ana. He made it to Meyer's place and waited until late. When she didn't come out, he returned to her apartment. The lights were out. He decided to double-check. He asked the doorman if she had returned and the doorman said no. My man waited all night."

"Well, maybe she went on a trip."

"Without luggage? I checked the airlines and the trains…nothing."

"What about the bus?"

"Nothing. Of course, she could have used a fake name although I don't know why." This morning my man checked again with the reception desk at her building and was told that she'd turned in her key. She isn't coming back. So, this afternoon I sent one of my female operatives over to Richard Meyer's place under the guise of being a concerned co-worker. Meyer wasn't home but his boyfriend told the woman that neither of them had heard from Ana in months.

"Now, we're checking all mother/daughter teams that caught taxis Friday night. So far, nothing. Ditto, transportation. We'll keep working on it or do you want us to leave it be?"

Christian thought for a moment. Ana was ducking him, he was certain. Maybe it was time that he left her alone.

"Forget it, Welch. Call off all your dogs…permanently."

If not for his visit with Elena, Grey would have insisted that Welch continue but control was very much on his mind at the moment. He opted to yield.

He played an opus or two and then went out onto the balcony to stare into space. He hoped that he would dream of Ana tonight. Maybe she and Meyer had reconnected and run off together. That would explain a lot. They wanted to start over without being supervised by Grey. He wondered where she'd go…where would she dream of living? It was one of the many things that he never bothered to learn about her. She had been with him as he wished and he'd never thought to ask her a lot of things about herself and her dreams. The one dream he knew of he'd done his best to talk her into giving up. So, now she'd managed to slip away…with the man she loved.

Grey found that he could actually wish her well…wish her happiness in a life without him. For himself, there was still nothingness.

Weekly reports from Welch had been Grey's only connection to Ana for all these years. Knowing that she loved another man and bore his child kept Grey from running off to Philadelphia. Now, without Welch's calls, Grey would have no connection at all except for his dreams and the pain that never ended. It was all he deserved.

He smiled to himself…thinking of how he'd tortured Elena earlier. He'd really messed with the elevator. He figured that he'd better have the building engineer look it over as soon as possible. The maneuvers he'd put it through could very possibly have make it unsafe. Still, it had been malicious fun. He wondered if Ana would have approved of the way he'd finally gotten Elena out of his life.

He knocked back yet another Jim Beam. Drink wasn't good for him but then nothing was….and it didn't matter anyway. He'd no idea why he was alive any more. His raison d'être for living had never been something he'd ruminated on before Ana upended his life. He'd never given happiness a thought…cynically not believing in such a daydream. His goal was to be safe…financially, physically, emotionally. And he'd achieved that goal.

He'd become a billionaire. He had a team of protection officers to keep him safe from all the people who now threatened him since he'd become so wealthy. And he was protected from emotions by a parade of submissives for whom he felt nothing. His life was stable, under control…until Roz sent a woman like none other into his office one day. Her uninhibited laugh…her eyes, dazzling in their blue color…her mahogany-touched brown hair, so glossy and, my god, her smile. Her smile…how could he find all the words to describe her smile…beaming, kind, knowing, teasing yet gentle. It was some time before he could admit to himself that she had broken through the ice coffin in which he'd been entombed. He'd made a miserable attempt to save himself but the pain it cost him to make the effort and the pain he'd inflicted on Ana with that effort was tolerable for only a few hours before he had to have her.

And then he knew happiness and the damage it could do to someone like him.

CHAPTER 8

Grace was dogged in her determination to bring her son back into the fold. Every Saturday, she called to remind him about Sunday brunch. Her pursuit of his company was futile. Family birthdays, holidays…he was too weary in soul to be guilted into even an hour of visiting. If Carrick hadn't been so worried about his son, he would have been angrier about the tears he caused his mother.

One Sunday morning as Grey woke up at his piano, it hit him that Grace had not called him the night before and, then, it hit him that it had been some time since she had called at all. He guessed that she had finally gotten the message. Mia wasn't bugging him either. Grey felt a vague sense of loss and regret. He'd driven them away. They weren't going to struggle with his absence any longer. He understood. He envied them. Would he ever cease struggling with Ana's absence?

He settled down in his study and opened his laptop. He had half a dozen possible new acquisitions to analyze. Roz was excited about them and had been on him for days to pay attention. Lately, he was knocking the spirit out of her just as he had Ana…and he knew it. Gwen had been threatening to demand that Roz quit GEH. They didn't need the money. Roz had been with GEH from its beginning and Grey had always been generous with pay raises and profit percentages. Roz could stop working and stay home with her wife and their young son.

Every time that Gwen lashed out at Christian, he forced himself to be the dynamic person that he used to be…the person that Roz needed him to be. Their jobs were hard and once upon a time the difficulty wasn't a problem. They thrived on the challenge…laughing with the thrill of capturing a new technology from a reluctant seller…getting drunk on the excitement of out-conning the competition for a shipyard Grey wanted. Gwen used to shake her head and smile as Taylor hauled her tiny tipsy wife into the house after a GEH coup of some kind. She knew it meant hours of Roz rambling on, barely understandable, but she didn't mind. Her sweetheart was happy and that was all that mattered. Until Sal. Sal was just a little boy who needed both his mothers.

While Ana was still with Christian, he was on fire. Nothing slowed him down. He roared through acquisitions, hauling GEH to ever greater heights with the energy of a man lit with joy. He put in long days and long nights. He made the covers of Bloomberg Businessweek, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fortune and on and on. Failing companies were coming to him with deals. He was attending prestigious business events not just in Seattle…not just in New York…not just in the United States but around the world.

He was enjoying all of them with Ana on his arm. She lit up every room they walked into and even people who'd seen her picture would stop and stare….she was that stunning. Of course, none of them knew that she was putting on the show of a lifetime. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she turned herself into Christian Grey's brilliant and beautiful girlfriend. It was, she felt, her job to make her lover proud and, oh, was he ever. He beamed as she dazzled the best and brightest of the world's movers and shakers. The look on Bill Gate's face as Ana explained a salient point of Microsoft business!...then she would go on to detail her admiration of the work being done by the Bill and Melinda Gate's Foundation around the world. Grey could almost read their minds. This young woman was no pretty piece of arm candy. She charmed Warren Buffet, Grey's hero, and even made misogynistic sheiks speak admiringly of her intelligence.

Grey awoke from his daydreams of Ana. He noted the time. He'd spent most of the day just thinking of the good times he'd destroyed. He was overcome with shame yet again…not just for what he'd done to Ana but what he was doing to his family. It had been at least six weeks since he'd seen any of them. Now another Sunday brunch had come and gone. Maybe he could stop by for just an hour. Jake and Daisy would probably be gone as would Elliot and Kate. That would make it easier. He could spend a little time with his parents, sitting in the living room, away from that vacant chair in the dining room.

He prodded himself through a shower and the drive to Bellevue. He sighed. Elliot's truck was still in the drive. He didn't know if he had the strength for Elliot's energy. It was too late, however. They would have heard his wheels on the gravel. He walked through the front door without ringing the bell but no one met him in the hallway. Maybe everyone was downstairs in the family room.

He dragged himself through to the living room and stopped cold in his tracks. A small, pale brunette with gentle blue eyes sat alone. She slowly rose from the couch. He could only stare.

"Hello, Christian."

CHAPTER 9

He almost fell to his knees. Then something brushed by his legs. He looked down to see curly brown hair on a tiny girl toddling awkwardly toward Ana. Ana smiled down at the child and lowered herself back down on the couch. The girl was trying to get up onto the couch next to Ana but Ana didn't lift her. She helped her with a little boost and the girl scooched up until she was sitting back against the cushion. She was so tiny that her stocking feet barely reached the edge of the couch. Ana gently touched her tousled hair.

She sighed. "Christina, your curls are getting tangled again. Perhaps we ought to brush them before they get worse."

Christina.

"But, mama, Aunt Mia making cubcakes," Christina protested. Ana giggled and, if Christian hadn't been in shock, all the blood in his body would be rushing south.

"Okay, after you lick the beaters, we'll untangle your hair while we wait for the "cubcakes" to bake."

"Uh, the word is CUPcakes," Christian corrected. "You know, 'cause they're shaped like cups." Then he felt embarrassed but Ana was only smiling and shaking her head as Christian looked at her for confirmation.

"Yes, CUPcakes but since they're small like baby animals or baby cakes, cubcakes works fine, too." Christina still had not looked directly at Christian so intent was she on her mother. She nodded her head in agreement and then picked up a book next to her and placed it on her lap.

"Mama, read book." "Okay, Christina, do you want to start?"

Start! Thought Christian. She's too young. She can't even say cupcake properly. Yet he listened in amazement as the little girl began to read, fluently. She would read a couple of sentences and then Ana would read.

Christian hesitantly made his way toward the same couch and sat down next to Christina, looking at the book. There was a lot of text around the picture but Christina had no trouble. She seemed to get stuck on one word and Ana and Christian together said "sound it out"…which made Christina giggle as she did so. Ana and Christian smiled shyly at each other.

Then, for the first time, the child looked up at Christian's face. Comically, she clapped her hands over her mouth as she stared into his gray eyes. "Mama, he the one person!" She looked back at Ana and then pointed at Christian's eyes. She turned around to face him again and got up on her knees to get closer. She took his face in her tiny hands as she turned her head to face Ana, moving his head to show her mother.

"Look, mama!" It was a funny picture…her daughter's hands too small to even cover Christian's cheeks and his eyes were popping out.

"Sweetie, I know you're excited but it is impolite to grab people's faces. "It's okay," Christian said through his squeezed together fish lips. Then Ana let loose with that laugh he remembered and he felt something hurt in his chest.

Christina released his face and continued staring into his gray eyes with her gray eyes. "I think that yours are prettier, Christina," Christian commented.

"How come?" she asked.

"Mine are darker and old while yours are bright and shiny," Christian answered. Christina looked at her mother in confusion. Then she turned on her stomach and climbed off the couch. She took Christian's hand and pulled him as she headed for the powder room off the hallway.

"Pease, me up?" she asked and so he did. Together they looked in the mirror for some time. Their eyes were identical, absolutely identical. Christian was surprised that his were alight like Christina's, not dull and cloudy like usual. Christina smiled and pointed.

"See? We have same eyes. Mama say there one person with eyes like mine. She say person is my daddy. Are you my daddy?"

Christian could only stare at her face in the mirror. Her hair and her face were Ana's but her curls and her eyes….could they be his? He was afraid to believe.

"Let's go ask mama," he suggested and Christina bobbed her head up and down. He didn't want to set her down and she wasn't trying so he carried her into the living room where Ana sat waiting, smiling.

Christian took a deep breath. He was terrified of her answer…whatever it was.

"Ana," he began, realizing that he hadn't said her name out loud in nearly three years…"Ana, is she mine?"

He held his breath as Ana nodded. Christina beamed and yelled "Yay" as she hugged his neck. He felt something inside him break loose. He held his daughter tight.

A voice, Mia's, called to Christina from the kitchen. "I go, daddy. I be back." He set her down reluctantly and watched as his tiny, beautiful, smart, wonderful baby girl toddled quickly toward cubcakes.

CHAPTER 10

Christian sat back down on the couch and just looked at Ana. She was so beautiful but there was something else. Perhaps she was tired? He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms and nuzzle that sweet spot between her neck and her shoulder but he knew that he had no right.

"I didn't know, when I left, that I was pregnant. In fact, I wasn't aware until I had started classes and I was vomiting a lot. At first, I thought that I was sick because of all the stress and the pressure of a new place and strangers. Then I made a friend in class and he insisted that I get checked out by a doctor at the school clinic. The doctor said that when I left Seattle, that I was probably newly pregnant. We probably conceived Christina that last night that we spent together. At the point that I saw the doctor, I was 5 weeks along.

"I didn't know what to do. I was scared. You had said that you didn't want children…maybe ever…and if you accepted the pregnancy, I was afraid that you would come to bring me back here. If you didn't accept the pregnancy, you might insist on me terminating it. Either way, I felt too weak to fight you. Then my friend said that he would help. We each moved out of our studios and into an apartment. He helped me through the long months ahead and stayed for six months after. I would have been lost without him.

"He'd met someone and fallen in love so we felt that it was a good time to move on. After that, I went to school and raised my daughter…that's all I did. She was such a good baby. I could take her to class and she'd sleep through it. The school had daycare available because so many of the students were married adults so that helped quite a bit."

"So," Christian finally spoke. "Now," he smiled, "you're Dr. Steele. I admire you, Ana."

Ana blushed and Christian's dick saluted. He was grateful to be wearing tight jeans. "I mean it. You're a wonder, Ana."

"Thank you, Christian." His name slipped from her lips like a prayer. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor the sound. She could have just as easily said "Thank you, dipshit,"…it would have been truer.

"Christian, Ana, sorry to interrupt but I need to speak with my son in my study," Carrick said sternly. He seemed to be watching Ana closely.

"Dad, we're talking. Can't it wait for a while?" Christian responded impatiently.

"No, son. It cannot. I must insist. Ana, you don't mind, do you?" His eyes were gentle as he spoke to her.

"No, Carrick. It's all right. Go on, Christian. I'll be fine," she urged.

Christian wanted to say that he wouldn't be fine but it was clear that his father wasn't going to back down.

He took one last long look at Ana before he closed the study door.

"Dad, what can you be thinking? I haven't seen Ana in nearly three years and you drag me away? I have a daughter. We have to talk. I need to convince Ana to come back to Escala."

"Sit down, Christian. We have a lot to discuss. Besides, I know that you're a bit slow on the uptake but could you not see that Ana was exhausted?"

As he spoke, Christian heard the roar of his brother's F250. As he looked through the window, he briefly saw Ana's face in the window of the cab. He raced back into the living room and then to the door. He was too late. She was gone…again.

"Where is Elliot taking her?" he demanded of his father. "Home," Carrick answered.

"But Christina is in the kitchen."

"That's right. Christina lives here."

Christian appeared to be in shock. What the hell was going on?

CHAPTER 11

"Christian, this will be hard for you to hear but you need to try to pay close attention. Do you understand?"

Christian simply nodded.

"All right. Ana is quite ill." Carrick waited a moment for the information to sink in…for Christian to adjust to the shock.

"She's nearing end stage renal disease…kidney failure. When she was carrying Christina, well, it was a difficult pregnancy. The doctors discovered that she had a kidney infection and advised that she abort the pregnancy in order to save the kidney. Of course, being Ana, she refused. They treated her as best they could but she was forced to deliver by caesarean 4 weeks early. The baby was in distress due to Ana's health. Christina was in the NICU for a month before Ana could take her home. Ana was in the hospital for two weeks as the doctors tried to save the kidney. In the end, of course, they were unable to do so. They advised her to take it easy to protect the other kidney but, again, she was raising a baby and working extremely hard to finish her Ph.D.

"After she graduated, she was in high demand and immediately got a job as a junior VP at the top publishing company in Philadelphia…more stress…more pressure. She got sick again and it was again an infection…in her remaining kidney. She went on sick leave but it wasn't enough. Several weeks ago, her doctors told her that the kidney was failing. They put her on the transplant list and dialysis but the prognosis is dire. She called Grace, explained the situation and asked if she could come to Grey Manor for a visit. She had a plan and wanted to speak with us in person. Well, of course, we readily agreed."

"How long has she been here and why didn't anyone tell me?" Christian demanded to know.

"Ana's request. We didn't argue. I'm sorry to say, son, but for Ana, you are stress. A minute ago, you were talking about getting her back to Escala! She's been in Seattle for a little more than a month. She feels that her time is short and she wanted Christina to be with her family."

"Why isn't Ana living here…with our daughter?"

"Ana wants Christina to feel that this is home now and she doesn't want her to grow up in a house where her mother was ill and then died. Christina is adjusting to seeing her mother a few hours a day and then having someone else take care of her."

"No, no. This is all wrong, Dad. Ana can't die. People on dialysis can live years, time enough to find a kidney donor."

"Many people can survive several years while on dialysis but Ana doesn't want to die when her daughter is old enough to be really aware. Of course, there is no good age to lose your mother but she feels that Mia or Kate will be more mothers to Christina the younger she adapts to them. Everything she is doing is for her daughter, Christian. She needs support now, not an argument.

"And Christina needs her father. If you can't be her father, step away and stay away before she becomes attached to you."

Suddenly, Carrick looked so weary, so sad at heart. "We all love Ana, Christian, and we will be here for her 'til the end." He knocked back a swig of whiskey and wiped a tear from his eye.

Christian's head was swirling, buzzing…his whole body tingling and weak. The sudden stress was dehydrating. He took a couple of bottles of water from the fridge in his father's office and gulped them both down. When he felt better, he pulled out his phone.

"Welch, find all the Lamberts you can, starting with Montesano. Find Carla Wilkes whatever-she-is now and all her relatives. This is top priority. If you need more people, hire them."

"What's going on, may I ask?" Welch snickered.

"Ana needs a kidney."

There was a moment of silence as the news hit Welch. "On it. Top priority." He rang off without another word. Neither man was much for hello and goodbye. Both got right to the point.

"Dad, Ana may be ready to give up. She's too ill and too tired to fight back…but I'm not. That is my daughter out there and she is not going to lose her mother. I'm not going to lose my girl. Somewhere there is a kidney with her name on it and I'm going to find it. I need you and the rest of the family to fight with me…not to encourage Ana to give up and call it supporting her.

"I'm a goddamn multi-billionaire and I'll spent every cent of it to save her life! Dad, please don't sit there with a drink in your hand and tears in your eyes. Support me!"

Grace walked into the room with a frown on her face. "Christian, please keep your voice down. We need peace in this house."

"Mom, I need you to use your resources or refer me so that I can find the best nephrologist in the world…the absolute best."

"We have one of the best right here in Seattle at my hospital. He's already examined Ana and he concurs with her doctor in Philadelphia." Grace huffed at the thought that her son didn't think her wise enough to get a good consult.

"One of the best isn't good enough, Mom. I need the best, the most cutting-edge kidney doc in the entire world. If you don't know, find someone who might or is able to find someone else who might know."

CHAPTER 12

Ana was quiet as Elliot drove her home. After she had insisted on a place of her own, he had tried to talk her into moving in with him and Kate but she refused. So, they compromised on Ana taking the condo next door after promising to not be looking in on her every day. They had planned on a fall wedding but were now rethinking that…perhaps moving it up to spring would be better…in case. They wanted Ana to be there and to be strong enough to be a bridesmaid. They wanted Christina to be their flower girl and, of course, they wanted Christian to be Elliot's best man.

Since Ana had come back into their lives, everything had changed. Her health and her possible demise were first and foremost in everyone's minds. Maybe they should have been upset about everything revolving around Ana and Christina but they weren't…any more than they were upset with Ana for disappearing without a word for years. They were good people and their hearts hurt for the possible loss of Ana and for Christina.

Elliot looked over at Ana. "Big day, huh?"

Ana smiled. "Yes. Christian likes her, I think. I don't know if he'll want to be her father but I'm hopeful. Still, she'll always have you. You'll be a wonderful father, Elliot."

"I think that Kate is rethinking her dismissal of the idea, Ana…thanks to you and Christina. She asked me if I thought we'd have a child as wonderful as her."

"Well, of course you will!" Ana asserted. "You two are great with Christina. Why wouldn't you be great with other children?"

"How was it, seeing Christian? Him showing up like that 'bout knocked the wind out of me. Last time he came by, Mia had to go and get him. He kept staring at Kate and we didn't get it until we remembered that that had been your seat at the table. I think it actually hurt him to see it occupied by someone else. Then Jake showed up with Daisy and you could almost see Christian crumbling in front of us. None of us had thought about the superficial resemblance to you. It was just enough to be too much.

"He's been dying before our eyes, Ana." She turned to look out the side window, thinking how she'd been dying before Christian's eyes before she left. Still, it hurt her deeply to see the changes in Christian.

"You've all been so welcoming and good to me, Elliot. Why aren't you angry with me for hurting Christian…for hurting you?"

"It isn't just the circumstances that brought you back, Ana. It's that you consider us family, the family that you want for Christina. It feels good to know that you feel the same way about us that we feel about you. We didn't know for all this time that you liked us that much."

"I love you, Elliot…all of you. When I left, I was such a mess. I didn't know how to think any more. I was deathly afraid that I wouldn't be able to manage a doctorate. My gosh…all I knew how to do was be a good girlfriend…to please Christian. Maybe I was afraid that you'd try to talk me out of going. My strength was mostly gone. I had just enough to hop a bus. When I arrived in Philadelphia, I sat on a bus bench and bawled. I'd been so independent all my life and there I was…unable to figure out the next step."

"And then time went on and you thought it was too late for reconciliation?"

"Yes. Elliot, without my being sick and having Christina, would it have been too late…honestly?"

"Never, Ana…I want you to know that. We saw what was happening to you with Christian. He bragged to me about introducing you to kink and how you really liked it. I asked him if you had said so and he said "not in so many words" but that you'd never have agreed to it if you didn't want it. I tried to tell him that you were a shadow of your former self but he didn't want to hear it. He wanted to believe what he wanted."

"It wasn't just the sex, Elliot. It was…everything…right down to what kind of clothes to wear. I knew in my heart that I was fading away, becoming boring, and that soon he'd become bored with me and wouldn't want me anymore. I just couldn't stick around for that rejection. I confess that I thought he'd have returned to having subs after I left. I never thought he'd miss me for long."

"Boy, Ana. You two really read each other wrong. I think you need couples therapy."

CHAPTER 13

My dearest Christian,

Writing this letter may be the hardest thing I have ever had to do. It is tearing me up inside. However, you have shown time and again what it is that you need and I cannot give it to you. I know that I vowed to never leave you and, in my heart, I never will. I love you, my darling, but I cannot continue this relationship with you. I lose more of myself every day and soon I will be but a ghost of the woman with whom you fell in love. I know then that you will no longer want me and that will ruin me completely.

I will be in Philadelphia beginning work on my Ph.D. It has always been my dream and perhaps completing it will return to me some of the spirit and courage I've lost. You need control in all things and that included me. I'm sorry that I cannot be what you want because leaving you is killing me. I will always love you and my greatest fear is losing you but I know that you may love someone else one day. She will be the luckiest woman on the planet just as I once was.

I hope that you can begin to understand why I had to go and why I could not say goodbye in person.

You will be in my mind and heart every moment of every day.

All my love, Ana XO.

Christian had stayed at Grey Manor for a couple more hours…until Christina's bedtime. She asked him to stay and read a story with her which, of course, he could not refuse. His parents had turned his former bedroom into a pink palace for his daughter, complete with canopy bed and wallpaper with tea roses. Christina took his hand and pulled him from one corner to the other corner to show him everything. Her favorite item was a silver framed picture of Ana holding her as a newborn for a few moments before she had to be moved into the NICU. Christian stared at it as closely as possible. Christina was so very tiny and Ana's weary countenance was glowing with love. He felt a heavy sadness in his heart that he had not been there to hold her as a baby and to be with Ana.

Then he sat on the bed with Christina cuddled against him as they read Horton Hears A Who. After, he tucked her in and leaned down to kiss her forehead. As he turned to leave, Christina asked him a question.

"Papa? Will you always be my daddy?"

"Of course, sweetheart. I'm sorry that I wasn't with you before now but I will do better. I am so pleased to meet you and so proud to be your father."

"I don't think that mama will always be my mama, though," her tiny voice gulped back a sob.

"Why do you say that, Christina?"

"Mama is sick and can't take care of me all the time. She really tries but Aunt Mia and Aunt Kate and even gramma have to help on account of I too big."

"No, Christina…yes, mama is sick but you aren't too big. Your mama would give anything to be able to be with you all the time. She loves you so very much. And now she has me to help her. I am going to do everything possible to make mama well. I promise. Don't give up."

"But I hear mama and gramma say doctors not able to help," she sniffled.

"Well, I will just find better doctors who can help. You leave everything to me, okay?"

She smiled and nodded vigorously. Then she kissed his cheek. Only her mama could make him as dizzy with a peck on the cheek.

When he got back to Escala, he sank into his study chair, about to reach for a Jim Beam. Then he stopped. He had a child and Ana who needed him. He opened the drawer and rooted around for the letter that Ana had left him so long ago. It still hurt to read.

He knew that if Ana had stayed, he would have gotten her to a doctor sooner when she got sick but he also knew that, terrified of losing her, he would have somehow forced her to lose Christina. That was now unthinkable. All the heartbreaking, lonely days without Ana now seemed worthwhile because it kept him from losing his little girl. Now he had to save Ana. She might have given up but he never would. He'd bring her back from the brink even if she was too weak and disheartened to fight for her own life.

Yes, controlling her desire to live seemed all too familiar but it was what he had to do.

CHAPTER 14

Ana couldn't sleep. For one thing, Elliot and Kate were being particularly loud this night. She knew taking a condo next door was a bad idea. For another, she had too much on her mind. She missed Christina like she did every night. She worried that her baby would have trouble sleeping, too, but Ana felt that she was doing the right thing…getting her daughter accustomed to Grey Manor and not being with Ana every minute. The first couple of weeks were horrible. Grace would call her at midnight and put Christina on the phone. Christina would beg for her mama to come get her. Since she was born they'd shared a room. And now Ana worried that meeting her daddy would keep her up. She hoped that he'd stayed for a while, to get to know his daughter. He seemed interested…didn't he? Didn't it seem like he cared?

Christian didn't look great, Ana thought. He looked worn out…and thinner. He was only 30 but he had a bit of gray at his temples. His eyes were a little red and very tired. Elliot had told her that he hadn't gone back to BDSM and that he was in mourning over the loss of her. She found that hard to believe, however. He was surrounded by women ready to faint at his feet and why not? He was so handsome, so strong and commanding, so protective. He had a lot of wonderful qualities that most women would love in a man. She didn't know what was wrong with her except that she had needed so badly to be independent. He was only trying to take care of her but she didn't appreciate it…she didn't understand his world.

She had been certain that it wouldn't be long before he tired of always having to educate her in the ways of the wealthy. She heard the barely disguised exasperation in his voice when he showed her for the hundredth time how to match shoes with a dress. He'd smile but she knew that he felt less important when she insisted on studying for exams and he was disappointed when she was unenthusiastic about attending Sunday brunch with his family. He'd be embarrassed that she didn't eat more because, he'd say, his mother was a wonderful cook and Mia had a degree in pastries from a school in Paris.

He'd tell her that he was proud of her academic record but she knew that he didn't really understand. He'd never cared about school and although she tried to explain that her record was so important to her self-esteem, he'd just shush her and tell her that she was so wonderful and so much more than a GPA.

He'd be irritated if she studied when he wanted to "play" but he thought nothing of spending an evening in his study and then waking her for sex. And the sex…she went along with everything he wanted to do to her and that was what it was…doing things to her, not with her. She had known that it wouldn't be long before he got bored with her lack of excitement when he'd suggest another new game. Soon, he would have wished that he had regular subs again.

Yes, he was too sweet to tell her that their time was ending for him…too kind to break her heart but she could feel it. The last night they spent together he made love to her but it had felt lackluster somehow. He explained that a deal he was working on was wearing on him and that he was concerned that his commencement speech wouldn't be good enough. He wanted to do well, he said, and not embarrass her. Ana didn't believe him and that solidified her determination to free him. She believed that he would be unable to release her and so releasing him was for the best. He would be hurt for a while but he'd find a new companion and Ana would be in the past.

She would never have returned if not that she expected to die and Christina needed a home. The Greys would be wonderful to her little girl and even though he didn't want her, Christian would see to it that Christina was always safe.

She felt her heart ache and she wished that he hadn't dropped by when she was there today. She'd been told that he never came to brunch anymore but then…there he was. What must he have thought of her? Thin and ashen and her hair coming out. He probably thought he really dodged a bullet and then he went home to someone beautiful and naked in his Red Room.

CHAPTER 15

Christian had been awake most of the night calling nephrologists around the world in a dozen different time zones…searching desperately for the best, the genius, the miracle worker. He read everything he could find on the internet about kidneys and renal failure. Within 24 hours and using every bit of his brilliant brain, he'd made himself into something of an encyclopedia on the subject. All of it useless, he cursed himself.

He bothered Welch until the man wouldn't take his calls anymore. "You'll just have to wait until I contact you, Grey. Go get to know your little girl."

Finally, he dragged himself into the shower, letting the steaming water hammer down on him until it hurt, leaning his forehead against the tile until he slipped down to the pebbled floor and curled into a sobbing ball.

When he'd recovered enough to dry off and dress, he called Andrea.

"Yes, Mr. Grey. You've missed three meetings, two teleconferences, a facetime with Taiwan and Roz is hunting for your scalp. Now, what can I do for you?"

"Ana is back." He heard Andrea suck in a gasp. Instinctively, she knew something was wrong.

"I need you to find the finest kidney doc in the whole world. Can you do that?"

"I'll do nothing else today. Does Welch know about this? All right, I'll coordinate with him. I'll clear your calendar for the foreseeable future. I'll inform Ms. Bailey that she is now acting CEO. Anything else, Mr. Grey?"

"No, Andrea. Nothing else matters. And, Andrea, thank you."

Grey could think of nothing else. He'd covered all the bases that were his to cover. He wanted desperately to drink himself into a stupor, to somehow flee from the horrible knowledge in his head that his irreplaceable Ana could leave him again. But, no. Jim Beam wasn't an answer to anything this time. There could be no stupor. He was so wired and anxious that he doubted that he could even get drunk.

He paced the great room, tearing at his hair and rubbing his hands on his face. Gail pleaded with him to eat. He couldn't hear her voice. All around him was a cacophony of indescribable noise…the sound of terrible fear. There was only one thing he could do and he didn't even know if he would be allowed….but only Ana could soothe him now. Only her sweet face, her soft eyes, her gentle voice.

He grabbed his jacket and headed for the parking garage with Taylor, ever alert, on his heels. When Grey turned toward his R8, Taylor firmly redirected him to the Mercedes SUV. As Grey bounced in his seat, Taylor buckled him in like a child. As he headed for Ana's place, Grey didn't ask how he knew where to go or that she would be home. Taylor always just knew things.

Ana. Ana. Ana. Her name repeated in his mind like a mantra. Her name encompassed all things, all emotions, all needs. It was the only word he needed.

When Taylor arrived at Ana's building, he said "#2" to Grey. That was all. Grey was on autopilot. Ana. Ana. Ana. He flew to the door and down the hall to #2. He knocked lightly on the door.

Ana, unable to sleep, had taken Gail's earlier call and knew the identity of her guest without checking the peephole. She knew, without asking, what kind of shape Christian was in. She opened the door slowly to find the man she had always been able to stare at for hours, the man whose Adonic visage made her marvel, standing before her…wrecked.

Without a word, only the terrible plea in his eyes, she understood and held out her arms to him. He carefully enveloped her in his arms and held fast. He, too, was thinner. She wound a hand through his hair in that way that had always comforted him no matter his mood. He sighed heavily and buried his face in the wonderful place between her ears and shoulder, nuzzling as tightly as he could.

"Ana. Ana." His voice croaked out, worn from years of need and worry….the emptiness he'd lived with for so long slowly filling with her scent, her touch.

She felt some peace herself, something she'd had little enough of for far too long. She pulled him into the room, closing the door. Taylor would know to go back to Escala. Ana led Christian like a wayward child down the hall to her bedroom.

