Disclaimer: Don't own Fifty Shades!

A/N: So, this is shorter than it has been the last few chapters, but you all would have waited longer too if I tried to extend it to the usual length:) Blame Ana. Her POV is trickier to write. As always, big thanks to everyone's continued support in reviews, faves, and follows :)

APOV

I try my best to keep my expression composed and nonchalant. I don't think it works, though, as Christian cups my face with one of his large hands. His palm is warm if a bit sweaty.

"Sunshine, did you hear me?" He asks hesitantly.

I lick my lips, tasting the lipstick I put on hours ago. Damn it, I forgot about my makeup. "Y-yes. Yes, yes, I did," I stammer. His eye search mine. "What do you mean by you know 'everything?'"

He sighs and rolls off me. "This isn't how I wanted to broach this subject, sunshine." Christian lays on his back and speaks to the ceiling. My hands resting on my stomach, I take I quick peek at him and shift my eyes up to where he is staring blankly.

"Christian?"

Again he sighs. "This night has gone to shit, hasn't it? What's one more nail in the coffin?" He breathes in deeply and exhales slowly. "Is there anything about you that I don't know that you want to disclose to me?"

"Uh, didn't you just say you knew everything?" Please, please, don't know everything. My heartbeat was slow but sounded very loud in my ears. Was there a ringing?

"Assuming I don't know everything, is there something that I should know? I told you all the important bits of my life, yet most of what I do know about you, I had to find out myself."

My eyes warm as I think about tonight's events, and Christian's surprisingly rude and obtuse sister. "Yeah, so you told me," I say flatly. I don't offer anything else.

He puts his fingers under my chin and moves my head until our eyes meet. After a moment, he asks again, "Is there anything you want to talk to me about? Even if you think it'll piss me off or if you think it'll scare me away, I swear you can trust me. I promise, sunshine, I'll always stay with you." I believe him, but a small part inside me whispers just how long he plans to stay with me. What if I were to tell him to go away?

I push away that disturbing ridiculous thought. Christian isn't Cason. "Why should I?" I ask honestly. "If you already know everything, why should I bother."

"Sunshine," he pleads, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb.

A wave of sudden hot anger floods my body. I yank my head back and sit up. "No, no, no, no, no. You don't get to give me those sad puppy dog eyes. You apparently know everything there is to know about me, and you're right that most of that stuff you found out on your own. But did it ever occur to you that some things I just do not like talking about? I just freaking met you a few weeks ago. You want me to pour my heart and soul out to you because you shared some things with me? Is that why you told me anything about your childhood and your Mrs. Robinson? To get me to open up about things you already knew, to get me to admit to something?" My voice has risen to near screaming level, but I can't stop the words coming out. "Were you trying to manipulate me in confessing whatever sordid details of my life to you so you can what? Be there for me? Stay with me and comfort me? You can shove that promise up your ass because I don't give a tiny rat's ass if you want me to share my life history with you. You haven't earned it!"

Quick like a flash, Christian is standing in front of me, having gotten off the bed without my realizing it. He shakes visibly in disbelief and frustration, his face turning a deep red. "Haven't fucking earned it? How the fuck am I supposed to earn it? Should I fuck you? Make love to you? Buy you stuff that you wouldn't ever be able to afford? Tell you everything painful that I endured in the first four years of my fucking life? Tell you that I was taken advantage of when I was a damn teenager? Done damn near everything I can think of to keep you safe? Fucking love you!? I've done all those to fucking earn it, and you're still so fucking stupid that you can't see any of that?" His hands gesture wildly as he talks.

"I am not stupid!" I stand on my bed, coming face to face with him. "And you lost every fucking point you earned the moment your sister humiliated me! You can claim whatever you want that you had a right to snoop into my past without my knowledge for your safety, but you crossed a line when you blabbed to your sister, who I don't ever want to see again!"

"You forgave me for that!" He spits back, throwing his arms out into the air in exasperation. "I know I messed up."

"Did I really? Did you hear me say, 'I forgive you, Christian'?"

"You kissed me."

