Sweetie, Let me Give You The Daddy (FSOG) Chapter 9: On The Rocks, a fifty shades trilogy fanfic

My dear little broccolis💚💚💚

💚Sweetie, Let Me Give You The Daddy💚

"The best investment I ever made, was when I lost fifty million dollars and met the love of my life as a result of that."

‼️Rated M - {Out Of Characters/All Human/Alternate Universe}‼️

‼️Romance/Angst/Drama/Lemons‼️

‼️AS/CG/The Greys/The Steeles/José Rodriguez/Grace Grey‼️

💚Now, in case it wasn't clear, this will be a Christian POV story. and I know you will want Ana's PoV, but it will just be Christian.

💚 READ & REVIEW, DON'T BE A SILENT READER 💚

Chapter 9: On The Rocks (12,4K)

Now, about the title, I just want you to remember that the previous story had a mix of alcohol and sweet when it came to an intimate stepping stone into Christian's and Ana's relationship.

In this story, Christian is the whiskey (Often taken on the rocks) and Ana is the precious stone (also called rocks)

After his board meeting, Christian jumped on the plane that Andrea had booked for him and called Jose once again so he could have the name of Ana's hotel. He wasn't sure what he was doing, and a part of him feared that she wouldn't appreciate him barging in on her like that. After all, this was one of the reasons why they had separated in the first place: because he had overstepped her boundaries.

He arrived in LA shortly before midnight and found a private chauffeur waiting for him, courtesy of Andrea. Once at Ana's hotel, he hesitated. Maybe it would be better to wait until morning before knocking on her door. But the green monster in him kept whispering in his ear that maybe Jack, who was now an actor living in Los Angeles, was in her room. And that the best way to make sure he wasn't, was to knock on her door now.

So he knocked, ignoring the Do Not Disturb sign, and finally, after three attempts she opened the door, her hair down and wild as he liked it, and her eyes red with unshed tears, which he had never seen before. She blinked, as if not sure that it was really him, but quickly regained her composure, and gave him a commercial smile, as she asked, with surprise echoing in her voice, "Christian? What are you doing here?"

Before he could even try to find a decent way to present his condolences and explain his presence, they heard a noise coming from the elevator, and Ana quickly pulled him in her room. She was still harbouring her shallow smile that was getting on Christian's nerves. He had a feeling that she didn't want to be her real self around him.

"Do you want a drink? I'm afraid I have no food for you, only canned peanuts."

"Ana …" He said quietly, but she didn't look up, and he liked it better since he didn't like seeing her display a fake smile in front of him. He watched her busy herself, noticing a couple of emptied beer bottles on the table, as well as a letter that seemed old, judging from the yellowing paper.

"I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

A small silence grew between them, during which Ana was lost in her thoughts. It was only when Christian touched her shoulder to embrace her that she seemed to come back to the present moment. "I don't want to be rude, but I have to go get ready for bed. If you could see your way out."

She finally looked at him, and Christian had to remind himself that it was Ana's job to be convincing even when she didn't feel like it. She was great at it since he was sure that anyone who didn't really know her would have thought she was completely fine. She was even smiling, and her eyes seemed to play along with the faux positivity.

But he knew better, and the fact that she went straight to the bathroom without even trying to make sure he would leave first was enough to make him understand that she had locked up every gram of sadness for that one interaction. He watched the bathroom door close and hesitated. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all.

Maybe Ana wanted to deal with her grief on her own. Maybe she didn't want to cry in front of him. Some people liked to keep their pain private. He knew that he certainly wouldn't want Ana (of all people) to see him cry, so maybe she was the same. Or maybe it was just Ana hiding behind the wall she had gotten accustomed to.

He raised his hand, but his fist never knocked on the door. He knew what he would see if he gave her time to compose herself. So he just inched the bathroom door open and found Ana sitting on the toilet seat, her knees against her chest, and her chin on her knees as tears trickled down her cheeks.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes red and watery, and before she could say a word, he walked to her, and took her in his arms, forcing her to accept the comfort he wanted to give her. She burst into tears, clinging to him as he crouched so he could be at her level, and he let her cry for as long as she needed.

When her sobs calmed down, he sat on the floor of the bathroom, let her chin rest once again on her knees, as she said, "I'm sorry about that."

"What are you apologising for?"

She shrugged, and though he wanted to push the issue, he felt that this wasn't the time. He remembered when his maternal grandmother had passed away, it had been hard on him, and he could only imagine it was the same for Ana at this moment. But he still pointed out, "You can't reproach me not being there for you when Ann died, and then start apologising when I try to do the right thing. I'm trying to do what you would have wanted me to do six years ago."

She nodded, her eyes lost in space. "Mary would have appreciated you being here. She liked you, even though she often said you're an idiot."

He didn't say anything to that, mostly because he hadn't really known the lady. He had only met her a few times, and she and her friend had appeared as eccentric old ladies to Christian. But Ana cared for them, and they had formed a bond, so a part of him was glad that one of Ana's friends saw him in a good light, even if he was 'an idiot.'

Of course, there was still Jose, but Jose had always been sort of a conundrum.

As Christian was waiting for Ana to finish work, he noticed that her friend, Jose, kept glancing in his direction, and had tried to talk to Ana several times. Christian had never stayed at the counter, and he was not surprised that the brunette's friend found his relocation weird. But he was glad that Ana didn't manage to talk to her friend. Christian was sure that if she did, the Hispanic man would have found a way to dissuade her from having dinner with him.

Though the first time he saw them interact he thought that they were more than friends, Christian quickly understood that Jose and Ana could never be lovers. Just one closer look at their interactions and it was easy for anyone to understand that, though they deeply cared for one another, their love was only platonic. In fact, for the first time in his life, Christian didn't feel jealous of a man, and it had nothing to do with Jose's sexual orientation.

He saw how Ana's friend would check out both men and women, so Christian was sure that Jose was not only gay but bisexual. But Ana was … just a sister in his eyes and Christian was sure that Ana felt the same about him. It was something subtle, and people could easily misinterpret it for something more intimate. But given how guarded Ana was, Christian was sure of his theory.

When Ana finally finished working, he walked her out, making sure to not stand too close to her, since she seemed to have some boundaries she did not want to cross. At this moment, he still didn't know which way the night was going to go. He wanted to ask her to help him out in the public eye, in exchange for some monetary compensation. Although he still wanted to get her in his bed; in fact, if he could get her in his bed tonight, it would be the cherry on top of the icing on the cake. And yet, the reasonable part of him warned him against pursuing this route. When physical relationships went regular, people got attached, and he couldn't risk that. He had no interest in forming something real with the brunette. Maybe something carnal, but nothing more.