CHAPTER 16

Christian stood quietly, looking at Ana…her face, her hair, the bluest of eyes…while she unbuttoned his shirt. He watched as she removed a hanger and placed his shirt in the closet. She turned to look at his once muscled chest, now rather undefined and sunken. She knew. She'd done that.

She knelt down and slipped off his shoes and then his socks, inwardly chuckling. Gail was still ironing them. Who has their socks ironed? Christian Grey. She placed them aside and then rose to unzip his jeans. He'd forgotten to don his boxers and the rough denim had scratched his cock. She told him to sit and when she returned from the bath, she carefully smoothed lotion on the reddened areas. Then she told him to get into bed.

He moved under the covers over to the left side of the bed. The right had always been Ana's, a source of some disagreement when they'd lived together as the entire bed had always been his, starting with the middle. Now he didn't give it a thought.

Ana went into the bath, washed her face and brushed her teeth. She ran a brush through her once lush locks and sighed as she pulled a handful of hair from the bristles. Then she returned to the bedroom where she removed her robe and climbed under the covers to Christian.

He was flaccid. Sex with Ana had always been on his mind in the past but now all he wanted was her close. Exhaustion overwhelmed him…that and a wonderful sense of melting into the mattress. Ana curled into him as he wrapped his arms around her slender body.

"Christian, I still love you, too. I've never stopped."

"I know. Your letter. I've read those lines a thousand times. I'll always love you, Ana. I'll always want you and our daughter. Sleep now."

Christian's dreams were different this time. He still sat on a park bench, watching Ana and a little girl play on the swings, but there was no man there with them and he himself was not invisible. Ana would look up and smile at him while Christina screamed for her father to look at how high she could go.

After a while, his two girls came over to sit on the bench with him. He sighed contentedly in his sleep as Christina clambered up unto his lap while Ana leaned into him with his arm around her.

Ana was having her own dream. It wasn't as lovely and peaceful as Christian's. In hers, she was invisible, looking down and keeping watch on Christian and Christina as they visited the park without her. Ray stood with her, his strong arm around her shoulder. She was strong now, too. No nausea, fatigue, no difficulty breathing. She felt well now but, clutching her father's arm, infinitely sad. She saw that Christian was a good father and Christina was happy but she also saw that Christian was exhausted at the end of every day for want of her. He would live a long life but without Ana.

"Ana. Ana, wake up. You're having a bad dream," Christian was looking down at her with concern.

"You have tears on your cheeks. Tell me." Ana shook her head and lied that she didn't recall the dream.

"Did you sleep well?" she smiled up at Christian as he leaned over her. He did look somewhat better. He smiled back at her.

"I always sleep well with you. This was the first good nap I've had in years." He winced as he saw the regret in her eyes. "No. No, don't do that. You were right to leave. I drove you away. I would have forced your return if I hadn't believed that you'd taken up with another man and that that man was the father of your child. If I'd known that you were ill, I would have…." He stopped. They both knew what he "would have".

"Ana, I am so full of anger with myself for all I've put you through. Elliot tried to tell me. John Flynn tried…but I'm a prideful man. I find it hard to admit when I'm wrong. Knowing that you were happy was all that kept me from hating myself even more."

Ana was silent. Should she tell him that she wasn't happy? She knew that she couldn't go back to the way it was between them…but somehow, it didn't matter now. She was dying. For a while, she could be with the man she loved and watch him get to know his daughter. It would be enough.

"Christian, do you think that you could make love with me…I mean, just vanilla love…no toys, no games?"

"No kink, Ana. Never again. I know now what I really need. I crave deep intimacy with you. That is everything. And after, I'll tell you what I did to Elena," he grinned.

He wanted his mouth on her body, everywhere. To suckle her breasts was heaven. To lick her navel and listen to her giggle was delight. To kiss her legs from toes to hips made her groan. Her moans made him eager to dive into her folds, to taste her…so delicious, like nothing else he'd ever touched with his tongue. To watch this woman he worshipped arch her back and listen to her scream out his name made his already hardened cock turn to steel. It made him frantic to be inside her, the most peaceful place on earth. He needed to pound into her yet he didn't want to cum. He wanted to simply stay and be with her as long as possible. Within her, he was safe and loved. How could he ever give that up?

He stilled himself but his body had other needs. It needed to explode and it was nothing that he could control. It was as if his mind suddenly understood that, in all things concerning Ana, he was out of control….so crazy in love that he could do no more than surrender to it.

CHAPTER 17

Ana was laughing hard. "So, did you have the elevator checked?"

"Oh, I forgot. It seems to be okay."

"Christian!" He smirked and agreed to speak with management tout de suite. After all, he wanted Ana and Christina to come live with him and they needed safe transport 20 flights up.

A phone was ringing on Ana's nightstand. He reached over her body to get it when he saw the expression on her face. Oh, right. Her phone. It was Christina so they promised to hurry.

"Are you feeling all right, Ana? I tried not to be too rough but…" she touched his lips. "You were perfect. I feel wonderful. I'll bet I even have color in my cheeks."

Christian moved her onto her side to check her perfect derrière as she laughed. His cock stiffened again.

"Perhaps I can lighten your load, dear," Ana grinned as she took him into her mouth. He had always marveled at her natural affinity for oral sex and she had not lost her touch.

"There now. Let's get a move on. Chop, chop," she giggled as Christian laying gasping for breath.

.+.

When they walked in the door together, just like a real mama and daddy, Christina screamed and toddled madly toward them, leaving Aunt Mia bereft at the emptiness of her lap. Christian scooped his daughter up and he and Ana cuddled her close. Christina squeezed his neck and then leaned down to do likewise with her mama.

"Is Aunt Mia making cubcakes again?" Christian asked. It does make more sense than cupcakes, he thought.

"Yes! And I help make mama cake!"

"You made me my own cake?" Ana said, looking puzzled.

"No, mama. The cubcakes needed a mama cake so we make a big cake." Mia shrugged. She got up from the chair and hugged her brother and Ana.

"Elliot and Kate are coming over, too. So…Mom called in sick and started a roast."

Christian and Ana gaped at Grace who looked sheepish but pleased with herself. "I've never played hooky in my life. 'Bout damn time," she asserted.

'Bout damn time," Christina repeated while everyone gaped at her.

Dinner was like old times…no…better. Christian controlled only himself. Ana didn't eat much and it scared him but he said nothing and he didn't put food on her plate. He did, however, keep his arm around the back of her chair, occasionally stroking her hair.

"Why did you cut your hair?" he asked. Mommy hair, she answered. Babies like to pull it right out of your head, she explained. She almost said that it would grow back until she remembered that it wouldn't…there wouldn't be time.

Elliot stood and raised his glass, turning to his brother. "I'd like to offer a toast to Ana and Christian, both of whom look happy today…something we haven't seen in a very long time. We love you, guys." Everyone clinked glasses and cheered. Christian beamed and Ana blushed. Christina yelled "Yay!" although she didn't know why exactly.

"Also, Kate and I have an announcement. Honey, which one should I do first?"

"Horse before cart, sweetie."

"Right," Elliot grinned. "We're getting married…soon…before the baby comes," his ear to ear grin was almost splitting his face.

Grace screamed, Carrick covered his ears, Christina screamed even louder just because and Christian and Mia raced around the table to hug their brother. Kate and Ana reached for each other's hands.

"I'm only 4 weeks but it's official. Grace, can we get a wedding together in a month's time, the backyard, small and intimate?"

Grace knew as well as everyone else why Kate wanted small, intimate and quiet but no one spoke of it. She also knew why Elliot and Kate were in a rush. Again, no one talked about it but everyone understood that they were all on Ana time.

"Ana, Mia will be my maid of honor. Will you be my bridesmaid? I promise all you'll have to do is show up for a dress fitting."

"NO!" Everyone stopped and stared at Mia. "Christian will be best man so Ana has to be maid of honor. I'll be walking up the aisle with Armie. I'd like to give him ideas," she giggled, waggling her eyebrows. "Not to worry. I'll be handling the entire wedding anyway." Ana secretly thought that this was awfully kind of her…and why…but she simply nodded.

Later, Elliot took Christian aside and remarked that having to be alive for the wedding would give Ana incentive to go to dialysis. "You see, there is method to my madness," he chuckled.

"Ana hasn't been going to dialysis?" Christian asked in dismay. He was suddenly infuriated. He walked over to Ana, scooped her up and stormed up the stairs with her to Christina's room. He set her down and struggled for breath, suddenly understanding how out of shape he'd gotten.

"You and I are going to have a talk, Ms. Steele," he glared at his daughter's mother.

CHAPTER 18

"You haven't been going to dialysis? What the hell can you be thinking? How could you do that to Christina AND to me? You are going to go to dialysis and not just so you can stay alive long enough to attend this wedding. Do you understand? My god, Ana!"

Ana had begun to cry and Christian knew he was doing "it" again.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm only yelling because I'm terrified," he begged for her understanding as he dropped to his knees before her.

"Don't you understand that I can't live without you? Maybe Christina will adjust but I never will. You'll leave me to mourn in agony for another 50 years. 50 years of trying to stay alive for Christina when all I'll want to do is drive off a cliff. And our child will see that. I won't be able to hide it. Do you want me to tell her that you let yourself die…that you didn't fight for her, for me?

"Ana, I'm going to find a kidney. I'm going to keep you alive but you have to work with me here. You have to want to live. Please, please, my darling. Don't die!"

Ana fell back on the bed…sobbing. For some time, she was unable to talk. Then she began…struggling to tell Christian that she'd gotten it into her head that she was going to die, that Christina would be better off without her. She'd believed, when she received her diagnosis, that the Greys might want their own flesh and blood but that they wouldn't want the woman who rejected Christian. She'd also been certain that Christian would have moved on to a new sub or even a new girlfriend…one who understood his world, who wanted to live his way, who would never bore him.

So, she had brought Christina to the Greys and began waiting for her end to come.

"I…I didn't know," she stuttered out, "that you would still want me. I can't go back to being that timid, obedient little thing that you turned me into, Christian." She began rambling and shaking. She had tried so hard to be strong for her daughter, to simply ease her way out of her young life…to leave everyone in peace, including herself.

Christian tried to calm Ana, fearful of what being overwrought could do to her. She was already gasping for breath. He forcefully pulled her to him and held her tightly. "Shush, shush, my love. Your destiny is your own, I promise. I am only begging to be a part of it. I'll learn to be better. I promise. I'll learn."

Finally, Ana began to breathe more easily and then sank against Christian's chest. Her strength was gone. He laid her on the bed and covered her with Christina's bright pink duvet. He used his phone to call down to his mother to come examine Ana.

Grace raced up the stairs to find Ana not asleep but unconscious. Grey carried her down to the car and they rushed off to the hospital. The doctor told them that they'd gotten her to the hospital in time but that they'd cut it close. Ana's failing kidney had kept her going…barely…for the past few weeks but now she would have to depend solely on dialysis. She was completely in end stage renal failure and there was nothing the doctor could do for her to save the kidney. She would have to begin dialysis for several hours, three days a week. She was on a national transplant list but the odds weren't good.

Grace watched her son's face. It seemed to have turned to stone as the doctor spoke of Ana's chances. She recognized that expression. She knew that he would upend heaven and earth to keep Ana safe. He would not recognize the facts. He'd been up against the almost impossible many times before in his life and nothing would stop him from saving Ana's life.

"Doctor, if you could provide us with a detailed list of her dialysis appointments and necessary foods and medications….." The doctor noted the request and told Grey he'd have them before Ana left the hospital.

CHAPTER 19

Christian was insistent that Ana either move in with him or into Grey Manor. He favored Grey Manor because his mother was there. He bought or rented every possible piece of medical equipment. The Manor had a defibrillator in every room and everyone was trained in its use. He hired a patient care technician and a biomedical technician. He also hired a doctor trained in nephrology. All were to live at Grey Manor.

Grey wanted Ana to have her dialysis treatments done at home so that she would be comfortable and could be with Christina. Also, if he were to be honest with himself, so that Ana had no chance of skipping treatments or medications. He hired a nurse trained in nephrology who knew how to plan meals that were safe for Ana to eat. The nurse was to report to him if Ana didn't adhere to her new routine.

Yes. He knew that he was being a controlling a**hole again and that Ana was too ill to fight back. He didn't care if she hated him for it…as long as she stayed alive.

Ana didn't hate him for it. She was too demoralized and weak to object to anything and she was grateful for his determination to care for her. She understood that, on her own, she might just lie down on her bed in her condo and let her spirit slip away.

Christian had already made Roz acting CEO and hired a COO to help her. He apologized to Gwen who was, remarkably, understanding. He also put out a company-wide memo informing his 60,000 employees of his personal problem and apologizing for abandoning them. He warned them that Roz was completely in charge and anyone who saw her as just a fill-in would face immediate termination. Had he been CEO of a publicly owned company, his stock would probably have taken a terrific hit.

Then he moved into Grey Manor and obtained medical power of attorney for Ana. He was laser-focused on all that he wanted…Ana alive. He checked in daily with Welch. He moved Gail into Grey Manor to cook all of Ana's meals. Taylor came with, of course, along with the entire security team.

The mansion was huge and the mansion was packed. It positively hummed with activity but no one seemed to mind.

Grey moved into the only bedroom on the main floor. He moved Ana in as well without so much as a by-your-leave. She said nothing. She wanted to sleep with Christian even if many nights, sleep was all she could manage. Christian told her that he would ask nothing of her but he would give her anything she wanted. Often, she would wake him in the middle of the night and ask him to make love with her. Often, he would already be awake…resting on his elbow and watching over her. He knew about her nightmares and he would not allow her mother to come banging on her door.

He wanted Ana to have peace…that's all he wanted. However, sometimes we can't protect our loved ones from bad days no matter what we do. It was on one of those bad days that the devil came to call.

CHAPTER 20

Elena didn't bother to ring the bell or announce her presence. She kept a close eye on her neighbors, the Greys, especially her best friend, Grace. She hadn't been by the house for some time and now she saw all the deliveries from vans marked medical supplies. She noted that strange cars occupied the driveway.

Elena didn't care that anyone was sick but she always wanted to know what was going on. Besides, she also noted party supply vans stopping by. It was time for an impromptu visit to see who she could catch doing what. On this particular day, she took note that Christian's Mercedes SUV was missing from the driveway along with Mia's little convertible. Perfect.

"Carrick," she called out as she approached his office but he wasn't there. The living room was empty as well and through the windows she could see only an empty yard. She called Grace's name up the stairs as though she didn't know of her absence. Then she heard voices coming from a room off the hallway downstairs.

She just walked in as if she had every right to be in the house.

What she saw shocked her…Ana was back. Something inside of Elena screeched like a demented bat. NO…not this again. She saw Ana sitting in a recliner with a nurse standing over her. Ana had tubes attached to her and there was machinery surrounding her. It pleased Elena to see that Ana looked ill. On her lap was a tiny girl reading a book. Please, Elena thought, don't be Christian's child but then the child looked up and Elena's stomach twisted as she saw the gray eyes, wide and startled as the child noticed her. Ana's eyes were closed. She appeared to be asleep.

"May I help you, ma'am?" the nurse asked as she surreptitiously pressed an alarm. Elena was a frightening sight…like a Halloween witch…and her visage was menacing as she stared at Ana.

"What's wrong with her?" Elena demanded to know as she inched closer. The nurse moved herself in front of Ana and Christina.

"That isn't any of your business and you must leave NOW." As rattled as the young woman was, her instinct was to protect her patient. She looked about for a weapon of some kind. Where were the guards?

Elena crept closer, smiling with yellowing teeth at the trembling nurse. "And who is this darling child?" she rasped as she reached out an ancient-looking hand with long fingernails painted blood red. The nurse summoned all her courage and slapped Elena's hand away.

"Why, how dare you?!" Elena roared as the nurse yelled at her to back away. Elena drew her hand back to slash at the nurse's face. At that moment, one of the guards grabbed the arm wrapped in black leather and twisted it behind Elena's back, turning her around and shoving her out the door.

Ana seemed still asleep but Christina was staring with wide, wild eyes. The nurse reassured her that all was well.

"Was the lady going to hurt mama?" Christina asked.

"Maybe…but we'd never let her. She was just very scary, wasn't she?"

Christina just nodded and let the book fall to the floor as she curled closer to her mother. Ana's eyes slowly opened as consciousness returned to her. She looked down at her daughter and gently stroked her brown curls…her father's curls. She lifted her head and looked closely at the nurse. She could see that the woman was trembling.

"Ellen, is something wrong?" Ana asked softly. Ellen tried to hide her feelings but Ana was nothing if not sensitive to other's emotions.

"A strange woman wandered in. She was rather frightening in appearance. She tried to touch Christina and when I wouldn't allow it, she was about to strike me when one of the guards grabbed her arm and took her away. It was disturbing but nothing for you to worry about. Your treatment is done for today. Do you want to lie down in bed now?"

Ana looked at the door and asked Ellen to check to see if the woman was still in the house. Ellen approached the door with trepidation and cracked it open just enough to speak with Ryan. Then she closed it and returned to Ana's side.

CHAPTER 21

"Yes, miss. The woman is still here. Mr. Ryan says that she's being detained in the living area."

"Ellen, my daughter is sleeping. Would you take her up to her room and tell Ryan to come in, please?"

"Yes, miss." Ellen carefully lifted Christina from Ana's lap and cradled her as she left the room. A few moments later, Tom Ryan walked in, smiling.

"All done? How are you feeling?"

"I usually feel a bit sleepy but knowing that Elena Lincoln is in the living room has me charged up, Tom," Ana answered. Ryan looked sheepish.

"Don't worry about her, Ana. We're only holding her until Mr. Grey returns. He wants to speak with her…and, I imagine, me, after I let her slip in," Ryan grimaced.

"He'll bark. You pretend shame and then send him to me," Ana grinned. "However, right now I'd like to speak privately with Mrs. Lincoln. Would you bring her in, please?"

Ryan looked aghast at her request. "Ana! If I let her near you, Mr. Grey will have my head on a spike. No! Absolutely not! It's too dangerous. She's crazy!"

"Very well, Tom. Help me up, please. I'll go to her." Ana reached out her arms and Tom crossed his over his chest.

"Tom, I intend to speak with Elena. You can send her in or I'll go to her. I'll not be told to whom I may or may not speak…even by Christian. Send her in and you can keep the door open."

Ryan was between a rock and a 300-foot sheer drop. He'd no choice but to concede. Sometimes he didn't know who he was more afraid of…Mr. Grey or Ms. Steele. Moments later he hauled Mrs. Lincoln in by her arm and tossed her into a chair. He gave her some words of warning and then left the room, the door wide open and his imposing person clearly visible a few feet outside.

"Hello, Elena. I understand you wished to see me," Ana smiled tightly.

"I gather that this rude and threatening staff is yours," Elena growled. "Christian would never allow me to be treated this way."

"Still deluded, I see," Ana responded. "The staff is Christian's. He'll return soon and finding you here will not be good for you. So, if you have anything to say, do it now."

"What is wrong with you? What is all this medical equipment about? Who is that child? Why are you here?" Elena seemed about to continue when Ana raised her hand.

"I am ill. Kidney failure. I was having dialysis when you arrived. The child is mine and Christian's. I am here because I want Christina to be with family after I die."

Elena mouth dropped open. While she wasn't pleased about a child, she was elated to learn that Ana's time was short.

"I'm surprised that you are so frank with me."

Ana shrugged. "Why not? There is nothing that you can do to me…nor to Christian and our daughter."

Then Ana cocked her head and eyed Elena quizzically. "You've aged, Elena. You ought to take better care of yourself. Quit smoking and drinking."

Elena made to rise from her seat but Ana waved her back. "You also need to learn to control your temper…or at least save it for your submissives. Ryan wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in you before you got within a foot of me." Elena eased slowly back into her seat.

"I look a hell of a lot better than you do right now," she snarled at Ana. Ana nodded in agreement at Elena's remark.

"Yes. I'm thin and pale. My hair is limp and lifeless. I know what I look like. Still, Christian tells me constantly that I'm beautiful, that I take his breath away. He still wants me. I guess that's love talking."

Elena snorted. "He's just being kind to a dying woman."

Ana studied Elena. "Think what you like, Elena, if it helps you. Still, understand this. You've lost him. You lost him years ago and you'll never get him back. He is no longer under your thumb. I know that you can't understand someone becoming bored with you. You do think that your domme mesmerizes people, don't you? Like right now, you're trying so hard to domme me. I can see your beady little eyeballs narrowing, frantically working to frighten me. It isn't happening, though. It certainly no longer works on Christian.

"Speaking of…" Christian rushed into the room and straight to Ana. He leaned over her and kissed her lips softly, resting his forehead against hers and smiling as he sighed his contentment upon seeing her.

"You should nap before dinner. Please?" Ana nodded and put her arms around his neck as he picked her up and tenderly carried her over to the bed. He removed her slippers and tucked her under the duvet.

"I'll be back. Go to sleep. I love you," he whispered as he kissed her forehead.

CHAPTER 22

Christian stood, leaning over Ana's frail body, smoothing her hair…seemingly unaware of Elena's presence.

Elena wisely chose this time to stand and sneak toward the door. Without taking his eyes off of Ana, Christian ordered Ryan to escort Mrs. Lincoln into his father's study. Ryan was quick to grab her arm and half drag her down the hall.

Christian knelt next to the bed and continued to pet Ana. He noted that she looked better. She usually did after a treatment and this comforted him somewhat. Welch had found a few of Ana's biological father's relatives and was contacting them about being tested to see if any were a match for Ana. Christian was holding on to a wish and a prayer that one of them had a kidney for Ana. He kissed her lips again and reluctantly left for the study. Having to leave Ana at this moment was one more reason for him to kill Elena.

Elena stood imperiously in front of the sofa, awaiting her audience with the man she'd created. She would never give up on him and saw no reason to do so. Her icy heart had slightly warmed with the happy news that Ana was dying.

Christian walked into the room, crossing in front of Elena and reaching out a hand to shove Elena unto the sofa without even looking at her. As she crashed down, he whirled on her and grabbed her by the throat. His eyes blazing, he tightened his grasp until her eyes were bulging. Then he released her and laughed.

"Don't worry, hag. You have Ana's protection."

As Elena coughed and struggled for breath, he simply stared with revulsion at this woman that he once blindly worshipped and thought to be a goddess…a woman he once considered his only friend. Now he wanted to strangle the life out of her and watch her body rot.

"Why are you here, Elena? Why could you possibly believe that you'd be safe anywhere near Ana?"

"I came to see Grace," she was barely able to rasp out as she rubbed her throat.

"Bullshit," Christian taunted.

"No, really. I didn't know that Ana was back…that she was here. I saw all the medical equipment being delivered and I became concerned…for Grace, of course. No one answered the door or my calls and I went into the room where I heard voices. I was startled to see Ana and…and…she asked to speak with me.

"She's just as rude as ever. Still, I was sorry to learn that she is so ill."

"You mean, sorry to see her still alive. No, don't even open your maw to lie to me. You were hoping to upset her enough to set her back. You had better hope that she doesn't tell me that you frightened her."

"No. No, we just talked. It wasn't a friendly conversation, of course. You know how I feel about what she's done to you. She broke you," Elena protested.

Christian nodded. "Yes. She did…but I broke her first. She's home now and I'm going to see that she gets well…starting with no disturbances. You are not to come near this house ever again, understood?"

"Grace is my friend and she often invites me. What am I to say to her to explain my refusals?"

"Tell her the truth. I am repulsed by your presence. I don't want you anywhere near my daughter or my girlfriend."

"She won't understand. How do I tell her?"

"I don't care, Elena. How about you tell her the truth? I'd love to see her smack you to a pulp," Christian laughed. "Now, get out. GET OUT!"

Elena grabbed her bag and ran stumbling from the room. She crashed to her knees in the foyer, scrambled frantically to her feet and fumbled with the doorknob. She ran to her car and tore out of the driveway, scattering gravel as she fled.

Christian called Tom Ryan in, reamed him a new one and threatened his life before sending him back to work. Then he knocked back a shot of Jim Beam and took several deep breaths to calm himself. Regaining his composure, he walked quickly back to the bedroom.

Ana was breathing easily and she had color in her cheeks. Christian removed his shoes and stripped down to his boxers before climbing under the duvet to lie with her. He gently eased her into his arms and held her. It hurt him that he could feel her ribs…that she seemed to have no fat on her body. Still, she felt like heaven. Soon, he, too, was sleeping.

CHAPTER 23

Welch had bad news for Grey. The Lamberts wanted nothing to do with the child of Carla Wilkes…the woman they blamed for Frank's death. Welch pointed out that Frank loved his daughter and was thrilled at her birth. Didn't that count for something? No, Frank was a fool, they argued.

Grey was frustrated but not deterred. He brought out the heavy artillery…money…and all the Lamberts subsequently agreed to testing. Grey didn't trust them so he insisted that they come to his mother's hospital, Seattle Memorial. As long as he was paying and treating them to lush accommodations at the Fairmont and dinner at that tourist trap, the Space Needle, they agreed to be helicoptered to Seattle. To avoid friction, Grey stayed away, leaving several of his more dapper security to escort them around Seattle. They had a grand time for several days, plotting how much they would charge for a kidney.

It was all to no avail. Each was rejected. Some were not a match. The others had lived lifestyles that made their kidneys worthless. At the least, Grey could enjoy their dismay at discovering that they themselves might experience renal failure in the future.

The Wilkes were another challenge altogether. After Carla had shamed the family so and the Lambert were making threats, living in the Montesano area became untenable. So, the Wilkes had scattered to the four winds. As difficult as it was, Welch assured Grey that he would find every single living relative. Grey knew his word was good. He tried to relax…for Ana's sake.

After a treatment and a nap, Ana was like a different person. She was lively and alert, playing with Christina and, best of all, eager for intimate communication…Christian's favorite kind. When Christina napped, he and Ana "napped" as well. She was enthusiastic and playful. Grey could almost forget that she could die. It wasn't until she was exhausted and fell to sleep that he stopped to watch her and sometimes found tears rolling down his cheeks. For Ana's and Christina's sakes, he tried to be in the moment but he was seldom successful. Fear stood beside him every day. It woke him in the morning and loomed over him as he ate his breakfast. It was his constant companion.

He worried for Christina as well. Ana's plan to have Christina get used to her mother's absence was no long in play. Thus, Christina, young as she was, knew something wasn't right with her mama. Ana's shifts in energy were apparent. Some days she couldn't play with her daughter and Aunt Mia took over. Uncle Elliot was always around, too. He lived quite near and never missed breakfast and dinner with the family. Sometimes, he stayed all day. I'm the boss, he told his niece, so I can take a day off whenever I want to do so. Christina always had a playmate.

Uncle Elliot sat down with her one day with a big sheet of paper and together they drew a picture of a perfect backyard playground. Christina was quite excited about this and pestered her Uncle to hurry up and build it. Elliot could have grabbed one of his many crews off a project and have the castle up in a day if not for his brother's interference.

"It's made of wood, El. She'll get splinters," Christian fretted. So, Elliot changed the plans so that it was built of HDPE materials.

"It's outside, El. It'll get moldy. It'll get slippery. She'll fall." So, Elliot made plans to apply sheets of grit.

"No, Chris. I'm not putting the grit on the slide!" Elliot understood that his brother was new to parenthood but a slide is a slide…not a sit and look down. He won the argument by pointing out that grit would hurt Christina's tender tushie.

Kate sat back and enjoyed the show with Ana giggling beside her. Kate and Mia had originally had a difficult time with Ana's return. Certainly, they were sympathetic to her reasons for leaving, especially Mia who was well aware of her brother's control issues. He had given her a black Amex credit card, without limits, when she was sixteen…over her parents' strident objections. They needn't have worried. Christian scrutinized every bill and approved or disapproved every use of the card. Mia couldn't get away with much. Her attempt to purchase a Lamborghini when she was 17 resulted in losing her precious card for a month. Christian bought her a Mercedes SUV like his…the "tank" she called it.

And she'd seen how he hovered over Ana, telling her what to eat, never leaving her alone for even a moment, objecting to her studying while visiting at Grey Manor, "encouraging" her to join in the family fun instead. She saw Ana's discomfort and how she'd sneak off to the bathroom to read her textbooks. Gone too long and Christian would even follow her there and abscond with her books.

And sometimes, she heard them fight and Ana crying as Christian insisted that he was only thinking of her. She worked too hard. He would take care of her even if he had to fight her to do it.

Yes, Mia remembered the troubles.

CHAPTER 24

Kate had come along after Ana fled to Philly. She fell for Elliot almost immediately. He was a giant of a man and she loved that…she loved straining to look up at him. He had such beautiful blue eyes and shining golden hair. Natural blonde hair on adults is quite rare and the combination of his eyes and his hair and his face and that body…oh, lord, she thought. Save me. He's going to break my heart.

But he didn't. His Adonis looks came with a kind, funny and gentle manner. He was drawn to Kate as fast as she to him. She wasn't a size 2 like so many young women. She was voluptuous. But he didn't have to struggle to keep his eyes off her chest and on her face. She was cute as a button…a little turned-up nose with freckles across the bridge…hazel eyes that seemed to sparkle with so many colors…plump, bow-like lips that were always smiling…and strawberry blonde hair that bounced as she talked. She was so animated and chatty.

Mostly, the girls he knew stared at him and batted their eyes. Kate seemed to want to share herself and encouraged him to share as well. He'd never had so much fun talking with a girl. She was independent, too. She wouldn't let him pay for her drinks. It didn't matter than he owned a construction company and came from a wealthy family. He arrived at her flat one night to find a plumber under the sink. It hadn't even occurred to her to have him fix things. Eventually, when they began living together, she wanted to learn how to do things herself so he taught her how to open the drain trap to retrieve the engagement ring she'd lost.

Yes, they pretty much adored each other from the beginning and Kate learned early that two family members were always missing when everyone gathered at Grey Manor. Sometimes Elliot's brother would come to brunch but he creeped her out…staring at her. She didn't know that he was seeing Ana in Kate's chair.

Gradually, she came to recognize Elliot's pain over the loss of his brother. She saw him try time and again to be with his brother…almost begging for his attention. All she knew was that Christian had been abandoned by the woman he loved and it was practically killing him. Thus, the day she and Elliot walked into Grey Manor to find a petite brunette and a tiny girl reading a book, Kate was prepared to hate her. Even though Elliot's face blew up with joy and he picked up the woman and whirled her around, Kate could not share his feelings. She'd built up too much resentment over the time she'd been with Elliot.

She didn't understand that Grace and Carrick were thrilled to see Ana, too. This woman had nearly destroyed their sons. How could they welcome her so gleefully?

However, try as she might to be cool toward Ana, she soon found that it was impossible not to like her. More so after Mia explained how controlling Christian could be and how he tried to destroy Ana's dream.

"So, you're Dr. Steele now," Kate said to Ana, who blushed and nodded but insisted that no one use that title. Kate had barely scrapped by as an undergrad so she was amazed at this modest woman who was obviously brilliant but never let on. Her daughter was also advanced for her years. She was so tiny, so precious.

Kate soon found herself on Team Ana. Christina loved to be picked up and carried but Ana didn't have the strength so Kate became one of Christina's choices for piggy-back rides. Kate loved it and she loved the look of joy on Ana's face. Ana gave love and affection to Kate and Kate found a sister she never knew she wanted.

When Kate thought that Christian was trying to exert control over Ana in some way, she was quick to call him out. Surprisingly, he was never angry about this. He even thanked Kate for reminding him. He'd told Ana that he would learn and he meant it. It's just that sometimes it was hard for him to delineate between controlling and caring for Ana. He welcomed lessons.

