Chapter 24

The next couple of weeks went by relatively event-free and Ana wasn't complaining.

Ana had met Hannah for lunch a couple of times in that period. Hoffman publishing had actually been closed down. Between bad management, low revenue and layoffs the company just couldn't keep its head above water. Hannah said by the time they had announced closure, most of the staff had already gone.

Hannah looked down in the dumps that she didn't have a job anymore, but she was still early in her job search and had a lot of hope.

Then a couple of weeks after the closure, Hannah had called her saying that it turned out someone had acquired Hoffman. They didn't know who it was or what company had bought it, but it was clear that the reopening would be a slow process. It was all very hush hush and Hannah had only heard it from Jerry, her old boss. Hannah wasn't sure if she'd still have a job or not, so she didn't stop her job search. A lot of people had already moved on anyway. Hell, they weren't even sure if Hoffman was going to continue as a publishing house or be turned into something else.

Ana on the other hand had tried her own hand at writing in the journal that Christian gave her. She wasn't sure what to write, no words were coming to her so she just started writing diary like entries and hoped that one day the right words might come to her.

The winter had set in now and Ana was excited for Christmas. This was her first big holiday at GEH, and she was curious if they had any traditions and whatnot. The holiday season made her giddy and she'd started listening to Christmas songs early November; she didn't care how controversial that may be.

The Saturday before thanksgiving, Kate had busted through the apartment door making Ana jump from her seat on the couch.

"Ana!" She shouted breathlessly.

"Mhm?" Ana hummed, not looking up. Kate often came home in the same way, shouting for Ana before the door was even closed.

Kate walked over to Ana and stood in front of the coffee table. "Grace wants me to go over for Sunday dinner tomorrow," she said quickly.

Ana looked at her confused. "Okay?" She uttered slowly.

"I'm not going alone. You're coming with me."

Ana balked. "Sorry, what?"

"I asked Grace if you could come too and she said yes. I made up some excuse about not wanting to leave you alone here, but I really just want you there for moral support. This is my official meet the parents dinner!"

"No, it's not?" Ana countered. She wasn't particularly up for putting herself in what she knew was going to be an awkward situation. "You've met them before!"

"Well this is official, official you know? It's stressing me out," Kate floundered about.

"I'm not going. You can't make me," Ana said.

Kate was slamming cabinets in the kitchen, not even sparing Ana a glance. "It doesn't matter if you want to or not. You should be getting a call from Grace soon to formally invite you."

"Are you joking?"

"Course not. She told me she'd be giving you a call and said she'll get your number from Mia, or someone else," she whispered the last part to herself.

"I'm going to make up an excuse," Ana said defiantly.

"I already told her you had no plans," Kate shouted with her head stuck in the fridge.

Ana widened her eyes in exasperation and flopped down on the couch. "Agh," she grumbled.

A second later her phone rang with an unknown number and she knew it was Grace. Kate cackled from the kitchen.


Ana had driven Kate and Elliot to the Grey house the next afternoon. Apparently, Sunday dinners were a weird mix of lunch and dinner and they ate around 3pm.

The dress code according to Elliot was pretty casual, just as long as you didn't turn up in sweatpants, so Ana had opted for a pair of jeans and a nice fitting blouse with billowy half sleeves which made her feel so feminine and dainty. Kate was dressed in a long sleeve green dress which made her look young but sophisticated. She'd spent all morning picking something to wear with them arguing over it so Ana was just grateful that they had left the apartment on time. Another argument nearly happened when Kate insisted Ana wear her hair down, but Ana was having none of it arguing that she'd be eating and she didn't want her hair to get in the way.

To be frank, Ana was nervous, but she was hiding it a lot better than Kate. It's not like any strangers would be there, she'd met everyone before but it did sort of feel like she was intruding even though Grace had insisted on the phone that she wasn't and they all wanted her there.

The greys were a lovely couple so she was probably more nervous at the fact that Christian will be there. Obviously, she mentally slapped herself. She didn't want to admit it though, so she kept trying to push that little tidbit to the back of her mind.

Elliot gave her the directions as they were driving which was a stressor in itself since he wouldn't tell her to turn right until it was literately time to turn so they missed a lot of turns and it took them a lot longer that it should have. Elliot was having a great time with it until Kate shouted at him to stop it and that he was just extending Kate's stress and delaying the inevitable. Ana rolled her eyes slyly at her dramatics.

They had to buzz in through the gate and Ana's mouth dropped at the sight. The house was obviously in one of the nicest parts of Seattle and all the houses they'd seen were all very grand. But this one? The grandest.

"Oh, my god," Ana muttered to herself as she drove up to the front door. Elliot told her it was fine to park on the side and they all clambered out.

Elliot walked straight in ahead of the girls and shouted "Mom! Dad!" From what they could see so far, the house was all marble and glass with random spots of colours here and there giving it a homier feel.

Grace came down the hall, her shoes echoing throughout and the smile that was etched on her face was so welcoming and motherly, Ana lost it for a second. It's not something she had experienced in a long time.

"Kate! Ana! Welcome to our home," She hugged Kate first and then Ana. "I'm so glad you could both make it."

"Hi Mrs Grey," Ana smiled.

"Just Grace, Ana," she winked. Elliot made a whining noise and Grace greeted him.

She led them to the kitchen where Mia, her dad and a blonde woman were all bustling around. There was some classical sounding music being played somewhere and there was a delicious smell wafting through the house. Mia gasped when she saw them and wiped her hands quickly, running over to them. "I'm so happy you guys are here!"