Ana tore him out of his thoughts when she stopped and refused to get in his car, and though it annoyed him, at least he was sure that she wouldn't end up in the news as the naive victim of a serial killer. In all honesty, he was sure that Ana could throw a mean punch if she wanted to. They kept on arguing, Christian slightly losing his patience as he pointed out, "Don't worry, I wouldn't kidnap you in public. I mean, I am sure that your friends over there would be more than happy to attest that I was the last person seen with you if you were to disappear tonight."

He watched her look back at the bar-restaurant and caught the way Jose was looking at them. Christian witnessed how, very subtly, the man made a move that was rebuffed by Ana. Jose then signed for Ana to call him, before turning his eyes to Christian, and if it hadn't been clear to Christian before, it was now. Ana and Jose were like brother and sister. The gaze had been firm, and a silent warning straight to the point. And though he had no sister, Christian knew that this was exactly how he would have reacted at the presence of any potential boyfriends. He would have made sure that the suitor knew that there were dire consequences to bad form.

And now that there was Grace, who was Jose's Goddaughter, Christian had no doubts that Jose would be even more protective of the girls, despite his friendly demeanour.

With a sigh, Ana got up, and Christian followed her, still unsure of what to tell her. He had no idea how to comfort his brother when his wife had passed, and he had no idea how to do it now for Ana. And it didn't seem like Ana was willing to give him clues on what to do.

He watched her clean the table, and when she felt his gaze on her grow more persistent, she twisted her lips to the side, and awkwardly explained, "This was Mary's favourite beer. She always said that there was no better remedy to boost one up. Well, that and …"

She stopped herself and turned away, clearing her throat whilst Christian smirked at her back. Would it have been in a different atmosphere, he would have happily showed her that Mary had been quite right.

"Did you call Grace? She's staying at Jose's. She was worried that you wouldn't be able to reach her there."

"Yes. She told me all about her trip to the mall for her school clothes. I thought Dr Cohen said to wait until Halloween before she would be fit enough to go to school."

"Yes. I just … I wanted to soften the blow. She adores Jose, obviously, but it's her first-ever sleepover, and I wanted to make the day … a bit brighter. She's been talking over and over about going to school, so I … I don't know, I was just trying to make her feel happy."

"Of course. I'm sure it worked. She was really excited when she talked about her shopping spree," he reassured her, and Ana shook her head with an amused smile spreading her lips.

"Grace loves shopping. If I were to listen to her, I'd buy the stores empty every time we go anywhere."

Christian chuckled, though he took notice that his daughter was nothing like her mother, meaning he could get her presents without any groans, as he had become accustomed to every time he had gotten Ana anything. He watched her take the letter in her hand, her eyes skimming through the paper, and he knew that it was his cue to leave.

"Well, I should get back to my room. Do you want me to … accompany you, tomorrow?"

"Don't you have — "

"I'm here for the weekend."

She looked back at the letter, before putting it on the table, and she let him know, "I would appreciate it."

He gave her a small smile and closed the distance to kiss her forehead like he always did when they parted, but just as he tilted his head down, she surprised him by getting up on her toes and kissing him on the lips.

After the first second of surprise, he froze, fighting against his own instincts. And when she broke the kiss, she looked at him expectantly, and proposed, "Maybe you'd like to spend the night here?"

He inhaled deeply through his nose. "That would be a bad idea."

She looked at him, a crease forming between her brows, and he explained, "Isn't it one of the golden rules of grief? No investments, no abrupt sales, no change of career, no life-changing decisions and… no jumping into relationships."

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck, and she kissed his neck all the way to his ear, where she whispered, "I don't care about some psychoanalysis bullshit. I don't want you to become a shrink in this situation. I want… you."

She bit his lobe, and it took everything he had to not throw her on the bed and have his way with her. He remained stoic, not wanting to start something that she would regret in the morning. She was, if not drunk, tipsy, vulnerable with grief and clearly horny. This was a recipe for regret.

When he remained impassable, she cleared her throat and straightened up, putting some distance between them. She passed a hand through her hair, looking at the floor. "I guess I misread the signals."

"Believe me, you haven't misread anything. I've been clear on what I would do to you if you let me. I just don't want tonight to end up in the regrets pile. Or worse, like last time."

"Are you planning to leave an envelope full of cash tomorrow morning before you sneak off?"

He looked at her pointedly, and she smiled, closing the distance between them. She took his hand in hers, and said, "Maybe I'm just trying not to overthink, and just feel. Feel the moment, feel us, feel you."

Then she led him to the bed, and the fact that she repeated what he had told her before they had made love wasn't lost on him. She turned her head to say something else, but he didn't give her a chance as he kissed her, cupping her face between his hands, and laying her on the bed.

She eagerly kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck and opening her mouth when he traced her lips with his tongue. One of his hands stroked its way to her breasts whilst the other went straight to her hair. As he let his fingers weave into her mane, he started grinding against her, only encouraged by her moans, but it was only when she reached for his belt that he sunk back to reality.

He reached for her hand and stopped her from undoing his trousers, before rolling to the side and explaining, "I don't want a repeat of last time. I don't have any protection."

She turned her head and kissed him as she got on top of him and let him know, "I do. So, do you really want to stop now, after getting me all hot and bothered?"

He let out a small laugh and upped himself on his elbows so he could resume kissing her, and they exchanged a long and passionate French kiss that left them both breathless. Ana smiled at him with lust gleaming in her eyes, then got up and went to her bag, retrieved a couple of condoms from her wallet, turned around and smirked at him.

When she stepped next to the bed, Christian grabbed her, threw her back on the bed, and ravished her neck whilst he started to undress her. She tried to help him out of his clothes, but he stopped her, pinning her hands to the mattress and looking deep into the blue of her eyes as he told her with a husky voice, "No. Let me. Give me this one pleasure to make you mine completely."

She nodded, biting her lower lip, and he dipped his head to take that same lip between his own teeth. He wanted to take his time, to make her lose her mind and scream his name until her voice was hoarse, but the more he was grinding against her, the more difficult it was becoming to follow through.

As he got rid of his clothes, he took one of her breasts in his mouth to suck on it, loving the music of her moans of pleasure, and when he started playing with her clit, he knew that he would never last as long as he planned. He could feel how wet and ready she was, and all his brain could think of right now was to get inside of her.