Ana was surprised when Mia insisted that Ana be her maid of honor. Surely, it should be Mia who'd been Kate's friend long before Ana but Mia was firm. The maid of honor would be Ana, the woman she hoped would one day be her sister. Of course, Mia also wanted to walk up the aisle with Armie…not her older brother. How unromantic!

CHAPTER 25

"Papa," Christina mumbled as she curled up on Christian's lap. She was half-asleep but fighting it. He cuddled her closer and tighter. Next to Ana, nothing felt better in his arms than his little girl. He leaned his head down to smell her baby curls. She smelled like Ana.

"Papa," came a tiny voice again. "Shush, now. Go to sleep," her father told her and so she did. Ana was already asleep, leaning against Christian's shoulder as they squeezed together on a club chair. Tomorrow was another treatment day and Ana was drained of energy. The family sitting around the room with them was concerned. Ana's doctor had told them that Ana wasn't responding as well as he'd like to the three treatments a week. He recommended that she begin having four. He didn't say out loud what everyone was thinking. There would come a time when five, six and seven treatments a week would not be enough.

Welch had spoken with Christian earlier. He'd found a couple of Wilkes, distant cousins of Ana's. They weren't likely to be matches but, with a bit of monetary persuasion, they were willing to be tested. He was still hoping to find Carla soon.

Christian knew about Carla and her unhealthy habits…smoking, drinking, junk food. It was unlikely that her kidney would be suitable for donation even if she'd agree to it and that was unlikely as well. During the brief time that she played mother to Ana, she had treated her daughter with cruelty and disdain. Still, she had to at least be eliminated as a possibility.

Grace and Dr. Murphy, Ana's nephrologist, were hunting for a match in the general population but there was such a long line ahead of Ana. They might not find one in time. Fear stood behind the club chair, looming over Christian.

In an attempt to lighten the mood in the room, Elliot began to talk about the upcoming wedding. He and Kate had timed it to take place the day after one of Ana's treatment so that she would be feeling her best. Mia had been working on the planning and most everything was arranged. This would be the first wedding in the Grey Manor backyard and everyone, most especially Ana, wanted it to be a joyous occasion. She knew that Christian wanted to marry her but she was of two minds about it. Being his wife would make him happy and she wanted him to be happy. However, being his wife would also make him a widower.

Suddenly someone was pounding on the door, a harsh voice demanding entry. Everyone in the room froze. Where was Margaret? Why wasn't she getting the door? Ana knew that it was up to her to answer the woman screaming her name. And then the man was there. He slammed the door in the woman's face and enveloped Ana in his strong arms. He wasn't afraid and she was finally safe.

"Ana…Ana. Baby, open your eyes. It's all right. She's gone. I made her go away. Ana…"

Everyone in the room was staring wide-eyed at her. Christian had put his free arm around her. He was kissing her head and whispering that he had her, she was safe, he loved her. Ana was embarrassed as she realized that she'd had her nightmare about her mother in front of the whole family. She got quickly to her feet and headed for her bedroom with Christian on her heels.

"Ana, wait." In the bedroom, Ana paced, shivering. "Ana, I'm going to put Christina to bed. I'll be right back." He was afraid to leave her. Mia walked in behind him and carefully lifted Christina into her arms and left the room.

Christian pulled Ana into his arms but no matter how hard he held her, he couldn't stop her shaking…even her teeth were chattering. "So cold, so cold," she whimpered. He picked her up like child and walked back and forth with her. The room wasn't cool. It was, in fact, overly warm. The whole house was overheated because of Ana. Still, right now it wasn't enough.

"Mom!"

CHAPTER 26

Grace was forced to inject Ana with a sedative as it was the only way to calm her. Christian couldn't sleep all night. He was so afraid that Ana would have another nightmare about Carla. It scared him and it broke his heart. He couldn't stand to see Ana frightened or unhappy. It tore at his very soul. His need to protect this woman was so deeply a part of him. It was part of why he felt such pain at her loss…because he couldn't be with her to keep her safe from all the ways that the world would try to hurt her.

When Ana woke as the sun poured through the open curtains, she found Christian's face buried in her shoulder. He'd tried so hard to stay awake to watch out for her but he was himself worn to the bone from all the worry. His heavy arm was lying across her chest but somehow it felt comforting….like one of those weighted blankets advertised on television. So, she laid there, feeling soothed…until she remembered the dream from the previous evening. When would she stop letting her mother torture her? It was 20 years ago and yet Carla still came banging on her door. Carla was probably dead by now.

I can face up to a heinous hag like Elena Lincoln, she thought, but I can't tolerate a 20-year-old ghost. I have to be stronger for my daughter and Christian. She'd been strong for three years, through a pregnancy that was not easy, raising a child while working for a Ph.D. and being ill. She lifted her hand to caress Christian's head as he lightly snored. It was time that she tried to be stronger instead of leaning on Christian. She realized that he wasn't invincible, that he was killing himself trying to be everything that she and Christina needed.

Christian was awake, too. He was nuzzling her neck and his hand was on her breast, playing with her nipple. Ana smiled. Soon, he'd begin his journey down her body, kissing and suckling on every inch of her skin. Long before he reached her navel, she'd feel the waves of pleasure building inside of her as she began her own journey…toward nirvana. She'd come again and again as Christian feasted on her skin, her folds, her juices before he so desperately needed to be inside of her. He'd stay and just feel the warmth and the love as long as he could until he exploded, howling her name. Lately, after he came, he rolled them unto their sides, tightly clutching her so that he could stay with her, so that she could stay with him. Lately, too, he'd often shed tears as he kissed her.

She was tired, he knew, so he didn't continue although he could have made love to her over and over. He never wearied of her body…her skin, her scent…feeling her growing response to his touch. She still wanted him, after all he'd done and after all the time that had passed. Her wanting him was all he wanted. She'd never had another man and she'd never needed one, either. She told him so and he rejoiced in her words.

With Ana now, Christian wondered how he'd stayed alive the past three years, how he'd felt life before Ana. It had all been a desert and he didn't even know it.

One day he had shyly asked Elliot about his feelings for Kate. Watching them, he could see Elliot melting in her presence. It couldn't be the sex. Elliot had pursued a strict policy of fuck and duck all his adult life while Christian kept submissives in the Red Room. After Ana, Christian had understood that whatever he was having, it wasn't sex. Was he different from other men?

"Don't you dare laugh at me, bro, if I tell you the truth. I swear, I'll flatten you," Elliot eyed him sternly. Once upon a time, it would have been a contest but, weakened by years of loss, Christian was now no match for Elliot and so he nodded agreement.

"The first time Kate and I made love, I started in like I always did, my routine I guess you'd call it. She stopped me, looked at me with such feeling…I was dazed. She said that she truly wanted me and there was something about the way she said it. The rest was a blur of ecstasy and simple contentment like nothing I'd ever dreamed. Yeah, of course, we have sex, great sex, sometimes…like when she senses that I've had a rough day or I know that she's worried about something and we both just need orgasms to relax us.

"But, most of the time, we make love, real love. I feel such intense joy and connection with this woman. Honest to god, Chris. I know now how you were feeling all those years without Ana and I don't know how you lived through it. I don't. You're so much stronger than me, stronger than you know."

"You have male friends. Are we so different from them, El?"

"They make fun of me and the way I look at Kate. They tell me that I used to be a regular guy…like that's the way I'm supposed to be. They rarely mention their wives and girlfriends, except for Jake. He's more like us. He's just mad for Daisy but the guys figure he's young. Me? They don't get me anymore.

"Yeah, Chris. We're different. We're lucky. I'd even say that we're blessed," Elliot beamed.

CHAPTER 27

Welch found Carla.

She wasn't dead, not even close. She was married to a rich gambler with whom she lived a hedonistic life in Atlantic City.

Christian looked at the pictures of Carla that Welch's men had sent. She was animated…laughing, flirting…hanging around the roulette tables when she wasn't shopping. Carla had gotten the life she wanted while her daughter was dying. Christian crushed the photos in his hands and cursed this woman he hated more than Lincoln.

Welch was still trying to hack into local archives of medical records. He was pleased that these records were now centralized and available to any medical facility into which Carla walked or was carried. Doctors could now look up the history of any patient brought in by ambulance or friend which made treatment more successful. Now, all Welch had to do was find a doctor willing to accept a bribe. Fortunately, there were always plenty of those. Welch hated doctors although he never told Grey why.

He had to go about his search carefully. It couldn't get out that someone was looking for a doctor with lax morals. And there were a lot of doctors and medical facilities in a place like Atlantic City, especially around the casinos which usually had their own infirmaries. That was where Welch began his search.

Grey wanted to simply approach Carla. He knew that she could be bribed to get testing done but Welch liked the guy. He knew that finding out that Carla was of no use would crush Grey. Better he hears it from Welch.

Grey said nothing to Ana. Four treatments a week were helping. She was a bit better…and she was excited. Kate and Elliot were getting married in a week. Christina was going to be the flower girl and she and her mother were practicing. Grace filled up a bucket with flower petals from her garden and Christina was supposed to pick them out of the bucket and scatter them lightly as she walked down the aisle of the platform that Mia had had built in the backyard.

The trick was getting Christina to do just that. She wasn't getting the concept of lightly scattering. She was more into grabbing fistfuls and throwing them everywhere and then laughing wildly. Eventually, after a few practice sessions, she'd grow tired and just dump the bucket over the side of the platform. Then she'd want her mama to play with her.

Grace would sigh patiently, gather more petals, silently fretting that there would soon be nothing but stems sticking up from the soil.

Kate's mother was a dress designer and had made Kate's dress. It was a masterpiece of simplicity and lace. She also made dresses for Mia and Ana, each an individual design. Dana had to bite her lip to keep from stressing out loud about Ana's figure. She was so tiny and fragile. Dana knew as well as Christian how terribly thin Ana had become. Sometimes, she had to excuse herself to go to a back room to shed a few tears.

But soon enough, the day arrived. Everyone was more than ready for a reason for joy and a happy future. Ana was grateful that for at least one day she was not the center of attention…except for Christian, of course.

CHAPTER 28

Christian gasped as his love walked down the aisle. Dana had done a wonderful job of dressing Ana so that her gauntness was not so apparent. Mia had done up her hair with a crown of tea roses and baby's breath so expertly that no one could tell how thin it was. Christian flashed back to the days before Ana left him when her beauty left him breathless. To him, she was still the loveliest woman he'd ever known but still, he couldn't deny that her ordeal had left its mark.

Kate was the real beauty of the day. Elliot had tears in his eyes as he watched her follow Mia down the path to him…the last few minutes before she was truly his. He longed to say "my wife". And both of them were thrilled to be able to announce Kate's pregnancy. Elliot was going to have a family…something that had once been anathema to Seattle's premier playboy.

Christian was truly happy for his brother but all his attention was on first Christina as she walked ahead of Mia…throwing flower petals at the guests instead of on the aisle. Suddenly he wondered…did Christina avoid scattering the petals on the walkway because she was afraid that her mother would slip?

Christian had to hold himself back from rushing to meet Ana. Today was all about Elliot and Kate…not renal failure. He stared into her eyes, pulling her safely to him by will alone if he could. Ana smiled knowingly at him, tenderly reassuring him that she was okay. While Kate and Elliot were saying their vows, Ana and Christian were gazing at each other. He…thinking how desperately he loved her. She…thinking how much she wanted a future with him but believing that it wasn't meant to be. He wondered why her face seemed sad.

The officiant declared Elliot and Kate to be husband and wife. They kissed for an indecently long time until Christian poked El in the back. He wanted Ana to sit down. Everyone applauded and cheered, then the party began. Christian took his daughter aside and asked her if his suspicion about her handling of the flower petals was correct. She giggled and rubbed her hands together like she was a mad super-villain as she confessed.

"I know the petals soft. I think mama fall so I 'membered to throw them away. Did I do right thing, Papa?" Christina looked uncertain as she answered her dad.

"You're a genius, my darling daughter. Papa is very proud of you," he grinned as she screamed "yay" in his ear while they hugged.

In truth, he had worried about the petals but Mia was convinced that her adorable niece would charm everyone so Christina explained that she tried to do it wrong all week but Aunt Mia still wouldn't give up on the idea and now everyone laughed and loved it when Christina threw all the flowers on them.

Christina wasn't yet three but she was clearly gifted. Great, thought Christian, now I have to worry about her schooling, her social life…worry was becoming a way of life.

Throughout the rest of the party, every time Ana wandered off to talk with someone or help Margaret with serving or dishwashing, she'd find arms around her, lips on her neck and her feet off the floor as Christian carried her to the living room couch. She didn't say anything to him about this because she knew that he wasn't trying to control her for himself but for her health. Well, that and he'd couldn't live life without her. Sometimes she felt his eyes on her and she had to hold back her tears. She hadn't known that he suffered so for three years without her but now she knew her death would ruin him…just as she knew losing him would ruin her.

Mia had arranged for a dance floor but it had gotten cooler outside and Christian was, of course, worried about the weather hurting Ana so while everyone else danced out on the deck amidst the twinkling lights, Christian and Ana danced inside, the living room lit only by the glow of the lights from the patio and the flames in the fireplace. They danced slowly to every tune…didn't matter what it was. They could only hear the music in their heads…soft and romantic. Every few tunes, Christian would sweep Ana off her feet and carry her through the next one. Everything he did, he did to be closer to Ana and to make even staying on her feet for a song, easier.

As they sank unto the couch and began to kiss, Christian told Ana again that he was in love with her and forever would be in love with her. Ana tried to put her fears of leaving him aside and decided against lecturing him on the reality of their short future together. She pretended that everything would work out…that from somewhere, a kidney would appear and her body would accept it and life would go on…and so, she told him that she would always be in love with him.

CHAPTER 29

Christian fell to his knees in front of Ana, taking her hands and kissing them.

"Then marry me. Don't tell me that we don't have a future. Trust me when I tell you that I will make certain that we have a future. I don't lie to you. I promise to love you for the rest of our lives…our long, long life together. Marry me, Ana, marry me," he begged.

Oh, lord, she wanted to believe. She was currently on dialysis four times a week. She was effectively without a way for her body to continue living without the treatments and she knew that dialysis could not promise her a long life. Or a healthy one either. She saw her future as being a tiresome burden for everyone. How long before Grace and Carrick grew weary of being a private hospital? How long before Elliot and Mia and Kate got bored with Ana and her constant neediness? How long before Christina wanted a normal mother? And, most important, how long before Christian could no longer deal with his failure to cure her and his boredom with the crusade?

For months now, he'd not been dealing with GEH. Occasionally Roz would call to consult with him but she tried hard to trust her own instincts. Trouble was, for a decade, she and Christian had been two parts of a whole from her perspective. No matter what idea she came up with, she had Christian to confirm that it was workable…and Christian to make it workable. The wildest, the craziest, the most ridiculous notions…Christian could turn into another few million. She had not fully appreciated until she was on her own what a brilliant and unusual mind this man had.

Until the wedding of Kate and Elliot to which she and her wife, Gwen, had been invited, Roz had little acquaintance with Ana Steele. They had, of course, met a few times at events and the office but Ana had spoken little, had seemed so shy and devoted only to Christian. That she would desert him was shocking. Even knowing her so slightly, she and Gwen agreed that this was a couple madly and deeply in love with each other.

Christian never spoke of her but the lack of her presence in his life was like an entity all its own. Her spirit seemed to haunt the halls of GEH. It hung over everything except for the increasingly few occasions when Gwen yelled at Christian to get it together. He would try for a while and it would seem like old times but Ana's loss was too great a burden for Christian to withstand for long.

Now he was completely wrapped up in saving Ana and being a father. Roz was learning to be the same dynamic force at GEH that Grey had been and she was doing okay. The company was still thriving. The only problem was that Roz always felt that she was faking it. She needed Grey to tell her that her actions were true and she was better than he'd ever seen her in a decade of working together. He had no idea how powerfully his words affected her. She idolized Christian Grey.

Now, if only Ana idolized him enough to entrust him with her future.

She looked at the pleading eyes of the gorgeous man before her. She had never understood why he wanted her. He tried to tell her, often and with everything he did and said and yet she felt that he was somehow mistaken. Everything about him was otherworldly. No one she'd ever known was like Christian Grey while she was just an ordinary woman from a small country town. She knew that she had a good brain but when Christian would stare wide-eyed and tell her that she took his breath away, she would think that he was using hyperbole or being kind or trying to boost her self-esteem. Why did he want her? She never understood but she believed at last that, for whatever reason, he truly did.

"Yes, my darling Christian, I'll marry you," she beamed at him. He sucked in a breath so hard. He could barely believe that Ana had said yes.

"Say it again, Ana, again," he commanded.

CHAPTER 30

She leaned over and took his handsome face in her hands. He closed his eyes and felt her touch, his heart pounding.

"I'll marry you as soon as possible. I want to be your wife, Christian. I love you so very much."

Christian opened his eyes, disbelieving for a moment that he had heard correctly. He'd truly expected Ana to refuse his proposal. They hadn't talked about marriage. He proposed so unexpectedly…so out of the blue…but the moment had been right. He felt it in his heart and all the ideas he'd previously entertained as ways to propose properly had been forgotten in his need to hear "yes".

Ana loved him. He believed it although it didn't seem possible. All he had to offer her was money that she didn't care about…a security detail following her around and paparazzi pestering her every time she stepped out the door…kidnapping and murder threats filling the cabinet in the security office…worry about how all this would affect her daughter. He wasn't even handsome any more. He'd aged beyond his years. Yes, he believed, he had little to offer her except a deep and devoted love. Thankfully, that was all she wanted and the rest she tolerated.

They sat, cuddling on the couch where Elliot and Kate found them. Ana's eyes were closed and they assumed that she was asleep.

"We both love that woman. We know that you're going to save her somehow. We love you as well. Your presence and the gift of Christina have made all the difference in my life and Kate's," Elliot said softly.

"We're leaving now but, just in case, we're leaving our entire itinerary with Grace and Carrick. We expect you to interrupt our honeymoon if necessary. Promise," Kate demanded, "that you will do so." She looked sternly at Christian. He grinned and nodded…bidding them farewell.

Mia and Armie came in to say goodnight. She would stay at Armie's place tonight and both looked absolutely delighted at the opportunity.

Grace had put Christina to bed hours ago without a fuss. She was worn out from dancing on her Uncle Elliot's shoes. They bid Christian goodnight. Grace leaned down and kissed Ana's cheek. Christian wondered if Ana had an inkling as to how much she was loved. She tended to see everyone's kindness as charity. Her mother had taught her that she was unlovable. The lesson had stuck.

Roz and Gwen stopped to say goodbye and all the other guests, including Kate's parents drifted wearily to their vehicles and home to their beds.

It had been a good wedding, flawless and joyous. With all the pain that everyone had taken on for the sake of Ana and Christina, the wedding had been a wonderful respite. And now Elliot and Kate could have two weeks of nothing but each other…no drama. Grey was happy for them. He also thought that Roz and Gwen deserved a vacation. Roz rarely wanted time off. She hated to miss anything happening at GEH. Ana, however, had convinced Christian to take his hovering skills to GEH for a couple of weeks so that he could send Roz and Gwen on their first long vacation in years. Their dear friends…who knew Sal well…would be happy to have him stay with them. Grey had arranged everything and would surprise Roz at her birthday party next week. His gift would be two weeks at his Aspen Chalet or two weeks at his parents' Montana ranch…their choice.

Meanwhile, when and where to marry Ana and who to invite… Those who knew them well, and that was most of the guests at this wedding, understood that even a small affair could be too much for Ana. They would be disappointed to not receive invitations to another Grey wedding but they wouldn't take offense. Rather, they would be overjoyed at the news and hope that it was a harbinger of good things to come. The Greys certainly deserved a break.

Grey continued sitting with Ana in the dark, the twinkling lights having been turned off and the fire dying. He was comfortable and Ana felt so good in his arms that he saw no reason to wake her and have to go through all the motions of getting ready for bed. And so he sat, kissing Ana's head every so often.

He was startled when Ana spoke very softly.

"We can get a license in the morning and, since we already have a child, we'll probably be able to avoid the blood tests and the three day wait. We can find a judge to come by in the evening to officiate. We even have all the decorations."

"What about Elliot and Kate?" Christian asked.

"Kate told me that she and El aren't leaving until Thursday morning. You know that they got married today because of me. Their reservations don't kick in until the day after tomorrow. I want to get married before they leave. I want the whole family there. And I want Jake and Daisy and Roz and Gwen."

"Darling, I don't want you to be overwhelmed by too many people," Christian fretted.

"They aren't people. They're family." Christian smiled. This time tomorrow evening Ana would be his wife. He hugged her closer, kissed her head and fell asleep. Ana didn't, however, still fearful that Christian was making a mistake and fearful that she couldn't be all he needed.

CHAPTER 31

Christian couldn't sleep all of the night. A couple of hours and then he was awake with excitement. He couldn't believe it. His fondest wish coming true. It had all happened so fast and, again, thanks to Ana. This woman just kept making his life better, he reflected.

He wanted her to wake up and get dressed and rush with him to the city clerk for that license but it was 3 a.m. He felt like kids do the night before Christmas morning. He remembered staying up all night with Elliot, sitting together on Elliot's big bed, talking about their wish list and hoping Santa had gotten it all right. They would sit, cross-legged, facing each other and just talk excitedly. They thought of sneaking downstairs to get a peek but their parents had warned them that Santa would know and might not leave anything for them. Santa didn't like sneaks. So, all they could do was talk.

Christian smiled, remembering those nights. Even after they'd outgrown a belief in Santa Claus, they had to continue the ruse for little Mia. He recalled reassuring her that Santa had more than enough cabbage patch kids for everyone while Elliot sat nodding vigorously. Mia trusted her big brothers.

His mother would be up by 7 a.m. so all he had to do was manage 4 more hours. He wanted to get out of bed and maybe go for a run but he needed to be with Ana in case she had a nightmare. Besides, he just needed to be with her. He alternated between staring at the ceiling and staring at Ana. She was so very beautiful. How did she manage that with all the chaos going on in her body? He smiled as he thought of his tiny daughter being so perceptive and protective of her mother. How many children not yet three were like Christina?

He leaned down and kissed Ana's head to thank her again for giving him Christina. He thought back to that day he dragged himself over to Grey Manor to honor his folks with an hour of his time so he could let up on the guilt for a while. One of the best damn days of his life. Just the memory made his heart ache just as it had that afternoon.

What if he hadn't decided to drop by? Ana would probably be dead by now. Just the thought terrified him and made him wrap himself tightly around Ana. No. No. No.

Somehow he fell back to sleep until Ana got up to check on Christina. She wasn't gone five minutes before he felt her absence and his eyes popped open.

"Ana? Where are you? Ana?" It was more than a simple question, a man inquiring into his woman's whereabouts. It was a fearful query, a man afraid for his woman. Was she ill in the bathroom? Had she fallen? She was so weak. He leapt from the bed and raced into the bath. Then he rushed into the kitchen. His mother was drinking coffee and reading the morning paper when her son, looking distraught, ran into the kitchen in his boxers.

"Christian, whatever?"

"I can't find Ana!" he exclaimed.

"Well, try Christina's room, dear," Grace suggested with amusement.

Christian took the stairs two steps at a time to reach the third floor and his old bedroom where he found Ana rocking Christina by the window. He was breathing hard, trying to catch his breath, when Ana looked up. She looked worried.

"Christian, what is it?"

"You were gone," he replied sheepishly. Ana smiled sweetly and shook her head. "I'm not gone, honey. I just needed to rock my baby. During the day, it's hard to get a moment alone with her. There are so many people around and she's so busy," Ana whispered.

Christian walked over to Ana and sat on the floor at her feet, laying his head on her knee. She reached down and ran her hand through his curls, soothing him.

"Ana, what was it like for you, alone when Christina was born?"

Ana was silent for a time. Then she took a deep breath and told Christian about Christina's birth.

"I was afraid as I guess most women are when confronted with childbirth. I didn't know if I could do it even though I certainly didn't have a choice. I was lonely, too. I wanted so badly for you to be with me. I had to have a caesarian so they numbed me but I could still feel a strange tugging as the scalpel cut through me and suddenly there's a baby being placed on my chest. Christina latched onto my nipple immediately like she was starving. She presented me with my first newborn worry…that maybe she wasn't getting enough nourishment in my womb. Then, it seemed again to be just a minute before the nurse grabbed her and ran her off to the NICU and another worry started.

"That's parenthood…constant worry. I don't know what I would have done without Richard's help. He was wonderful."

"Where is he now? We should invite him to come here. I'd like to meet him," Christian said sincerely.

"Don't you have enough stills and videos of him already?" Ana teased. He lowered his head.

"I just had to watch out for you, Ana. I thought that he was your boyfriend and your child's father. I was very upset when he left you to move in with his boyfriend."

Ana gasped. "You weren't responsible for…no, you wouldn't go that far." Christian didn't look up. Ana pulled his hair…hard. He didn't protest. It was the least he deserved after the punishment he'd dealt poor Richard.

"Richard moved to Europe with his husband some time ago. We haven't kept in touch. We had an argument, sad to say, about my health. I didn't have you there to insist that I abort the child that could destroy my kidney but I had Richard. Even though he helped me, he never quite got over his fear for me. When I took a high pressure position with the publishing company, he cracked…told his husband to go ahead and take that job in Brussels. For his own mental health, he had to get out of my life."

"So, it got rough so he just deserted you?!" Christian was incensed.

Ana looked at Christian. "It's no more than I did to you," she said sadly. "He thought I'd be okay just like I told myself that you would be without me. We were both wrong…and selfish, I think."

CHAPTER 32

Grace and Mia made certain that the word was spread. Arrive around 5 p.m. at Grey Manor. Wear whatever you like. Ana and Christian are getting married! It will be an informal affair.

Everyone who received the message squealed and cheered. It was so unexpected…so exciting and so full of hope. Maybe everything would work out after all. They all looked forward to having Christina throw flowers at them again. They decided, as a group, that that actually made more sense and was more fun than scattering petals on the aisle. There would jostling for the aisle seats.

Ana didn't want an engagement ring….it was a constant battle to keep it from rolling around one's finger. Besides, Christian would go overboard with the size of the diamond, she knew. Thus, she insisted that she wanted only a small band engraved with their wedding date. Christian figured that he'd get his way by presenting her with a ring on their anniversary.

They made a mad dash to the license bureau first thing in the morning, and as Ana predicted, no blood test was necessary after Christian presented Christina's birth certificate and a form testifying to her good health. Christian also began rambling to the clerk that his daughter was exceptionally bright and advanced for her age. After a bit of this, Ana quietly patted his arm to draw his attention to her disapproval. Well, he muttered, he was just a proud father. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

Ana wanted to wear her dress from Kate's wedding but Christian insisted that she have the traditional white gown. So, Mia and Kate took Ana to the most expensive wedding apparel boutique in Seattle. They settled her on a couch while a skinny model showed off the dresses for her. Mia and Kate wisely knew that donning gown after gown would wear Ana out. Ana studied each dress as it appeared and became excited about one in particular. She roused herself to try it on and loved it. She and the skinny model were the same size so no alteration needed doing. She would wear the little white ballet shoes that she had worn the day before and Mia would do her hair so all was ready.

Mia and Daisy wore the previous weddings bridesmaid dresses and the men still had their tuxedoes. The twinkling lights and the wooden platform were still up and food was no problem.

The only problem was that Ana was due for a treatment the following day so her energy levels were not the best. Carrick, it was decided, would help her up the aisle. He already considered her to be his daughter. Grace was on high alert.

With everyone in place and soft music playing in the background, Ana walked up the aisle. Christian, of course, couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. There was something about watching the woman one loved, shining in bright white with a soft smile on her face, walking toward you to promise you her love for a life time, that made her almost too stunning to look at…like trying to stare into the sun.

The officiant kept it simple in consideration of Ana's condition.

We gather here tonight to celebrate the joining of Anastasia Rose Steele and Christian Trevelyan Grey in holy matrimony. I won't bother asking if anyone has any objection and I'll get right to the point. I know these two and I know that they understand the depth of this commitment so no need for that lecture. To the vows. Christian, do you take this woman to love and honor and cherish all the days of your life?

Christian gripped Ana's hands firmly and looked into her eyes. "I do," he said, those simple words seeming to be so more much powerful coming from this particular man. Everyone felt a chill go through them.

Anastasia, do you take this man to love, honor, cherish and obey all the days of your life?

Ana looked up in surprise for a moment and Christian felt a sudden fear that she'd changed her mind. Then she smiled.

I do take this man to love, honor and cherish all the days of my life.

No one, including Christian, missed Ana's intentional avoidance of the word "obey". There were soft giggles among the guests. Elliot, of course, laughed out loud. Christian smirked but said nothing. As always, he would take what he could get.

Well, said the officiant, having said their vows and exchanged their rings, there is nothing left to do but declare Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey to be married in the eyes of god and the state of Washington. I think, now, Christian that you may kiss your bride as you've been aching to do.

"Oh, Ana, I love you so," Christian whispered as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her long and tenderly while the small crowd clapped and cheered and, with many, whipped out handkerchiefs to dry their tears.

It was a beautiful wedding. It was a perfect wedding in the eyes of Christian and Ana. He felt it was so long in coming and his heart felt such joy and relief. She was finally his…his wife. This gave him a peace he'd never before known.

CHAPTER 32

The husband and his wife spent the reception as they had the day before…sitting on a couch in the living room…cuddling. This time, however, they had a guest with them. Christina lifted her arms to her daddy who picked her up with ease. Neither could read Ana's mind as she thought how much she would like to be able to pick up Christina. The little girl sat on her father's lap while Christian kept his arm around Ana as they sat quietly in the semi-dark room, listening to the music.

Periodically, one of the guests would drop over to express their congratulations but everyone knew to allow Ana peace and quiet. She was clearly exhausted. Christian wanted her badly but decided that they would consummate their marriage tomorrow after Ana's dialysis. Tonight she needed to sleep.

It had been a second long day for everyone, not just Ana, and so most people left early. Jake and Daisy dropped by to wish Ana and Christian a long and happy life together. Jake kissed Ana's cheek and told her that the older residents of Anaville remembered and missed her. She promised to drop by the park soon.

Elliot and Kate sat down on the couch opposite Ana and Christian. Elliot had the biggest grin on his face. Christian braced himself.

"So, Ana, very nice dodge of that word 'obey'…not that you would have anyway but this way you didn't lie to the higher power the reverend believes in."

"Elliot, I was surprised when it showed up. It wasn't in Kate's vows."

"Yes, my bride was right on top of everything. She had a word with the rev before the wedding. He tried to slip it through on the grounds of tradition but I think she scared him," Elliot laughed as Kate scowled.

"I merely suggested that times have changed and asked if he'd noticed. However, Ana, I think I preferred the way you handled it…on the fly, no less. You should have seen the rev's eyes as you repeated the vows, minus one. He and Christian had the same gobsmacked expressions on their faces. Kudos, girl."

"Oh, I wasn't trying to cause a kerfuffle. I just wanted to say the vows my way. Christian understood…didn't you, honey?" Christian was busy just staring at his wife in absolute adoration.

Elliot shook his head and Kate sighed. Time to go home and catch a plane. There wasn't really that much of a rush since they were taking one of GEH's jets. Each kissed Ana and said that they'd send a postcard. Christian didn't seem to notice their departure.