I huff in incredulity. "That was not me forgiving you. That was me trying to move on for the time being from that problem."

"Why didn't you just say so, then? Why drill me about your background check if you're still upset about Mia?"

"I think it's my right to know what you found out about me. And how could I tell you I wasn't in a forgiving mood when you kept going, 'Don't leave me, Ana, don't leave me.'" I mock him, and he clenches his jaw.

His voice cold as ice, he hisses, "I did not say that."

Knowing it would annoy him, I roll my eyes and say like an immature brat, "That's what I heard."

He closes his eyes and grabs his hair roughly. "That's not—that's not what I meant." He takes another deep breath and fists his hands at his sides. His eyes still closed, he murmurs, "I don't want to fight with you, Anastasia." His eyes open, and I see the pain in shining bright.

Seeing the glassy sheen in them, knowing that emotion is so rarely seen from Christian Grey, I swallow back my anger. "Okay," I nod, "this doesn't have to be a fight. You're right." I shift around until I'm sat cross-legged.

Christian leans against my closet doors and slides down to the floor, his long legs straight out. His hands rest flat atop his thighs. "I know I fucked up, Anastasia. If I have to apologize a million times every day to make it better, I swear I will."

"I believe you, but," I pause, looking for the right words. "But it's going to take more than that for me to forgive you or forget about it."

"Then tell me what to do. Sunshine, I want us to be okay."

I rub my eyes. "Can't we shelve this conversation? I'm tired of talking about this."

He shakes his head. "Why didn't you tell me about your parents yourself? All you told me was that you and your mother weren't close, and your dad had passed away. I understand that when we discussed this, it was our first official date. But why didn't you ever tell me like when we went to your father's grave?"

"I didn't see a point to, Christian. Maybe if we've been dating for more than a month and, I don't know, you wanted to meet my mom or something, I would have told you. You need to understand that. We weren't—aren't there yet. We've only been officially dating for two weeks."

"Yeah, I know, but so what if it's fast, Ana. We fucked not even an hour of meeting each other."

"That's different. It was just sex."

"It was more than that!" He snaps. "Did our first night mean so little to you?"

I groan. "Don't be such a baby. What I meant was that while the sex was amazing, it was just sex. I didn't think I'd ever see you again after I left. You've said yourself that before me you only engaged in sex-only relationships, so you clearly understand the difference of just sex and a meaningfully close relationship."

He stared at his hands on his lap. "Then, that night meant more to me than you. After it, I did what I did so we could get together."

"You wanted to have sex with me again, Christian. Don't kid yourself." I roll my eyes.

"Yes, but that wasn't just it." He walks on his knees until coming to the bed. He rests his forearms on the bed and touches my shin. "I knew you were special. I didn't know if anything more would become of us if I perused you for sex, but I was always open to it. You're not like anyone I've ever met."

I look away from him. What can I say to that?

"You are not where I am, I think. I can be okay with that, for now. Just tell me we'll be okay, Anastasia. I don't want to lose you because of one mistake I made. I promise I'll be a shitload better boyfriend. We can go at your pace if you want." Christian cups my cheek. "I'll do anything, sunshine."

My eyes on his fingers still on my leg, stroking my skin, I say, "Is there anything else that I should know that you've done for your own protection?" I hold up quotation marks.

He's quiet for a beat. "Sawyer's been following you around for longer than I first said."

I start. "That's out of the blue."

He stops touching me and puts his head on my lap. I run my fingers through his hair. "He's been following you since I got your background check. That was the Monday after we hooked up. From his reports of your movements to me, I planned to intercept you on your way to that deli."

Blinking rapidly, I say slowly, "You spied on me? Okay. . ." I remove my fingers from his hair and scoot backward on the bed.

Christian lifts his head and latches onto my ankle. His eyes meet mine. "Not in a creeping way. I wanted to know you not just based on your report, but in your daily life. Sawyer kept a respectful distance at all times, never entered your home, place of work. He only reported your daily habits and such. Really, he meant you no harm."