So, he rolled on a condom and aligned himself with her before slowly burying himself in her, and he relished in the way her face contorted with pleasure. He started slow, to give her time to adjust and to gather himself so he wouldn't finish like a prepubescent teen. But when she lifted her legs up, he started going much faster; the only thing stopping him from pounding into her was the fact that he wasn't sure how rough sex could get a month and a half after his surgery.

They were both taking shallow, quick breaths and Christian knew he was just minutes from his climax. And though he could tell that Ana was enjoying herself, if her nails planted in his arms were any indication, he remembered how he had managed to hit her G-spot when he had taken her from behind.

So he retrieved himself, earning a pout from her. Though it quickly turned into a giggle when he flipped her over and lifted her butt a little so he could bury himself in her, which was followed by a sharp inhale of pure pleasure. As he reached between the mattress and her body, he let her know, "I want you to come with me as I make you mine."

Christian resumed his back and forth, encouraged by Ana's yelps of pleasure, proof that he was hitting the right spot, and he relentlessly played with her clit, as he chased them closer to release. They reached Nirvana together and he prolonged it as long as he could, by gently thrusting into Ana.

For a moment, they stayed like that, both sweaty and trying to catch their breath, and after a while, Christian rolled off Ana, right next to her. He was starting to fall asleep, and he didn't want to crush Ana.

But as soon as he discarded the condom, Ana snuggled against him, and he caged her into his arms, smiling to himself as Morpheus beckoned them to his realm. He remembered that although she never said it, Ana had always liked cuddles in her sleep.

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Christian slept with one eye open, part of his brain still fearing that Ana would run off in the middle of the night. Even though she had made it clear that she wanted him. There was, of course, the anchor that connected them so she couldn't escape him like last time.

When Ana stirred against him, he tightened his grip, holding her closer to him and relishing in the sensation of her bare skin against his. He only fully emerged from slumber when she tried to get out of bed. He held her even tighter, and the more she tried to get up, the more he pulled her to himself until she called out his name, "Christian … I have to use the loo."

Finally, he let her go, though his eyes never left her naked body as she walked to the bathroom. He switched on the bedside lamp, his mind still foggy as a result of what happened earlier. He was laying on his back when Ana came back to the room, her hair gathered up in a messy bun.

Christian let his eyes travel her body as she walked back to the bed. Her body was less toned, but Ana used to be rather sporty before, and he doubted that she had had much time to exercise since Grace was born. Her breasts were more ample, no complaints there, and her hips were wider, though there were no stretch marks found. He briefly wondered if it was because she had a cryptic pregnancy, but quickly dismissed the thought when she slipped back under the covers next to him.

He switched off the light, and snuggled back against her, kissing her shoulders. She chuckled softly, making herself more comfortable against him, and after a couple of minutes of cosy silence, she told him, "Thank you for earlier. I needed it."

"Always happy to help," he responded smugly, taking pride in how content she sounded. He may have not lasted as long as he had wanted to, but he had clearly satisfied her, and that was all that mattered.

He kissed her shoulder once again, holding her a bit closer to him, and letting her know how much he feared what the morning could make of this. "But … I'm not looking for a friend with benefits kind of deal."

"Christian …"

"No. I have told you before, Ana. I want us back together. I want what we didn't get last time, what we could have had over the past five years." She didn't say anything, though he could tell that all her senses were in high alert, so he added this final blow,

"And I want to give to Grace the family she deserves."

He knew it was a low blow because he was playing with Ana's sensitive nerve there, but it was true. And he had never played fair to get what he wanted anyway. He wanted Ana back, he wanted Grace to consider him her dad and call him as such, and if he had to play dirty to get there, he would not hesitate.

Ana remained silent for a minute, before she reached for his hand on her stomach, and intertwined her fingers with his.

"The thing is … I don't want Grace to believe she'll have a mommy and a daddy forming a family like everybody else, only for us to rip that dream away from her because we couldn't stay together. I don't want to give her the illusion of a family if we don't even know if we could make this work or not."

"What are you saying, then?" Even though he had tried to keep his voice neutral, he heard how cold it was, which was probably why Ana gently squeezed his hand as she said, "I'm saying that… I think that…. The two of us should be… just the two of us. Until we're sure."

"I'm already sure."

"Well, I'm not sure that you are. I mean… I'm not really the person you think I was back then."

"Of course, you are."

A small silence followed, and Christian lifted himself on his elbow, before rolling Ana so she would be on her side. He reached to switch on her bedside lamp, and when he planted his hazel eyes onto her sapphires, she let out a sigh and told him, "I mean … I was never truly myself, was I? I just did my best to fit the mould of what you wanted me to be. But it's not me. I didn't mind that you worked so much, but I did mind that you could go days or weeks without contacting me. I didn't mind that your work was your passion, but I did mind that I was an afterthought. I didn't mind that you never bothered to actually know my friends, but I did mind that… that you didn't even bother to ask about Ann's death."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because that's why you hired me. So, you could have a 'relationship' without all the bullshit that comes with it. Because you made it abundantly clear that you had neither the time nor the will to get invested in feelings and emotions."

Christian looked longingly at Ana, finally understanding why he always felt like she was holding back. She had been holding back. And though he hated to admit it, he was to blame for it. He did tell her that he wasn't interested in the emotional aspect of a relationship.

He delicately traced her body, all the way from her stomach to the tip of her nose, and asked, "Is that why you never let me know how you felt? Because of the contract?"

She nodded, looking down and not meeting his eyes. He gently caressed her cheek, going for another question. "What about today? Why didn't you tell me about Mary? Why did you try to hide in the bathroom when you wanted to cry?"

She shrugged, and he let himself fall on his back, looking at the ceiling as he tried to clear his head. Maybe she was right, maybe he fell in love with a shell that didn't exist. Although there were many things about Ana that pissed him off. Her stubbornness, her trust-issues, the fact that he always had to dig for her to be open about her feelings. But… those were the flaws he loved as well. He couldn't imagine a Ana who would always be compliant, sharing her whole life with the world and inviting strangers in her house. As much as they ticked him off, he loved Ana because of her flaws.

He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply through his nose before letting her know, "You're right. I did ask you to play a role, and I convinced myself that this role you played was you. But that doesn't change the fact that I fell in love with you, not with the role. I didn't fall in love with the woman I asked you to be, no matter how convenient she was; I fell in love with the little things you probably thought I didn't notice.

