Chapter 12 - Just the Beginning

NBC News - Seattle

This is Kimberly Mitchell reporting live from Seattle College Preparatory in downtown Seattle. If you haven't heard of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey by now, you've been living under a rock for the past week. Steele and Grey both caught national attention after being spotting with Jerry Grant last week in Washington D.C. Interest in the couple heavily increased after being photographed at the state dinner with the first children and Prince Nikolai of Denmark.

There are dozens of photographers and reporters gathered outside the entrance of the school, waiting for Grey and Steele to arrive. The school has security guards stationed at all points of entry and are doing their best to keep the paparazzi at bay.

Once again, this is Kimberly Mitchell reporting live. Back to you Robin.

Christian's POV

"This is insane," Ana cried while covering her face with an extra jacket in my car. The paparazzi were surrounding my car, taking picture after picture.

These parasites were blocking the entrance to the school, despite the school's security guys trying to get them to move out of the way.

"Maybe I could run them over?" I suggested, not at all kidding. I was excessively honking at the press, but they weren't moving an inch.

"Should we just skip school," Ana suggested, a little too excitedly, "We can have some fun at my place." She turned to me and bit her lip seductively.

"Don't tempt me."

One of the school's security guards had to wrestle his way through the press before he knocked on my window.

"Mr. Grey," he said gruffly, "I think it would be best to use the back entrance for faculty. It doesn't look like they're going to move anytime soon."

"This is already shaping up to be a great day," Ana commented sarcastically.

Ana's POV

I felt like an endangered animal in a zoo. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was staring at Christian and me.

After the craziness with the press this morning, it made a lot of students late to their first class. Not to mention the crazy gossip flying around the place. Every time I turned my head, I heard students mumbling about me. I didn't know if it was good or bad, but I couldn't care less. The person I was really concerned about was Christian. I knew how much he hated the attention.

At least the only person treating me somewhat normal was Kate. She just got back from a tropical vacation with her family, and she looked tan and stunning.

I was surprised when even the girls on the cheer team, some of whom I've been friends with for years now, started acting weird around me. For goodness sake, I was not a celebrity.

Oh, well. There was really nothing I could do about it. Everything would probably go back to normal after the media attention died down. I was just a hot topic right now, but the interest would soon die down.

A Month Later

The media frenzy had definitely died down. They were no longer camped outside my school, but when Christian and I went out, we definitely saw a few photographers every now and then.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done with my relationships at school. People I thought were friends, ended up stabbing me in the back. Between divulging information to the press about my whereabouts and straight-up feeding them lies to make a quick buck, I was livid. I had basically cut all contact with my friends at school – backstabbing, money-hungry, social-climbing losers! The closest people in my life consisted of four people: Christian, Kate, Jerry, and Karen. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends.

Summer Break

"Ana!" Jerry's voice rang happily through the phone.

"What's up Jer Bear?"

"Karen and I are coming to Seattle!" he screamed.

"Oh my God, that's great!" I shouted, excited that I would get to see him and Karen again. "But why are you coming to Seattle?" I questioned.

"There needs to be a reason to see you?"

"Fair point, well made. When are you guys coming?

"Next week, just in time for C's 18th."

"Christian will be excited to see you both," I exclaimed.

"Well then tell Christian to prepare for a busy week. Karen's been talking non-stop about our visit. We have something big planned for his birthday."

"Christian wouldn't like all the fuss."

"He'll have to deal with it. Oh, and Karen mentioned shopping with you. She wants Christian to hold bags for her too."

A few weeks ago, I made Christian go shopping with me. Long story short, he was holding dozens of shopping bags for me, and we happened to be spotted by the paparazzi. The Nooz was all over it, and Elliot could not stop teasing Christian for being pussy-whipped.

I couldn't help but break out into laughter before I could reply. "Well, tell Karen that he's mine, but I'm sure her favorite older brother will be happy to hold bags for her."

"Keep dreaming, banana," he chuckled, "Anyways, can't wait to see you and Christian!"

"You too Jer!"

Planning for Christian's 18th Birthday Party

Ana's POV

"Christian loves the view from the Space Needle. That's such a great idea," I exclaimed.

Jerry and Karen were hanging out at my apartment, telling me about their plans for Christian's upcoming 18th birthday.

"I told you not to worry, banana," Jerry commented.

"We just need you to finalize some of the details," Karen explained, "Like the food, the decorations, the guest list."

"Are we surprising him?" I asked.

"Of course!" Karen said, "Those are always the best kinds of parties."

"Show me what you have so far," I said.

"We rented out the Space Needle for the night," Jerry informed me, "I'm assuming the party is going to be at the top unless he has a fear of heights."

"Nope, heights aren't a problem," I smiled, remembering one of many late-night conversations with Christian when he told me he has always dreamed of flying a helicopter.

"That's great," Karen cried, breaking me out of my memory, "The next things we need to talk about are the decorations and the food. The restaurant in the Space Needle said they can provide the food, or we could hire a caterer. Whatever you prefer."

"I think we should cater from Christian's favorite restaurant. I can make the arrangements."