Carrick also came over and greeted them all. Ana remembered him to be just as charming as he was. The blonde woman was introduced as Gretchen, their occasional housekeeper. She flashed them a polite smile and wave before going back to her task.

Carrick poured them drinks while Kate and Ana sat down on the barstools surrounding the kitchen island as they all chatted about their lives and the Grey's asked questions wanting to know the girls better. They had heard most of it from Elliot and Mia, but it was nice to hear it from them. Grace made Elliot help with the dinner prep and she was all but offended when Kate and Ana asked if they could do anything. It was fascinating to see them all helping out with dinner. Ana would have thought that a family as grand as this would have every meal made by a chef. Gretchen was darting in and out of the room, setting up the dinner table but the main food prep was being done by the Greys themselves.

Ana was sat there wondering where Christian was and leaned forward towards Mia while everyone else was conversing. "Where's Christian?" She whispered.

"Oh, he's on his way darling. He had some business to finish up." Ana jumped slightly when Grace answered her question. She looked over to Grace who was smiling at her, while she blushed furiously as everyone else looked at her. Kate was holding her hand in front of her mouth, trying not to laugh.

"Oh," Ana whispered, nodding slightly. She wanted to dash out of here. This was the awkwardness she was trying to avoid. But hell, who knew Grace had supersonic hearing?

Ana was silent, trying to compose herself. She was startled out of her bubble when Grace raised her voice slightly.

"Elliot Grey, hands off!" Ana looked up to see Elliot's cheeks were full and Grace was pointing a wooden spoon at him accusingly. Ana assumed that he had stuffed his face with some of the potatoes that he'd been cutting.

"Mom you know my picking is only a testament of how good your food is," he said as he swallowed. Kate snickered and Ana had to grin.

"I don't care. Stop scoffing it all down or there won't be enough for everyone else." Grace was waving the spoon around threateningly.

"She broke one of her favourite spatulas last thanksgiving when she had to slap his hand away because he was eating all the food," Mia told them.

"It was one of my favourites too." She said wistfully.

"Hey mom, sorry I'm late." Came Christian's voice. Everyone's head snapped up to the doorway where Christian was stood, leaning against the doorframe.

His eyes caught Ana's as she looked at him in surprise and he smirked slightly. Ana smiled at him lightly. She wondered how long he'd been stood there for.

"Christian," Grace uttered as he walked over and hugged her. "I invited Kate and Ana to join us for dinner today."

Elliot took her brief moment of distraction to quickly stuff a few more pieces of potato in his mouth before darting away to the other side of the room, looking mighty proud of himself.

Grace watched him with narrowed eyes knowing full well what he'd done but she shook her head with a hint of a smile on her face. Somethings would never change. Ana watched the scene amusedly. Christian greeted everyone else before he greeted her. She was worried that maybe he thought she was intruding on his family time and didn't want her here.

He stood on the other side of the island where she was sat and smiled easily at her. "Hi Ana. Nice to see you here," he poured himself a drink.

"Hi Christian. How are you?" Ana asked as casually as she could.

"Excellent. Yourself?"

"I'm good," she smiled. The room was silent and both of them were well aware of the eyes and ears on them, so they didn't drag out the greeting.

Mia asked for Grace's help with something and Kate walked over to Elliot.

As everyone's attention was elsewhere, Christian looked at Ana. "I wasn't expecting you both here. It was a nice surprise," he said quietly.

Ana chuckled. "Yeah I wasn't expecting me here either until about 20 hours ago. Kate made me come, I hope its okay," she said worriedly.

"Why wouldn't it be?" He furrowed his brows.

"I thought maybe it would be weird that I'm having dinner with your family. Inappropriate maybe? I don't know. I guess I thought you would think that I'm intruding," Ana bit her lip.

"Ana, I don't mind. Not one bit. I'm glad you're here. My parents really like you so I shouldn't be too surprised. I can't say I wasn't expecting it at some point."

Ana examined his face carefully. "Okay. I can go at any point if you want me to."

"That's the last thing I want," he said, gazing at her. Ana released a breath she didn't know she was holding and leaned her elbows on the island, almost sagging as she relaxed. "You're a little bit of an overthinker aren't you?" He observed.

Ana moved her head side to side. "Hm. Just a little bit," she laughed. She knew she was and didn't take any offence to it. Christian grinned.

Elliot asked Christian something and their little bubble was burst.

"Boys, why don't you give the girls a tour and we'll give you a shout when the food's ready?" Carrick suggested.

Elliot and Christian showed them the dining room, the front room, where the bathrooms were and the other 'living room' except this one had a wall of French doors leading to a patio with a large back garden that contained a vegetable patch and some lovely looking flowers.

"Do you guys grow your own vegetables?" Ana asked curiously standing at the windows.

"Mom's done it for as long as I can remember. She really likes gardening and if it was warmer weather, the flowers and plants that she grows would be placed around the house but since it's too cold for that, my dad buys her flowers from a florist every week," Christian explained.

"Wow, that's so sweet," Ana smiled, "I wish I had the patience for gardening."

Christian chuckled, "come on, tour's not over."

Elliot led them to the den that looked so cosy. it had large sofas along the walls, a big soft-looking rug on the floor, a huge television mounted on the wall and Ana's favourite part? The bookcase that covered a small wall on the side.

"The bookworm goes straight for the books," Elliot smirked, "typical behaviour." Ana threw him a dirty look and perused the shelves. There were a lot of medical journals and law books which made sense.