I fell in love with the way you smile. That little smile that starts shy, with you twisting your lips to the side as it slowly fills your eyes with wonders. I fell in love with the way you move and sing when you cook, with how you feel the music, and pour your soul into it. Even if it's just a stupid song about being a Barbie Girl. I fell in love with how you're selfless and you always try to make those you care about happy. Whether it's Mia by never judging her, Jose by being his best friend, my family by making me spend time with them.

And… I fell in love with the way you made me feel. Though we came to be together through money, I never felt like a money bag in your presence. You were there for me, for the highs and the lows. You went out of your way to give me two wonderful birthdays by your side. You… valued my time and not my money. It might be nothing to you, but I'll never forget that night when you took me to the Rockefeller plaza because you wanted to spend time with just me.

And most importantly, you made me question myself, and that's something that I stopped doing a long time before you came in. You pushed me out of my comfort zone, and it's not your fault if it took me years to open my eyes."

He stopped talking and only opened his eyes when he felt Ana move. Now, she was the one resting on her elbows, though she was laying on her stomach, her beautiful hair, completely tangled from their previous tossing around the bed, framing her face perfectly. His hand reached for her cheek, and she leaned in his touch as he continued.

"And I know that you're not the same person as you were back then. But this other side of you that I'm discovering, I am already falling in love with it. I'm falling in love with the person that you are on your own. With the woman who can still make me smile, even when I'm miles away on another continent. I am completely enraptured by you, the mother of my child."

Ana smiled like she always did when he mentioned Grace. It was a special kind of smile, one that was full of love and hope, and he never wanted it off her face. He brought her face to his and gave her a sweet and loving kiss.

Though he had just laid his heart out before her, he didn't expect Ana to do the same. First, it had been a very emotional day for her, and though he knew he could push her into sharing her feelings, they wouldn't be the raw ones that he wanted. Second, she had just subtly told him that she wasn't sure of how she felt. And he didn't want to hear her indecisions about him. He would rather wait a bit and make her doubts disappear before she would talk about any kind of feeling toward him.

When they broke their embrace, he traced her lips and said what she was thinking, "But since I never made that clear before, I can understand that you won't risk Grace's happiness just on my word. If you need time to make sure we're solid, I'll bite my tongue and wait."

"I just don't want to get her hopes up too high just to have them crushed by our separation. But that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to — "

"I get it. We'll … we'll do the exact opposite of what we did years ago. No contracts, no keeping our feelings for ourselves, and no cameras to witness our dates."

"Dates? So, we're going on dates now?"

"Well, for me to prove to you that we're solid and we can do the whole family thing, you should at least be my girlfriend. And last time I checked, gentlemen took their girlfriends on dates."

She shook her head, her blue eyes sparkling with that playfulness that had drawn him to her in the first place, and she waggled her finger at him, reminding him of something that she loved to say.

"Remember Christian, gentlemen and ladies should remain in the streets. In the sheets, it's a whole other ordeal."

He chuckled, taking her in his arms and briefly pecking her lips as a question that he didn't want to ask started itching in his mind. He smiled as she rested her head on his chest, and his eyes landed on the other condom on her bedside. He swallowed with difficulty and closed his eyes, trying to reason with himself that maybe it was better if he didn't know.

But Ana started tracing lines on his chest, and asked, "What has got your heart racing like that? We just agreed to give us a try."

"It's not that. In fact, I'm thrilled to finally be able to call you my girlfriend without feeling an aftertaste in my mouth. I… I was just wondering… do you often carry condoms in your purse?"

"Oh, that. I just realised after us that I should never rely on a man to always be prepared. It's a bit hypocritical. I'm always all about equality but I used to expect certain things to naturally come from a man. Condoms were one of them, and our experience helped me open my eyes."

"I see. So… how many times have you… put that thinking into practice?"

And there it was, the question he had dodged ever since he came back in the picture. How many men had she seen after him? How jealous should he be? Even though he knew he had no rights to be, he couldn't help the instincts rooted in him. He heard Ana snigger as she reminded him with a disabused tone, "I'm a single mother, Christian. Do you know many men who would want that kind of baggage?"

"Andrew doesn't seem to mind," he immediately snapped, cursing at the venom he heard in his voice. He had tried to appear cool, but he knew it sounded anything but calm.

"Well, I can assure you, he's not interested."

He opened his eyes, looking down and waiting for her to elaborate and calm down his fears, but she just kept tracing circles on his chest. For a moment, he considered keeping his jealousy to himself and not ask the question that had been burning his lips ever since he had seen Andrew open the door of Ana's apartment. But he knew himself: this would bug him until he knew for sure. Speculating had never been a healthy thing.

"So … nothing ever happened between you two?"

She didn't respond straight away, and he couldn't control the heavy annoyed sigh that escaped him as he clenched his jaw. "You know what, forget it."

"It's not what you think."

"Of course, it is what I think. You wouldn't take your sweet time if the answer was no," he snapped, doing his best to keep his anger at bay.

No matter how much it annoyed him, he had no real reason to get mad at Ana. They were separated, and he himself hadn't stayed completely "dry" either. He shouldn't let what happened during their separation alter the way he wanted their relationship to grow.

He felt Ana move so her head was no longer on his chest, and when she put her hand on his cheek, he opened his eyes, only to see her gently smiling at him, as she assured him, "It's not what you think, Christian. We did decide to try once, but it never went further than a kiss because it wasn't us. The idea of us trying to be something came more out of convenience than chemistry."

He felt his heart beating in his throat as she casually mentioned that she did consider settling with that British insufferable bastard. That Andrew who had claimed that he wasn't a threat had kissed her in the past, but looking in the blue of her eyes, it's not what he lingered on.

"Well … I'm not complaining that it didn't work out for him, but he's an idiot for not trying harder. What kind of a man lets a woman like you go without a fight? I'm sure he regrets it, and that's why he lurks around you."

She shook her head. "Andrew doesn't lurk, and he doesn't regret us being just friends."

"Don't be naive, Ana. Any red-blooded male who gets to see you would want to get in your pants. Any sane man who gets to spend time with you would want to be in your life. And as more than just a friend."

Once again, she shook her head, biting her lower lip with worry. She looked at him and sighed as if she had just made a decision.

"Andrew is really important to both Grace and me. I don't want you to resent him because you're being a stupid caveman imagining my interactions a tad too vividly. So, what I'm about to tell you has to remain between you and me."

Christian clenched his jaw, not like those words out of her mouth. He knew that Andrew was important to both brunettes, but that didn't mean he had to hear it first-hand from Ana herself. But still, he nodded, promising to keep whatever information Ana thought would make him like Andrew more to himself.