"I don't know what to do with that," I admit after not saying anything for a short moment. "Sawyer's always been kind to me, and I know he'll never hurt me. Just. . . I don't know how I'm supposed to feel to that, Christian."

He nods earnestly. "That's okay. I know it's not normal for you. As I said, I just needed to know more about you. That was it."

I chew on my bottom lip. Would he be alright if I asked him to go so I could sleep? This night has wrung me out dry, and I just want to close my eyes.

Undecided to what to say, I say nothing. I pull away from Christian and get off my bed. Quietly, I reach behind myself and pull down the zipper of my black dress. I let it fall in a crumble and grab my oversized cable-knit sweater hanging on the chair in front of my vanity. Leaving him kneeling on the floor, I walk into my tiny bathroom and wash the streaked makeup from my face. After I brush my teeth, I re-enter my bedroom and find Christian sitting on the edge of my bed.

Not meeting his eyes, I ask, "You have my cellphone, right?" Can't believe I forgot he had it.

He jumps up. "Yeah, in my suit jacket. I'll be right back." He trails his fingers over my lips as he walks past me.

I sit on my bed, leaning back against the headboard. I pull my blanket over me.

Christian comes back shortly, and says, "Here you go." I accept my phone.

I have a text message from Kate reminding me that I could go back to her place or she could come to stay with me for the night. I smile. I love her.

As I text her a lengthy thanks and gratitude, Christian sits and brings my feet into his lap. "There is another thing, Ana, that I think is best for us to discuss now."

I nod and set my phone down. "Okay. Go ahead."

"What I was telling you before, that I know everything, um, I think we kind of got sidetracked with that."

I sit up straight. Crap! I thought he forgot about it. I so do not want to have this conversation right now. I smile stiffly. "It's fine, Christian. I get that you know more than I ever told you but I don't think rehashing what it is you think you know will help anything."

"We need to talk about this, Ana. I know it's not easy for you, sunshine, but I need to talk to you about it," Christian pleads.

My cellphone dings. Seeing Kate's reply of many kissy face emojis, I pick up my phone to reply. "Christian, I gather from your tone that this is very important but I'm maxed out of the shit I can take from you tonight. Let's leave it for another time."

"I understand that sunshine, but it can't be put off anymore." Christian hangs his head and sighs. "I know, Ana, about C—" My cellphone begins ringing unexpectedly and loudly in my hand. I jump, instantly answering, thinking it's Kate.

I smile apologetically at Christian and hold the phone to my ear. "Kate? What's—"

Cason's pained voice interrupts me. "Rose, I need you."

My eyes meet Christian's. "What?"

"There was someone waiting for me," he rasps, "in my apartment. They attacked me, beat me."

I jump out of bed, shocking Christian into standing, too. Heart racing, I ask, "What? Call 911! Oh, my God! Are they still there?"

"I called," he breathes, sounding distant. "Assholes left. Fuck, I think something's broken. I need you, Rose. I need you now. You're all I have."

"Ana, what is it?" Christian grips my shoulders. "Is Kate alright?"

Tears blurring my vision, I hiccup, "Cason. It's Cason. I need to go to him."

Christian's eyes harden, and he lets me go. "No, Anastasia. You won't."

"Rose?" Cason calls.

Keeping my eyes on Christian, I say, "I'm here, Case. I'll meet you at the hospital. Okay?"

Christian snatches my cellphone from my hand and holds it up to his ear. To my horror, Christian growls, "She is not going, asshole," and hangs up. He tosses my cellphone on my bed.

I shove him, but he doesn't budge an inch. "What the hell is the matter with you? He was attacked. I need to be with him." I turn to my dresser and locate a pair of jeans, socks, and a bra.

Before I can put either on, Christian takes them away from me. "You are not going to him, Ana. I'm putting my foot down." I've never noticed how scary Christian could be, then again, I've never seen him so red in anger.

I scoff, trying to mask my sudden fear with anger. "I'm the only family he has. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go to him." I put my hands on my hips and stare him down.

Breathing hard, he growls at me, "He raped you. You are never seeing him again."