"Perfect," Karen smiled, "So now that the food is sorted out, we need a theme. I was thinking old Hollywood glamor — like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly vibes."

"Did Chris suddenly turn into a girl overnight?" Jerry snorted, earning a laugh from me and a scowl from his sister.

"I was thinking something more casual," I countered, but saved the idea of Hollywood glamor in the back of my mind for my birthday in a couple of months.

"Do you have a color palette in mind?" Karen asked.

"50 Shades of Grey," I chuckled.

All of Christian's plans for his birthday party have been finalized, and somehow with Karen and Mia's big mouths, we've been able to keep it a secret from him.

Not surprisingly to any of us, Karen and Mia have gotten along extremely well. And Mia had the biggest crush on Jerry. It was so cute.

We were having Christian's party at sunset on the top of the Space Needle. It was going to be picture-perfect. The food was being catered from Christian's favorite restaurant, and I made sure to order his favorite mac & cheese. I was also going to bake him my very special chocolate cake. I was going to have one very happy birthday boy on my hands.

It was going to be a small party. Family and close friends only. And it wasn't like Christian had many friends. Neither do I anymore. Elliot just got back from college, so Christian's whole family was going to be there. Obviously, Jerry and Karen were coming. I also invited Kate, as she and Christian have been friendly with each other for my sake.

I was in charge of bringing Christian to the Space Needle. Everyone was going to be waiting there for us on Friday. I was going to spend the whole day with Christian, and if he had any say, we were probably going to end up spending the whole day in bed. Not that I'd mind.

Christian's Birthday

Ana's POV

Christian was deliciously insatiable. I had a picnic set up for us at the park, but my man had other ideas about what he wanted to do for his birthday. His new favorite hobby – making me cum over and over again.

After tying me to the bed spread-eagle with my silk Hermes scarves, he proceeded to torture me with eighteen orgasms using his fingers and mouth. Yes, eighteen – one for every year he's been alive. I was delirious by the last orgasm. Then, Christian proceeded to fuck me into submission. I lost count of the orgasms after that.

After spending the entire morning and afternoon of Christian's birthday in bed (like I predicted), and after taking a long nap to recover, I had to force him to get dressed. I told him that I was taking him out to dinner for his birthday.

Christian's POV

Well, happy fucking birthday to me. Fuck, making Ana scream my name in ecstasy was my new favorite hobby. I really pushed her limits today, but she fucking loved it. Oh, my kinky girl.

I was really looking forward to a night in with my angel, but she insisted on taking me out to dinner, despite my protests that we could just order takeout.

"You're taking me to the Space Needle?" I asked Ana, as she pulled up to the valet. I loved the view from here, and it would no doubt be more stunning with Ana's beauty radiating from the top.

"Yeah," she smiled, "I thought you'd like dinner with a view."

"There's no one else here," I commented, looking around. The place was usually filled with tourists and locals, yet none were here tonight.

She gave me a sly smile and simply said, "You're right."

Something was definitely going on here.

When the elevator reached the top deck, I heard familiar voices scream, "Surprise!"

The Seattle Nooz

Happy 18th Birthday Christian Grey!

Now a legal adult – Christian Grey spent his 18th birthday at the top of Seattle's most iconic attraction – the Space Needle.

The party was thrown by Grey's girlfriend, Miss Anastasia Steele, and the Grant children, who are close friends of Grey. It reportedly cost $1 million to rent out the tower for the night.

We know what you're all thinking. Who was lucky enough to score an invite to this exclusive event? Well, unless you were a member of Grey's family or part of his close-knit friend group, you were out of luck.

Senior Year

Ana's POV

"I'm so nervous," I commented.

"Oh, please, banana. You've practically been in since birth," Jerry said from the FaceTime open on my laptop.

Christian chuckled at Jerry's comment, and I scowled at him. "Hey, he said it." Christian held both of his hands up, feigning innocence.

Christian's POV

Ana and I, along with Jerry over FaceTime were waiting on our laptops for our Harvard decisions to come out. They were all treating this like a big life moment, which it was, but we already knew that all our letters were going to say yes.

"Ready guys?" I asked, "Our whole futures are riding on this."

"Shut up, baby," Ana quipped, "Open your decision."

"Wait," Jerry interrupted, "Let's all do it on the count of three."

"Child." Ana rolled her eyes.

"On the count of three," Jerry chanted.

One

Two

Three

I clicked on the "view decision" button that appeared on the Harvard portal. I was pleasantly surprised by the first words I read, "We're pleased to inform you…"

"Ahhh!" Ana screamed, "I got in."

She looked excitedly at me, and I smiled. "Me too."

"Jerry?" Ana asked.

"Looks like you'll be stuck with me for the next four years."

High School Graduation

Christian's POV

I was nervous. Really fucking nervous. Imagine me, Christian Grey, the class valedictorian, practically forced to address the class at graduation. You couldn't, right? Well, fuck me because that's exactly what was happening.