They went up the grand staircase and as soon as they hit the landing, Elliot and Kate ditched them.

"We have some business to attend to. Bye," he mumbled quickly before dragging Kate along.

Christian turned to Ana rolling his eyes. "They've gone to have a romp in his room," he stated.

"Your childhood rooms are still intact?" Ana asked surprised.

"Yeah, mom insisted on keeping them as they were. No matter what happened, we would always have a roof over our heads, she says. Come on, I'll show you mine." Without thinking, he grasped her hand lightly and pulled her along. Ana looked down at their hands in surprise. Did he even realise?

He led her to the last door at the end of the hall and Ana spied a sign that said, 'Elliot and Mia stay out!'

"I like the sign," she laughed.

"Very necessary I'm afraid." He opened the door for her and gestured for her to go first. She let go of his hand and stepped in. It was pretty basic, a typical teenage boys' room, painted in navy blue with some medals hanging around the bed post. There was a desk, a stereo and a pin board alongside some photos of his family.

"Woah, this is so weird. It's like an alternative universe," Ana said looking around.

"Are you saying teenage me was such a weird concept that it was practically alien?" He said in mock offence.

She rolled her eyes lightly when she saw his lips twitching. "You are alien. You certainly can't be human," she stated. "For some reason I just can't imagine teenage you. You seem so secure as you are now, you know no-shit taking, big boss. I can't imagine you as anything else."

"Trust me, I definitely wasn't always like this. There was a lot of growing up involved. Come see this," he waved her over to a photo on the wall.

It was a picture of Mia and Christian when they were younger, sat on a bench in what looked like a tropical country. "Oh my god, that was you? How old were you? You don't look older than 15," she ghosted her fingers along the frame.

"I was 14 I think. I had just gotten a buzz cut and I hated it. I felt like a naked mole rat and not 'manly' at all. You can probably tell from the expression on my face," he said bashfully.

"Still look cute though," Ana said quietly with a cheeky grin. She spent some time going through the rest of the pictures that were dotted about while he fiddled with the stereo, answering her questions here and there.

A picture could really speak a thousand words, Ana thought. They heard Grace calling for them, so they headed back down.

"What was your childhood room like?" Christian wondered as they walked down the stairs.

"There was a lot of books. Like a lot. They were everywhere. It was quite basic and there were frames of quotes on the walls. I also went through multiple phases where I would re-decorate my room at least once every year. It used to annoy my dad, but I was determined."

"The book thing I get but the redecorating? You don't strike me as the type to sit down and plan how to design your room."

"I didn't," she laughed, "I used to freestyle and go with the flow. Did end up as a disaster a few times." They laughed as they walked in the dining room. Everyone was bustling around the table as they set things down and they all glanced at them. They missed the knowing look Grace shot Carrick.

"Take a seat wherever you like," Carrick said.

Carrick and Grace were on either ends of the table, Kate and Elliot sat on one side and Mia took the other and waved Ana over to sit next to her. Just as she went to pull her chair out, Christian's hand shot out and he pulled it out for her.

Ana couldn't help the blush. These chivalrous acts really threw her off, but she wasn't complaining. "Thanks Christian," she whispered. He didn't say anything as he took the seat next to her, with Grace on his other side.

There was a huge roast chicken in the centre of the table with all the fixings. It looked divine. The last time she had a spread like this must have been last Christmas.

They all tucked in as they made idle dinner chat. Grace and Carrick caught up with their children's lives and got to know Ana and Kate more.

"So Ana, how is your job search going?" Carrick asked her. He had helped her during the night of the ball and introduced her to quite a few people.

She wiped her mouth with her napkin before replying. "Not good, I'm afraid. I thought I might be able to get in at Hoffman publishing, but they closed down a couple of weeks ago now."

"Ah yes. I heard about that. It's really too bad, they've been in the scene for so long," Carrick mused. "No other place caught your eye?"

She shook her head. "Everywhere has caught my eye but I just can't get an interview anywhere and a lot of places seem to just promote internally."

"You'll find somewhere Ana and it will be perfect for you. I have complete faith," Grace said warmly. Ana smiled at her gratefully and as she looked away, she swore that Grace winked at Christian.

They turned their attention to Kate who was definitely quieter than usual, but Ana knew she was generally worried about getting their approval. Kate had confided in Ana that Elliot was the one and she couldn't see herself with anyone else. Ana believed her. The love and adoration those two had for each other was a sure thing.

"Ana, keep some room for dessert. I made sticky toffee pudding," Mia told her.

"You did?" Christian exclaimed.

"Yep. I thought I would do something to impress our guests," she grinned, "I'm more than the glitz and glamour that I appear to be."

"Anastasia, I know it has been a while but how was your birthday? I never had the chance to ask," Grace asked.

"It was amazing. I had the best time and I spent the day with the people that I love. I wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way," Ana smiled as she remembered it.

"Good, I'm glad. You managed to help me get rid of my children for a day. Thank you."

"Mom," came three grumbles.

Grace waved her hand with a laugh and Carrick chuckled as well. "I'm kidding. You know I love you."

Ana chuckled to herself. "Oh hey, I have the pictures from Ana's birthday. Kate sent them to me, and I haven't actually looked through them yet. They're on my laptop do you guys want to see them?" Mia asked excitedly.

Ana hadn't actually seen them herself, so she agreed. Everyone else agreed too and Mia said she'd go fetch her computer once they were done eating.