Ana looked down, her hair falling and hiding her face for a moment before she looked up, her ocean eyes full of emotions.

"Andrew is a widower. His fiancée and their daughter died in a hit-and-run six months before we met. And he hasn't really gotten over it. He still mourns them, and to be honest, I don't think he wants to move on. It's been four years, and he feels their loss just as fresh as when I met him.

He is just a friend to me, and I am just a friend to him. When we 'tried,' it was mostly because everyone expected us to go this way. I mean, we helped each other in our darkest times. And everyone thought he'd fit perfectly in my family because he's so fond of Grace. You know, she — "

"She reminds him of what his kid could have been like," he finished for her as a small voice inside of him was reprimanding him for his useless jealousy.

For the first time in his life, he was feeling bad about being jealous of another guy. He had always been able to rationalise this irrational side of him. But this time, as Andrew had told him the first time they met, he 'wasn't a threat'. The man had his heart, his soul and his mind on what he lost. In fact, Christian was feeling bad for the British guy. He might only know about Grace a short three months, but he couldn't even imagine how he would feel if she died. Especially if she died at the same time as Ana.

"Please, Christian, don't let it show that you know. It's not my story to share, and he should do it on his own if he wants to. I'm only telling you because… Grace can be very perceptive, and if she feels that you don't like Andrew it might affect her relationship to either you or Andrew. You're both important to her, and I don't want her to have to choose."

"I won't say a word," he promised, earning a genuine smile before she resumed her previous position.

He caressed her arm, waiting for her to return the terrible question, and though he would rather not disclose this part of his past, he felt that he needed to be as honest as she had just been.

"You're not going to ask me if I … used condoms?"

"I already know," she said confidently, and he looked down at the mess of her hair, doubting that she could know anything. Unlike what he did with her, he had taken all the precautions in the world to keep Angela hidden.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you've been with someone. The way your voice wavered when you asked, the fact that your heartbeat has been a mess since we breached that topic, and your hands getting clammy at this very moment."

As Christian got in the hotel room, he couldn't stop thinking that today marked the second year since Ana had left him. No matter how much he liked to pretend otherwise, Ana was always on his mind. And today more than usual. He remembered how he had made the wish on her birthday to spend all her other birthdays with her, and now, he was just left with the memory of a night of passion and the disaster that followed.

The media had stopped speculating about them by now. Though many had made countless articles about how they were no longer together, the fact that he never released a public statement got some tabloids wondering if they were just on a break. Especially after he inadvertently let out that she had left the country for her studies. He never said where, and Roger managed to keep the deal Christian had made in the past in place.

He had just come out of a business convention where he had been the keynote speaker, and though he had had several drinks, he refused to open the minibar and have any more. He was trying so hard to keep his drinking to just business because as Elliott had so graciously pointed out, he would end up being an alcoholic if he drowned his feelings in booze.

He sat on the edge of his bed, trying to not think of what was about to happen, but on what could happen if he was a bit bolder. What if he jumped on his jet and headed to London? What if he went to her place, made her see reason and fucked her brains out before making sweet love to her? What if he managed to convince her to stop being so stubborn and put those past two years behind them? But then again, Ana would never forgive him if he showed up at her doorstep. She didn't like people coming to her place uninvited. The last time they saw each other was proof enough.

Christian let himself fall on his back, closing his eyes as he fantasised on the what if? What if it was Ana coming to see him tonight? He would take her in every position under the moon, tire her until the day would break, making her scream his name repeatedly. He would eat her out as she would take him in her mouth, and he would make her ride him so he could admire her full beauty.

He was starting to get fully erect when someone knocked on the door of the hotel room. With the image of Ana still vivid on his mind, he went to open the door which revealed Angela, who smiled as soon as she saw him. Angela and he had been seeing each other for a bit, in a very discreet manner, and always in a hotel room.

She was a pretty young brunette, built slightly different than Ana. She had bigger boobs, but a smaller ass. And she wore much more makeup than Ana ever did. In fact, the only thing that really linked them was the fact that they were both brunettes. She was even taller than Ana (not that it was hard to achieve)

He never took her to his place, even though she lived in Seattle, and they were yet to have sex. She had signed the NDA, and she had agreed to keep her mouth shut against some monetary compensation, but both times they had seen each other, Christian had been called in for urgent business.

But tonight … tonight he had conjured the idea of Ana in his mind especially for the occasion. He was going to get her out of his system, one way or another. And since booze wasn't an option, fornication seemed like the natural choice.

As soon as Angela was in the room, he kissed her, doing his best to ignore that the feel of her lips was different than Ana's. They weren't as plump and soft as Ana's and were made stickier with gloss. So, he stopped the kiss, and told her as he loosened his tie, "Strip and get on the bed."

She briefly hesitated, her brown eyes analysing him for half a second before she did as she was told. Christian undressed, not even sparing a glance toward her as he touched himself to the memory of stripping Ana out of her cocktail dress, kissing every inch of skin he could access. She was so soft and smelled so good. And she tasted even better.

With a heavy sigh, he took a condom out of his pocket and rolled it on before going back to the bed where Angela was laying on her back. Christian briefly frowned, wishing it was Ana laying on his bed with her legs spread for him. He could see Angela's entrance glistening with desire, and so he told her, "On your hands and knees. And touch yourself."

The less he touched her, the more he could think it was Ana. Their bodies were too different for him to confuse them, but the brain could work wonders sometimes. All he had to do was keep his brain active and focus on the memory of Ana. And that's why when he entered the girl, he had his eyes closed. He let out a grunt of satisfaction, but the girl beneath him froze and quickly moved away from him.

"What did you just call me?"

"Nothing. I was just in the moment," he said, though he was perfectly aware of the mistake he just made.

Angela shook her head, and got out of the bed, gathering her clothes as she said, "I'm all for freaky, kinky and weird. But being called someone else's name is where I draw the line. I can understand you want to forget about your ex. But I'm not the kind of girl that will help you do it."

Christian looked at Ana's head, feeling guilt take over. How could he be so jealous over a simple kiss that she shared with a friend to realise it wasn't it for her, and yet be guilty of trying to forget about her by having sex with another girl that vaguely looked like her.

"I … the thing is — "

"It doesn't matter, Christian. I don't care what or who you did. We were never really together, to begin with," she cut him off with such a serene tone. He wished he could be as calm as her if he were to hear about her past sexual encounters.