I was shit at writing. I was fairly good at public speaking, but I'd rather not. Ana was the one who convinced me to give the speech. I was originally going to refuse the position, but Ana said that I had earned it. Well if this is what I got for the highest GPA at the school, I should've spent less time studying and more time fucking Ana.

I was the only student sitting on the stage along with the principal and vice-principal. I could barely make out Ana sitting amongst the rest of the crowd.

When we locked eyes, she gave me an encouraging smile and mouthed, 'I love you.'

"And now, I'd like to welcome the class valedictorian, Mr. Christian Grey, to the podium to give the commencement speech."

Everyone in the audience applauded. I saw my family near the front row – my parents, Mia, Elliot… They all came. My family looked… proud. They were proud of me.

I took another look at Ana, and her reassuring smile is what calmed me down.

I slowly got out of my seat and walked to the podium. I could do this…

Summer Vacation

This was going to be the best summer vacation yet. Europe with Christian! Think of all the

sex we could have.

"Have you been to London before?" I asked, in the comfort of our first-class airplane seats.

"Last summer with my parents. But I'm certain it will be a lot more fun with you," he winked, definitely suggesting something indecent.

Leaving for College

"Oh, I'm going to miss you both, terribly," Grace cried as she dropped Christian and I off at the airport.

It was moving week at Harvard. My dad was meeting us later in the week to make sure we settled in alright, and Jerry's plane should be arriving at the same time as ours.

Christian and I were looking into getting an apartment close to campus, but all the freshmen were required to live in the dorms. Ugh, absolutely disgusting. Even Jerry was subjected to the same rules as us. Unlike us, however, he had to have the windows in his room replaced with bullet-proof glass.

Also, the rooms next to his and the one directly across from his were going to be vacant, and there was going to be a Secret Service agent stationed outside of his door at all times. I was sure the school would've made a special exception for Jerry to live off-campus, but Aunt Liv wanted him to have a "normal" college experience like she did. Hah, so much for normal.

Jerry and Christian were going to be roommates, and I was so happy that Christian finally had a friend. My dorm room was going to be just down the hall. I chose to get a single because I really didn't want to end up with some random chic as a roommate who might want to steal my clothes. I knew it was very elitist and anti-social of me, but I preferred being on my own. Plus, it made sneaking Christian into my room at night that much easier.

As for Kate, she was really disappointed when she didn't get into Harvard. It was a longshot for her as her grades weren't the best and she didn't have any connections. She ended up choosing her dad's alma mater, Brown, which was still an amazing school.

She was just upset that she wasn't going to be that close to me. Oh well, I knew she'd be visiting plenty, so it wasn't like I'd never get to see her again. If I was being honest, I was a little worried about leaving her on her own. She was a wild one, and I was afraid that without me around her, she might make some questionable decisions. I could only pray she didn't.

Christian's POV

My parents couldn't have been prouder of me the day I told them I got into Harvard. From a scared 4-year-old boy who couldn't talk, to a moody and drunk teenager, to a Harvard student with the most beautiful girlfriend… I never thought I'd make it here.

I could've ended up in jail… I could've ended up like my crack whore of a birthmother… I could've ended up worse if it weren't for Ana and the light she brought to my dark life.

I couldn't wait for college to start. No parents, no siblings, no annoying high schoolers… It was really a new chapter in my life, and I wanted to start it with Ana so badly.

I remembered the day of her 18th birthday. I wanted to marry her. We wouldn't have needed anyone's permission. We could have gone to the courthouse, and she would have legally been mine.

I eventually decided against it for three reasons. One, both our parents would've had our heads. They would probably have started with the obligatory, "Oh, you two are much too young to get married. You should wait a few more years before you decide to make this huge step in your lives." But after that, they would have been furious that they weren't invited to watch us get married.

Two, I knew Ana. She has been dreaming of a huge, fancy wedding since she was a little girl. The dress, the flowers, the music… I remembered seeing a Pinterest board on her phone one night entitled "Our Wedding." A girl like Ana deserved her dream wedding, and I wanted to give it to her. I didn't want her to have to settle for some quickie civil service. Totally not romantic.

The third and final reason, the ring. I wanted to buy Ana a huge fucking rock of a diamond ring. I wanted every fucker out there to know that she was mine, and I thought a 20-carat diamond engagement ring would just about do the trick. The only problem with that was that there was no way my parents would miss a multi-million dollar charge on my credit card. I could probably get away with anything under a few hundred thousand, but anything over a million dollars would definitely catch my parent's attention. Damn them. Anyways, I also wanted to be able to pay for the ring myself, without using my parent's money.

This is in part why I was so eager to start college. I had already begun forming a business plan in my head, which Grandpa Trevelyan was helping me out with. And I already found a company I had my eyes set on that was ripe for a takeover.

I was sure I could make hundreds of thousands of dollars by just buying and selling pieces of that company off to the highest bidder. The only problem was who would sell to a kid just fresh out of high school? You'd have to be crazy. So that was why I had to pursue my college degree. I hoped that I could graduate early, so I could start my business already. I was just itching to get into the business world, and I didn't want to wait another day, let alone a year, to call Ana my wife.