Christina was sound asleep as her gramma gathered her up and said goodnight to the newlyweds. Ana was still awake and Christian didn't think that she should sleep on the couch again so he rose to pick her and take her to bed. It was only 8 p.m. but she'd had a long and busy day.

The front door, left unlocked for guests to leave, was still open. No one gave it a thought but they should have. Christian stood with Ana in his arms as Elena Lincoln wobbled drunkenly into the living room. She stared with horror and disgust at the sight of Christian carrying his bride.

"I didn't get my invitation, pet. Is it over already? What a travesty! I had so much hope that this pest would die and free you from obligation. Now she has you locked in. Such a shame," her smoke-ravaged voice rasped out.

"Elena," Carrick said as he emerged from the kitchen. "Grace is occupied at the moment. Perhaps you should go home and sleep it off. Grace will call you in the morning, I'm sure." Carrick's attempt at civility was wise but wasted on an inebriated Elena Lincoln.

"Oh, fuck off, Carrick. You know, I was here earlier. I heard the reverend refer to objections and I, with admirable restraint, kept my thoughts to myself. You know what I think anyway, Christian, of this tragedy you've made of your life. You had so much promise, so much accomplishment and you could have gone even higher. I envisioned you one day entering politics and eventually becoming the best president this country will ever have. Sadly, having saddled yourself with a child and a useless wife, you will lead a mediocre life. I don't think that I can help you any more after this," she said, waving a dismissive arm around the room with its wedding decorations.

"Is there any cake left?"

CHAPTER 33

Carrick picked up a large piece of cake and restrained himself from smashing it into Elena's face. Instead, he had Margaret wrap it up and he handed it to the harridan he'd rather kick out the door. He took her arm and occupying the air space with words of thanks and see you soons, he saw Elena out the door, locking it behind her. Margaret grumbled that if she'd had a bit of notice, she could have wrapped up the dead mouse she'd found earlier in the basement in with the cake.

"Maybe she'll fall and land face flat on the cake," grumbled Christian as Ana giggled.

"Husband, I'm sleepy." The word husband completely distracted him from Elena's visit. He smiled brightly.

"Thanks, Dad, for handling that…thing. Goodnight. My wife needs to sleep." Gosh, he loved saying wife. Over the next few days, he'd drive everyone nuts saying the word wife at any opportunity.

"I wish that we could have a honeymoon, Christian. I'm sorry that I'm robbing you of that experience," Ana whispered to Christian as they lay in each other's arms that night.

"Hush," her husband answered. "I have everything I want right here. Thank you for marrying me. I was nervous about whether you'd say yes to my proposal after all my demanding ways. I promise you, I'm still learning. I'm very much aware of my inclination to control and I'm working on it. Don't be afraid to call me on it at any time. All I want is for you to be happy…with me."

"I've always been happy with you, Christian…just not with your 'inclination'."

"Well, I didn't want to tell you before but all your equipment and your nurses and doctor are being loaded onto my jet tonight. We are going to have a honeymoon. First stop, Switzerland. The best nephrologist, a Dr. J. Whalen, works there and we have an appointment with him. I don't know if it will make a difference but I want you checked out by the best. After that, we'll tour Europe…mostly by boat."

Ana beamed and hugged her husband's neck. "Oh, my beloved husband. Why did I ever doubt you? Make love to me?"

"Ana, you're worn out. You have a treatment tomorrow as soon as we board and then a long nap which will still leave us time to have sex all the way across the Atlantic. Don't argue. Your libido is stronger right now than you are."

"Ana? You fell asleep, didn't you?" Christian smiled. He lay there, enjoying the feel of his wife's soft body in his arms. He was feeling high hopes after the day's wedding. Even though she was due a treatment, Ana had succeeded in having a happy day on will power alone. And Christina! What a kid! Not that she didn't trust her grandfather to get her mother safely to her father, but she had taken her mother's other hand to help her walk down the aisle.

CHAPTER 34

Christian woke the next morning in a better mood he'd been in ever. He was a married man! He had to laugh. If anyone had told him years ago in his BDSM days that he'd actually thrill to the idea of being married, he would have been astonished at the notion. And…not only was he married, firmly and happily anchored to one woman, he was a father! Boy, life could really throw curve balls. He felt Ana snug in his arms, breathing even but too shallow for his liking. He tried to control his fear. She just needed a treatment, that was all. And then they could begin their honeymoon.

He was also putting a lot of faith in Dr. Whalen…maybe too much but it was all he had right now.

He hated to wake Ana but they needed to dress and get her on his…their…jet for her treatment. It was a battle but an hour later they were ready to go…kissing and hugging everyone on the tarmac and then on their way. Ana had her treatment, her nap and then she was all over Christian. Lord, he loved it when she came for him. Would he ever get over his awe that this woman desired him so?

They were asleep when a small knock came at the door, letting them know that soon they'd be landing. In an hour, they'd be in Dr. Whalen's office. He's the best…Christian kept repeating to himself…as if just by being the best, he would be able to save Ana.

Dr. Whalen was thorough in his examination. He was the expert in his field. He softly and kindly told this young couple that Ana needed a kidney and there were none available…and, no, he worked on the problem constantly but as yet he had not developed an artificial kidney or any treatments better than dialysis. He noted that the Greys were quite fortunate that with their wealth they could offer home treatments and seek out the best in care but his words were of no comfort.

He sent them on their way with new medications and a special diet. It was something…along with his reassurance that Ana had many years ahead because of dialysis…many years of being the prisoner of machines and tubes…of scheduling their lives around her treatments.

Grey was a winner. He always forged ahead and got exactly what he wanted. He never settled. Now he had to. He tried to take comfort from Dr. Whalen's assurance of many years but that wasn't enough. He wanted more…a lifetime of Ana.

He tried to disguise his disappointment from Ana. He tried to appear hopeful and pleased with the visit but she could always see through his façade. When they arrived back at their yacht, she loved him with all she had to ease his pain. She, herself, had none. She'd been prepared to die for some time now and instead she was being given years…time to watch her little girl grow and time to be with Christian. She felt blessed.

While Ana slept, Christian slipped away to indulge in a glass of Jim Beam. For a short time in her arms, he'd been able to feel nothing but the peace she brought him. Now, he felt anger. He knocked back one glass and then another.

He looked at his phone. No calls from Welch which meant no kidney. In a fury, he hurled his phone across the room where it bounced off a wall and broke into several pieces. Then he sat, staring out at the beauty of Switzerland as it passed his window. Big fuckin' deal.

"Sir. Where is your phone?" Taylor entered the room, not surprised to find Grey in a funk.

Grey waved his hand in the general direction of where his phone had probably landed. Taylor hunted it down and sighed. The screen was broken. Taylor always thought of everything and he knew his boss well. Thus, he had brought several replacement phones with them. He removed the sim card from the broken phone and put it into the extra from his pocket. Then he handed it to Grey.

"Mr. Welch has been trying to reach you, sir."

"Does he have anything encouraging to say?" Grey growled.

"Something about Mrs. Grey's mother, sir," Taylor replied as the phone rang.

CHAPTER 35

Carla wasn't having a good day. The tables were against her. The slots delivered for the person who sat down after Carla gave up. She'd been drinking too much to think clearly while playing poker. Jack was drunk off his ass and disgusted with his luck so he refused to fund any more of her attempts at the roulette wheel. She wanted to go home and watch The Wheel of Fortune but she didn't even have money for a cab. So, she sat at the bar, running up a tab and watching the crowd.

She pulled out her phone and noted that she'd missed a half dozen calls. She recognized only one of the numbers. The others were probably telemarketers.

"Hey, Dee, what's happening with you today? Yeah? I keep telling you to put sleeping pills in his drinks," Carla roared with laughter at her joke.

"Say, you wouldn't want to come down here and pick me up, would you? Jack isn't ready to go and I'm flat broke. Oh, yeah. I forgot that you lost your license. No, I'm just sitting around, waiting on my old man."

The conversation, such as it was, continued on. Two women with nothing to do idly discussing nothing. Dee had a bit more of a life than Carla did. She had a horny husband that she was always shooing away. She also had a worthless daughter who'd moved 'home' with her own daughter. Dee was sick and tired of cleaning up after Tessa and that kid of hers but Tessa worked and brought in a little money so her mother put up with her.

Carla and Dee liked to discuss their mutual fantasy of making a big score and then taking off for Mexico. Maybe get a pool boy that they could share.

"Tessa gets off work in an hour. I'll tell her to stop by and pick you up. Well, she will if she wants to eat dinner tonight! Call me back if you're still waiting on Jack at 7:00."

Carla didn't have any other friends. She probably wouldn't be friends with Dee if they didn't live next door to each other. Neither like to go out of her way to do anything. Dee thought that Carla was a real firecracker because she hit the casinos most days while Dee didn't like to get off the couch.

Carla never thought much about her life. She figured that she had it pretty good these days. Jack supported her…gambling habit and all. That was how they'd met, duking it out over the roulette wheel. Carla was only 42 when they met and she was still kind of good looking. He was 20 years her senior and not much to look at so he took what he could get…just like she did. They'd been together for several years now and got along okay. Carla could cook well enough and Jack was still working so she didn't have to put up with him all day like poor Dee had to with her man.

Once a year, in the autumn, a fleeting memory crossed her mind. A child. Carla had hated being pregnant…and labor! Well, don't get her started. That entire nine months had been a waste. The kid was supposed to keep Frank bringing in a paycheck but then he got himself killed. His family threw her out of the funeral and she had to scramble fast to find another man before she started showing. When she met Ray Steele, she latched on. Poor shmuck. He thought that she was a sweet little thing and he was her big, strong fella. She stuck it out for more than six years until she met Steve and found a way out.

CHAPTER 36

"This Carla is a real piece of work," Welch spit out. "She's a bigamist, for starters…which actually played in our favor."

"Bigamist? Explain," Grey demanded.

"She never divorced Ray Steele. The guy she picked up with after him? She musta told him that she'd filed but she never did. She married Steve Morton. Left him after he nearly beat her to death. Married some guy in Vegas. That lasted less than a year. #5 lasted three years until he had a heart attack so when #6 came along, she could honestly say that she was a widow."

"She still with #6, then?" Grey asked.

"Yep. Jack Hyde. They share a townhouse and a gambling habit in Atlantic City. Now, here's the good news. I hacked into her medical records. She faked a heart attack a couple of years back after this Hyde guy threatened to leave her. Her health is okay. At least, it was then. These two are still together."

Grey was holding onto the phone so tightly that Taylor could see his knuckles were white. He was barely breathing. Taylor gently pulled the phone from his boss's hand and patted his shoulder.

"Okay, Welch. I have an address. Let's hope to god that she's still in good health. Did you get any indication that she's an alcoholic? Okay. Her liver was clear two years ago. Keep your people on her. We'll get back to you just as soon as the boss recovers here. Yes, it could be great. Do you believe in prayer, Welch? Good, that's one of us. Oh, and Gail."

Taylor set the phone down on the table next to Grey who was still staring out the window. For some time, Grey sat and Taylor leaned against the bureau, watching.

Grey took a deep breath. "Well. We can't say anything to Ana until we know if her mother's kidney is viable. We continue with the honeymoon. We have someone purporting to represent someone with blood type AB and in need of a kidney and we ask her to be tested. She'll say no, of course, and then we offer her compensation for her time."

Grey was on his feet now, pacing the room. "If…and it's a big if 'cause she's a drinker…the kidney is in good shape, we tell her that we have someone who needs a kidney. Again, she refuses and again we offer compensation."

"Sir. I suggest that we get your father involved at that point. Mrs. #6 cannot legally accept money for the donation of a kidney. We'll have to be quite careful with how we proceed. The hospital might refuse to perform the transplant if the doctors get wind of the purchase. Carla isn't the brightest bulb in the box, you know."

"If she is assured of a big payday if she keeps her mouth shut, her brain might light up enough to say all the right things. We can't let her know where the money is coming from or for whom she is donating a kidney. I'll leave it to you to make arrangements with Welch to speak with Carla about the testing. Let's try to keep our heads until we know for certain that the kidney is viable."

Taylor smiled. "Yes, sir. We have to keep our heads." Grey was almost giddy with the possibility that his wife had a chance at living. Taylor was stunned to realize that he himself was just a bit giddy as well. He'd probably have to tape Gail's mouth shut to keep her from screaming with joy. Maybe he'd better keep this development to himself for now.

Taylor left the room to return to his and a discussion with Welch. Christian walked quietly into the bedroom to check on Ana. He laid his hand on her forehead and just for good measure, he took her temperature as well. Normal. He breathed a sigh of relief. She'd be waking soon. He decided to order dinner in their suite to keep her from exerting herself anymore today. He took out the materials that he'd gotten from Dr. Whalen concerning her diet. Ana would never eat all this. He'd have a talk with the doctor about the best they could do with the diet regime. Everything they did had to be optimized…the perfect amount and kind of food, exercise, sleep, etc.

That included sight-seeing which Grey intended that they do most of from the deck of their yacht.

Ana was excited about this trip and Grey feared that part of her feelings derived from her belief that she hadn't much time left. If so, she wouldn't be as careful as she ought to be with her energy levels. He'd have to rein her in. The view from the boat, scooters and taxis, being carried…anything to keep her off her feet.

And somehow he himself would have to conceal his excitement over the wonderful possibility that they might have a lifetime before them, a lifetime of watching Christina grow and maybe even grandchildren. Maybe he would get to love Ana for an entire lifetime!

CHAPTER 37

Christian didn't know that Ana had awakened shortly after he tucked her into bed. She was feeling sad…sad for her husband who had placed so much faith in Dr. Whalen. He'd tried not to show it but the doctor being unable to provide a kidney or a cure for Ana had been awfully hard on Christian. She'd always been the realistic one in their relationship. For a raging cynic, when it came to all things Ana, Christian rarely acknowledged the truth.

Ana hadn't wanted to take a honeymoon. Feeling that she didn't have much time left, she wanted to spend it with her daughter and her husband, giving all that she could of herself, giving all that was left. She hadn't even hinted at her reluctance, however, because to do so would be to intimate that she hadn't much time and she knew that Christian couldn't handle the possible truth of that. So, she would spend every day of this time together behaving as if she were overwhelmed with the joy of it all. She wanted him to look back on this time in their lives happy that he could give so much to her. Yes, she knew that she was doing 'it' again…giving Christian control…but it didn't matter anymore. It was little enough to leave with him in the end.

Ana didn't want to sleep for another reason as well…nightmares of her mother. Why was that woman intruding during Ana's sleep so often now? Thankfully, most of Carla's appearances came while she dozed during treatments. Ana supposed that Christian's arms around her kept Carla away at night usually. Still, she didn't appreciate her showing up while Christina sat in her lap during dialysis. Ana would shoot awake, fearful of frightening her little girl, but she would merely pat her mother's cheek and tell her to go back to sleep.

As Ana lay mulling over her maternal pest, she heard the door quietly opening so she closed her eyes. She felt soothed by her husband's gentle hand on her forehead and she fell back to sleep. He would wake her when he felt that she'd had a good rest. She needed him to feel that he was taking good care of her. It was her way of taking care of him. When the time came for her to go, she wanted him to feel that no one could have taken better care of her, that he'd done all he could.

"Ana, darling," Christian spoke softly. "Try to wake now. You need to eat something."

Ana slowly opened her eyes to look into the loving gray eyes of her husband. She smiled at him and his heart soared. There was color in her cheeks and her eyes sparkled.

"Do you have any appetite?"

Yes, she nodded. It was a fib but a harmless one. She should eat and it would make Christian happy. He helped her sit up against the headboard and then placed a tray on her lap. Then he eased himself onto the bed and sat beside her. The room service waitress wheeled over a cart covered in food choices and smiled sweetly at Ana. When she left the couple, she'd tell her co-workers how lovely these two were together. The wait staff couldn't even be jealous of Ana having a drop-dead gorgeous husband and a billion or ten lying around. Well, maybe a tiny bit but the love he showed for his wife was so all encompassing that envy seemed wrong somehow. Most of the wealthy people they served were not in love with each other so this was charming to watch.

In the hallway, two of the servers could hear Christian and Ana laughing together.

CHAPTER 38

"Hold yer horses. I'm comin'," Carla yelled at whoever was pounding on her door. Geez, it was only 9 a.m., for christ sake. She threw the doors open to find two well-suited men with briefcases. What the hell had Jack done now?

"Mrs. Hyde?" they inquired.

"Yeah, who's askin?" she snarled. One of the men handed her a card identifying himself as a medical technician specializing in organ transplantation.

"My name is Gavin Reynolds and this is my colleague, Thomas Ryan. We represent Singular Medical Group of New York City, New York. May we have a few minutes of your time? It is due to a matter of some importance…life and death, you might say."

Carla looked over the card and then at the two men. "I don't need any organs…or bibles, either."

The two men smiled as if Carla had intended a joke. "We believe that you'll want to hear what we have to say, Mrs. Hyde. Please….a few minutes of your time."

Carla huffed and waved them into the living area. She shoved a pile of papers and magazines off the couch and unto the floor and then flopped into a recliner. She told them to hurry up before her husband woke up and pitched a fit. He didn't like company at this hour on his day off.

"Certainly, Mrs. Hyde. We'll get right to the point. As our card implies, our work entails finding organs for those in dire need of transplants. You happen to have a rare blood type…AB…and might at some time in the future be able to save a life. We would like to see if we could add your name to our register. Of course, we would first have to determine if you would be eligible. Having a matching blood type isn't enough. Donors have to be in health good enough to be considered."

Carla chortled. "Now why the hell would I care if I was healthy enough to give somebody my heart after I'm dead? I ain't the charitable sort. Nobody never give me nothin' that I didn't claw out of their grubby little hands. When I die, it don't matter none to me if my heart goes with me."

"Our company is not associated with the United Network for Organ Sharing which is overseen by the government. We work as a private agency. There are thousands of people dying for want of organs. Because it is illegal in almost every country to sell organs, those who wish to do so are able to only through organizations such as ours. Our organization believes that it is short-sighted to forbid the sale of organs if one desires to do so and is in need of funds."

"Well, I ain't in need of funds," Carla sniped.

"We aren't talking about earning a few thousand for a kidney, Mrs. Hyde. We've connected donors with clients who are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. Does that amount sound more reasonable to you?"

Carla's mouth dropped open.

The two men smiled at each other. They continued on, explaining that they'd had clients so desperate that they'd paid over a million for a kidney. Of course, they added, the company did take a percentage of the amount paid for cost and the arranging of the sale. Also, the company was responsible for the legal safety of both themselves and the donors. This sale needed to be done as expertly as possible for everyone's sake and Singular Medical Group was in the business of staying in business. It was the only operation of its kind in the world due to its protection of its clients and donors. Other organizations seeking donors were plentiful but also criminal in their business behaviors. SMG sought to be as ethical as possible.

"I could get a million bucks for one kidney?!" Carla fairly screeched. Then she clapped her hand over her mouth and looked behind her at the bedroom door.

"Possibly, Mrs. Hyde. However, we must reiterate that at this time we are only interested in whether you would be a healthy donor. If that is determined to be the case, we will add your name to our register for future use. Thus, you would have to be willing to be tested first. SMG would, of course, pay for the testing and pay you for your time and trouble."

"How much do I get for puttin' myself through this testing you want?" Carla asked, leaning forward.

"If you would agree to an appointment within the week, SMG would pay you $1,000 per day. If you pass the initial testing, you would receive $1000 and would then require further tests over the next few days. If all goes well, you could conceivably make $5,000."

"Where do I sign?" Carla jumped at her chance…as they suspected she would.

Mr. Reynolds opened his briefcase and withdrew a legal paper. "This is a legal form known as a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Signing it means that you may say nothing to anyone, including your husband or personal physician, for any reason whatsoever at any time throughout your life or in papers, such as a will, after your death. The consequences for so doing would be most unpleasant for you. SMG cannot allow the reveal of such delicate information. Do you understand, Mrs. Hyde?"

Carla nodded solemnly and reached for the paper. Mr. Ryan handed her a pen, the NDA and a clipboard. She signed carefully.

"Now, when do I get the money?"

"This is just the first step. SMG will be investigating further to determine your reliability, shall we say."

"Oh, I'm very reliable, I promise."

"Oh, we do hope so, as well. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Hyde. We'll be in touch. Take care of your health in the meantime. Eat well and try to refrain from drinking alcohol. Good day."

Carla closed the door behind the men and clapped her hands with greedy glee.

CHAPTER 39

"Well?"

"The rat took the cheese."

"No surprise really. Tell Reynolds and Ryan "good job". Now set up the procedure and get the bitch tested. Grey won't relax until the results come in and they're in his wife's favor."

"How is Mrs. Grey doing?"

Taylor sighed. "No miracles here…at least from Grey's point of view. However, this Swiss doc has her on a new medication and diet that cuts her dialysis down to every third day instead of four times a week. Mrs. Grey is pleased and for her sake, Grey is acting pleased himself but nothing will satisfy him until she has her own working kidney. I honestly don't have much faith that her mother's kidney will work…not the way Carla drinks."

As Taylor was talking to Welch, Grey and Ana were enjoying the yacht that would take them down the rivers of Western Europe. Ana was feeling well and very excited and this pleased her husband. The weather was perfect for sitting on deck…the views both serene and stirring. Ana was lit up and beaming. She kept pointing at different sites and Christian kept acting as if he hadn't noticed them until she alerted him. Sometimes they stood, leaning on the railing and each other. Much of the time Ana gazed outward while Christian watched her, enjoying her delight. For him, she was the vista.

Christian didn't tell Ana that he'd see it all before. His wealthy parents had taken him and his siblings on long, expensive vacations every summer. They'd trekked throughout Europe, Indonesia, the African continent. During shorter school breaks, they'd traveled the states. Once Christian had dropped out of Harvard and begun to devote all his time to building his business and Elliot had been working on Grey Design and Construction, only Mia had been available for vacations with Grace and Carrick. Unfortunately, Mia's idea of vacation was shopping in new locales. Her parents finally acquiesced to her wishes…sending her off with an escort while they explored. Not even a guided tour of the Louvre could entice Mia to tuck her credit card away for a few hours. For her, the second best part of a day, besides shopping, was to wear her new outfits out to the finest dining establishments in Paris and London and then to abandon her parents while she went clubbing.

Yet, even though he'd seen it all before, it had been a decade and looking at the sights through Ana's eyes was like seeing it anew. Ana in his arms as they floated along, looking at village lights and night skies, made Grey's heart swell with gratitude…a heart he had once thought would never feel anything ever again.

"Sir, a moment of your time?" Christian looked up from his chaise lounge at Taylor. Taylor knew him too well to take him away from Ana without good cause. He kissed Ana's cheek and excused himself.

"You have word?"

"Yes. Reynolds and Ryan played their parts perfectly. Mrs. Hyde signed the NDA and is awaiting a call for instructions. How this woman produced a daughter with a near genius IQ is beyond me. She believes that she is going to be committing a crime and could be incarcerated if caught but all she hears is the word "money". According to Ryan, she is a repulsive human being and he'd love to find some way to repay her for abandoning her daughter."

Grey had to grin at Taylor's disgust with Carla's character. "Leaving her husband and daughter was the best thing she ever did for them, Taylor. They finally had some peace. I wish she'd left sooner. Maybe Ana wouldn't have nightmares now.

"Thanks for the update. Let's leave her hanging for a while before we proceed. Frankly, I'd rather put off finding that her kidney is worthless. I want to enjoy my honeymoon."

"Understood, sir. Will you be needing anything before I turn in?"

Grey shook his head. It was cooling down and he wanted to get Ana inside and into a warm bed with him.

He returned to her and found her sleeping. He picked her up, aching just a bit at her lightness, and carried her inside to the master suite. She awoke as he entered the bedroom.

"Do you need anything, maybe something to drink?" he asked. She smiled and shook her head before pressing her lips to his and slipping her tongue into his mouth. He set her down on her feet and enveloped her tightly in his arms as their tongues danced together. Ana slipped her arms from his neck and down to his belt, unbuckling it and easing her hand inside his boxers. Christian groaned as she took his cock in her hand and firmly ran her hand up and down. He was instantly hard. He pulled her sundress over her head and moved his hands to her breasts, caressing them and playing with her nipples before lowering his head and taking a breast in his mouth.

Fumbling together, they removed each other's clothes and stood skin to skin, his hands roaming her body and his mouth nuzzling her neck, her moans driving him on. He carried her to the bed and began exploring every inch of her with his tongue. They made love, bringing each other to orgasm over and over, having no concept of time. They'd wear each other out and sleep for a while. Then they'd wake and need each other again and again.

Ana was desperate to have all of him for as long as she was able and to give him enough to get him through when she was gone.

CHAPTER 40

"What's up with you anyway?" Jack snarled at his wife. She was uncharacteristically both quiet and cheerful. She hadn't snapped at him once all day and she even hummed while making dinner.

"I don't know what you mean," she shrugged.

"You aren't acting like your usual self."

"Oh, and what does my usual self act like?" Carla snickered.

"Pissed and pouty," he grumbled. Carla didn't even react to this insult. She just continued with dinner and humming. She loved having this secret and she loved the idea of having a lot of money that she didn't have to beg Jack to give to her. Hell, maybe she wouldn't even have sex with him tonight.

He stared at her as she placed a bowl of pasta on the table and told him to dig in. She'd even made garlic bread without demanding that he remember to brush his teeth after dinner because she wasn't going to spend the night smelling his bad breath.

This unusual behavior unnerved Jack. His marriage wasn't the best but at least he knew Carla backwards and forwards. She couldn't surprise him and he preferred it that way. His first wife was unpredictable and he found it unsettling. He never knew when he came home if Joanne would be in a good mood or a foul temper. Toward the end he didn't even know if she'd be there when he walked in the door. The last day of their marriage he arrived home to find that she'd packed up and taken most of the furnishings with her. He didn't know where she'd gone to either. He bought a new bed and waited until the divorce papers arrived in the mail. Later, he learned that Joanne had found her a sugar daddy.

When he met Carla, he had her figured right away. She'd do right by him in bed as long as he gave her money to gamble. She pretended to love him but he was no fool. He smiled and said, yeah, he loved her, too…as if she cared. He made decent money and Carla wouldn't have to work so their arrangement suited both of them. He didn't know much about her past and she didn't show any interest in his so mostly they watched television, gambled and fucked a couple times a week.

They didn't have a circle of friends. He drank with a couple of guys he met at the tables and Carla had a few laughs with female regulars at the slots. If he'd ever stopped for a moment and reflected on his life, he would have been depressed by the emptiness of it but as it was, he had low expectations and he was content. He never thought beyond the next weekend. It was easier that way.

Thus, this sudden change in his wife's attitude, while disturbing, was too much to bother with and so he didn't. He accepted her shrug, ate his dinner and settled down in his recliner with the tv remote.

When Carla didn't want to bother with him, she laced his beer with sleeping pills. With any luck, she'd have the bed all to herself tonight. She could lie there imagining the windfall she might get and how she could dump Jack and live life on her own terms for a change.

Her whole life she'd had to scramble to survive and always depend on some man. There had never been a man she wanted but she learned young how to satisfy one in bed and that had gotten her wherever she needed to go. Her parents urged her to study and wanted her to go to nursing school…as if she wanted to take care of anyone else. She was failing all her courses when she met Frank Lambert. He was sweet and naïve. Carla had been with half the guys in school but she really had her loving and adorable persona down pat so Frank didn't believe all the guys who warned him about her. Her tears and her promise to leave him be even though he'd gotten her pregnant convinced him that she was just misunderstood. He quit school, got a decent-paying job and a little apartment for him and Carla. Her despairing parents agreed to her marriage and all Carla had to do was a little housekeeping and Frank-pleasing at night and spend the rest of her time sitting on the couch reading Seventeen magazine while she watched soap operas. She burned a few dinners and cried until Frank took over that chore.

He was actually a happy guy right up until that semi-truck crossed the center line and slammed into his Pinto head-on. It was all over in a second for Frank but Carla was screwed. Her parents disowned her and Frank's hated her and neither family cared about the baby that caused all the trouble.

Carla met Ray Steele, a man 20 years her senior, at the diner where she waitressed. It took her just one month to make him love her and her darling baby girl. For a short while, Ray thought he'd found the end of the rainbow. Reality set in soon enough.

Now, several marriages later, Carla finally had a real shot at her pot of gold. It had taken her nearly 20 years to get there but she was almost free. Whoever wanted her kidney was going to pay big, real big.

CHAPTER 41

"Hey, bro, how's the honeymoon going?" Grey had to grin. Elliot's voice was as big as Elliot.

"Hi, El. We're having a wonderful trip. Ana is feeling good and so am I."

"Ana's good? That's great. Then this new doc had something to offer?"

"Well, he tweaked her medications and changed her dialysis to every three days so that's something. He didn't have any kidneys lying around, I'm afraid. Not his fault. I really had high hopes."

"Yeah. I know you did, Chris," Elliot's booming voice softened. "You'll find a kidney. I know you will."

"So, how's your honeymoon going?" Christian asked.

"Oh, I'm back at work. We simple millionaires can't take a month off, ya know," he chuckled. "But that darling daughter of yours really got Kate's maternal motor roaring. She's already pregnant. I'm going to be a dad in about 8 months!"

"El, that's great! I don't know anyone who'd do a better job of it than you. You were meant to be a dad. Congratulations! Ana will be thrilled. She'll want to talk with Kate."

"Kate is back to work, too. Remember the time difference when she calls."

"Well, just have Kate call Ana when she can. Our time is free."

"Shit. My new client is early. I have to go. Take pictures, bro." Elliot rang off without waiting for a goodbye from his brother.

Christian smiled. Now that Elliot had called that made the whole family. Aren't people supposed to leave newlyweds alone on their honeymoons? Well, it didn't matter. He found that he actually was pleased to hear from everyone. Their calls were mostly to do with Ana anyway. And he hadn't had to lie to them. Ana really was doing well. The new medications and less dialysis really made a difference to her health and her mood. Her health team was really enjoying its vacation as well. If only his billions could freeze this time in place with Ana's smile and rosy cheeks…if only.

Well, they had a couple more weeks before they were due to see Dr. Whalen again and then head home. While Ana was having dialysis, Christian had occupied himself with researching a new acquisition that Roz had her heart set on. He probably let her have it even though it wasn't a necessity for GEH at this time. Maybe down the road he'd find a use for it. Roz was also presuming that Grey would return as CEO, at least part time.

Ana wanted him to go back to work, too. If he was home, he would hover. She wanted some time to herself and to spend with just Christina. If she wasn't going to die soon…and Dr. Whalen had assured her that she had years yet…then she needed to give as much of herself as possible to her daughter.

And her favorite times were when the three of them were alone together, walking in the meadow, watching a movie, reading a book, playing a game…anything that Christina and Christian would have of her to remember.

CHAPTER 42

Lying awake as dawn crept through the window, with Ana in his arms, Christian felt an ache in his chest. Today they were docking at the port in London. Then they would fly back to see Dr. Whalen for another exam and an update on Ana's health. She seemed fine…but then it was hard to be sure. Despite his pleas, Ana would hide her true feelings to protect him. Still, she did seem well. Then, after seeing the doctor, they would fly home. No one, including her health team, wanted to end the honeymoon. Christian had thought of several more places to take Ana but she was unmovable. Christina missed her parents and had called several times in the past week to make her feelings known.

"Hi, honey. It's papa. Do you suppose that you would mind if your mother and I were gone just one more week? I'd like to take her to this special place in the Greek islands."