Ana observed the dynamics of this family. They were so normal; it was kind of weird. Elliot got admonished repeatedly for talking with food in his mouth and eating too much and then burping, Mia was a certified daddy's girl and she talked happily about anything and everything. Christian was quieter than both of them, but he was still teasing the two of them and offering his input here and there. Elliot and Mia even started kicking each other under the table at one point and Grace had to tell them off. There were multiple conversations going on many times and Ana just embraced the chaos. She was sat bang in the middle of the table and was unsure about which conversations to jump into so more often than not, she didn't and was a silent spectator. She wasn't trying to be rude; she just felt her two cents weren't needed so she let them chat away.

"Work going well Christian?" Carrick asked.

"Yeah, it's going quite well. We've just acquired a small, independent company and I want to get it back on its feet but there's a lot of work to be done," he explained.

"I hope you're not overworking yourself son. No company is worth losing your health and wellbeing over. Are you remembering to eat?" Grace asked worriedly.

"Yes mom. You don't have to worry, Ana can vouch for me."

Slightly startled at the sound of her name, Ana's eyes darted to Christian who was smirking slightly. Grace was looking at her expectantly, so she cleared her throat.

"You don't have to worry Grace. I make sure he eats at work and he usually only stays late one or two nights a week but that's only when he's in the 'zone' and you can't argue with him so I let him be. He does eat a worryingly amount of blueberry muffins though," Ana said, lips twitching as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Christian! You need to stop eating so much sugar, especially for breakfast. You'll be kicking yourself in 10 years' time when your teeth are rotten," she chided. Ana smiled to herself.

"But they're so good."

"It doesn't matter. Try something more nutritious," she shook her head slightly. "You've always had such a sweet tooth."


As they started to finish their food, Ana glanced over to Christian's nearly empty plate. He was obviously done as he'd placed his knife and fork across the plate but there was still some steamed carrots left on his plate and it looked like he hadn't even touched them. On Ana's plate there was also carrots left and some sprouts. Try as she might, she just couldn't stomach them.

Leaning over slightly, she spoke quietly. "You don't like carrots?"

Christian glanced over at her plate. "It looks like neither do you Miss Steele."

"I've never liked steamed carrots or sprouts. I try them every time and it's a no every time."

He chuckled. "Me too actually. Hated them since I was a kid. I'm not a picky eater but carrots is a heavy no." He reached over to grab a roast potato and popped it into his mouth.

"It used to frustrate me to no end, trying to make him eat his carrots. I see you're the same Ana," Grace smiled with a twinkle in her eye.

"I like carrots, I would gladly eat them raw but when they're steamed, the smell really puts me off," Ana said.

"Christian's the same!" Elliot exclaimed. "You both eat like rabbits," he scrunched up his nose slightly.

"And you eat like a horse," Christian remarked.

"Boys please," Grace said and they quietened down. Mia snickered.

They all got up to start clearing the table and Ana helped without a second thought, but Carrick told her to sit down and relax. Sitting down, she still helped Mia and Christian pile up the dishes.

Before they knew it, Ana and Kate were the only ones left at the table. Kate leaned forward.

"What do you think? Do you think its going well? Have I made a fool out of myself yet?"

"No, course not. You've been as gracious as you always are Kate. You're doing well, stop worrying and just be your usual charming self," Ana told her. "They seem like very easy-going people so I wouldn't worry."

Kate smiled at her gratefully. "Thanks Ana. I needed that pep talk," she leaned back, shoulders relaxing.

They Grey's came back into the room with dessert and Ana wondered where Gretchen had gone.

"I present to you, the infamous sticky toffee pudding," Mia placed a plate in front of Ana. "I made it so I really hope you like it. It's a family recipe," she said excitedly as she took her seat again.

"Thanks Mia. It looks so good." And it did. The syrup was oozing down the sides of the cake and there was steam billowing off it.

"Do you want some custard Ana?" Christian asked holding the jug with the custard.

"Yes please."

"Just tell me when to stop," he said. She waited until the cake was covered.

"Thanks Christian," she smiled at him before he poured some over his own pudding. He had completely drenched his and the custard had filled the plate. "Do you want any more on that?" Ana exclaimed.

Christian shrugged. "I would but there wouldn't be enough for everyone else. Custard makes everything better."

"Sweet tooth," Grace mouthed to Ana in exasperation when she caught her eye. Ana grinned.


After dinner, Elliot was on washing duty and Carrick was drying while Mia and Grace relaxed since they had done most of the cooking. Christian was also helping them.

Mia and Grace were telling Kate and Ana stories about their childhoods and Ana thought her stomach was going to burst from laughing so much and being so full.

She eventually got up to refill her glass and she had to reassure Grace that she could do it herself and there was no need for her to get up. Ana was driving, so she stuck to water and juice.

In the kitchen, Elliot and Carrick had some sort of system going on with the washing and they were talking about sports as she walked into the room. Christian was nowhere to be seen.

A couple of minutes later, Christian was on his way back to the kitchen and as he was descending the stairs, he heard Ana's voice in the kitchen. Slowly he crept up to the doorway, none of them had seen him. He watched Ana joking around with Elliot and his dad and had to fight a smile off his face. She had charmed the pants right off his dad. Metaphorically, of course. Christian grinned, proud as Ana gave as good as she got of the teasing from Elliot and his dad. It made him feel some type of way that she got along so well with his family.