He justified himself, trying to make himself feel better. After all, he never climaxed that night, not even after he was alone. "I never went all the way, I didn't even-"

She cut him off by placing a finger on his lips and looked up, her face not showing a single trace of animosity, and she assured him, "As I said, it doesn't matter. We shouldn't dwell on the past."

He nodded, and she smiled wickedly, kissing her way up from his chest to his lips, "In fact, we should focus on us, and that future you were talking about earlier."

He chuckled just as she reached for his lips, and their simple kiss turned into something more passionate. He cupped her face with his hand, gently caressing her face with his thumb and bringing her closer as his heart rate increased, and she climbed on top of him, throwing away the sheet that was disrupting them.

Christian simply enjoyed the moment, until Ana started taking the lead, so he rolled them over and reminded her, nibbling on her earlobe, "The night is not over, and as I told you earlier, tonight, I'm the one bringing you all sorts of pleasures."

"What if it brings me pleasure to — "

"You'll get to show me how much of a freak in the sheets you can be some other day. Tonight, I'm making you mine, so just enjoy the ride."

She laughed, rolling her eyes as she called him a caveman, and Christian spent the rest of the night making love to her. This time, he took his time, taking satisfaction in rendering her breathless and making her scream his name, and it was only at the first light of the morning that they fell asleep, Ana safely secured in his arms as he whispered in her hair.

"I love you."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

Christian woke up barely a couple of hours after they fell asleep, awakened by Ana's cell phone. Before he could even try to reach for it and switch it off, Ana was on her feet, answering the blaring mobile with a sweet voice.

"Hi, honey, how are you doing?"

Christian watched her grab the hotel's white robe before she isolated herself in the bathroom, talking to their daughter on the phone, and he stretched on the bed, thinking back to the previous night, a satisfied grin indelibly marked on his face.

Sure, they still had a lot to work on, but Christian still felt that they had taken a huge leap forward. In fact, he was surprised with himself at how eloquent he had been with Ana. He usually stumbled on his words when he tried to talk to her from his heart, but this time, it all came naturally. He couldn't tell if it was the tiredness he had been feeling for a few months due to his reduced amount of sleeping, or if it was because they had been in post-coital bliss. Or even maybe because she herself had been more open.

In all honesty, he had been shocked that she made the first step, and even more that she told him that she wanted to try this thing he had been refusing her for years. She wanted this relationship with him. And though he understood that she was trying to protect Grace's heart in the very unlikely case that they had another falling out, a part of Christian was sure that Ana was trying to protect her own heart as well. He felt that she didn't fully trust him yet.

After stretching, he got out of bed with a loud yawn, thinking that he needed to be smart tonight and get more than four hours of sleep. Especially if he was to go back to New York the next day and get a full week of late nights. He didn't mind per se, because those late nights were just a result of him spending time with his daughter, but they were starting to get to him, especially adding to the jet lag and the fact that he never let himself have the post-op time to rest that he should have.

As he put his clothes on, he heard Ana still talking to Grace in the bathroom, though he didn't really pay attention to whatever they were saying since he was about to call the young girl just after. So, he took his phone out, briefly skimming through his emails to see if there were any important messages before he sent a text to Andrea for her to get a black suit and black oxfords delivered to his room within the next hour.

Then he put his phone down and sat at the table so he could put his shoes on, when his eyes caught a glimpse of the letter Ana had been reading when he came to her room the night before, his name catching his attention. He frowned, briefly glancing at the bathroom door hiding Ana who was still talking to Grace, and in a bold move, he took the letter and read it.

Dear Ana,

Here comes the time for me to be serious. This letter is for all the times you will wish you could speak to me, but my old bony self already kicked the bucket, and I am no longer here to bask you in my infinite wisdom of old people.

As you know, this letter is to help you through the hard times, because we both know that those are the moments we always need extra support in. I hope you won't have too many hard moments in your life, it seems to me you already had your share in your past. But life is a bitch, so better beware. And now, when you'll have a low in life, you'll have this letter to look forward to. But please, don't picture me in a rocking chair with a plaid on my knees as I give you advice. If you must picture an old lady, please, picture the kind who acts crazy and knocks some sense into you with an umbrella.

Anyway, I guess now that I've made you laugh, I must make you feel better about life. I know it can get bad sometimes, I know it can get awful and depressing. I know it can sometimes feel like the world is against you, and that nothing will ever be right again. But it will be. Believe me, it will. Sometimes it takes longer than usual, but as cheesy as it is, the world shines after the rain passes.

So, whatever made you come to this letter for words of comfort, know it will get better. Whether it's a heartbreak, or the loss of a friend, or a horrible day at work. Whether it's an argument with Jose, or just a gloomy day when you realise life hasn't turned out the way you wanted. It will get better.

So, all I can say is, enjoy the moment. Live your life. I know how you like to keep to yourself, and how you like to pretend that nothing touches you, but in the end, does that make you happy? Do you go to bed with that content smile, knowing that you've been treated the way you wanted, the way you felt you deserve?

I know that society pushes us to always perfectly fit a role, men or women; we all have a role that we must nail. But in the end, how do you want people to remember you? Do you want them to say that you were a good lawyer/friend/mother, or do you want them to say that you were a good person? It is very subtle, but in the second case, you are yourself, not just a role.

So live, my dear Ana. Live and enjoy your life as much as you can. Tell the world how you feel. Tell Jose how you feel safe around him (don't lie, I saw it with my own old eyes). Tell Christian your true feelings for him (don't lie, I saw it with my own old eyes once again). And most importantly, tell yourself how you feel. Every morning own up to how you feel. It's okay to be blue from time to time, and it's okay to be over the moon when the rest of the world is sad.

And I know that someone like you, who holds her feelings and emotions close to her and doesn't show them to anyone, will find it difficult to talk about those intimate thoughts, but that's how you will go on in life. You know you have your own Mary, you know that Jose will never leave your side, so let me tell you that it never hurts to let your best friend know what they mean to you.

And for Christian, whether it's a phase or something for the long haul, you shouldn't keep him in the dark. It's not fair to him, and it's not fair to you. Because if you don't give yourself this chance to live out a full relationship with him, you will regret it all your life. And you know what they say, remorse is better than regret. Give him a chance, and if he tries to make it all about himself, don't hesitate to slap him on the back of his head. Powerful men often forget that home and work are not the same thing and shouldn't be dealt the same way.