"No, papa. You come home now."

"Just a few more days, sweetie?"

"NO! NOW!" Ouch. Grey sensed that his daughter's teen years were going to be a trial by fire. Ana thought it was funny. She'd warned her husband that his suggestion wouldn't fly with his strong willed little girl. She might be south of three-years-old but she was strong-minded. She'd been patient but her parents were to come home asap.

"Don't yell at your father, Christina," Ana chided. Christina went quiet.

"I sorry, papa. You come home real soon?" Her hopeful little voice broke her father's heart.

"Yes, dear…real soon. A couple of days, okay?"

After that call, Christian sank back on the pillows, exhausted. Ana giggled. She'd had a lot more practice at parenthood. "Can I do anything to soothe you, dear?" she asked as she crept beneath the covers, heading south to his happy trail. Christian grinned and then groaned as he felt Ana's soft lips kissing what she called his little hat.

"Well, you should take month long honeymoons regularly," Dr. Whalen smiled…but Grey could tell that there was a serious suggestion behind the smile.

"All of your vitals are excellent. I'm especially pleased with your hypertension…which isn't hyper anymore. You're 110/65…just about perfect. Christian, I want your mother to keep an eye on this at home. Have her note anything that might raise Ana's pressure so that you can avoid that in future."

"Oh, Dr. Whalen. I'm just happy to be going home to my little girl," Ana beamed. Dr. Whalen wasn't immune to Ana's smile nor her beauty. It was difficult to not favor her as a patient.

"Being a parent, no matter how wonderful the child, is bound to affect your blood pressure, Ana. You must cooperate in letting other people do as much of the parenting as possible. I'm referring to having Christina do things that she doesn't want or that wear you out. Understand?" Dr. Whalen warned. Ana nodded, seriously.

"Now, I'd like your doctor to send his notes and any lab results to me regularly. I have his number and I'll be speaking with him about partnering on your care. Your wife is in the best possible hands, Christian. Thus, I'd like you to relax as well. Your mood affects Ana's and she is quite intuitive. She'll know if you're faking your feelings. You know the old saw…Happy wife, happy life? Well, there's another that I just made up…Happy husband, happy wife. You do tend toward the grim, Christian. Work on that."

Ordinarily, Grey would have objected to such advice from a doctor but now he merely nodded in the affirmative. He would whistle and sing and laugh like a loon if it would keep Ana at 110/65.

The doctor assured them that he would keep an eye out for a kidney and Grey was counting on it. A kidney offered by the best nephrologist in the world would certainly be a better bet than one from Ana's mother.

Grey had issued instructions to Taylor that Carla be ordered to testing asap. Soon, they would know if she had anything to give to her daughter for the first time in her life. He wasn't hopeful. The woman had never taken any better care of her body than she had of her little girl. Grey wondered what Carla might have done at some time in the past to contribute to Ana's kidney problems. If he found out she had, even contributing a working kidney to her daughter wouldn't save her from the wrath of Christian Trevelyan-Grey.

Now, however, with the best possible news from Dr. Whalen, Grey and Grey boarded their jet to head home. Ana had just had a treatment from her team while still on board the yacht so she would sleep for a while but, Grey smiled to himself, she was a horny little thing when she awoke. That was a wonderful result, he thought. He just loved it when Ana wanted him. Sometimes he'd pretend that he wasn't in the mood…as if. With Ana, he was always in the mood. He'd let her spend some time seducing him before he sighed "okay". Both of them loved this game.

CHAPTER 43

Although the tarmac was wet with Seattle rain, no one could stop Christina from escaping their arms to run to her mama's as Ana and Christian hurried down the jet steps to greet their family. Christian walked ahead of Ana to be certain that he could catch her if she stumbled so he was first to scoop up his daughter and swing her around before she reached for her mother's neck. The three stood in the drizzle for a moment huddled together under Taylor's large umbrella. Then they moved quickly to the hangar to hug the rest of the family. As soon as they were out of the rain, Taylor moved around to shelter his wife, Gail, who had her own umbrella. She beamed up at him as he put his arm around her shoulder. It was good to be home.

The limo was crammed with Greys who all talked at once and Taylor yelling over the chatter that the car wasn't moving until everyone was belted and Christina was secured in her booster seat. She didn't want to sit in her usual seat. She loudly protested not being able to sit with one of her parents but she also knew that Uncle Taylor was serious and, besides, there were cubcakes at home.

Ana and Christian couldn't stop kissing their little girl and she couldn't stop giggling. The adults in the car settled down to patiently wait for home and grownup conversation, for right now…for Mr. and Mrs. Grey…there was only a tiny precious child, sitting between them and needing their attention. A month is a very long time for a toddler.

Taylor pulled into the Grey Manor garage to unload his charges. Frankly, it had been a long month for him and Gail as well. While they'd certainly enjoyed the tour, it was no vacation for either of them. Taylor was on constant alert and Gail missed her kitchen. She wouldn't have had to do any work at all as an entire crew was supplied by the yacht line but she wanted to cook and she certainly felt the need to learn Ana's new diet as well as watching out for her. She also felt that it was still her job to watch out for Christian. She had more than one run-in with the yacht chef who was baffled by Gail's reluctance to just sit around and read.

While the Greys celebrated their homecoming, someone else in the neighborhood was celebrating some good news. Something she'd been looking for had finally come her way. The information was worth every dime she had to pay her private investigators. It was juicy. It would enable her to rid herself of her enemy and deliver payback to the people who'd wronged her. She was, she told herself, not an evil, vengeful type of person but she was someone who believed in justice.

All her life, she'd had to scramble and claw her way up from the bottom. She'd been a great wife and certainly deserved better from her husband. He was lousy in bed, even when she told him exactly what to do to satisfy her. He was cheap, often denying her simple things, just to spite her. He'd once sliced up a handbag just because it was $800 even though she told him that she couldn't be carrying a cheap bag in polite society. She was doing it for him…his reputation! He cheated on her, too, justifying his behavior…telling her that he needed warmth and acceptance in his life. Well, he would have gotten that and more from her if he'd treated her like the queen she was. Anyone could see that she was beautiful and way too good for him. It was humiliating to walk into society events on the arm of a homely man who obviously didn't adore her, didn't spend his money to keep her happy. She found that she couldn't look people in the eye.

The authorities found his death to be suspicious and she was treated like a pariah by the moneyed classes. Well, she'd never be found culpable because she was too smart. People didn't realize that about her…that she was a woman with brains. She was always underestimated. This time, however, she wanted her revenge to be credited. This time, she wanted everyone to know that they'd been bested by the woman who did their hair for their fancy gatherings. They would be amazed…and ashamed of their own ignorance.

CHAPTER 44

Christian, having told Welch to go ahead with testing the suitability of Carla to be a donor, now waited impatiently for word. Just for spite, he'd ordered the doctors to put Carla through a long battery of testing that would account for most of the day. Might as well have fun with the old bitch. Now, however, he regretted that taking revenge for Ana caused a delay in getting the results.

"Papa, read to me," Christina implored of her father. Of course, he obliged. One month…and his daughter had seemed to grow an inch. Her speech improved as well. It was frightening for him. He'd just found her and soon, it seemed, she'd be off to college. He wondered if Ana would ever be healthy enough to have another child. No, of course she wouldn't. And Grey would never allow her to put herself at risk.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Christina had finished reading the story to him. "Papa, is mama going to die?" Christian regarded his daughter in dismay. He thought that small children should not be aware of death. It was just that Christina wasn't like other children. She would require two parents to raise her.

"I'll move heaven and earth to keep your mama with us," Christian swore to his daughter.

"Mama says that if she dies, it means that God needed another angel," Christina said in a small voice.

"Well, god will just have to find himself a different woman to be his angel or make do with the millions he already has." Christina began to laugh then, speculating how god makes use of all his angels.

"Papa, god gives some people a guardian angel because they need one. I think you need one. You would be lost without mama, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would but I'm not going to lose her…I promise."

Christina said nothing more and Christian thought that she'd fallen asleep. He relaxed with his little girl in his arms…but Christina hadn't even closed her eyes. She was a bright child but more than that, she was quite intuitive. She hadn't known her father long but she understood that he'd always get what he wanted. Still, her mother had been ill as far back as Christina could remember and she felt scared for her papa. She had lived her whole life knowing that her mama might not always be there. It was just part of reality for her…

Christina decided that she would have to ask her mama how to help papa when she was gone.

It was sad that a child not yet three, no matter how bright and preternaturally mature for her age, should have to accept the loss of her mother and the responsibility of helping her father through that loss. However, Christina didn't know any different.

The adults around her saw a helpless child who needed protection from the world. They'd no idea that the child saw clearly the sadness in their eyes and the fear on their faces when Ana was having a bad day. And they'd no idea that the child had accepted that she had to help them.

CHAPTER 45

"I have some good news, Grey." Welch stopped…torturing Grey with his silence.

"Are you planning on telling me the good news?"

"I'm just enjoying your discomfort at not getting what you want instantly," Welch snickered.

"WELCH!" Grey roared into the phone. Welch laughed before continuing.

"Mrs. Hyde's results came back. She's a match, of course…but better than that, her kidneys and general health are good. Also, she had a terrible day being tested for all those hours."

"She's a match. She's a match! I'll get Ryan and Reynolds on it right away! Oh, wow. I can't believe this. Ana has a shot…a real shot now."

"Are you going to tell her who her donor is?"

"Oh, god, no. I don't want her mother in her head. Ana would think that she has to meet with Carla and thank her and maybe even introduce her to her granddaughter. No."

"Well, good luck with all the complications of illegally buying a kidney, getting a surgeon to agree to the operation and not getting caught."

"It's nothing. The important part is done. We can save Ana's life."

After Grey rang off, he immediately called in Taylor for a convo. Arrangements were made to speak with Carla and get her to sign off on the donation. As relieved as he was, he now had to deal with his anxiety. What if Carla balked?

Tom Ryan and Gavin Reynolds were updated and made ready to approach Carla. They decided on an amount to offer for the kidney…a good number but not too good. They didn't want to raise her suspicions…or her greed. They were prepared for Carla to want to up the ante.

What they weren't prepared for was a competitor…especially this particular competitor.

"Are you absolutely certain it was Elena Lincoln?" Grey grilled his men. Yes, they were certain.

"What was she doing when you saw her?"

"She was checking into the hotel. Tom and I were having breakfast when I glanced toward the desk and I couldn't believe my eyes. I completely lost my appetite. I haven't seen her for a while and, well, it's always a real experience looking at that woman."

"Where is she now?"

"In her room. Tom is watching the elevator. I don't think that this is a coincidence, Mr. Grey. My gut is roiling…telling me that she isn't in town to gamble. She's up to something. Instructions, sir?"

"We can't let her get to Carla, Gavin. That's why she's in town. She saw Ana having a treatment. She figured out what was wrong and she's probably been searching for Carla ever since. That's what my gut is telling me. Get to her, contain her before she can even call Carla. Taylor will be in touch with further instructions."

"Yes, sir. Moving now." Gavin rang off and he and Tom headed for the front desk. It wouldn't take much to bribe the clerk to divulge Elena's room number. It might take a bit more to "contain" her.

Grey called Taylor into the room and recounted his conversation with Reynolds. The two men strategized. They were kicking themselves for being short-sighted. They should have anticipated some involvement by Elena Lincoln. She was obsessed with Christian, his money, and his supposed friendship that opened doors into higher society. Well, their failure to keep a closer watch on her would have to be dealt with now. This would no longer be a fairly simple matter of slipping Ana and Carla under the radar and into an operating theater.

They couldn't hide Elena somewhere until the transplant was complete. Her absence would be noticed by her employees at the salons she owned. Drastic steps would have to be taken.

CHAPTER 46

"Mrs. Lincoln? Sorry to bother you. It's the manager. Might I speak with you for a moment?"

Elena had never met Gavin Reynolds but she had seen Tom Ryan so he concealed himself against the wall in the hallway when she opened the door to the "manager".

"What is it?" she barked, pleased to see that the manager was trembling before her. Other people's fear made Elena brave. Gavin explained in a small voice that the matter he had to discuss with her was confidential and he didn't wish to speak in the hallway. She impatiently waved him into her suite.

"Now. What is the problem?" Elena demanded to know. Gavin continued to play obsequious manager, fearfully explaining that there was an issue with Mrs. Lincoln's credit card payment. Her reaction was predictable.

"There is nothing wrong with my credit card, you imbecile! If you're too incompetent to properly handle a simple transaction, that is hardly my problem." The rebuke sliced through the air like a jagged knife, Elena's voice harsh and hard. She opened the door again, glaring at the "manager" with malignant disgust…not noticing Tom Ryan slipping in behind her. It was too late when she felt the tip of a .357 magnum against her skull. Tom quietly closed the door. Gavin smirked at her.

"Have a seat, Mrs. Lincoln…while we decide what to do with you," Tom advised.

"I'll scream this place down. Everyone will hear the shot," she warned, watching Tom.

"Then I suppose that we'll have to be quiet." Elena whirled to see Gavin holding a pistol equipped with a silencer. She collapsed into a chair, defeated…for the moment.

"I know you," she said, looking at Tom. "You maltreated me at Grey Manor the day I found Ana undergoing dialysis. Christian would never allow you to harm me."

"We're operating under his orders, ma'am," Tom smiled, knowing how she hated being called ma'am". He watched how she stiffened at the word. Now in her 50's, she still thought of herself as a "miss".

"You're a liar," she spit at him.

"You're deluded, Mrs. Lincoln, but believe what you wish. We're going to remain here in this suite until we receive further orders from the boss. Gavin, would you step out for the supplies we discussed?" Gavin nodded and left the suite. Tom sat in a chair opposite Elena, keeping his gun steady and focused on her face. From his cold, hard stare, Elena knew he needed only an excuse to put a bullet through her forehead. She sat still.

Thirty silent minutes later, Gavin returned. A few minutes after that, Tom holstered his magnum and relaxed. Elena sat tied to the chair and muzzled by duct tape. Her eyes blazed but she was subdued until the boss decided what to do with her next.

In low voices, her captors debated ways to remove her from the suite and the hotel altogether and where to take her from there. Now and again they allowed words like "disposal" and "body" to be heard by Elena…just for the fun of seeing the fear in her eyes when they turned around to study her.

Elena didn't believe that Christian was a killer, by proxy or otherwise, but these men seemed to be a different sort…hired hands who'd follow orders. Taylor, Elena knew, was former military and hated her. She believed that he'd have no trouble giving the necessary orders to dispose of her body…and no one would ever find her.

CHAPTER 47

"Good morning, Grace. Are you off work today?" Grace was dishing up French toast to her granddaughter when Ana walked into the room. Grace didn't let on her chagrin at Ana's frailty. She loved Ana as her own and the past few months had caused her such heartbreak. What's more…she saw her feelings in Christina's eyes.

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I've moved permanently to part-time. I want to spend more time with you and my grandchild. These moments are too precious to waste."

Ana smiled and kissed Grace's cheek. "I'm feeling fine, Grace. This new medication and treatment schedule are doing wonders for my health. I know…I know that I look sickly but I don't feel it so please try to worry less."

Grace smiled back at Ana and offered her breakfast…disguising her disappointment when Ana said that she'd eat something after her stomach "woke up". She watched as Ana sat on a stool next to Christina.

"How is my darling girl today?" she asked as she stroked Christina's curls.

"Papa forgot to untangle my hair last night, mama." Ana ran her fingers through Christina's hair and nodded.

"We'll take care of that after your breakfast, sweetheart." She leaned down and kissed her daughter's forehead.

Grace watched the loving duo and felt a stab of pain in her chest. She remembered being a mother to a child Christina's age. She and Mia were just as affectionate and adoring with each other…only Grace got to grow old enough to watch Mia grow up…or, at least, grow older, she chuckled to herself. Mia did seem to be maturing more lately, however. Armie was a good influence but it was more Christina and her need for mothering. Mia had moved back into the house when Ana came home. Armie wasn't thrilled about that because he saw too little of Mia as it was but he understood. Mia was the second person to see Ana when she arrived on the doorstep of Grey Manor and her greeting was cold. It hadn't taken her long to come around, though. She knew how her brother could be and she was deeply moved by Ana's initial resolve to have Christina grow up in Grey Manor.

Mia was the sensitive child in the family and Grace often heard her weeping at night in her old room. If…when?...Ana died, the entire family would need therapy and a lot of time to get through the after-effects. Grace wondered if Ana had any idea how precious she was to everyone…not just her daughter and husband.

Grace smiled at Christina as the little girl quizzed her mother on whether she'd taken all her medications and vitamin supplements. Ana knew better than to skip these. Christian left them on the bathroom counter every morning with a note saying "take me"…and Christina would always remind her first thing.

The house had come alive when Ana and Christina came home. That very day, being empty-nesters had Grace and Carrick reconsidering the wisdom of owning such a big house. They'd looked instead into the possibility of purchasing a large duplex. They could live in one side and any visiting family could stay in the other side. At the time, they hadn't dreamed that their boys would marry. Mia had still been floundering. Now both boys were married with another grandchild on the way. Between Ana, Christian, Christina, Mia, Taylor, Gail and a large security detail, Grace and Carrick were considering building a guesthouse.

Funny, Grace thought, how life could turn on a dime. She and Carrick had been so blessed with the return of Ana… and Christina brought such joy to their days. Yet, every night, Carrick held her in his arms as she cried for the pain with which everyone had to live. She and Carrick were closer than ever.

For the past few years, they had begun to unlearn each other. That was the only way she could think to put it. They didn't know how to have conversations anymore. It can happen to parents who had spent so many years discussing their children. Now they talked more and usually about their feelings because those were overflowing with every possible emotion now.

They'd discussed taking Christina to Montana so that Ana and Christian could have time to themselves but they'd seen how difficult it was for Christina to be without her parents while they were gone on their honeymoon. She put on a good face for them when they called but after they rang off, she'd excuse herself and go to her room to cry.

A tiny child worrying for everyone else and hiding her tears...no, that wasn't all right. There was nothing to be done but to get through each day. Trust Christian, they told themselves. Christian Trevelyan-Grey would bring them all through this devastating time. They had faith.

CHAPTER 48

"Good morning, may I speak with whomever is currently in charge of the salon?" The man's voice was deep and authoritative. The receptionist was just 20 years old and rather intimidated.

"May I ask the reason for the call? You see, I'll have to interrupt Patricia who is with a customer. Oh! Certainly, please hold, Mr. Grey."

Patricia took the call and listened intently for several minutes before ringing off. Then she spoke with the receptionist, explaining what she'd just been told by Mrs. Lincoln's attorney.

"Evie, please send emails to the other salons regarding Mrs. Lincoln's absence. I'll alert everyone here to Mrs. Lincoln's reason for missing work. Apparently, there is nothing to be concerned about."

Evie expressed her relief that the missing Mrs. Lincoln was just taking care of some business in Europe and to refer any issues to Mr. Carrick Grey. Secretly, Evie knew as well as Patricia did that no one would miss Mrs. Lincoln's odious company. She hoped the European business would take a goodly amount of time.

Carrick put the phone down and smiled up at his son.

"Christian, I'm trusting you on this. Grace, however, will wonder why Elena left her out of the loop."

"Don't worry, Dad. Just tell her what I told you. Mom has her hands full with worry about Ana. She won't give Elena's whereabouts a second thought."

Christian smiled and then took out his phone to connect with Ryan and Reynolds. They'd already informed him that they'd managed to sneak Elena out of the hotel via the freight elevator. She was now unhappily ensconced in a safe house being guarded by several of Grey's security detail.

Tom Ryan and Gavin Reynolds had made contact with Mrs. Hyde who had agreed to "donate" one of her kidneys for one million dollars. She was over the moon, they assured Grey, and was certain that she could make an excuse for her absence from home for some time so as not to make her husband suspicious.

Mrs. Hyde believed that, in addition to the million-dollar payment, she was being flown first class to Zurich, Switzerland for the transplant operation. A free vacation and a ton of money, she cackled to herself. No, she had no intention of sharing any of it with her dictatorial mate.

Grey had spoken with Dr. Whalen who believed that Ana's long estranged mother wanted to donate a kidney to her daughter but did not want Ana to know that she was the donor because she might refuse to accept.

So many deceptions…but not one that gave Christian pause. Dr. Whalen had warned that there was also a chance that Ana's body could reject the kidney but for the generous donation to his clinic made by the grateful Mr. Grey, Dr. Whalen was prepared to cooperate in "any way necessary" and find another organ.

And so, after what would hopefully be her last dialysis treatment, Ana and Christian boarded the jet for the flight to Switzerland. Grey had lied to his wife as well. Ana believed that Dr. Whalen had found a perfect match for her in Europe. She would never know her donor. They would never meet.

She would live to watch her daughter grow up.

CHAPTER 49

"How long do you goons think that you can keep me here?" Elena was beginning to shake from withdrawal. Baxter was in charge of her cigarettes and he was having a bit of vicious fun with her…doling them out sparingly. After several days, he revealed that there was a bottle of whiskey in the safe house and he'd been dispersing that in dribs and drabs as well. Elena was beginning to have trouble thinking of anything other than her ciggie and alcohol deprivation. She paced back and forth across her room, going only so far as the chain allowed, of course. The windows were blackened out and the room was soundproofed. She was allowed to shower once but only because the security team needed the relief. Her meals were simple, boring and beneath a woman with her sophisticated palate, she complained.

"Did you hear me? I asked you a question and I expect a prompt reply!" she screeched at the poor man currently in charge of staying in her room with her. He'd drawn the short straw several times now and was beginning to suspect that his status as low man on the totem pole was more to do with his bad luck than bad luck. He smiled politely from his chair just out of Elena's reach.

"I'll check on that question for you," he said as he withdrew his phone from his pocket. He muttered into the receiver, quietly asking when he would be relieved. Reminded of the considerable amount of compensation he was receiving, he nodded and rang off.

"Well, what did you find out?"

"No one cares. You should go fuck yourself. That's what I found out," Latner grinned at Elena's furious expression. Now he would listen to her scream and whine and cuss at him until she wore herself out. It was entertaining.

In the kitchen, Baxter remarked to Reynolds, who was the only other man on duty at that hour, that it was a lovely night and he'd like to go outside on the deck to look at the stars. It was just a wish. Both men knew how devious Elena could be and that constantly monitoring her on the various screens set up around the house was vital. If she somehow got loose on their watch, Taylor would be the first to kill them, followed by Grey.

Besides, everyone knew Ana and Christina, some if only from pictures, and no one wanted to be the screw up who blew this operation for them. They were also being paid a king's ransom and it had been drilled into them that Elena was possibly the most important prisoner in the world at the moment. None of them knew how long this assignment would last or how it would end. They gossiped among themselves. Would Elena remain a prisoner until her dying days? Would Taylor come up with some inventive means of disposing of her? Would one of them be ordered to put a bullet through her brain? They all figured that the poor chump they'd tricked into watching her the most would be delighted to be the trigger man.

When not amusing themselves with such talk, they each privately considered what Taylor had told them. Their employer was a man madly in love with his wife and anyone who dared bring harm to her…intentionally or through a lapse in judgement…would rue the day they were born.

Therefore, the fortune they were making, their loathing of their prisoner, affection for the boss's wife…nothing was more incentive than the hell on earth they'd face if this operation went south.

For the hundredth time, Elena studied her surroundings…her captor staring at her from his chair, the strength of the chain and its anchor in the cement floor…striving to understand where she was and how to get out. Her mammoth ego would not let her believe that she couldn't find a way…that she was well and truly trapped.

CHAPTER 50

Carrick was growling about his new role as Elena's attorney.

"Honest to god, Grace. I'm getting a dozen calls a day from those women about the most trivial of issues…low on conditioner, Betty quit without notice…the shop windows need cleaning…Elena must have been quite the micromanager. No one can make a move without her say so."

The minute the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them. Grace was still operating on the belief that Elena was her dear friend and would not just disappear without calling.

"Carrick, I want her number," she demanded of her husband.

"I told you, Grace. I only accepted this job from her because of your friendship. I don't know what she's up to except that she's gone to Europe with some rich middle eastern sheik. I have no idea when she'll return or even if. God knows, I wish I'd told her to get someone else."

"Well, cherishing her involvement with a rich man is like Elena, that much is true but I'd still like to believe that she'd contact her best friend. I'd really like to talk with her."

"Mom, you know Christian doesn't want anyone outside the family to know what's going on," Elliot cautioned.

"Well, I wouldn't tell anyone," Grace said, unconvincingly.

Mia giggled as she cuddled on the couch with Armie during Christina's nap. "Mom, com' on. Elena has always been able to wheedle private information out of you…especially about Chris. Haven't you ever found her intense interest in our brother rather odd?"

"Mia's got a point, Mom. That woman creeps me out. Always has. When I was a kid, before you adopted Chris, you would have thought that I didn't exist. When Chris arrived, she was always trying to touch him no matter how often we warned her against it."

"Maybe she's a pedophile, El. She sure fits the profile they taught us in med school," Armie remarked casually as Grace gaped at him.

Mia half-heartedly slapped Armie's shoulder. "Hey, that's my Auntie Elena you're talking about!"

"Oh, please. El's right. I've seen her fawning all over Christian like there's no one else in the room. It obviously makes him uncomfortable. I've watched him brush her hands off of him. And as for being your "Auntie", I'd rather you didn't go to lunch with her, alone."

Armie said all this with a fervor he usually reserved for politics. He really meant it. He worried about Mia when she said that she was going to lunch with Auntie Elena and he wanted her to get her hair done at some other salon.

Grace was still gaping at her daughter's boyfriend. She'd never realized that he saw her friend in such a tawdry light. Was he jealous? She felt that she should speak up in defense of Elena but she also was aware herself that Elena had always favored Christian and that the two spent a lot of time together when he was a teenager. When she arrived for lunch with Elena, Christian was usually the first topic brought up.

Grace got up and left the room. They hadn't heard anything yet from Christian and everyone was worried about the transplant. Now this business with Elena had her puzzled and concerned.

"I'm sorry. I've upset Grace. It was thoughtless of me," Armie groaned.

"No, son. You're in good company here. I've been trying to make Grace see the light about Elena for many years. She pities Mrs. Lincoln because she has no one else. No one in our circles would talk to her if not for Grace's influence. Everyone loves Grace and I've had more than one woman express her confusion to me. What are they all missing about Elena's character that Grace doesn't?...they ask. All I can do is shrug. And I've lost count of the times I've called Christian into my study to free him from Elena's cloying attention. I think the only reason he hasn't socked her is because of Grace."

"Hey, Armie," Elliot began, "did you mean what you said about Elena fitting the profile of a pedophile?"

"I'm afraid so. Of course, Christian is too old for that anymore but I've wondered, watching them, if she victimized him in the past."

Elliot and Mia went quiet for some time while Carrick left for his study.

"Well, I certainly brought the room down," Armie remarked.

"When I was 14, Elena came on to me," Elliot said softly. Mia stared at her brother and unconsciously tightened her hold on Armie's hand. She waited.

"She'd begun petting me, tousling my hair and inviting me by her house for milk and brownies. She always did this when Mom was out of the room. I told Mom and she dismissed my concern…told me that Mrs. Lincoln was lonely and wanted children of her own. I didn't know how to explain to her that I, just a kid, knew that her interest in me wasn't right."

"What made her stop?" Mia asked.

Elliot shrugged. "I avoided her. Whenever she came over to the house, I disappeared to my room. When she came to my room, I crawled out the window and ran over to my friend's house. Mom scolded me for being rude but somehow I knew better. My skin would crawl when Elena rubbed circles on my back. I told grampa Trevelyan about it and he told Mom to leave me be. Mom must have said something to Elena then because that was the end of it…until Chris."

"When did she start in on Chris?" Armie asked. He was aware of Mia's growing discomfort. He put his arm around her shoulder and took her left hand in his.

"I don't know if you remember, Mia, all the trouble that Chris would get into. He was kicked out of three schools for beating up classmates…all of whom deserved it, by the way. They were bullies he stopped from picking on other kids. Still, even the Grey name couldn't get him a reprieve after breaking someone's nose. Mom and Dad were at their wit's end. By that time, I was kind of preoccupied with getting into a cheerleader's pants. All I recall is that suddenly Chris was being sent over to Elena's to clean her yard and do other chores. He stopped fighting, started getting top grades and got real quiet. Mom and Dad were just relieved. I guess we all should have paid more attention."

"Elliot, if Aun…if Elena is a pedophile, well, those people don't quit. She'd still be abusing kids to this day," Mia warned. This stomach-roiling conversation stalled when Kate came bouncing into the house.

"Elliot! That monster truck of yours is taking up most of the driveway. I think it ate Armie's little beetle. I had to park in the street. When this baby arrives, we're getting a family-friendly van. Whoa, what did I walk in on? What's wrong? Is it Ana? Elliot, is Ana all right?" Kate began to hyperventilate. Elliot leapt to his feet and embraced his teary-eyed wife.

"Nothing is wrong. We haven't gotten word yet on Ana. Calm down, please."

"Yeah, Kate," Mia said. "We were all just wondering if Mrs. Lincoln is a pedophile."

"WHAT!" Kate screamed. "That woman doesn't come anywhere near my baby! You hear me, Elliot?"

Elliot chuckled. "Our son is still safely tucked away inside his mother. Don't fret, honey."

CHAPTER 51

Elena wasn't the only person pacing a room. Thousands of miles away, Christian was doing likewise. While the nurses were drooling over him at their station, oblivious to the patient's lights demanding their attention, Christian was aware of nothing but the doors to the corridor…doors that hadn't moved in hours. He felt that he would explode if someone didn't bring word, any word, soon. He'd read everything he could find on kidney transplantations and he knew the operations were complicated and lengthy. However, by now Carla should be missing one of her kidneys and be in recovery. The first words out of her mouth when she awoke would probably be "Where's my money?"

His heart did a flip when the doors moved and a nurse emerged. This was her first look at the famous Mr. Grey. She'd heard all the other nurses raving on about the Adonis in the waiting room but she smirked at them, believing herself above all that childishness. She was a professional, bringing information to a patient's anxious husband.

She froze in her tracks as the most devastatingly handsome man she'd ever seen raced toward her. OMG, she thought. The stunned look on her face was mistaken by Grey for news, bad news.

"What's wrong? Is my wife safe?" he seized the nurse by the arms, trying to shake information out of her. The nurses at their station so envied her.

Somehow she came to her senses. "Oh, I apologize, Mr. Grey. It is Mr. Grey, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes. My wife?" His amazing gray eyes were wide and alarmed. The nurse indicated that they should sit in a far corner. Patient information was confidential, of course, and there were a couple of other people in the room.

"Your wife is doing well, Mr. Grey. Dr. Whalen has removed the donor's kidney and she's been removed to recovery. She's already coming out of the anesthesia…muttering something that sounds like honey or money. Now he's beginning the process of transplanting the kidney into Mrs. Grey. Gosh, she's a lucky woman," the nurse said, staring at Christian.

"I mean, to have found a kidney, of course. I mean, what else would I mean by 'lucky'?" she breathed out. "I'll be back when I have more information for you. I know that this is a difficult time for you but it's almost over. All the labs show that this match couldn't be better."

Christian was so thrilled that he hugged the nurse without thinking. She then floated out of the room, ignoring the jealousy on the faces of the station nurses. Christian flopped into a chair and leaned over, burying his face in his hands…praying to a deity in which he did not believe.