For a moment, the scene just seemed so normal; like it was part of everyday life and Ana had been coming here for years. She fit right in. His feelings for her were pretty solid at this point and it looked like they weren't going anywhere any time soon.

Christian startled slightly as he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. It was his mom. She looked past him into the kitchen and smiled.

"She's wonderful," Grace uttered softly. He just nodded, eyes on the others. Grace watched him watch Ana. "You feel something for her, don't you?"

Christian snapped his eyes towards his mother. "I…" he sighed, "I do." He sounded resigned and helpless and Grace's heart ached for him.

"How long?" They were speaking in very hushed tones. Elliot let out a loud laugh.

"A while actually. Maybe since the night of the ball?"

"Hmm. So, it didn't happen straight away?" Grace asked.

"No. it just happened one day, and they've only gotten stronger since," he said, running a hand through his hair. Ana laughed at something and his own lips turned upwards unconsciously at the sound.

"The best kind," she said knowingly. "Christian. There's something there between the two of you. I saw it the night of the ball and I'm seeing it now. Don't give up or resign yourself. It's in your eyes. Hers too." Christian raised his brow in disbelief. "Trust me. A mother always knows." She rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "I have faith in you Christian. I know you're not going to let a girl like that get away, so I trust whatever it is you're waiting for. You two are great for each other."

Christian looked into her eyes. There was nothing but sincerity and a motherly love shining back. "Thanks mom."

She patted his shoulder. "You can always talk to me, you know that." She parted with those words and walked into the kitchen making her presence known. Christian composed himself as Ana's eyes met his and she grinned, eyes twinkling.

"Where have you been slacker? Leaving all the dirty work for your dad and Elliot?" She teased, mirth dancing in her eyes.

"Ha ha ha," he said dryly, but he couldn't stop the smile that broke free. "If you must know, I had to take a call."

"Ah," Ana said with wisdom. "The never-ending work strikes again. But you're here now, so come on get a move on," She said ushering him forward. If Christian didn't know any better, he would think that she's drunk or tipsy; she was acting like herself a lot more than before and she seemed less tense. But he figured that maybe after talking with Elliot and his dad she felt a lot more relaxed and calmer to which he was glad. She really didn't have anything to worry about.

Christian threw her a dirty look as she laughed before Grace pulled her out of the room, saying something about Mia and pictures.

In the front room, Mia had connected her laptop to the television so they could see the pictures better. There were photos from the night before her birthday where they had gotten drunk and Ana laughed as they told Grace about that night. The next set of photos were from the morning of her birthday when Kate and Elliot had surprised her. Ana was embarrassed at the state of herself. She couldn't believe that Christian had actually seen her like that.

"Elliot looks adorable," Grace commented at a photo of Elliot with the cakes and lit candles. He had major bedhead, but his eyes were wide with excitement.

The next series of photos were a combination of Elliot, Christian and Ana as she blew out the candles.

"Christian was there?" Grace asked in mild surprise.

"Elliot had asked him to pick him up from our apartment," Ana explained. Grace hummed thoughtfully as she returned her gaze back to the TV.

The boys all walked in as they were flicking through the photos where Elliot had covered her face in the frosting, and they were all laughing at Ana and Elliot's expressions.

"Yes! I've wanted to see these pictures for a while," Elliot said, taking a seat beside Kate. Carrick sat on an armchair and Christian plopped himself down on the couch in between Ana and Mia.

In the next photo, Christian was wiping icing off Ana's nose with a grin and Ana looked like she was fighting off a smile. Everyone collectively awed at the picture and Ana blushed furiously. Christian himself looked down in embarrassment, rubbing his hair, his ears red.

"Shit that is adorable," Elliot mumbled more to himself than anything but no one else said anything, they just hid their smiles.

The next ones were of Elliot hugging Ana with her face in his chest. Grace's hand flew up to her chest once she saw the picture. Behind Ana, Christian could be seen watching them with a sombre expression on his face.

"Elliot can be cute sometimes," Ana said after Kate explained the story behind the photo.

Kate ruffled Elliot's hair in affection. "He can be." Elliot mumbled something as his cheeks went pink. Ana breathed out a laugh. Not much could embarrass him.

In the next one however, Ana's hair was looking a lot more rumpled and she looked annoyed while Elliot was grinning cheekily, and his hand was mid-way through the air. It was obvious what he'd done. They all chuckled as this was typical Elliot behaviour. In the next one Christian and Ana were hugging, and his face was tilted into her hair. This hug was a little more timid than the one with Elliot. No one said anything but Grace looked at the two of them sat together, with an adoring smile on her face. In the next, Ana was holding Christian's hand in the air while he had an impish expression on his face.

Mia laughed loudly. "He wishes he was as mischievous as Elliot," she said as Christian grumbled and Elliot grinned proudly.

The rest of the pictures were all from the picnic and as they flicked through them, they told the stories behind them.

Ana excused herself to go to the bathroom and on her way back to the front room, she ran straight into Christian.

"Hey, I want to show you something," he said quietly.

Ana raised her brows in surprise and her stomach started fluttering. "Okay, sure. Lead the way." Ana hoped everyone else didn't mind that they had left them. Hopefully they wouldn't even realise.

He led them up the stairs to the second floor. Ana hadn't been here yet. His parents' room was on this floor. He opened a door on the right and walked into this small-ish room. It was still very big but it was the smallest room she had seen in this house so far. There was a keyboard in the corner, a desk with a large bookcase behind it and a small couch but other than that, not much else. Like the room downstairs however, one wall had French doors all along leading out to a terrace. The view was of the same as downstairs but this one had a much higher vantage point, and you could see a lake and the forest surrounding it in the distance.