Overall, Ana, I just want you to live your life. I want that, when you get to be my age, you will have as many wonderful memories as I have. My memories are not wonderful because I did extraordinary things, but because I enjoyed the moments when I lived them as myself. Don't be a just a lawyer, or just a wife, or just a mother! Be Anastasia Steele. Be Yourself.

And remember, if you're blue today, it's to smile even brighter in a near future. If life takes you down today, it's to give you a better opportunity tomorrow. It only goes on when you let it.

With all my love,

Ann

Christian put the letter back on the table, glancing once again at the door. He understood now why Ana made a move on him, and why she had been so open with him over the night. She was following Ann's advice, especially since she had been reading the letter when he came to see her.

And though he should feel bad from reading her correspondence, all he could think about was that little sentence when Ann implied that Ana loved him. This made him ponder, on the fact that he had never heard Ana use this word in his presence. Even if they had a heart to heart last night, and he told her in every shape and form that he loved her, she never said it back. And he knew that he was pushing his luck and that it shouldn't bother him, but it still did.

With a shake of his head, he went back to putting his shoes on, and Ana finally came out of the bathroom, still wrapped up in the white fluffy robe. He looked up and frowned when he saw the crease of worry on her forehead.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes. It's just … maybe I should have stayed in New York, with Grace."

"I'm sure Jose is taking very good care of her," he reassured her because though he didn't really know Jose Rodriguez, he believed in the bond between him and Ana.

"Of course, he is. He loves spending time with her. It's just … she had this sad voice over the phone. It's her first sleepover, and I feel that maybe it was unnecessary. Mary would have understood if I had stayed in New York."

"And you would regret not coming for the rest of your life. You need to say goodbye to your friend. Grace is safe, and it's a perfect rehearsal for when my mother will do her best to steal her away from us."

He got up and took her in his arms, relieved when he heard her chuckle against his chest. She gently tapped his torso, and told him with a small smile, "Well, I'm going to shower, so I can wash off all that sweat you gave me last night."

He kissed her, letting her know he would do the same, and he went back to his room where he called Grace as soon as he was sitting on the bed. Jose answered, a small smirk lingering on his lips as he called for Grace, and Christian heard her screech before he even saw her.

She took the iPad in her hands, and he assumed that she sat on the sofa as she pragmatically pointed out, "But it's not bedtime. We're just about to eat lunch. Is it bedtime where you are?"

"No. I just thought I'd surprise you." She smiled brightly, clearly happy that he thought of her at some other time than bedtime, and he asked her, "How are you doing?"

Grace shrugged, a small pouting clouding her face now. "I miss my mommy. I can't wait until she comes back."

"She's coming back tomorrow, right? For lasagna night?"

Grace pitifully nodded. "Yes. I called her before, and she said just one more sleep. And she said that she will make me French toast on Monday morning because I had a nightmare yesterday." She whispered the last part, as if sharing a shameful secret, and though he felt bad that she had a nightmare, he was glad that she trusted him enough to share this with him.

"I didn't know you liked French toast."

"Yes, I do. And my mommy always makes me French toast when I have a nightmare, or when there is a storm. Can you make French toast?"

"Ha-ha. Nope. I am not as good as your mother in the kitchen department."

He watched Grace frown and Christian wondered if she was judging him as a grown-up since he just confessed, he didn't know how to cook. But her concern was completely different,

"But … what if I have a nightmare at your place? Mama said we were going to sleep at your place next weekend."

"I hope you won't get any nightmares whilst staying at my place. Especially with the room, I made just for you."

"You did what? I will have my own room in your place?" She asked excitedly, and he nodded, delighted by her animation. "Do I have to take the plane? You said you live in… Se…attle, and that you need the plane to go there."

"I do. But I have an apartment in New York, too. But someday, I'll take you to Seattle with me."

"And my mommy too?"

"Of course," he assured her.

"Can I bring my big bear to your place in New York?"

"I'll buy you another one, so you'll have one at your mother's, and one at my place. Okay?"

She smiled brightly, revealing all her teeth, and he heard her hail, Jose. "Tío Jose! Christian said he is going to buy me a new teddy bear. Big like the one I have."

Jose responded something that made Grace giggle, and Christian glanced at the clock.

"I have to go Grace, but don't forget to keep me some broccoli."

She grimaced, and whispered to the camera, "Tío Jose made the broccoli smell yucky. I think it's not going to be good. But I can bring you a cookie from Uncle Karl."

"One cookie? What would your mother say about that?" He called her out, remember very vividly how Ana chastised him when he had shared a single truffle and that she didn't think that it was enough.

Grace pouted, though Christian couldn't blame her for trying. And he reassured her, by letting her know, "It's okay. My Mom is going to come and visit you when you'll come to my place. So, I guess you'll give me more than one cookie when you'll get your pumpkin cookies."

She narrowed her eyes, still clearly doubting the existence of such cookies, and Christian shook his head with an amused smile. "I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Okay. But not too early. Mama is calling me tonight, too."

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

The funeral went as well as one could expect, though Christian soon discovered that it was a memorial service, and not a funeral because Mary had been cremated. He was surprised to see Dr Cohen, but Ana discreetly explained that Ann and Mary shared a family by having married brothers. She also presented him to one of Mary's sons called Ian, the one with whom she lived whilst in London. The old man promised to visit Grace before going back to the UK.

No one seemed confused by his presence by Ana's side, even though she never introduced him to anyone. So, all he did was stand by her side, present his condolences to the family of the deceased, and write a consequent check to the charity box that was present. Ana explained to Christian that Mary had always said that she didn't want flowers at her funeral, but donations that would go toward the charity of her choice.

He was not surprised that Ana didn't shed a single tear, even when she received a small urn with Mary's ashes in it. Christian had to admit that he wasn't expecting to feel so much like an outsider. Since Ana was only a friend of the deceased, he had assumed they would both feel like intruders. But Mary's family clearly considered Ana a part of their family. They all asked about Grace, many giving Ana advice on how to break the news when she confessed, as she wasn't sure how to broach the topic. And they all insisted that she was still part of the family, even if Mary was gone.

Many brought up the topic of Thanksgiving, saying that she was still invited with Grace, but though she didn't say anything, Christian could tell that she was slightly uncomfortable with this idea. In fact, he was sure of it when one of Mary's daughters invited Ana over for Christmas, and she immediately responded with a pretence of Grace and she already had plans with family.

When they got back to the hotel, Christian went to his room so Ana could call Grace, and he worked a little on his laptop before calling his daughter himself. Then he went back to Ana's room, not without going by the reception and buying condoms since he knew Ana didn't have any more in her bag.