Suddenly he thought of his family awaiting word back home. He'd better update them. But first…

CHAPTER 52

"About what you'd expect, sir. Steaming, whining, threatening…the guys started putting things into her coffee just to shut her up for a while. Oh, you know, laxatives, sleeping powders, like that. Yes, sir. We take nothing for granted. We double check her chains every day. She can't reach the walls, the ceiling, the door. She can make it into the bathroom and we check every time she's finished. Actually, I think that she might be losing it some. She has no perspective…no idea of time. Her only fun is throwing her food at us but then she goes hungry until the next meal. If she behaves, we give her a treat.

"How are things going there? Uh, huh…good. Please don't worry about anything here. I give you my word that things are well in hand and I'm taking nothing for granted. Well, no, that I haven't come up with yet. I'll let you know. Goodbye, sir."

Taylor went back into the house and conducted another check of security. The last round of coffee, filled with a strong laxative, had worn Elena out and she had crashed on her bed. Even her periods of sleep were closely monitored for fakery. Taylor wanted to see Gail but he knew his job.

"Hi, honey. How are you doing? I know. I miss you bad. Grey called. Ana is just now getting her new kidney and things are going well so far. I'll breathe again when she's released from the clinic. Try to relax, please. Read a book. Watch television. There's no one to take care of but yourself. Please do so? I love you, too."

Gail was bored and lonely. All the security was with Taylor. She didn't feel comfortable hanging out at Grey Manor even though she knew that she was welcome…especially by Margaret who had her hands full…but it wasn't Gail's kitchen and she wasn't at ease in Margaret's territory. Tomorrow was Margaret's day off and then Gail would take over. It was something to look forward to…that and good news about Ana.

"Hello? Oh, Christian, good. These burner phones are hard to get used to when you're accustomed to caller ID. How is it going there? Uh, huh, yeah, yeah. The second she's safely out of recovery, let us know. Here? Don't worry about here. That? Oh, the ladies at the salon are fine. Don't suspect a thing. I think that they're happy to be free of that harridan. I just wish that they were a bit more independent. Well, they call to ask if they can order more conditioner. Yeah. If Elena ever returns, she's going to find her troops less anxious to salute. Good luck, son."

Grace had returned to the living room to greet Kate so everyone looked up when Carrick came in.

"Christian says that the kidney is being transplanted now. The donor is perfect and is in recovery. Dr. Whalen anticipates everything going perfectly. So, what's for dinner? Kate, how is my grandbaby doing in there? Grace, maybe it's time to get Christina up from her nap. Margaret! I need a baked potato tonight."

All talk of Elena and pedophilia was put aside…but not forgotten. Mia hugged Christina close and vowed that Elena would never again get near her. She didn't know how right she was. Armie ate quickly and then had to return to the hospital. Mia missed him and sometimes wished that she had not fallen for a doctor. She was the daughter of one and knew how their schedules could be. Armie laughed at the idea that he'd ever think of himself as a god…not with a girl like Mia. She'd keep him humble.

Christina kept the family distracted from reality. All she knew was that mama and papa had to go someplace far away for a couple of weeks. She wasn't at all happy about it. They had just gotten back from something called a honeymoon and now they were gone again. Papa called a couple of times a day and Christina looked forward to his call tonight. She was going to have to put her foot down, she said, quoting her grandmother. Yes, papa was to return home with mama very soon and then stay put. No more gallivanting, as her grandpa put it.

No one in the family understood just how disturbed Christina was right now. Too much had been going on in her young life the past few months. Mama had asked her to be brave. It was a big ask even for a bright girl like Christina. She would be three in a few weeks and she was afraid that her parents might forget her birthday…might forget to come home.

CHAPTER 52

"Ana. Darling? Can you open your eyes for me, please?"

Christian had been sitting with Ana for some time, pleading with her every few minutes to come back to him. The doctor had told him that everything had gone precisely as it should…there had been no complications and Ana's vital signs were all good.

Christian could already see a change in Ana. Her skin, once wan and pale, had brightened and there was a rose in her cheeks. He wanted so desperately to see her eyes again, her blazing blue eyes changing to soft azure blue when she gazed up at him. He needed to hear her voice, to hear her say his name and to listen as she told him that she loved him and wanted him.

Christian had called his family earlier to tell them that the transplant had gone well. He knew that he needed to make a decision about Elena but he just couldn't think about her right now. He couldn't think of anything but Ana. If Dr. Whalen was correct…and he was the best in the world, right?...then Ana would finally be well. There would be no more dialysis, no more worry…no more of the fear he lived with day and night. He was so weary.

He noticed Ana's eyelids slightly fluttering. Was she finally going to wake up? The doctor walked into the room. He was cheerful until he got a look at Grey.

"Mr. Grey? Didn't I tell you to get some sleep? Your wife looks better than you do. Do you want her to open her eyes and see her husband looking wrecked?" he frowned.

"I did sleep for an hour or so but I'm just too anxious for Ana to come back to me? Are you married, Dr. Whalen?"

"No. I've never had time for anything but my work. No woman is going to put up with seeing her husband just a few hours a week and even then he's half-asleep. Perhaps if I'd been a regular doctor who kept regular hours…but I became obsessed as an intern with organ transplantation. It was new back then. I guess I didn't realize how much it would take out of me."

"Well, I'm certain that there are so many grateful people who are alive because of you. I understand the obsession with work. Before Ana, I was absolutely devoted to my company. I felt such an obligation to my employees as well."

"Ana changed all that?" Dr. Whalen smiled.

"Yes. Ana changed me. She changed everything. Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"Her body has been through a remarkable change and it was a long surgery. She was under anesthesia for quite some time. She'll wake when she's ready. It would be good, however, if she saw you looking good. When she first wakes, she'll be disoriented and then will probably go right back to sleep for a few more hours."

"Why?" Christian asked in alarm.

"Well, her first awakening will be from the drugs used to keep her under during the surgery. Then she'll need to have a normal rest for a while. You've waited a long time for this, Mr. Grey. Be patient for a while longer."

"I'll never be able to thank you enough for saving her life," Christian said as he gently brushed her cheek with his long fingers.

"You've been incredibly generous, Mr. Grey…and you haven't even gotten my bill yet," Dr. Whalen chuckled. "Seeing my clinic in the black for the first in a very long time will make it easier for me to sleep nights. Now, do as I prescribe. Rest." With that, the doctor left the room to check on the donor. This person he was less enthusiastic about visiting.

Christian put his head down on Ana's pillow, next to her head, and his arm around her…falling right to sleep.

CHAPTER 53

"I'm sore. I'm thirsty and I'm sick of these ice chips. I want a real drink. My pillow is flat. Fluff it. Where is my money? I want to see the check. I need more painkillers and better ones. I want something stronger," and on and on. The nurse assigned to Mrs. Hyde was ready to smack her. She'd been yattering on since she came out of surgery nearly two hours ago. She never shut up.

Dr. Whalen stood outside the door, screwing up his courage to face this donor. He'd never met anyone like her…and he'd had some very wealthy and demanding patients. This one, however, was something else altogether. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and walked in with authority and cheer.

"Mrs. Hyde! You are looking wonderful. Excellent outcome. Nurse, Mrs. Hyde can have a glass of cold water now. Tell me how you're feeling, Mrs. Hyde."

Mrs. Hyde went on to tell him and tell him and tell him. He stood over her bed, nodding and appearing to be making notes on his clipboard. He was actually doodling pictures of dragons.

"Doctor!" Did you hear me?! I can still feel pain. I need stronger painkillers."

"You must expect some discomfort, Mrs. Hyde. No drug can take the place of time. In a few days, you'll feel much better."

"A few days?! I have to hurt like this for days?!" As she continued complaining and calling him a quack, Dr. Whalen continued nodding and doodling. The nurse returned with a glass of water and a sedative. It wasn't as fast acting as the two would like. The nurse fluffed the pillow and smiled benignly at Carla as she whined.

"I'm expecting my payment. Where is it?" Carla groused. "For all I'm paying you, I'd expect better treatment," she said imperiously.

"Your payment has already been deposited in the account you listed on your intake form…and, of course, you are paying nothing for your hospitalization. That is all taken care of by the recipient of your kidney. Would you like to know how that person is doing?"

"I don't give a damn about anything that happened after you removed my kidney. He could be dead for all I care. I just want to make sure that I get what's coming to me."

"Well, I'm hoping for that and more for you," Dr. Whalen said as the nurse tried to hide her smirk.

"I assure you that you'll find everything you want in your account when you get back home. Of course, you won't be able to travel for at least a week. We have to be certain that you're well enough to fly for so long. Is there anyone you'd like to speak with? Anyone waiting for you?"

"My husband thinks I'm in Vegas with some girlfriends. He was looking forward to me being gone for a while. I think that he has a chickee on the side, ya know? That's just fine. I'm gonna divorce him, take him for all I can and then live the good life. I'm tired of having to depend on some man."

Carla was beginning to fade from the sedative. Dr. Whalen made a note on her chart that she was to be kept sedated as much as possible while a guest at his clinic.

CHAPTER 53

"Papa!"

"Hello, sweetheart! Ah, it's so good to see your face. Your mama and I miss you so much and can't wait to come home."

"Where is mama? Show me mama!"

"Mama is sleeping. She had her operation and she's all right now. The doctor says that everything went perfectly and the kidney is working and mama can expect to live a long and healthy life." That wasn't true, really. The kidney could last from 15-20 years but Grey didn't want to think about that now and certainly wasn't going to tell his daughter. They'd worry about the next kidney when the time came.

"Papa, when you coming home? Coming home soon? Tomorrow?"

"No, not tomorrow, honey." Christina began to scream and cry, demanding that her mama come home NOW. Elliot took the phone from her. Grey was deeply shaken. He'd never seen a child having a tantrum.

"Chris? Yeah, she's pretty upset. I think the past few months have been closing in on her. Hey, bro, take it easy. She's got a lot of people here to hold her and love her. She was bound to get crazy sometime but she'll be fine. So, when do you think you'll make it back?"

"Ana was pretty worn out so it'll be a week at least. Tell Christina that she can talk to her mama tomorrow. Also, tell her that her parents haven't forgotten that she has a birthday coming up soon. We will be home in plenty of time for her party. I know that I can count on Mia to plan something great. Don't worry about us, El. Just take care of my little girl."

After turning off his phone, Christian startled himself when he began to shake and cry. Everything was closing in on him, too. It had been building since Carrick had first told him that Ana was ill. He'd been concentrated ever since on getting her well and safe…and now his daughter was scared and missing her parents. He and Ana had so needed that honeymoon to relax and reconnect but now it seemed selfish to have left their daughter alone for so long.

Fearful that Ana would awake to find him sobbing, he closed himself off in the bathroom with the water running. He undressed and sat in the tub under the shower, curled in a ball and rocking. It was some time before he calmed down and then he mocked himself…the great Christian Grey…bawling like a baby. When he'd finally recovered enough, he dried himself off and donned a bathrobe.

The man he saw in the mirror was not the man he wanted Ana to see when she finally fully awoke. He was now the one who appeared to be ill. Still, he couldn't relax…yet. Ana was depending on him. His daughter needed him to be strong for her. His family counted on his fabled strength as well. Even his security team awaited word and further instructions.

Christian leaned his hands on the sink and tried to calm his breathing. He had to get it together. He heard someone in the room and so left the bathroom. A nurse was checking Ana's vitals again and was startled by the man emerging from the bath in a robe. She jumped a bit and then laughed.

"Oh, Mr. Grey. Sorry. It's toward the end of my shift and I'm always a bit tired and a little edgy by then. I just want everything to go smoothly for the next 30 minutes or I'm not getting out of here."

"I understand. I'm on edge myself. My daughter is angry with me for taking her mother away."

"How old is your girl? Mine is four and has expectations that I often fail to fulfill. If something goes wrong with even one patient, I don't go home. She, of course, doesn't understand that."

"Christina is almost three. My wife and I got back from a long trip and then left again when this kidney turned up. It's all been too much for such a little girl."

"Did she pitch a fit?" the nurse kindly asked.

"Yes. A real good one. I feel like the world's worst parent," Christian sighed.

"Oh, you are," the nurse giggled. "We all are. Our parents warned us that we'd pay one day."

Now Christian had to laugh. Geez, he had put his parents through hell…even as an adult. Talking with the nurse made him feel better. He was grateful for her company but she had to leave to do some charting before she could go home. He thanked her and wished her a good night.

Ana had woken very briefly and then gone back to sleep again just as the doctor had warned. Now she was sleeping normally and quite peacefully. Her breathing was soft and easy. Grey sat down next to her and took up her hand.

"Doc says you can't hear me in this kind of sleep so I guess it's safe to tell you all the things I don't want you to worry about. I wouldn't tell you if you were awake and, believe me, I know just how you'd feel about that. I'd get a lecture on not holding things in, on letting you be brave for me…but it may be a while before I trust your health to handle the hell out there. So….

CHAPTER 54

"Our daughter is furious with me and heartbroken, too. She wants her mama and she doesn't understand why I keep taking you away from her.

"Your maternal bio-unit is in a room on the floor below…probably giving everyone a hard time. I paid her a million dollars for a kidney. Still amazed that she had one worth harvesting but we got real lucky.

"I've got Elena Lincoln locked up in a safe house outside of Atlantic City…to keep her away from Carla's husband. I had to kidnap her to keep her from speaking to Carla before I could get her on a plane to Switzerland. Now I have to keep her from doing more harm. The minute she's free, I know she'll be off to see Carla to spill the beans and then Carla will re-enter your life unless I pay her off over and over again.

"I could afford it, I guess, but I don't know if I could trust her to stay away from you. She's crazy. She's liable to get it into her flaky brain that she wants to be a grandmother. Yikes. I know that neither of us want her near Christina.

"So, my dearest wife, what do I do with Elena? She'd spend all her time trying to convince Carla to come to Seattle…you know she would. And beyond that, she'd spend the rest of her life trying to ruin ours. Threats don't work with her. She's too nuts herself to think straight. She'd toss over all her goodwill with Grace and her only chance at acceptance in society and every dime she has just to get revenge on us. We'd never be able to relax…always waiting for the next six-inch set of Louboutins to stalk their way into our lives with their owner's newest plan for our destruction.

"Taylor has offered to quote unquote "dispose" of her. Being former military, former CIA assassin, former anything with a gun…he has no compunction about killing her. He'd get away with it, too. I'm not worried about that. I just don't feel low enough to order a killing. He actually has a friend in the Taliban who'd be happy to take her in, make her a servant in his home in the desert but that seems extreme as well.

"So, baby, I'm stuck. I just don't know what to do with her. God, all I want is to take you home and live happily ever after with my little family. I have brains enough to have built a multibillion dollar multi-national privately-owned company in less than ten years out of a $100,000 loan from my grandfather but I don't know how to deal with my former pimp. If she didn't outright destroy us, she'd be coming up with skeevy new plots to mess with us on a regular basis."

Grey stopped talking suddenly as he thought he saw Ana's eyelids moving but then he understood that she was just dreaming. Good dreams, he hoped. He didn't want her to ever be unhappy again. She was too good, too deserving of a wonderful life. She'd had it so rough for so long.

Gosh, how he adored her, he thought, as he brushed her bangs off her forehead and smiled at the freckles adorning the bridge of her nose.

"You take my breath away…just from walking into a room. Did you know that, Ana? Did you know that I owe every scintilla of my happiness to you? If you hadn't returned to me, I don't think that I would have lived many more years. Wouldn't have wanted more. There would have been no point. I was wasting my life without you.

"Every cell in my body calls out to you. I crave you like a man craves water in the desert. You are life to me."

"Love you, too," Ana softly mumbled.

CHAPTER 55

Her eyes slowly opened and then blinked from the bright lights. Christian jumped to his feet and turned out all the lights except for a small lamp in the corner. This time Ana kept her eyes open. She stared into space for a moment while Christian held his breath. Then she looked at him and smiled.

"Hi, hubby. You're such a handsome man. I like to look at you."

"Hi, wife. You're so beautiful. I like to look at you, too. I've missed your blue eyes. It's been so many hours since you were last awake." He leaned down and gently kissed her lips. As he pulled away, she tapped her lips. She wanted more kisses! He beamed and then pressed his mouth to hers more firmly. She pushed through his lips with her tongue and tickled his with hers. He laughed and kissed her fiercely until they were breathless.

"Make love to me," Ana said. Christian beamed. "Someone is feeling real good," he chuckled. "However, you just had surgery. I can only imagine the look on Dr. Whalen's face if he walked in to find my face between your legs."

"Surgery?" Ana looked confused.

"Yes. Earlier today you got a new kidney…a perfect match…and the doc says that you're doing great. Do you remember flying to Switzerland last night? It's 24 hours later and your kidney is operating perfectly. You're healthy, Ana…really healthy."

"No more dialysis?" she asked.

"No more dialysis." He answered. "I'm going to turn on another lamp now. I need to see your eyes better." And there they were, blue as the ocean, as the sky….Ana's eyes.

"Can I meet my donor to thank them? I really want to do that," Ana implored.

"I'm afraid that donors remain anonymous. They prefer it that way. Besides, yours already went home to rest."

Ana looked disappointed. "Maybe later?" she asked. Christian shook his head.

"You can write a letter when you're stronger. I'll see that they get it. When people do good deeds, often they want to do so without notice. They don't want the fuss. You'd be that way, wouldn't you?"

"No," she pouted. "I'd want a parade and fireworks." Christian laughed and Ana smiled.

Christian reached for the iPad and handed it to Ana.

"Someone's little girl threw a hissy fit earlier…wanting her mother NOW. Better check in, mama."

When Ana's face lit up, Christian knew he'd hear a squeal from the IPad a moment later.

"MAMA! MAMA!" Ana squealed right back. "CHRISTINA!" The two screamed together for just a second longer than Christian's ears could handle it. He excused himself to get some air and to try to think. His meltdown earlier had cleared his mind somewhat and helped him to get some control. He also had begun to realize that having control constantly was perhaps a challenge he was going to lose.

In fact, reminiscing, Grey understood that he rarely had total control. He was always fighting for it…feeling that was the only way to win. If he was completely honest with himself, it wasn't only about winning…it was about being safe. He'd been fighting all his life to be safe. It was a jarring realization…safe….safe from filthy, freezing rooms with broken windows…safe from horrible, mean men…safe from dependence on other people who might let him down. Grey reflected on the heartbreak he felt when Carrick rejected his plan to leave Harvard to start GEH and refused to allow him access to his trust fund. He didn't see it then as a father worried for his son. He understood it was Carrick having power over him and him being helpless.

As his millions piled up and he believed that he had control over his subs, he fooled himself into thinking that now he was safe…that no one could hurt him. Only when Ana left, did he understand that life could be more frightening than he'd ever before known. His raison d'être for life was gone and there was no way to defend himself from the pain. It was a lesson that nearly killed him.

Ana's return brought both incredible relief and joy and terrible fear and further loss of control. He'd muscled his way through their journey to her life-saving kidney transplant but now had to admit that he was exhausted. He was so happy but there were still problems he had to solve and he didn't feel any of the eager resolve he used to feel about attacking those problems and knowing that he'd save the day.

His strength seemed to be gone. He wanted only to be with his wife and daughter. Nothing more.

CHAPTER 56

Mia had gone to the hospital with a lunch for Armie. It would be the only opening he had in his schedule for some time and Mia wanted to sit across a table from him and just look at the man she loved. She'd always been coddled and had no difficulty dumping men who didn't pay proper attention to her. She hadn't realized at first that Armie would be different and it came as something of a shock when she understood that where he was concerned, she was powerless. A woman truly in love.

Now as she gazed at him adoringly, listening to him blather on about some surgery he'd get to participate in that afternoon, she knew that she'd have to become accustomed to being #2 in his life.

As he finished his lunch, he stopped and gazed back at her. She didn't know how badly he wanted her right then. Yet, he had to get his head back in the game. He reached for her hand and walked her to the exit, kissing her longingly. They stood for a moment, forehead to forehead, and then reluctantly parted. She watched as he made his way to the elevator and then sighed, turning to walk to her car where her close protection officer awaited her.

As his billions piled up and the cabinets in the security office overflowed with threats, Christian had assigned CPOs to all his family. Mia was the least cooperative about this development until Armie got Taylor's permission to read some of the "correspondence" to her. She was shocked into cooperation.

Mia's CPO informed her that while she'd been lunching with Armie, Ana had called on the iPad. Ana and Christina had, in his words, gone ape shit at the sight of each other.

"I'm told that they spent the first several minutes just screaming with joy. Also, Mrs. Grey looks great. She isn't gray anymore and her voice was strong. She and her daughter discussed her upcoming birthday party, too, which I guess you're in charge of, Miss Grey. Would you like to stop at some party stores on the way home?" he suggested.

"That's a good idea, Tony. Maybe it'll take my mind off…other things. Any news on when they're getting home?"

"Mr. Grey, your dad, I mean, said that it'll probably be a week at least. Miss Christina is unhappy about that. Maybe getting her involved in party planning will help distract her."

"She's certainly lived a whirlwind since she came to us," Mia noted. "After this party and her parents being home, she'll be ready for preschool. I hope that doesn't destabilize her further. She hasn't spent much time, that I know of, with other kids her age."

"My little boy had a bit of an adjustment," Tony replied. "It was just him and us and suddenly he had a teacher telling him what to do and other kids to deal with and, well, it was a struggle at first."

"He came out of it okay, though?" Mia asked.

"Oh, yeah. He loved it after he got used to it and now he's in first grade and he's doing great. My wife works part time at the school so she gets to see him during the day and she takes him home, too. The only fly in the ointment is my job. Every time there's news about a cop being hurt, she begs me to take up plumbing," Tony laughed.

"Tell her that plumbers deal with a lot of contaminated water. Maybe you could be a librarian," Mia chuckled.

Tony and Mia spent the rest of the afternoon plundering party shops. Mia asked Tony what people did for kid's parties. Tony reminded her that he wasn't rich and he was pretty sure that Mia wanted more than a cake and some balloons.

Mia arranged for a bouncy house that resembled a castle…all in pink, of course. Pony rides, a magician, a clown, face painting, boat rides…although that might not go over with her parents.

When she arrived home and excitedly told her mother her plans, Mia was shot down rather quickly. It was pointed out to her that Christina didn't know any other children and would be happy with just a party with her family. Next year, Grace appeased Mia. Next year.

CHAPTER 57

Elena lay wan and weary on her bed. She had been ill with diarrhea for…well, she didn't know for how long. At first, she had tried marking time in her head but had long since given up on that. She was completely disoriented with no idea of the time that had passed since she'd been chained up in this room. At first, she'd been able to keep track of the days by tallying the shifts of her jailers. Figuring 8 hours per shift, she could tell when 24 hours had passed but, being Elena, she couldn't stop herself from bragging about her genius and, thus, the guards had begun staggering their shifts…sometimes 3 hours, sometimes 1 and so on until Elena was thoroughly confused. She was sleeping a lot, too, and so didn't notice the men coming and going.

She was also fed at odd intervals and then napped until she'd awaken suddenly and have to make a dash for the toilet. She was losing weight…that she could tell by the fit of her clothes. She told the guards that she needed to see a doctor, that she wasn't well but they didn't care. She didn't know, of course, that her illness was due to laxatives and sedatives. She was also tired of the junk food she was being fed. Often, she just let the hamburgers and fries sit until they weren't edible.

What frightened her most was the loss of the mental acuity that she prized so much. Her efforts to plot escape, to plot revenge, were stymied by her inability to concentrate. All she could think was that when she was released, she would get well and then she would rain down hellish vengeance on the Grey family. However, even her belief that she would ever be released was beginning to fade.

Lying, staring at the ceiling, she'd think back to the good old days in her basement dungeon with Christian bound and gagged or hanging from the carabiners…enduring anything she demanded of him. He belonged to her then…to no one else. Grace would beam as she told Elena of how well her son was doing in school now, constantly spending evenings studying in the "library". He never got into trouble anymore. Yes, he seemed distant and Grace worried about his lack of social life but still…it was such a change from the days of fights and expulsions and failing grades. Perhaps now he would have a better future.

Yes, agreed Elena. Of course, the future she was thinking of was spent in her dungeon. She knew also that he was exceptionally intelligent and she'd been grooming him for success…the kind that paid well. Christian was her retirement plan, not that she worked much but she intended that he become quite wealthy and give her the greater share of his riches.

When he requested to become a Dom and have his own subs, she helped him achieve that goal and, thereafter, kept him under her thumb by supplying him with subs of her choosing. For years, he was her personal piggy bank. When he rebelled, she reminded him that she could ruin him and he would snap back into his place. She had hoped that one day they would again enjoy BDSM together but then that homely little vermin had wormed her way into his life and wallet. At first, Elena hadn't considered Anastasia Steele to be a competitor, certainly not a worthy opponent, but she had been more tenacious than Elena had counted on her to be. Christian had even come to believe that he was in love with her! After all that Elena had taught him about the foolishness of feelings, of affection, and he had let himself be taken in by that trollop. When Ana had left him, Elena thought that she saw a light at the end of the tunnel but Christian abandoned BDSM, abandoned her.

The day that he had tried to kill her with the elevator finally impressed upon her that she had lost him for good. Now, all that was left to her was revenge…sweet, sweet revenge.

Except that she was a prisoner and oh so tired, so tired. Her only thoughts were of freedom, finding Carla and reuniting her with her spawn. Elena managed a malicious grin.

CHAPTER 58

"Any idea, yet?"

"Besides the one you've rejected?"

"I can't sanction assassination, Taylor."

"Well, then, we'll have to keep her prisoner. She isn't looking good, sir. We may not have to lock her up much longer. Yet, every now and again, her guard catches her grinning maniacally into space and then I fear that she's still planning ways to hurt you."

"Oh, I'm sure she is…starting with bringing Carla back into Ana's life. That cannot happen, Taylor."

"Sir, now that Ana is so much better, perhaps you underestimate her strength. This, after all, is the same woman who somehow managed to leave you, a feat she herself describes as herculean, emotionally. Maybe she is now capable of facing up to her mother and ridding herself of that harridan."

"She still has nightmares, Taylor. I can't take the chance that Carla could do real damage to Ana again."

"Sir, there's something else you haven't considered."

"Oh. You mean that my notoriety is bound to expose Ana to the public. I have considered that, Taylor, and I haven't an answer for that either. I've been so concentrated on Ana's health that I haven't had room in my brain to think of anything else."

"Elena, Carla, Ana…they're all unfortunately connected, sir, and I purpose that we accept that we trust Ana's fortitude to dispatch the evil duo. She can do it, sir. And didn't you promise to stop controlling her life? Isn't it time to let her show you what she can do? I know you're scared for her, sir, but when it comes to those she loves, she is a tigress. I suggest helping her to face her enemies head on."

For some time, Taylor thought that Grey had hung up on him but he held on to the phone and waited. He knew his boss. He was only cowardly when it came to protecting his family. It was then that Grey seemed to lose ground. He'd walk in front of a freight train for them but that was the easy way. Allowing one of them to handle their own trouble…that made him quake in his boots. Keeping them safe was his job. Letting go? Impossible. Couldn't chance it.

"We have all her blackmail material?"

"Yes, sir, and her Cayman accounts have been emptied. Your father has called all the notes on her salons and her mortgage. She has no money…no way to get any. Carla is too wily to fall for anything Elena tells her. She won't share. She may try to get in touch with Ana if only to demand more money. Please trust your wife, sir. Ana is in the catbird seat."

"Maybe, Taylor. Maybe."

CHAPTER 59

Ana opened her blue eyes to find her husband's bright gray eyes smiling into hers.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Are you ready to go home today?"

Ana was pleased to see Christian looking so happy. He always tried to disguise his fear behind his loving gaze but today she could see only delight in his eyes. It was wonderful. Still, she knew him well, better than anyone could ever know him, and she knew that he was troubled. She hadn't asked him yet to talk about it and she determined to wait until it was absolutely necessary…or until he himself brought it up. She didn't want to spoil what for him seemed to be his first peaceful moment since she'd returned to Seattle.

"I can go home? We don't have to return again for checkups or anything?" she asked…almost disbelieving. She searched Christian's eyes.

"Dr. Whalen says that you are completely healthy. The kidney is working as if it has always been yours. Your doctor back home will be keeping an eye on you but we don't have to come back here. We're going to go home, celebrate our daughter's third birthday and then look for a house to call our own," Christian smiled and lightly kissed Ana's lips.

"We aren't moving back into Escala, then?" Ana had never let on but somehow Christian knew that Escala would never be home for her. He'd had a realtor searching for a home on the water. He wanted Ana to have a real home with a garden and all the cozy ambiance she'd never feel in his old bachelor pad. He certainly didn't want her to live in a place with so many bad memories.

"No. We'll have to stay at Grey Manor while you fully recuperate but we're going to have our own house…just like you've always wanted."

"How did you know that I always wanted a real house?" Ana asked.

"I knew because you are a warm and loving woman and Escala is cold and sterile. The only life it ever had was when you lived in it. The realtor already has a couple of places for us to see. I'm looking forward to getting home from work and finding you and Christina playing in our backyard. All I want is for you and Christina to be happy, Ana…happy and safe and well.

"I haven't told you yet today that I love you."

"Well, it is 8 a.m. and I just woke up," Ana giggled. Then she reached for his face and said the words that made his heart swell.

"I love you, too, my wonderful husband. So much," her eyes tearing up. He leaned down again and kissed her deep and true. As he drew back, she asked him why he stopped and he laughed.

"If we keep this up, I won't be able to stop and I have to help you dress and get you packed up and checked out of this clinic."

"Not quite this minute, Mr. Grey."

Ana and Christian tore their eyes away from each other to greet Dr. Whalen. He spoke with them for several minutes about Ana's current health and to give instructions for her continuing recovery.

"How soon can I make love to my husband?" Ana asked, completely without guile. Dr. Whalen had to chuckle at her lack of artifice while Christian's face turned red.

"You still have stitches and you'll find that you're not comfortable in some positions but as long as you take it easy…well, enjoy each other."

Ana was beaming and Christian wondered if his lust for his wife was all that apparent to the doctor.

"There's a bedroom on our plane," Ana informed the doctor who was trying hard to avoid laughing out loud.

"Honey, I don't think that the doctor needs to know that," Christian gently chastised Ana even though he thought that she was adorable…and he was so grateful that there was, indeed, a bedroom on the plane.

"Well, then," Dr. Whalen announced. "Consider yourself a free agent. I am done with your treatment here. Please check in with your nephrologist at home as soon as possible. Call me with any questions you might have in future. And, have a wonderful life."

Ana and Christian spent some time hardily thanking the good doctor for saving her life. For right now, Christian could think of nothing but getting his wife alone. Dr. Whalen had decided not to ask Mr. Grey about the donor's expectations of payment for the kidney. She was a real nut case anyway.

CHAPTER 60

Christian glanced out the window at the blue sky and the clouds just below. He was still catching his breath and Ana had already fallen asleep. He pulled her still closer in his arms. He could never seem to get close enough. He always needed more. He tilted his head in order to press his lips to her damp head. He gathered the blankets over her shoulders and drew in her scent. His protective feelings had never been stronger. He would fight the devil for her.

For all too brief a time he had given her all the love he had for her but he hadn't pressed for more…fearful that she was still too weak. High in the air above the Atlantic Ocean, he felt she was safe. Nothing could touch them here. He was trying his best to think of nothing but Ana…yet the haggard visages of Carla and Elena pushed against his brain. While she was heavily sedated, he'd crept into Carla's room, needing to see the monster for himself. He wished that he'd resisted. Now he was burdened with the faces of two monsters.