"Oh wow," she headed straight for the windows.

"I thought you might like it," he chuckled as he unlocked the doors. "You want to step outside?" Ana nodded. Outside there was a fire pit in the corner with some outdoor seating surrounding it. She shivered from the cold forgetting that she only had a thin blouse on. Without a word, Christian walked back inside and reappeared with a blanket. "Here, this should warm you up." Ana smiled at the gesture. She hadn't even had to say anything. He always just knew.

"Thank you." She wrapped it around her shoulders as she stood by the railing, admiring the view and breathing in the fresh air. There was just something about Seattle air.

"I can't believe you grew up here," she mumbled.

She saw him scratch the back of his neck from her periphery. "We were blessed, really blessed but I didn't appreciate it enough growing up."

She looked at him. "Don't beat yourself up over it. What kid would?"

"You want to take a seat?" He gestured towards the sofas. She nodded and sat so she could still admire the view while Christian sat on the seat adjacent to her.

"Hey, what were you talking about during dinner, about a small company?" Ana asked. She had had no clue what he was talking about which was odd. She usually knew about every acquisition and deal he was working on.

"Oh, that. Don't worry about that. it's just a small thing that I'm doing for someone. It's not a big thing; it won't be a big deal at the office," he brushed it off. He wanted to tell her but figured that waiting might be better.

Ana nodded unconvincingly but she let the matter go regardless. They sat in silence for a few minutes; they could still faintly heart the sound of laughter drifting through the house.

"What are holidays like in your family?" Ana asked. "It's fitting, with thanksgiving coming up and everything." She wrapped herself tighter in the blanket.

"Crazy. Mia and Elliot go stir crazy over the holidays. It's calmed down as we've gotten older but when we were kids? It's like elves and Santa clause himself shit all over the house. There used to be decorations everywhere. Mia would even wrap it around the toilet roll holder in all the bathrooms and there were definitely a few times when I nearly wiped my ass with tinsel."

Ana laughed loudly. "Then you would've been shitting Christmas. Literally."

"I'm pretty sure someone actually did one time. it must have been during one of my parents' parties and one of their friends wiped and had a fit. Dad put a stop to the tinsel in the bathroom after that," he smirked as he watched her laugh. "Thanksgiving is pretty tame compared to Christmas, but everyone still rushes around, stressing about the food or something or another. Our grandparents come over, sometimes uncles and aunts and mom's friends." He had a calculating look on his face. Ana peered at him curious as to why his facial expression had changed with that. Just as quickly, he shook it off. "I usually try and get out as soon as possible. It's fun and I love my family, but the guests are not so pleasant at times. What about you? What are your plans?" He turned the tables.

"I'm going home to Montesano to celebrate with my dad and extended family. Ever since I moved, I don't see them enough, so I really like our rare dinners with everyone," she paused.

"There are some little cousins and things, but I have this one cousin who is crazy," she turned to him, talking animatedly. "As in she's been riding the crazy train all her life. She was in and out of rehab, a sure wild child. One thanksgiving, she came home from wherever she'd been, and god knows what the new neighbour did, but she got pissed off at the neighbour and roped me into doing a prank for her. I was 15 or something and thought she was the coolest, so I found myself climbing over a backyard fence and sprinkling some sort of white powder on the neighbour's white sheets that were hung up on the washing line while she distracted said neighbour and on my out, I see them making out! When I asked about it, she said 'it was all in the name of a good prank'." Christian sat completely enthralled into Ana's story. Her hands were moving wild and her eyes periodically widened to add effect to her story.

"I never did find out what that powder was, but we saw the neighbour burning her sheets the next day," she stated casually. "No one even questioned her because it was typical behaviour. She's been arrested a lot too but I still think she's so badass."

"Arrested?" He sputtered.

"Yeah but it was only small stuff," Ana waved off. "Her pranks have gotten her in trouble a lot but she's never caused any harm; more like annoyance and inconveniences. She was like the evil but oddly endearing villain of a book. Luckily, I was never the subject of her pranks."

"Didn't you ever come up with pranks?"

"Nope, I was never creative enough for that. She was the mastermind."

"Sounds like her and Elliot would get along great," he chuckled. "Is there anyone else crazy in your family that I need to be wary of?"

"It's just her. My grandma claims she was dropped on her head too many times as a kid. I promise everyone else is relatively normal," she squinted her eyes as she laughed.

Ana sighed. "I haven't seen her in a long time though and we don't really keep in touch. She's very flighty." She looked up as an idea occurred to her. "Hey you know who'd be a great person to write a book about? Her."

He smirked. "Maybe. But wouldn't it consist of a lot of time spent in jail?"

"Yeah but once she got out she always had fascinating stories to tell about her cell mate or something. Oh, and she never stayed in jail for more than 48 hours."

"Don't tell Elliot any of her pranks. We don't want him getting any ideas," Christian warned. Ana huffed a laugh.

"There you guys are. I was wondering where you snuck off to," Mia exclaimed as she walked outside. She had put on a large sweater and plopped herself down next to Ana. "Everything okay?" She looked between the two of them.

"All good," Ana smiled.

"I got the feeling that mom and dad wanted some privacy with Kate and Elliot, so I left them alone," Mia said. Ana turned wide eyes to her. "It's nothing. They just wanted to talk to them together, get to know her more. They're harmless."