And the way he was greeted when he got in the room told him that he made the right choice. Ana lured him to her bed and stripped him out of his clothes before his body could even hit the mattress. They made love for most of the night, though once again, Christian refused to give her the upper hand. He wanted this weekend to be engraved in her memory by how much he pleased her, and not for how much effort she had to put forth.

Once they were trying to catch their breath, lovingly spooning after Ana came back from the bathroom, she broke their peaceful silence to point out, "We didn't even have dinner. And there I lectured Grace about making sure to eat every meal."

"We can order room service," he said, reaching for the menu by the phone. He felt her hesitate, and he nibbled the skin of her neck as he added, "If I'm going to wear you out, you need to get some calories in your system."

They read the menu together and decided to get a pizza to share and a chocolate cheesecake Christian couldn't resist. He called the reception and asked the food to be billed to his room, and promptly took Ana back in his arms whilst waiting for the food. She switched on the TV to get some background noise, and he remembered something he had wanted to ask earlier during the day,

"What are you going to do for Thanksgiving?"

"I don't know, yet. Grace doesn't know anyone but Ian, and he will be back in London. And it was Mary who invited us. The three of us, I'm not sure if anyone knows that. And I feel like now I would be a burden more than anything, and they are just doing it out of obligation. I don't want it to be awkward.

This will be Grace's first Thanksgiving, and she's so looking forward to it, she loves celebrating every time she gets the chance. But I don't want her to be sad because Mary won't be there, and it was supposed to be their thing."

Christian glanced down, surprised that she had put so much thought into such a simple thing. He hadn't celebrated Thanksgiving for decades, and he was sure that Ana wasn't really into the celebration, to begin with. In their two years together, she never made a fuss about it, when she always nagged him to spend Christmas and his birthday with his family.

But as she said, this was Grace's first Thanksgiving and he wanted it to be perfect for their daughter. Albeit, his reasons were a tad more selfish. This was his first holiday with Grace, and he wanted the memory of it to be perfect for both Grace and him.

"We could … make our own," he proposed.

"What do you mean?"

"We could invite our own people over and celebrate it amongst them. Jose, my folks, Mia. I could even fly over that Ian guy if you want."

She laughed, looking up, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth. "In New York? Have you seen my place? Four is a crowd in there."

"We could do it at the penthouse. You know I didn't buy it just for me." He saw that she was ready to argue, and so let her know what he really wanted.

"I just want my first holiday with Grace to be memorable for the fun of it, not for the awkwardness. And … I guess I just want to make sure that none of us will feel awkward. That includes Grace, but you as well."

She studied his face before kissing his chest and promising, "I'll think about it. Let me talk to Grace first."

He smiled to her and when she raised her left arm to scratch her head, he grabbed it, only now noticing a change that he should have noticed as soon as he saw her naked. On the inside of her bicep, just above her armpit, were six digits in black ink.

She didn't say a single word as he traced the thin lines representing Grace's date of birth, and a lump grew in his throat. She had a tattoo of Mia because, no matter how short their time together had been, that friendship had marked her. She had a common piercing with Jose on her right tragus, because this friendship also meant a lot to her. She had a tattoo representing their daughter on her left side, the side of her heart, because this was probably the most meaningful relationship she would ever get. But he hadn't meant enough to her for her to permanently put it on her body.

With all the difficulty in the world, he swallowed the lump, tracing the obvious empty space below Grace's date. How many times had Ana said that she wanted to 'breed like a Catholic rabbit'? In the past, Ana never spoke of wanting a child, but children. And though he was grateful for Grace, he wasn't sure if he wanted more.

And yet, Ana didn't mention this issue even once, even though Christian knew this was something close to her heart. His eyes left the tattoo to go back to her face as his mind wondered once again if all had gone well when she had given birth. She had eluded the topic more than once when he had asked about it.

He opened his mouth, but the room service knocked on their door, and Ana promptly got up, putting on the robe and giving him a sweet smile, though he could tell that she was putting this conversation he wanted to have on hold. He watched her tip the server and bring the pizza to bed, and as she sat by his side, she let out a small sigh.

"I know what you want to ask, but… I don't want to think about it now. I want to enjoy this right here, right now. Is that okay with you?"

He held her gaze, analysing her face. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

"It doesn't matter, Christian. It's the past. Let's eat the pizza and watch some bad night-time TV."

"You'll tell me at some point."

"Next time this topic comes up, I will tell you all you want. Just not tonight please."

He kissed her, and she gave him a slice of pizza, zapping from channel to channel, looking for something interesting to watch when he leaned and whispered in her ear,

"And in case I haven't made it clear so far; I love you, Ana."

❌PLEASE DO NOT COPY, DOWNLOAD OR SHARE THIS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN HERE❌

.~°~. .~°~. .~°~.

💚Your thoughts and opinions are always welcomed💚

💚 So, the fluffiness and the cuteness of this chapter is … over the top haha. Maybe I should just kill someone to balance things out. I should stop saying that because when I'll kill someone, no one will be surprised. Plus Mary is already dead, may she rest in peace.

💚 But yeah, I gave you a very sweet and cute chapter, EXTREMELY long as well. So please, do let me know what you thought this time. And I would also like to take the time to thank my betas who do a lot of work to make this story more fluid.

💚I am not going to lie since it's a big chapter, I have so many questions, and they might not necessarily be in order.

1. You know Andrew's story, now. How do you feel about it? And who feels bad for mistrusting him?

2. And I have to say that I was surprised no one ever talked about Angela, even though she had been mentioned several times by different people close to Christian's work … So how do you feel about it?

3. Ann's letter has been mentioned in the previous story but never read. And now we have it. And I know, Christian read something that wasn't his to read, but how do you feel about the letter.

4. How do you feel about Ana, now? And I can ask the proper question now. it's the second (or third depending on how you count) time that she's deflecting talking about Grace's birth and how she took the thing overall … why do you think that is?

5. We had a tiny bit of Grace, and I think she was the cutest, haha. So what was your favourite Grace moment?

6. And yes, of course, I'm going to ask about it. How do you feel about the reunion? It might seem sudden, but as Christian pointed when Ana made a move, she wasn't in her right state of mind. And later, when we read the letter, we understand why she took this leap.

7. As per usual, what was your favourite part? Mine was the tattoo reveal, but that's because I know what's coming up next …

8. And what do you think will happen next?

💚 E L James owns the names of the characters from the Fifty Shades franchise, Everything else is mine (including the mistakes and grammar errors).

Love, Mina 💚💚💚