Taylor had suggested combining blackmail and bribes to keep Elena quiet. Now that his security team had all the proof necessary to put Elena away for the rest of her life and she was broke, he could offer her enough money to live on and stay away. The trouble with this simple plan was that Elena was crazy…too crazy to see beyond her violent hatred of Ana. Without thinking it through, she would set out to destroy her and thereafter blink with bewilderment that there were unpleasant consequences. Christian could see no way to get through to the tiny shreds of sanity left in Elena.

Taylor had also urged his boss to simply keep Elena locked away for the remainder of her life but he also acknowledged that being her jailers was demoralizing the security team.

STOP! Grey's brain screamed at him. Be in the moment, the here, the now. Be with Ana for the rest of the flight. You have everything right now! Yet he couldn't turn his brain off no matter how hard he tried. He further tightened his hold on his wife. She whimpered in her sleep…maybe a dream of Carla or maybe feeling pain from his grasp. He relaxed his grip. Ana sighed.

Don't, he said to himself. The last time you held her too firmly, she'd wriggled away. He realized that he was hyperventilating. Fear was standing at the foot of the bed, grinning down at him. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe slowly in and slowly out. Soon, sheer exhaustion wore him down and he succumbed to sleep.

However, even his sleep tortured him. Elena's eyes, wild and wicked. Carla pounding on the cabin door. He shot awake to find that the pounding was only gentle knocking as Natalia alerted him to their upcoming landing in New York to refuel. He would have to wake Ana and help her into her clothes. Maybe she'd want to leave the plane to eat.

"Ana?" He jostled her slightly and her eyes opened. "We're landing in New York. You need to get dressed."

"I need to shower. Is there time?"

"Yes, for a washcloth to freshen. I'll get your clothes ready. Do you need my help? We haven't long."

Ana shook her head and shuffled off to the bath. He unpacked a sweater and slacks, leaving them on the bed while he pulled on a pair of jeans and a white shirt. She thought that he was sexy, she said, when he rolled up the sleeves of the shirt. If Ana wanted sexy, he'd give her sexy.

"Sir, the pilot will be starting his descent in five minutes," Natalia announced through the door.

CHAPTER 61

For the next ten days, Christian ignored Taylor's hints that decisions needed to be made about Elena. Being a happy husband and father was making him lose his edge. Before Ana, Grey would have been ruthless about Elena's prospects. Now he just wanted to pretend that she didn't exist.

Welch had alerted him that Carla had left Jack Hyde and taken off for a condo in Las Vegas. Hyde had headed to Reno for a quick divorce, puzzled but pleased about his wife's departure. Carla had also dropped her married name and adopted the surname of her last legal husband, Morton…hoping to throw Jack off the scent if he wanted money.

Perhaps insolvency would prevent Elena from hiring another investigator to track down Carla, especially since she might not know the name Morton. Grey could give her enough money to fund a studio apartment in a large, dangerous city like Chicago where she would be trapped for the rest of her life.

At the moment, however, Christian wanted only to celebrate his wife's health and his daughter's birthday. He was both run down and rejuvenated, happy and anxious. Would he ever be able to just enjoy his life? he wondered. He felt sometimes as though he'd been racing full tilt from disaster his whole life. He wanted so badly to be done with all the drama…to live a boring, contented life with the people he loved.

"Christian." Ana was speaking to him as they sat on the patio of Grey Manor. She could see that he was far away and she was worried. "Christian, please talk to me," she begged.

"Oh, sorry, honey. I was lost in thought."

"I know you were. You used to turn to me for help. You still can, you know. You're worried about something and I don't think it's my health anymore. Please let me love you as much as you love me." Ana's eyes were slightly teary with concern and it killed him to see her thinking that he didn't need her. Suddenly, his fear tumbled out of him.

"Elena. It's Elena. I've put everyone in danger because I let her in. I don't know what to do about her. I'm sorry, Ana. I'm so, so sorry."

Ana was alarmed. She'd been leaning on Christian for so long that she'd come to take his strength for granted. Now she could see that he was crumbling under the weight of worry he'd lived with for literally years. Worry for her, for his family, his employees and now his child. Convinced that he was responsible for everyone.

He leaned his head into his hands. Since they'd disembarked from the Grey jet, he'd grown increasingly more distant. He'd watched his wife and child run into each other's arms. He'd forced a smile on his face as his whole family ran to him. He was failing them.

Ana lowered his head into her lap and slipped her hands through his hair to calm him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held on for dear life.

CHAPTER 62

Later, Ana had loved Christian into a deep sleep. Usually he would know if she left the bed but tonight his weariness was overwhelming. She carefully slipped out of his arms and donned her robe. She took her phone into the bath and closed the door behind her.

"Taylor, I'm sorry to wake you but we must talk. No…don't even try to bamboozle me, buster. I want the whole story and I want it now. You must see that Christian needs help. Meet me in Carrick's study and yes, I know that you're tired but this is an order."

Without waiting for a reply, Ana rang off and crept back to the bed. Christian was lightly snoring…something he did only when he was thoroughly enervated. She prayed that he wouldn't miss her soon. She didn't have much time.

Taylor was waiting for her. He looked wiped out as well. Ana felt guilty for putting him through all this but Christian rarely took his eye off of her and she needed to know everything. She sat on the coffee table in front of Taylor who slumped on the couch. She reached out for his hands and grasped them in her own. Now, she said, tell me all of it.

There was a lot to tell…everything since Christian had walked into the living room many months before. Taylor wanted to give Ana the condensed version but he hadn't forgotten how smart she was and how determined, when she had to be. If he tried to hold anything back, she'd only hound him until he filled in the blanks.

The expression of concentration on her face didn't change as he told the story right up to the present time. Once he'd assured her that he'd held nothing back, she ordered him to bring Elena back to Seattle from Atlanta and to imprison her nearby.

"Why, Ana? She's secured where she is and the further she is from you and Christina, the safer you are." Taylor was perplexed and quite concerned.

"I want her close at hand. I intend to handle her, Taylor. Your team needs a rest and you need to stay home with Gail. Don't think I haven't noticed your absences and Gail missing you. And you don't let on to Christian that I know anything or that you've moved the devil back home. Do you understand me, Taylor? I'm well. My brain is working. If Christian should ask to discuss the Elena problem with you, put him off. Tell him that you're working on a plan and you'll share it later. I want my husband to rest. I want you to rest.

"Taylor, I trust you with my child's life, with the lives of everyone I love. I can see that you are dismayed but I'm asking you to trust me now."

Taylor looked into the face of a woman he hadn't seen in years. If Grey knew that Taylor had left his beloved wife to deal with Elena….

Oh, god, what was he doing? How could he even be thinking of agreeing to this but he was…he was agreeing to leave the problem in Ana's hands. He nodded and stood. He embraced Ana and told her to be careful. She said to let her know when Elena was back and where he'd stashed her.

Meanwhile, she had a lot of thinking to do and, she knew, she had to reconcile herself to do whatever it took to save her family from Mrs. Lincoln.

They might all be amazed to learn of what she was capable in desperate circumstances. They'd grown used to thinking of her as the woman at death's door. They'd forgotten that she'd survived Carla and mostly raised herself from the age of six. She was brilliant and tough. She'd been sick for so long that she'd almost forgotten herself that she could handle anything.

It was time to remember that she was Steele.

CHAPTER 63

Christian's eyes flew open. Something was wrong. His strong arms automatically firmed their hold around Ana. It was then he realized that he was only holding fast to her pillow. He looked toward the bath but the light wasn't on. Still, he leapt out of bed and ran into the bath. Perhaps Ana had fallen or fainted. No, she wasn't in there. He ran back into the bedroom. He was about to pull on his pajama pants when he saw that she was, indeed, in bed.

He must have had a bad dream. That was it. He imagined that she was gone. Good grief, he was really going round the bend. He had to get a grip.

Carefully, he eased himself back into the bed and enveloped Ana in his arms. His heart stopped racing and his breathing slowed. Ana rolled over and nestled against his chest. Christian sighed and fell back to sleep. Ana smiled. Then she began to formulate a plan to deal with Elena.

Unlike her no-longer ruthless husband, Ana was willing to do whatever it took to safeguard her family. Various ideas came and went as Ana considered that many of them were more vengeful than protection. Revenge upon Elena for all she'd done to Christian was an attractive thought and something Ana was more than willing to exact. A bullet to the brain. A knife across her throat. A deep hole where Elena could eat dirt.

These and more occurred to Ana but it was only wishful thinking. Part of her, she knew was capable of murder. A larger part of her was not. She was a mother, for heaven's sake. She couldn't go around killing people. No, she would have to be more inventive. Think outside the box, as the saying went. Anybody…and Ana did think anybody…could simply kill Elena. Elena needed to be dealt with in a way than punished her…for a long time.

An idea. It would require the help of other people which did not appeal to Ana. She was loathe to involve others in her scheme. Others, in fact, might be loath to be involved.

The night was moving all too quickly toward dawn and a certain little girl was an early riser so Ana resolved to put the current crisis aside for now. Tomorrow she would begin to work out the details, to determine the validity of her idea. Maybe other ideas would come to her as well after a good night's sleep and a good night's sleep could always be had while enveloped in her husband's arms.

Whatever she decided on, she didn't want to ruin Christian's idealized thoughts of her. Never could she disappoint him. She thought back to her reasons for running from him all those years ago. Her fear of eventually being rejected for being boring had been a large part of her needing to flee.

She felt him nuzzle her neck in his sleep. She heard him sigh with contentment. She no longer feared that he would grow bored with her or want his subs to return. He'd more than shown his devotion to her.

She remembered that day that he'd walked into the living room of Grey Manor and she'd felt compelled to stand to greet him…like he was lord of the manor and she a maid. She'd been terrified that he would growl and order her out. Instead, to her shock, he looked stunned and truly overcome. When he saw his child for the first time, he was awed…not appalled as she'd feared.

He'd approached her timidly…afraid of her! And more than that…the gaunt, tense look on his face before he comprehended what he was seeing…faded before her eyes. His expression softened. His eyes lit up. He was happy to see her. This, she hadn't expected. Then, as he looked at Christina, so hopeful that she was his child. He wanted her!

It was a day she'd never thought to happen. She really was home! She had her man and her child and the creaker would rot before she could take them away.

CHAPTER 64

While Christian discussed party balloon colors with his daughter, Ana sat on the couch in Carrick's study, researching the details of her plan on his laptop. Carrick, who worked from home a lot these days, sat behind his desk, quietly studying his new daughter. He loved Ana and he recalled the woman he knew in the months before she'd begun to wither under his son's control. It wasn't only Elliot who'd endeavored to enlighten Christian as to the effect this was having on Ana. Only Elena supported him, telling Grace that a man like Christian could only take command of his world…not simply allow it to be. It was the only time that Carrick had ever seen his wife angry with Elena and he'd so hoped that that anger would create a chasm between them. Still, Grace forgave as she always did. He supposed that her gentle acceptance of other's flaws was one of the reasons that their marriage had survived so long and so well. The hard-headed attorney had often brought his cold and stern courtroom manner home with him. He wondered, too, if Christian's ruthlessness in business had been a result of watching his father work a case.

Now, as he watched Ana's face, he began to see a visage he hadn't seen in years. The tiny v-shape between her eyes as she concentrated. A certain tension around her mouth and the laser focus of her usually soft blue eyes.

He'd also noticed a subtle glance between Ana and Taylor that morning that startled him. It was almost invisible but the lawyer in him saw those kinds of things. Years of studying the faces of jurors and prosecutors. Something was up.

"Ana, I don't want to disturb you," he interrupted her work, "but I'm curious. Something is off with you today or should I say, something within you has returned to the surface. What are you up to, Ana? If I didn't know you better, I'd say that it was no good."

"Dad, I'm working on my plan to rid my husband of Elena for good."

Her blatantly honest and forthright admission knocked the wind out of Carrick. He stared.

"I'm only telling you this because I'm going to need your expertise in legal matters to pull this off."

He continued staring. His sweet, soft daughter had morphed before his eyes into a fierce litigator. He was mute. His brain had frozen for the moment.

"Carrick, I'll warn you now that what I want you to do is probably unethical and illegal…though not as unethical and illegal as my initial method."

Carrick gulped and weakly inquired as to her initial method of handling Elena. "Murder," she blithely replied.

"Murder," he repeated blandly. The mother of his grandchild had considered murdering Elena. What in the bloody hell was going on!?

"Ana, sweetheart, I'm going to need considerably more information."

"Of course, Carrick. My husband is suffering. He has been suffering for a long time because of Elena's actions and now he is worn down with concern for me, for Christina and for the entire family. He doesn't sleep well and he's begun snoring. He only snores when he isn't sleeping well. He has taken action to neutralize Elena's threats but he'll have to continue to do so for the rest of her life and it is wearing away at his health, mental and physical.

"He tried to hide his concerns from me but I demanded the truth from Taylor. I've now assumed the burden of Elena from Christian…although he doesn't yet know it. I may never tell him. I'll decide later. Meanwhile, Taylor and Christian have Elena contained for the moment but they can't continue as they have and I want my husband to be at peace.

"It's my turn to protect the family."

CHAPTER 65

"PINK!" Christina insisted. Christian sighed. Mia had brainwashed his child. She would be three years old tomorrow and she was obviously quite gifted yet she still said "cubcakes". Mia.

"Darling, don't you like yellow? It's such a bright and happy color." If he had to sit in the middle of an ocean of pink all day, well….a man can endure only so much.

"No, papa." Christina's tone was one of tolerant impatience. Her father was being quite thick this morning.

"Okay, pink," he conceded. He smiled wearily at his daughter as he placed a call to the Party Palace.

"Yes, pink. Hundreds of pink balloons filled with helium."

Christina squealed with delight and ran off to tell Aunt Mia who was sulking in the kitchen as she made pink red velvet cubcakes with pink frosting. It would be a giant cake made of cupcakes, a culinary masterpiece with a tiny pink ballerina dancing on the top. Mia would take a picture of it because Armie wouldn't see it in person due to his schedule.

Gosh, she loved that man…more and more every day…but his work hours so frustrated her. She'd wanted him to call in sick but he was ethical…honest…infuriating.

"Yes, I understand that you don't have several hundred but I'm telling you to find them. You do want your establishment to earn continued business from GEH, do you not? Then make certain that those damn balloons, only in pink, arrive here tomorrow by 1 p.m. sharp or you can start making "Going Out Of Business" banners instead. Do you understand? Good."

He rang off, feeling swell. It had been some time since he'd thrown his weight around to win a deal. He chuckled to himself, reflecting that the deal had not been for a shipyard in Taiwan but pink balloons for his baby. Maybe he needed to get back to work at some point. After the Elena situation was handled, of course.

He and Taylor had exchanged "good mornings" but nothing beyond that. Christian wanted to think of nothing but his daughter's birthday party today. He had noticed, however, that Taylor had a certain lightness to his manner that hadn't been there for some time, if ever, actually. Taylor was a security pro and his manner was always rather glum. Indeed, the glum was reassuring. It meant that his safety and his family's was well in hand.

Christian squeezed his eyes shut tightly to avoid the memory of Taylor from this morning. Maybe it was just that he and Gail had had a good night together. There. Gone. Speaking of…where had Ana gone to for the last little while. Maybe she was in the kitchen with Mia.

She wasn't…but there were cubcakes. Hmmm…he dipped his finger into the batter and was rewarded with a swat.

"Don't be touching my creations with your unwashed hands, Christian," Mia sharply reprimanded him. Well, wasn't she in a mood, he thought. Lack of Armie, he surmised.

"I'm sorry that Armie can't make it, Mia. Think of it this way. He may be saving a life or two," Christian said. The look he received in return made him understand that Mia didn't give a hot damn about lives being saved. She may have matured quite a bit since meeting Armie but she still wanted what she wanted.

"Anyway, I love this idea of a tower cake made of cupcakes," he said as a second effort to wipe the snarl off her face. Christina was oblivious to the exchange as she licked a beater. He didn't suppose that she'd let him have the other beater. She'd use the birthday girl excuse. Well, just wait until his birthday came around. 'Course, then she'd bat her eyes at him.

Okay. But he wouldn't allow pink balloons at his party. He laughed inside. The Ana effect. Him having a birthday party. An event he'd avoided all his adult life. Even as a child, he'd sneak off to his room to avoid playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

Mia was still snarling but his daughter was a delight to watch. He was the luckiest guy on the face of the planet, he thought. His life had been taken over by not one but two beautiful females who both loved him. Christina finished the second beater and caught her adoring father gazing at her.

"I love Aunt Mia's cubcakes, papa, but I love you even more." High praise from a three-year-old. She even made Aunt Mia smile.

CHAPTER 66

Grace walked into her husband's study. She wasn't the sort of person to notice evil doings right under her nose so seeing Carrick and Ana deep in serious conversation was only mildly suspicious.

"Good morning. What are you two plotting?" she said with a smile like sunshine. Again, she didn't notice their guilty glances at each other.

"Good morning, Mom. We're just discussing Christina's party. She wants a clown and that isn't going down well with the rest of the family," Ana grinned.

Grace shivered. Clowns. She'd had a clown at Christian's party when he turned five and it was a nightmare. He ran to his room and screamed for an hour. The clown slunk off after Carrick slipped him a hefty tip.

"I think that we're all adult enough to endure a clown for a while. He can paint Christina's face with butterflies, make balloon animals, do magic tricks. Christian can hide in your room until he leaves but no screaming."

Carrick chuckled as he shared the story with Ana.

Grace was in a very good mood so she sat down on her husband's lap. Besides, she wanted something. She kissed his cheek. Ana excused herself to join her husband and daughter.

"I wasn't that good last night, ma'am, so what is it you want?" Carrick smiled.

Grace giggled. "Well, first of all, I want you to wear the sweater Christina bought for you for the party."

"Gracie," Carrick groaned. "That is the ugliest thing I've ever seen."

"That's probably the point, dear. Our granddaughter is quite the schemer." Carrick figured that she got that talent from her mother.

"And I want to invite Elena," Grace said firmly. Carrick nearly choked.

"I don't know where she is at the moment, dear." He wasn't lying, he told himself. She was in transit, according to Ana.

"But you have her number. She may not be able to make it but she'll be hurt if I don't invite her."

"Actually, I don't have her number…at least, not her new one."

"No one at the salon has heard from her either. This sheik that she's involved with might be keeping her prisoner, Carrick. I think that we ought to look into this matter. I'm growing more concerned. Perhaps she's being trafficked."

Carrick hated to see his wife so frightened and he hoped the guilt he felt didn't show. He tried to laugh off the idea that someone like Elena could be hoodwinked. Grace wasn't convinced. She climbed off his lap.

"Carrick. Please find Elena. And soon." With that, Grace turned and left the room. Carrick moaned. He was caught between a rock and a hard place…between his wife and his daughter. Neither, he knew, would be giving an inch.

CHAPTER 67

Elena hadn't moved in hours. That wasn't a bad thing. Moving meant running pell-mell to the toilet for another bout of diarrhea.

She wanted so badly to know the day, the month, the time…but they wouldn't tell her. She, of course, didn't know that they had stopped dosing her food with laxatives because they were afraid that all that diarrhea would kill her. Soon, although again she didn't know it…she would feel stronger. She would be able to think again and she could maybe scheme her way out. Still, there were the sedatives. Her jailers would never stop those. She would only begin again with her non-stop haranguing.

She'd been more heavily dosed with this last meal because they wanted her soundly sleeping when she was moved. Any time now. Her guards had breathed a sigh of relief when they received word that soon they could go home. They discussed among themselves what would happen to Elena.

"I'll bet we're ordered to dose her enough that she won't awaken when the place is burning to the ground," said one.

"Nah," said another, "that would draw cops and they'd find bones and start an investigation."

The rest nodded in agreement.

Burial alive? Bullet to the brain? Starvation? Overdosing? That last one they liked except that it would be hard to explain why Elena was out in the woods in an empty cabin. Whatever the boss came up with, the team just wanted it to be soon.

"Well," Latner remarked, "time to wake her up for dinner." Then he stood two feet from the bed and blasted an air horn in Elena's direction. She flew out of bed and fell hard on the floor while the rest of the team stood in the kitchen and roared with laughter.

Elena jumped to her feet, wobbling and falling again. Her nerves were already shot and she had no control over her anger any longer. She screamed and cussed Latner out and tried to reach him without success. She lunged forward, stopped short by the chain around her ankle and fell flat on her face, breaking a front tooth.

"Hello, Mrs. Lincoln," Latner smirked at her. "Hungry? How about a cheeseburger and fries?" Me and the guys are having steak…maybe a breakfast steak…maybe a dinner steak?"

Elena felt the blood in her mouth from hitting the floor. She crawled to the bathroom and washed her face, groaning at her appearance in the mirror. They'd removed her wig at some point and her scraggly gray hair was all that was left on her head. No makeup…skin ravaged from decades of smoking Camels and drinking whiskey…eyes now a watery, faded blue. She didn't recognize herself.

The hatred boiling in her brain was slowly drowning her. She could no longer quite remember what it felt like to be the premier dominatrix of Seattle. The cagey mind that had been so brilliant at devising ever more clever means of luring young boys into her dungeon and then brainwashing them into serving their mistress until they grew too old and dull for her was itself growing duller.

She tried to keep it alive with memories of all she'd done to children like Christian Grey. She laughed to herself when she recalled lunches with the great doyen of Seattle society, Grace Grey. Grace would share her son's troubles and Elena would use those confidences to control the boy. She would send him home after a night at the "library" with red welts crisscrossing his tender 15-year-old body…chuckling at his pathetic efforts to stand up and walk straight so that his parents wouldn't notice that he'd been badly beaten for the last several hours.

She was teaching him to be strong, to take anything and come back for more. He did, for years. Six wonderful years of domination by Elena. When he'd announced timidly that he wanted to be the dominant, she beat him into unconsciousness…but he was stubborn and finally she allowed him to grow into a leader of men as long as he remained her puppet.

She had things well in hand…until… until that girl had helped him develop a backbone. Until he finally realized that he wasn't really his own man. Until he threw Elena into an elevator and ordered her out of his life.

She had a chance at getting him back until that twit had returned. Oh, she'd pay, she would. She'd pay. Elena would drag Carla right to the door of Grey Manor and shove her into Ana's arms.

Elena returned to the bedroom to find her bag of cold McDonald's on her bed.

They'd pay, too! All of them! Starving, she shoved the disgusting grub down her throat and then found herself overcome with sleep once again. She wasn't aware that her chain was being undone nor that she was being loaded onto a gurney and the gurney into a van that was the beginning of her journey to a fateful meeting with the woman she despised with her entire being.

CHAPTER 68

They were everywhere. This was no exaggeration. The ceiling was pink balloons. The furniture was covered. The very air was filled. One couldn't walk through the living room without having to bat balloons out of the way. The only person in the house who could see where she was going was the tiny child able to walk below the balloons.

Ana had been up early filling her daughter's bedroom with the balloons. As Christian was trying to concentrate on making love to his wife, he was startled by Christina's joyous screams as she awoke to "PINK, PINK" everywhere. His dick deflated faster than a popped balloon. His wife giggling hysterically at his dilemma ensured that his dick wasn't going to reinflate any time soon.

"Mama! Papa!" Then it was the pounding on their door and orders to come see her room.

"I want my wife," he grumbled as Ana grabbed her robe and left him bereft in their bed. He sulked for a few more minutes and then pulled on his pajama bottoms for the trip up the stairs. He knew his wife and daughter were in the room because he could hear their voices but all he could see was pink.

In the past, he'd always associated the lovely shade of pink with the beloved place between his wife's legs. Now he wondered if he'd ever again be able to admire that wonderful intimate space without memories of his daughter's bedroom.

He got down on his hands and knees and crawled in the general direction of the laughter until he found the bed and climbed up to join the party. Christina was happy…so very happy and that, he supposed, should make it all worthwhile. Any time now, he told himself. The three of them lay on the bed swatting at balloons until Grace and Carrick called out to them from the hallway. It was time for breakfast…something pink no doubt.

Thankfully, the eggs were yellow and white. Christina was eating pink oatmeal. As usual, Ana was nibbling at some fruit. At least, Christian thought she was since he could barely make out her figure through all the balloons. The adults spent breakfast knocking balloons out of the way as they tried to find their food. It was a pepto bismol hell for the Greys and it was only 8:00 in the morning.

Mia's cupcake tower was complete and stunning. It was also enormous and she had more cupcakes in the freezer. They would be eating cupcakes 'til Christmas. If Christina wanted a forest of balloons for Christmas, her father was putting his foot down.

"Christian, would you please help Christina get dressed for her party? Everything she needs is on her bed."

Christian looked at his wife in horror. She wanted him to go back into that room? It was worse than out here. He gave her a pleading look as his daughter grabbed his hand.

"Come on, papa. Wait'll you see my costume! It's so beautiful and mama says that I look like a dream wearing it."

"Ana. Baby," he pleaded, "are you sure that you don't want to share this special moment with your daughter?" Ana tried not to laugh at his desperate expression. She kissed him fervently and told him that she had errands to run. She wouldn't be gone long. Then a tight hug around his neck. She looked into his eyes and touched her forehead to his and then she was gone into the pink.

"Papa, hurry!"

"Christina, it's only 9 o'clock in the morning. Your party isn't until 1 p.m." He had planned to go around stealthily popping balloons while Ana and Christina were occupied with dressing but Ana had kissed him and hugged him and he was unable to refuse her anything.

CHAPTER 69

Ana and Taylor slipped out of house with Carrick watching through his study window, his brow furrowed with worry. He tried to reassure himself with the knowledge that she was with Taylor, the very best to be found in the protection industry. Elena, he'd been told, was chained to the floor and there were guards everywhere. Ana would be safe…at least physically. Carrick hoped that she would be safe emotionally as well.

"I wish you would just let us go through with your plan, Ana, and skip the visit. Elena is crazier now than ever. No pretense of being a grand lady or even a sane one. And without that costume she usually wears, she looks like something dragged up from a sewer. We did allow her a long, hot shower last night and we tried to air out the room but it still smells pretty bad in there. I almost feel like we've punished her enough," Taylor asserted.

"We haven't, Taylor," Ana replied sternly. Nothing they did to her could ever repay her for the hell she put Christian through. Ana had gone through all the pictures and the videos that Taylor's men had found in Elena's safes. Taylor had watched her closely as she did so, flummoxed that his gentle little boss could be so cold and without emotion. And she was…right up until he closed the lid on the box. Then she'd collapsed, sobbing for her sweet husband…that young boy Elena had tortured. Not only him, either. There were so many others in the box.

Since then, Ana had turned to cold steel whenever speaking to Taylor and Carrick about Elena. Her position was clear. Elena could not be allowed the slightest chance to ever again do this, to practice her sadistic brand of BDSM. Carrick had seen the contents of the box as well and he agreed. Thus, he was ready to aid and abet Ana in any scheme she concocted, legal or illegal. Okay, illegal it was.

Taylor had found a safe house close by. He'd also purchased some party supplies for Ana to return with so as not to make Christian suspicious. They would be in and out within an hour and he chuckled knowing that his other boss would be fully occupied and madly distracted while they were gone.

Ana simply stared out the window. She hadn't really planned her conversation with Elena. She just wanted to look at her, perhaps tell her what she thought of her, what anyone who knew her thought of her. A few mild blows to Elena's ego…an ego so all-consuming that Ana's remarks would barely register.

What would touch her, however, was Ana's mere presence, her freedom, her status now as the wife of Elena's prize pet…the knowledge that Elena no longer had any influence over Christian.

They pulled up to a nice looking house down a back road with no neighbors to see or hear anything unusual. Outside was parked a non-descript gray sedan with a license plate decorated with the American flag….a vehicle intended to convey the appearance of the house having ordinary occupants. One of the guards was dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans. Should anyone come to the door, he would answer, holding a shotgun. He would be polite but aloof, explaining that living in the boonies required some protection. A visitor would not hear a sedated Elena and peering around the master of the house, would only see an ordinary parlor. They would be given directions or answers for whatever reason they'd come to his door and then sent on their way.

Today's visitors, however, would park their Mercedes SUV out front and walk right in. Ana smiled at the guards, some of whom she didn't know, and proceeded immediately to Elena's bedroom. Taylor was correct about the odor. As soon as she opened the door, it hit her and she had to cough and cover her nose with a handkerchief until she became accustomed to the smell. Latner, now standing in the corner, apologized sheepishly. He was still in awe of Ana Steele and still grateful for the introduction to his wife all those years ago.

Elena was lying on the bed, appearing to be asleep. However, she heard her guard pushing his chair back as he stood and greeted someone. Mrs. Grey. Grace! Grace had come to save her. Elena sat up, beaming with stained and grayish teeth…a smile that immediately turned to a grimace as she saw Ana standing just inside the doorway.

"You bitch! This is your doing. I'll see you do the rest of your life in prison for kidnapping and torture!" she screeched at Ana who smiled at her. Ana walked a few feet into the room, to get a better look at Elena. What sight she was. Without her wig, her layers of makeup, her black cat suit…Elena would be unrecognizable to anyone who knew her. However, Ana knew her. She studied her for a bit, allowing Elena to react to her presence…screaming, pulling at her chain, spitting in Ana's direction.

After several minutes, Elena tired herself out, sat down on the bed and stared with blazing hatred at her nemesis. Well, she asked, what do you want?

CHAPTER 70

"Hello, Mrs. Lincoln. That's a nice housecoat. It doesn't creak. How are you feeling? Terrible, I hope."

"Christian will divorce you when he realizes what you've done to me. You and your devil's spawn will be out on the street with nothing."

"Oh, Elena. Still deluded, I see. Well, I suppose that it helps to think that Christian is still under your control. However, you were taken under my husband's orders…not mine. He knew you'd go straight to Carla and try to muck up her kidney donation. He doesn't know that I know the truth. He believes that you're still in Atlanta. My return and my illness wore on him. He just wanted you locked away and since I am now well, he is a different man. All he wants is peace and his family. He'd put off dealing with you forever, if he could. So, I've taken over. I will be 'dealing' with you, Elena."

"As heinous as you are, I don't think you're capable of murder," Elena sneered.

"Perhaps not but any of your guards are. Taylor here has killed many people as a military man, a professional assassin…although only those who needed killing. He had offered to put a bullet in your brain. However, he is a kind man and an instant death would be too good for the likes of you. Maybe if I believed in hell, I'd hand him the gun but as an agnostic, I can't be sure that you wouldn't just fade into the blackness of oblivion. Thus, I have your future planned out for you. You'll wish that you could have the bullet I've denied you."

"Whatever you do to me, I'll escape and come for you."

Ana laughed derisively. "Gosh, Elena, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately. You haven't been keeping up with your dental care and I never would have guessed that a woman of your relative youth would be completely gray and almost bald. I think that you overdid the peroxide when you dyed your hair. Also, I have to admire your way with makeup. You really covered up all those wrinkles I can now see. This, is the real you. The other Elena was just a creation of yours. You truly appear now to be an elderly woman…which will help me in the next phase of your punishment."

"Punishment? For what?"

"You'll never accept your sins, will you, Elena?"

"The only sin I've committed, Ms. Steele, is failing to protect Christian from you right from the start. I should have had you killed the first time I met you. I knew you were trouble but I delayed and Christian fell in love with you. I'd kept him from feeling that foreign and useless emotion for twelve years and I believed that he'd come to his senses. I admit it. I was wrong. You're far more clever than I could see."