They sat in silence for a while but was broken by Mia. "Jesus it's freezing out here," she shivered. "I always think I don't sit out here enough but I come out and remember why I don't." Ana enveloped Mia under her blanket and the two of them sat as close as possible.

"Mia you've lived here your whole life and you still get shocked at the cold," Christian said exasperatedly.

"Shut up Christian," Mia said simply, not looking at him.

Ana turned her eyes to him, appraising him. "Aren't you cold?" His leg kept jiggling.

"Not at all," he said confidently as he crossed his arms tightly.

Mia rolled her eyes at him. "Yes he is. His lips are two seconds away from turning blue. Get under the blanket Chris."

"I'm fine," he shook his head.

"Get in here Christian," Ana said moving the other side of the blanket as an invitation. He carefully sat down next to Ana. "Get a little closer," she mumbled. She was hyper aware of him and his proximity, but she busied herself with trying to cover all of him with the blanket. He shuffled closer so he was shoulder to shoulder with Ana and he pulled the blanket. It was so much warmer under here and he finally let himself relax.

Ana raised her brows at him questioningly. He smiled sheepishly, "much better, thank you."

Ana mumbled something about being stubborn. "Actually, you know what we should do?" Mia sat up abruptly. She didn't wait for an answer. "Light the fire." She jumped up and went back inside leaving them two sat together alone. Ana wasn't sure if the awkwardness was actually present or if it was just her.

"There's no stopping her is there?" She mumbled as she sat back a little.

"Nope. Apparently, it's Mia's world and we're all living in it," he propped his feet on the edge of the fire pit. "But it is a good idea though. It's getting dark," he nodded to the view in front of them. Ana hummed in agreement.

"I'm excited for December. I love the whole month," Ana muttered quietly after a moment.

"Am I gonna catch you singing Christmas songs at the office for the whole month? Oh wait, don't tell me. You wear jumpers or shoes that… jingle?"

She nudged his shoulder with a roll of her eyes, "I'm not that bad."

"Good because I think I'd have to ban you from the office for the month if you did," He shuddered.

Ana laughed. "Chances are I will be singing Christmas songs for the whole month though."

"I think I can live with that. But absolutely no jingling," he stated firmly.

"What happens at the office during the festive period? Anything special?"

"Well, we decorate. And by we I mean individual departments do their own decorations. I don't really have a rule or anything about that. There's the annual Christmas party. And there's a secret santa among all the staff," he listed off.

"So Andrea and I are in charge of decorating our floor?" She asked curiously.

"I suppose so. Sometimes Mia and my mom do a bit of decorating there too."

"And you guys do a secret santa with everyone? I love secret santa. It was a tradition that me and my friends used to do every year in high school. But I doubt it was as grand as the one at GEH. What even are the logistics of that?" Ana mused.

"Mia was actually the one that started it a couple years ago. She does tend to think she owns the place," he said dryly.

"What do I think I own?" Mia grumbled as she walked back out. They watched her light the fire before taking a seat opposite them, having bought out another blanket.

"GEH. He was telling me how you started the secret santa," Ana said.

Mia's eyes lit up, "oh yeah, that was one of my finer ideas."

"How does that even work at such a big company?"

"Well, I know not everybody knows everybody, so all the cards have the name, department and a few questions that they've answered like 'what are your hobbies', 'what would you like for Christmas' 'favourite candy, favourite drink' and what not so you get a sense of them. so, you either buy them what they answered, or you can get them something else entirely. It's up to you. There's also a budget of 20 dollars. Then at the Christmas party, everyone gets their gifts and finds out who their secret santa is! It's great!" Mia exclaimed.

Ana mulled it over. "That makes sense. But – I'm not hating on the idea, I like it - but aren't you all but forcing people to participate? What about the people who don't celebrate Christmas or can't afford to participate?" Ana asked.

"They can choose not to put their name in the draw," Mia shrugged, "everyone has a choice. And I know a couple of people who don't celebrate Christmas but still participate because of the whole gift-giving. It's a very wholesome thing and I think it brings everyone together. The 20-dollar limit is there for that reason and I know Christian doesn't skimp on salaries," he tilted his head in thanks to her with a smirk on his face. "Since we've started it, most people have participated and there's usually only one or two people that are away or something."

Ana thought for a moment before turning to Christian. "What are your thoughts?"

He shrugged, "there's never been any problems or complaints surrounding it. Besides I don't participate."

Ana's brows flew up. "Why?"

"He thinks it's ridiculous for one of his employees to get him something," Mia interjected.

"It is. And I don't have the time. Everyone gets their Christmas bonus at the party so that's my job done," he said simply.

"Don't tell me you're a grinch," Ana said.

"I'm not. I like Christmas and the time I get to spend with family but it's all become a very big marketing scheme. And I've always thought that I shouldn't get mixed up in things with employees," he explained, "I exchange small gifts with Ros, Andrea and others but not the whole of the company."

"What, you think someone's going to misinterpret your gift and come for you?" Ana questioned.

"It's always a possibility. Crazier things have happened," he said.

"But they work at GEH so they must have enough sense to know it's completely platonic and professional?"

"That's what I say! And worst-case scenario you just need to ward off someone's advances for a bit," Mia said. "You've been doing that long enough anyway."

"No, worst case scenario is that they are relentless and become obsessed and then get fired," Christian said pointedly.

Ana pondered it. "It's your choice I guess." He threw her a thankful look. "I'm excited. A secret santa between 300 odd people? Sounds great."

Mia smiled, "the party's pretty great too."

The night had set and someone had turned on the outside lights so that coupled with the fire gave off a very warm glow.

"Do you and Kate have anywhere else to be today?" Mia asked. Ana shook her head. "Great. I have an idea," she dashed off again.

"I don't know how she never gets headaches with all the crazy running through her mind," Christian mumbled. Ana laughed quietly. Every time he made her laugh, he felt like he was on top of the world.

"I'm going to make you see the magic of this time of year Mr Grey," Ana said after a beat with determination in her voice.

"You're really passionate about this aren't you?" Christian eyed her. Ana hummed.

Mia walked back out with an armful of blankets. "I thought we could spend the evening out here and make s'mores and stuff."

Christian got up and excused himself. Ana instantly felt the cold that came with the absence of his body heat and she shivered.

"Missing his body already?" Mia grinned as she laid out the blankets. Ana threw a pillow at her.

Everyone else soon made their way out onto the terrace, with the exception of Grace and Christian.

"Christian wanted to speak to his mother for a moment," Carrick explained before taking a seat next to Ana.

Ana watched Kate's face to see if there was any indication that something had happened inside. Kate caught her eye and pretended to wipe the sweat off her forehead as she smiled in relief. Ana raised her brows as if to say, 'are you sure' and Kate nodded as she took the seat adjacent to Ana. Ana smiled, happy that it seemed to be going well for her. Elliot placed some beers on the table and plopped down on a large bean bag across from the girls.

"God I don't know what was in that dinner today but I've never been so full after Sunday dinner," Elliot said as he pressed a hand to his belly.

A while later, Grace and Christian reappeared and Ana wondered if something was going on. But then she mentally chided herself. They were mother and son; they could speak all they wanted to; it was none of her business.

"What are we doing?" Christian asked, taking a seat near Mia.

"Elliot's counting how many marshmallows he can stuff in his mouth,' Mia explained, not taking her eyes off Elliot.

Grace threw a look to Carrick and he just shrugged in innocence. "These children," she mumbled to herself.

They spent the evening around the firepit, toasting marshmallows and drinking, but Ana stuck to water. The evening was really lovely, and it got even better when Grace wacked out the photo albums and showed them childhood pictures.

It had been a while since she'd hung out with her own family, so it was bittersweet hanging out with the Grey's, but she wouldn't have wanted to spend the evening any other way. The Grey's were a hoot, and she hadn't laughed so much in a long time. She was also still full to the brim from the food. All in all, it sort of felt like home.

Ana had gotten so comfortable sat around the fire that she didn't want to move; she'd been sat in the same spot for hours, but it was getting late and it was Monday tomorrow, so they had to get home.

Grace hugged her tightly as they said goodbyes. "I hope you come around again soon Ana. it's been a pleasure getting to know you."

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough. All three of your children are connected to me somehow," Ana laughed. Grace smiled.

She hugged Carrick and Mia. "Thank you so much for the food too. It was divine."

The three of them and Christian walked out to their cars together.

"Wait I need to show Kate something in the back garden," Elliot exclaimed before running around the side of the house.

"I really will never know what goes on in my siblings' minds," Christian shook his head as he walked next to Ana.

"I don't think you want to," Ana chuckled. "Very spontaneous, those two."

They reached Ana's car. She unlocked it but didn't make a move to get in; instead learning against the door as she faced him.

"I hope they didn't scare you off," Christian said gesturing towards the house. "They're a rowdy bunch."

"Are you kidding? I love your family. I'll admit I had my doubts about coming but I'm really glad I did," she smiled.

He smiled. "My mom's in love with you and I'm sure you noticed my dad laying on the charm for you and Kate."

"Yeah, it did get me flustered a few times," she chuckled.

Christian went to lean on the car next to her, both of them looking ahead.

"Is this weird?" Ana asked out of the blue.

"What? You being here?" Ana nodded. "I don't really know what is normal for this situation but what I do know is that I like having you here."

Ana smiled softly as her belly fluttered.

"It's settled then, I'll be over every Sunday for dinner," she joked.

He chuckled. "I don't think anyone would have any objections to that."

They heard Elliot and Kate approaching and Christian heaved himself up. "Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow Ana. Sweet dreams," he said softly.

"Night Christian," she smiled as he took a few steps away and waved.

"Goodnight you two!" He shouted at Elliot and Kate.

From inside the house Grace had been watching Ana and Christian converse quietly. The fleeting looks and soft smiles were very telling. Elliot and Kate's sudden disappearance had been planned to give them two a moment alone, hoping that something might happen. But alas, those two just didn't want to admit anything.

It will happen soon enough Grace thought. Christian had confided in her earlier and told her everything and her heart had swelled with love for her son. He was an admirable man, and she was so proud and happy for him. She didn't think he'd be able to deny it much longer.


This wasn't meant to be this long but i waffled so i'm sorry!

on another note, i hope everyone around the globe is doing okay but especially in the uk with the gov announcing tier 4 restrictions. i know a lot of people will now be spending christmas alone and wont be able to see their loved ones so just know i'm thinking of you and we'll get through this. i hope that no matter the circumstances, we can all have an enjoyable holiday season even if it's the smallest thing that does it for you like eating whatever the hell you want because no one else is around to critique your cooking or seeing your family and friends over facetime or watching corny films or dancing around your living room.

As i've said loads of times, it's the small things that matter.