"Oh, you've no idea how clever I can be when my family is threatened…or how dangerous. Don't get attached to this place, Elena. You won't be staying long."

"Where am I going? What are you going to do with me?" Elena's voice quavered. She tried to not show it but she was beginning to feel real fear.

"Well, I can tell you that where I'm taking you next, you won't have to be chained. Still, you'll never escape. You'll live out your life in this place. I'll see to it that you are well cared for with proper medical attention so that you live a long life. You'll be watched constantly. No privacy…even in the bathroom. You'll be alert and aware of your surroundings that will offer no means of escape. Kind of like being buried alive or being locked in a body that you don't control. You will no longer be able to practice BDSM. You'll never again see a young boy. Possibly on a TV screen…so close and so untouchable."

"You'll never get away with this, you ugly bitch. People will notice my absence…from my salon…from social gatherings."

"As far as anyone knows, Elena, you are now the mistress of a middle east sheik. He is quite possessive and rarely lets you out of his sight. However, you live like a queen and he treats you like one so you'll never leave him. This is the story that all of Seattle knows. Your employees are relieved that you are gone. They really loathed you. The salons are now under new management and your former employees are working toward being a co-op. They're happy and the salons are doing better than ever.

"Your absence from high society is the stuff of gossip. Everyone believes that you'd run off with a rich man. The women are just grateful that you're no longer trying to steal their husbands. You see, Elena, no one misses you a single iota."

"You've forgotten about Grace," Elena growled.

"She, too, believes that you're somewhere in the middle east. She wants your phone number so that she can invite you to my daughter's birthday party. She doesn't expect you to fly home but she doesn't want you to be hurt."

"And what are you going to do when you can't produce a phone number?" Elena smirked.

"Oh, we'll think of something. Perhaps your sheik was unable to protect you from the rest of his jealous, American-hating harem when they decided to hang you from the balcony. Or…they might have beaten you to death. Whatever. Grace will have to accept your death.

"Christian is going to come clean about his past and his time with you. After that, well, we'll have to keep Grace from hoping a plane to go to your new home and beat you senseless. She'll be so relieved to know that you are dead."

"She won't believe you. She adores me," Elena protested.

"She doesn't adore you," Ana laughed. "She feels nothing but pity for you because no one else can stand you. She is so kind-hearted that she tries to be your friend. As for believing me, I'll just show her the box filled with evidence we've collected from your safes…especially the stills and video you shot of Christian. Of course, her first reaction will be heartbreak, knowing that she'd provided all the information that you needed. No more margaritas for lunch.

"Well, I need to go. Is there anything you'd like to ask or say before I go?"

"I will escape and I will destroy you and your little bastard," she hissed at Ana. She didn't expect Ana's response. She'd been so calm and cool.

In an instant, before Taylor could stop her, Ana was across the room. She back-handed Elena so hard that Elena fell off the bed. Ana then wrapped the chain around Elena's neck and tightened it. Elena was turning blue when Taylor pulled Ana off and out the door to the car.

"That was foolish. You could easily have killed her," Taylor snapped at Ana. She merely smiled at him.

"It was satisfying. I was beginning to doubt coming here but being able to lash out her physically felt so good."

Taylor sighed. He wanted the plan executed as quickly as possible so he could have the real Ana back. In a way, he understood her. He'd felt good as the assassin of terrible people who needed killing…and it was satisfying. Still, the Ana he saw with Christina and Christian was a warm and loving woman.

This Ana was cold-blooded and hard as steel. He hoped that he would never cross her.

CHAPTER 71

As they pulled up to the house, Taylor looked over at Ana. "Your face is still set in stone, Mrs. Grey. You might want to take a breath and relax before you go in," he suggested.

Ana did so, several times, and then smiled softly at Taylor. She was back. She stayed seated while Taylor came around to open her door. She always felt a little silly, sitting, waiting for a CPO to open her door but she understood that it was more about protection than chivalry. After she got out, she took a couple of the packages from Taylor…her cover…and he carried the rest into the house. It was almost noon. Her meeting with Elena had taken a bit longer than she anticipated. Her hand still stung as well.

"I'm home," she called as she came through the foyer. Something small and enthusiastic nearly ran her down a moment later. Christina began babbling at lightning speed but Ana got the gist of it. Papa had gotten her dressed although it was a struggle for him. Some of the balloons were popping and all by themselves! Papa said they were tired of hanging in the air. Mia wouldn't let her eat any of her cake yet. Uncle Elliot and Aunt Kate hadn't arrived yet. Could Mama call them and tell them to hurry so they could start the party. Papa had set up a tree and all her presents were under it…like Christmas! This was the best birthday ever!

Mama picked up her tiny treasure and squeezed her until she protested. This was, indeed, going to be the best birthday ever. Her first two birthdays had been lonely ones for Ana. She'd only been able to buy a couple of cheap toys at the dollar store and bake a small cake. Christina was less aware when she turned two but she was still excited and happy.

Today she would be with all her family, surrounded by love. Ana began to quietly cry. Christina didn't notice as she climbed down and ran over to her tree to shake the boxes. Someone strong and warm enveloped Ana in his arms and held her fast. He kissed her tears and tenderly pressed his lips to hers as he gently rocked her. Enclosed in a pink balloon forest, they were alone in their bubble.

"How did you know?" she asked, referring to her emotions about past birthdays alone. He smiled down at her.

"I make it my business to know you as intimately as possible. For instance, I doubt that you went out for more party supplies. I called Taylor."

"He told on me?" Ana asked indignantly.

"Reluctantly, yes. I've been trying to ignore the whole Elena situation but I figured out that Taylor was up to something so I called him while you were in with Elena. Was your visit everything you wanted it to be?" Christian dabbed at her red eyes with his handkerchief while his wife related the details of her time with Elena. Then he picked up her hand and kissed it. It was still a bit red.

"You really socked her," he laughed.

"I almost killed her, Christian. Taylor stopped me when she turned blue." Ana looked sheepish but Christian roared with laughter.

"I guess that you're pretty mad at her, uh?" Ana nodded and said that they would talk more later. Now she wanted to concentrate on her baby's big day. As they stood in the foyer, the door opened and the space filled with Elliot and his very pregnant wife. His big smile and his booming voice took over the foyer. He grabbed Ana for a hug and then slapped his little brother on the back, nearly knocking him over.

The party was on.

CHAPTER 72

Elliot flopped down on the couch next to his little brother and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"How's your first birthday party for your first child going, bro?" he grinned.

Christian smiled. "It's been great, El. Christina really loves the train set you gave her…although I know that I'm going to go blind watching that little engine running in circles for hours at a time. Hey, how's Kate feeling? I know she has three months to go but she looks like she's ready now."

"Twins…and keep it to yourself. Amazingly, our mother the ob/gyn hasn't figured it out yet."

"Tw!...twins," Christian whispered. "Wow, El. That's great. That's really exciting. I guess there'll be enough babies to go around. Again, how is Kate feeling?"

"Like shit. Her back hurts. Her feet hurt. Twins usually come early and she's counting on it. I'm making arrangements to take several weeks off work and we're going to get a night nanny. I'd rather my wife didn't go stark raving mad. She's no picnic to deal with as is. I mean, I adore the woman but patience is not one of her virtues.

"How about you guys? More children on the horizon?"

"We haven't talked about it yet. Ana certainly can't have them herself. Just isn't safe. Maybe we'll adopt or do a surrogacy or just call it a day. I missed so much with Christina that having a baby from the start would be great but I'm not taking any chances with Ana's health."

"What do you mean? She seems great to me," Elliot said, looking across the room at a radiant Ana.

"Organ transplants last from 15 to 20 years, El. The healthier she stays, the longer the transplant lasts before we have to start hunting again."

"Oh. Geez, I didn't know that. I thought it was a done deal. I'm sorry, bro. Boy, I'm not telling Kate that. Does Ana know that?"

Christian looked at his brother. "Of course, she knows that, El. She's known from the beginning…before she even came home. She says that she just wants to see Christina through university. Golly, she wouldn't be 50 yet. Maybe there'll be new medications, surgical techniques, something. If she lives to be 100, I won't be ready to lose her."

"Sorry. Dumb question. She's got a Ph.D. from Wharton, after all. I know how you feel. I'll never be ready to say goodbye to Kate either. Every time I read about some guy who's lost his wife, I wonder how in hell he keeps breathing. To tell the truth, I'm scared just knowing what she's going to go through to give birth to our kids. I shoot awake at night in a cold sweat to check on her. Her doc's reassured me a couple of times that she's healthy and strong and he's keeping a real close eye on her but it doesn't stop me from being scared."

"Being in love with someone is terrifying sometimes," Christian said to his brother. "I do a lot of deep breathing to calm myself. How do other guys manage? I knew so many who seem to take their wives for granted. I don't get it."

Just then Christina jumped into his lap. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. She was tiny but not tiny enough. Elliot roared with laughter, knowing that soon enough he'd have to wear a cup to protect himself from his own children.

Most of the pink balloons had mysteriously deflated and the party was winding down. Ana was across the room with Mia and Grace, fussing over Kate. Christian cuddled his 3-year-old while he gazed adoringly at his wife who was rubbing Kate's feet. No, 20 years would be just a drop in the ocean. No amount of time would suffice.

Elliot excused himself to relieve Ana of her current responsibilities. Ana relinquished Kate's feet and left to sit with her husband and daughter. She settled herself close and hugged his arm, sighing with contentment.

"You know, this time last year, I thought I'd be gone by now. I never dreamt that I'd be healthy and safe with you and our daughter. You've given me my life, Christian. You've given me everything. Thank you."

"This time last year I was the most miserable s.o.b. on the planet…suicidal ideation doesn't begin to describe my mood. Now I have a perfect child, a perfect wife and a perfect life. It is you who has given me everything, my love. My gratitude will never be enough."

They kissed sweetly, mindful of Christina who was beginning to doze as she curled up against her daddy's chest, both wishing that they had the words to truly express their thankfulness for each other.

CHAPTER 73

Neither could get enough of the other, resting briefly before they began again. Christian's lips covered every inch of Ana's body and then did it again. She giggled as his tongue dipped into her belly button on his way down to her warm, wet folds. Then she stopped giggled, grabbing his hair with one hand and the sheets with the other…trying to hold onto the intense pleasure before it flooded through her in a giant wave. Even as she was coming down, she took hold of Christian's cock and began her own special brand of hoovering until he arched off the bed, calling out her name. She could, as the saying went, suck the chrome off a trailer hitch. He'd been blown by the best, by experts in his red room, but no one had ever brought him the joy he felt when Ana took him into her mouth.

Still, nothing brought either of the them the thrill, the satisfaction of being utterly connected. More than anything, Christian craved being inside his wife and nothing made her feel more loved and secure than having her husband inside of her. She squeezed her walls around him to hold him as tightly as possible. Even after he came, he stayed. She hugged and he held on as he rolled them unto their sides, their legs wrapped together.

"Does every woman want her husband as much as I want you?" Ana breathed hard with her hands in Christian's hair.

"Well, I haven't quizzed Elliot in detail but I don't think it's possible. It's all I want, Ana…to be needed so much by you. The combination of you and you wanting me is almost overwhelming sometimes." He was barely able to gasp out his answer. The intensity of their love-making sometimes felt like it would tear their bodies apart. That last orgasm had nearly knocked him unconscious.

They both knew that they were being really loud but, in the moment, they just didn't care. In the morning, Grace and Carrick would avoid their eyes for the first hour. Thank god Christina was on the third floor.

"Should we soundproof our bedroom in the new house?" Ana asked.

"Oh, definitely. I don't want to have to hold back until our daughter goes to college," Christian chuckled. "We can get a one-way monitor to listen for her."

"Oh, my brilliant man," Ana grinned as she thrust her tongue into Christian's mouth…again. They couldn't get enough of this dance. That is, until Christian's cock hardened again. Ana loved the feel of him and knowing that only she and she alone could arouse him like this. She was certain that the most gorgeous woman in the world could walk naked past him and he'd not notice. He was hers.

And Christian knew that no other man had ever been of the slightest interest to Ana and never would be. The absolute certainty that he had no equal in her eyes, her body or her heart brought him a peace that nothing else ever would. Jealousy, insecurity…these would never be a part of their lives.

There would be other problems, to be sure, but most of them would be outside of their union. They had the unique gift of being completely content with each other. Even all those years ago when Ana was ostensibly just his employee, when other men ogled her at all those business dinners and galas and charity balls, fearing that she would leave him for one of them didn't occur to Christian. It was as if deep inside, before he was yet aware of his heart and soul being no longer his, he knew her…knew this woman unlike any other woman.

She was finally sated enough to sleep. He would never get enough of her, even if only sleeping.

CHAPTER 74

Carrick, Christian, Ana and Taylor gathered together in the study at Grey Manor to discuss Ana's plan. Ana was not pleased with Christian's presence.

"Honey, I don't want you involved. You've always protected me but now it is my turn. You and your gorgeous face are too well-known," Ana argued.

"…And yours won't be? The paps are already at the gates trying to get pictures of Christian Grey's wife and a beauty like you won't go unnoticed. This whole damn plan is too dangerous." Christian was furious and scared. He didn't want Ana involved with Elena in any way.

Husband and wife took deep breaths and kept silent for a while. Carrick looked at Taylor, encouraging him to speak up. Taylor was, of course, not willing to get in between his two bosses, both of them strong-willed and stubborn, each determined to protect the other.

"Boss," he said, as both looked up at him.

"I mean, Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey and I have gone over every detail of this plan, time and again, with your father's help. No stone left unturned, etc. I promise you that she really knows what she's doing. Do you trust my professional judgement, Christian? Do you honestly think that I'd let your wife put herself in harm's way if I didn't believe that she could pull this off?"

Grey was temporarily stumped. As pros go, none was better than Taylor, but he just couldn't wrap his head around his sweet little wife doing the dirty work.

"You and I could handle this together," he protested. Taylor shook his head.

"Look, I considered using Preston but decided against it because we want to keep this as much on the down-low as possible. No one but the four of us should know anything about this plan…except for Mrs. Lincoln, of course. The fewer people involved the better. The only reason that you know about this is because you guessed that we were up to something."

Christian looked at his wife in horror. "You were going to do this and keep it a secret from me? Until when?"

Ana blushed but admitted that she'd no intention of ever getting him entangled in their plot. She'd only brought Carrick into it because there were too many details he needed to help with and, thus, his taking part could not be avoided. …And no. He would never tell Grace. The poor man was already lying up a storm. Ana felt badly about all the lies but this was a matter of life and death. She intended to protect her entire family because that is exactly who Elena Lincoln was bent on destroying.

"Christian, try to understand. I'm not a helpless, fragile woman any more. I'm strong. I'm smart. And I'm gutsy enough to do whatever it takes to keep all of us safe. This doesn't mean that I don't trust you to handle matters but the plan we've developed requires my participation and definitely not yours. I'm sorry, my love, but your delectably handsome face, body and voice are too well known. The plan won't work with you fronting it. Don't you see that?"

Christian jumped from his chair and slammed his fist against a wall. "Yes, dammit, I do…and I don't like it! There must be something else we can try…something that keeps you safe!"

He turned to Ana and grabbed her into his arms. "I didn't move heaven and earth to save your life just to send you off to a jail cell." He wrapped his arms around her, desperation overcoming him.

CHAPTER 75

"I'll be safe."

"You'll be with Elena."

"She won't be a problem."

"Yeah, she's never been a problem," he responded sarcastically.

"Darling, she's been everything from a major annoyance to a danger to your very life…an ongoing threat to everything you hold dear since you were four years old. I hold her responsible for most of the stress in your life and I'll not wait until she dies for you to feel peace. I'm taking care of this now. Carrick and I have a great plan in place which will ensure that she is never a danger to us or another child for the rest of her life."

"I don't think it's a great plan," Christian growled. Ana laughed.

"That's only because you didn't think of it," she teased.

"Enough arguing," Carrick asserted. "Let's get moving. This is one of your mother's rare full-time days and I want to be home in time for dinner."

.+.

Where was she? Her mind was all fuzzy and she couldn't move. The smells…antiseptic, urine. It was cold and noisy. People were screaming, fighting. Had they moved her into hell? She fought to open her eyes and then wished she hadn't. Everything was white…a dirty white. Harsh, bright light. Filthy, laminated floor. She was in a wheelchair…must have been a while now because her butt was sore. She wanted to get up but her legs were strapped down as were her arms. Just wait until she got free.

She tried to lift her head but it was too hard, too heavy. They drugged her…the lousy sots. Well, it would wear off and then she'd scream her head off. She'd out them to the world. Yeah, they'd made a big mistake bringing her out into the open.

The chair turned a corner into a large sumptuous office. If she could have raised her head, she would have seen the sign on the door…Director of Heathwood Sanatorium for the Criminally Insane. Carrick had searched and researched until he found the sleaziest and lowest rated such sanatorium in the country. This place was the original bedlam, a snake pit. Here there was no such thing as therapy. Its license would never be revoked because it was the last of its kind….a warehouse for the insane. Here could be found the least loved relatives of the wealthy who simply wanted their troublesome family members housed, fed and kept prisoner for the rest of their days.

The director, Herbert Winchell, was only forty years old, a doctor who'd lost his license to practice psychiatry after several of his patients, high on drugs issued by him, had tried to kill their families. No bother. He secured a degree in administration which allowed him to run this place and do as he wished. He had a sadistic streak which ensured that he hired like-minded staff. His little home away from home was inspected every couple of years by poorly paid county employees who appreciated the fat envelopes given to them after they signed off on the veracity of the facility. During his tenure, Welch had found no instances of treatment that would draw disapproval from state authorities. No patient had ever left except in a black bag on a gurney on its way to the crematorium.

Winchell stood up to greet his guest, a tall and distinguished gentlemen with gray hair, heavily black-framed glasses, a van dyke beard and wearing a bespoke suit….a man of means. With him was a small woman…a severe blonde hairdo, tinted lenses, surgically plumped lips painted purple, wearing gloves and touting a long, cigarette holder. She was wearing a black, form-fitting suit with a plunging jacket and no blouse.

Herbert found himself distracted by this odd beauty…or, at least by her jacket. He exchanged handshakes with the older gentlemen and invited the lady to sit in one of his leather chairs. The gentlemen preferred to stand at her side.

Herbert took the time to directly observe the woman in the wheelchair. She was a sight not unlike the average patient…elderly, thin gray hair, skinny and veiny arms and hands, quite wrinkled and excelling in resting bitch face. In fact, he'd have to say that it was more than bitchy. It was wicked.

CHAPTER 76

It was explained to Mr. Winchell that the woman was, in fact, not a relative. The gentleman presented papers giving him and his companion power of attorney over the old woman and her health and finances.

"I see. And how did you come to have the, ah, responsibility for this woman," Winchell ever so politely inquired. The woman began…her voice high and a bit shrill. He winced.

"She was the long-time housekeeper for my aunt…loyal to a fault. At some point," the woman tapped her ashes on the floor, "she began to, shall we say, overly identify with my aunt. She would don her apparel, makeup…even jewelry. My aunt caught her doing this often in the past few years but always overlooked it due to her fondness for the woman. She did become more alarmed when Miss Schwartz began referring to herself by my aunt's name. At first, it was only upon answering the phone. Then she began dressing as my aunt to do the shopping. They bare a slight resemblance, especially when dressed alike. Miss Schwartz bought herself a wig and, my goodness, they could have been twins.

My aunt continued to accommodate her housekeeper's eccentricities, feeling them harmless enough and trusting in Miss Schwartz's devotion to her."

The lady leaned forward dramatically, revealing more of her décolletage and garnering Herbert's complete attention. She spoke in a low tone.

"One night my aunt Elena awoke to find her twin looming over her as she lay in bed. Miss Schwartz demanded to know what this woman was doing in her bed. My aunt was, as you can imagine, quite frightened by this apparition. She screamed and Miss Schwartz ran from the room. The next day all seemed to be as it should. The housekeeper looked like she always did. She greeted my aunt as she usually did and breakfast was served. Upon questioning, the housekeeper appeared puzzled by my aunt's accusations.

"Well, my aunt thought that she'd dreamt the whole thing. Shortly after, whilst enjoying a brief sojourn in Dubai, she met a lovely sheik and was invited to be his guest on his yacht. She came home to tell me that she'd found love. I was so pleased for her, of course. She informed Miss Schwartz that she intended to return to Dubai and marry the sheik, even converting to his religion. She would sell the house, the cars, the businesses and be gone within the month.

"The housekeeper became hysterical, wondering what would become of her. My dear aunt assured her that she would be provided for with an apartment and a pension. However," the woman leaned back in her chair and blew out a puff of smoke, crossing her shapely legs, "after decades of living in a mansion, having access to a chauffeur-driven Benz to collect groceries and living a life she considered to be hers, Miss Schwartz found the lesser life offered to her to be unacceptable. She, shall we say, made other plans."

At this point, the woman seemed overcome. Her companion gripped her shoulder and continued on her behalf.

"To be succinct, Mr. Winchell, she attacked her employer. Grabbed her by the throat and nearly choked her into unconsciousness. Mrs. Lincoln managed to extricate herself from the situation and locked herself in the bath. For more than a week, she remained in that room. Miss Schwartz would leave food for her outside the door. It wasn't until my client came by to check on her aunt that she discovered the horror with which the poor woman had been living.

"By this time, the housekeeper was fully done up as her employer and was calling herself by her employer's name. She claimed to have locked the "housekeeper" in the bath for her own safety and intended to "take care of her" as was her due after so many years of service.

"Simply put, Mr. Winchell, this woman you see before you had gone insane, whackers, crazy, off her nut. Her employer's affection for her precluded any police involvement. Thus, she left for Dubai, leaving my client to deal with the problem."

"Oh, now, Jeeves. My aunt has always been good to me…and I am her only heir…so I am happy to assume responsibility in this matter. Mr. Winchell, you will take good care of her, won't you? She has a violent temper and is, I believe, a physical danger to others. We've kept her slightly sedated for that reason and to help her to relax. However, and this is quite important and absolutely imperative, Mr. Winchell, she is to be only mildly sedated…just enough to keep her somewhat sleepy. We don't want her so doped up that she doesn't understand where she is. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Quiet enough to be satisfied with a chair and window but not so deeply subdued that she is incapable of being cognizant of her surroundings."

"Quite so. Also, bland foods only. We wish her to live a long and healthy life in your care. Also, and this is very important, address her at all times as Mrs. Lincoln or Elena. She becomes so upset if called by any other name. She also believes that she has been kidnapped by important people. On the way here, she looked at me and said that when her dear friend Christian Grey, the multi-billionaire, found what I, quote unquote, had done to her, he would rush to her rescue."

"Oh, my goodness! She is deluded, isn't she?" Herbert exclaimed.

"Hereafter, Mr. Winchell, you will deal only with me. A monthly check, a cashier's check, will be sent to you personally, to pay for Miss Schwartz's keep. Here is my card should you need to contact me for any reason. I would also appreciate a short note each month discussing "Mrs. Lincoln's" condition. My client is a person of some importance in both society and political circles and cannot be publically associated with this unseemly situation." Jeeves stern visage allowed for no contradiction.

As Mr. Winchell nodded his understanding of the delicacy of this matter, "Mrs. Lincoln" came to life.

CHAPTER 77

At first Elena's words were slurred and she was drooling a bit. Almost hysterical after her ordeal, she attempted to explain to Mr. Winchell that she'd been kidnapped by these people because she knew too much. She spun a long, convoluted tale about mothers, kidneys, her dear friends…Christian and Grace Grey…being held prisoner and chained to a concrete floor….all the while Mr. Winchell nodded as if he completely understood.

Elena demanded that he bring in the police for a full investigation and have these two imposters detained. As she spoke, her words became clearer and she sounded saner. Ana looked up at Carrick, beginning to feel faint of heart but he squeezed her shoulder. Mr. Winchell assumed that this display was only an indication of their concern for this poor woman.

"This woman is Ana Grey, wife of Christian. She has always hated me because of my friendship with her husband. He is enamored with her and her blue eyes."

At this remark, Ana whipped off her glasses and looked sadly at first Mr. Winchell and then Elena with her big, brown eyes.

"Oh, Miss, I mean, Elena, you poor darling. Please try to calm yourself. This tantrum will only raise your blood pressure. I promise you. We are only doing our best to care for you." Ana accepted a handkerchief from Carrick and dabbed at her eyes.

"Mr. Winchell, would you mind terribly if I had a few moments alone with "Mrs. Lincoln". To say goodbye properly. She did, after all, faithfully serve my aunt for so many years until dementia set in."

Mr. Winchell and Carrick left the room, closing the door behind them. Ana moved her chair out of spitting range and sat back down with a self-satisfied smile on her face.

"Well, Elena, how do you like your new home so far? You know, if you behave yourself, you may be unbound here. Any funny business, however, and you'll be put into a straight-jacket."

"You'll never get away with this. I'll tell the truth to this guy and sooner or later, he'll believe me. Then the axe will fall."

"Oh, Elena. Your delusions have once again done you in. We have taken every precaution and we know that we'll have your complete cooperation. Should we receive word that you've become too much for even this institution, you'll be moved someplace else where you'll never be a problem to anyone ever again…someplace small and cozy and six feet under."

"You'd have me killed? I don't believe it. You could have murdered me long ago instead of going to all the trouble of caging me up in here."

"Elena, I don't want you dead," Ana said, looking quite serious now. "No, indeed, I want you to live out your life in utter misery in this place. Anything you tell anyone here will be reported back to me. Everyone in here is bat-shit crazy. You'll find no allies. There are no amenities of any kind…no library, no pool, no game room, no television…nothing, Elena. You'll be followed and watched every second…even in the toilet. You won't have any chance to attempt suicide although you'll dream of it every day. Once in a while, for shits and giggles, I'll come to visit. I'll wave to you from behind a window.

"You are trapped, Elena. Shut up and shut away like the monster you are. Oh, and did I mention that we have boxes of evidence of your years of pedo-practice? We discussed turning you over to the police but I, I came up with this idea instead. Yes, Elena, this is all me plotting against you. Oh, my husband, my adoring husband knows all about this. He fears for me and didn't want me to come here but I insisted.

"Your goose is cooked, Elena…deep-fried. This asylum is where you will spend what remains of your wasted life."

As the truth dawned at last on Elena, she went wild. Screeching like a crazed hyena, lunging toward a smiling Ana until she knocked the wheelchair over. Men in white coats ran in with syringes and stabbed Elena in her neck. She howled in pain and swore at them. Soon, however, she faded away.

As Carrick and Herbert returned to the room, the men righted the chair and wheeled Elena away, nodding at Winchell's instructions that "this one" would need to be secured in a locked room. Ana, meanwhile, feigned fear as Carrick comforted her.

"I had to move the chair. She was spitting at me. You might have to cover her mouth. Oh, poor Miss Schwartz."

CHAPTER 78

Since Christina had gone down for her nap, Christian had nothing to do but pace. He had tried to convince Ana to wear a wire so that he could listen in as she and his father put Elena away but Ana had refused…fearful that he would hear something that would upset him. They wouldn't even tell him where they were taking her for fear that he would follow. It had been hours and soon his mother would be home, wondering where her husband and daughter had gone to while she was working. Margaret was preparing dinner…a special dinner that seemed to be celebratory which made Margaret wonder. Christian told her that they were having a special post-birthday party dinner.

Christian dropped to the floor and began doing pushups. He was so antsy and he wanted to get back into shape. Since Ana's transplant, she'd been urging him to worry about his own health because she and Christina would be needing him around for a long time to come. He'd been running in the mornings again, swimming in the evenings and working out in the afternoons. He was slowly beginning to look like his old self in the mirror and, better yet, Ana had been taking notice…jumping his bones at every opportunity.

As he was working on his one-handed pushups, he heard the front door open. He heard Ana's soft voice giggling with Carrick. He raced to the door. She was all right…no scratches, nothing. He grabbed her up and whirled her around. Despite his father looking on, Christian kissed her until she couldn't breathe. Then he held her tight, his face buried in her shoulder. His father discretely removed himself to the kitchen to check on his baked potato. Margaret had been watching his carbs and sugars but tonight he would not be denied a potato slathered in butter.

Ana pulled back and put her hands on Christian's face. "I'm completely fine, honey. Your father and I had a wonderful time," she grinned, mindful of Christian's furrowed brow.

"You're certain," he needed to know.

"Yes. Elena was sedated almost to the time we left and she was strapped into a wheelchair. She tried to charge at me and knocked herself over," Ana laughed. "She also made a determined but hopeless attempt to convince the director that we'd kidnapped her and that she was a dear friend of Christian Grey."

"He didn't want to call me?" Christian said skeptically.

"Not at all. He pretended to be listening but the guy is an unscrupulous crook who was delighted to be of service to a couple of rich people who'd send him a check each month. We even alerted him that Elena needed bland meals."

Christian threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, I hope she enjoys her pureed beets."

"Carrick has set up an automatic account to receive the bills and pay them. You should have seen that man's eyes light up when we said "cashier's check". You can be sure that the money will go right into his personal account."

"Don't we feel a little bit guilty to be supporting such a scam? I mean, Ana, what about all the other people who have to live there?"

"Okay. Compromise. As soon as Elena croaks, we take the place down or, at least, we take Mr. Winchell down."

"Golly, gee, woman. I should be ashamed but I am so turned on right now by your wickedness that I could take you right here on the couch."

Ana wiggled her eyebrows at Christian but then Grace walked in.

"Well, you two look happy. What's been going on since I left for work?

Mindful of their daughter's exposing Ana's and Grampa's absence all day, they had a story ready for Grace. It wasn't much of a story. Ana and Carrick had gone to a movie so that Christian and Christina could spend time alone. Movie and a late lunch.

"Carrick, I hope you didn't see that movie that I wanted to see," Grace complained on her way into the kitchen.

"Now I'm lying to my mother. God, what a day," Christian sighed as he pressed his lips to Ana's.

"When did Christina go down for her nap?" Ana asked coquettishly. Christian laughed and swept her up in his arms, carrying her off to their bedroom.

EPILOGUE

Catching up: Elliot and Kate became the parents of two children, a boy they named Cary and a girl named Dana. As of this writing, Ana and Christian were still the parents of one little girl. She was gifted, as they already knew, but had no idea that having such a child would be as all-encompassing as it could be. They decided to wait until she was in first grade before considering having another child, that is, if she didn't skip first grade.

A few months after Christina's birthday, they moved into their first home together. It was a beautiful but modest home on the water. They'd torn down Elena's old McMansion and used the land to build to build their house, Taylor's and Gail's, and quarters for the security detail.

Grace came to accept that Elena was gone, gone to live with a rich man in a foreign country and she wasn't coming back. It was just as well once Christian revealed his deepest and darkest secret to the family. It was rough for a while what with Grace blaming herself but she got over it. Why harp on it, she thought, when it was just the crooked road that led Christian and Ana to each other? Grace could not imagine a more devoted couple and she certainly couldn't imagine a man loving his wife more than Christian loved Ana.

Elena, with her imperious and commanding manner, soon ruled the roost at Heathwood. Yes, it was inescapable, boring and the food was awful but being the only sane inmate made her the queen of all she surveyed. She was actually kind of satisfied with her existence.

It took Carla just two years to spend all her money. Now she waitresses at a Las Vegas diner.