A/N: Finally updating a little. Lots of inner monologue in this one and some serious talking. I know what my end goal is for this story, just trying to navigate how I'm going to get there. Hope this chapter isn't too boring for some of you.

Anastasia's parents wait impatiently at the gate outside of the small airport where Christian's private jet touched down ten minutes ago. They watch as the aviation team secures the airplane and the tug brings the stairs over, but it's another ten minutes before the doors open and they're allowed to pull into the gate and park next to the cones.

Carla is dancing in her seat, so happy to be able to see her baby girl after the terrible things that have happened to her. Ray drums his fingers on the steering wheel, his anxiety the highest it's ever been. He has been on an anxiety high since his phone call with Christian and has been guzzling Malox like it's candy.

"Come on, where are they..." Ray mumbles under his breath, ready to have them in eyesight.

Finally, two men in suits emerge from the airplane first, followed by Christian, who has Anastasia in his arms.

"Oh, Ray..." Carla's heart breaks for her daughter as they watch Christian lower her into a wheelchair at the end of the stairs. She looks so broken and delicate being carried. "Our poor girl." She climbs out of the car, unable to wait for them, and Ray follows quickly after her.

"Ana! Ana, I'm here!" Carla meets them halfway, Christian pushing her wheelchair and she leans down, holding her daughter around her shoulders.

"Oh, Mom! I was so worried!" Anastasia hugs her back, tears of relief beginning to fall.

"You were worried! Anastasia Rose, you had us worried sick!" Carla pulls back so she can have a better look at her daughter. Her face is bruised, her eyes swollen and bloodshot, and lips cracked. "Oh, honey, you look terrible."

"Thanks, Mom." Anastasia responds, dryly.

Carla reaches up and brushes a stray hair off her face. "Oh, Ana, you're still beautiful."

Ray holds out his hand to Christian for a handshake. "Thank you."

"Ray..." Christian doesn't know what to say. He feels guilty seeing Ray so relieved. He should have known well enough to know something was happening before she ended up in Hyde's hands.

Before he can tell Ray not to thank him, Ray pulls him into a hug and holds him tightly around his shoulders. "If it wasn't for you, our girl would be dead. I owe you my life."

"Ray, don't strangle him before I get my sugar in." Carla pats Ray on the back, knowing Christian isn't the best with affection.

Finally letting go, his attention moves to his daughter while Carla has her turn with Christian.

"There's our wonderful son, give me some sugar before I break down and cry on you too." He hugs her close rocking them, happy to see Carla. "Thank you for coming to see us. It means so much to us and Ana."

"It means a lot to me, too, Carla. You're family." He releases her and she pats his cheek. "Sweet boy. Are you hungry?" She steps back and looks down at her daughter. "We've got food waiting at the house."

XxXxXx

Christian leaves Anastasia curled up in her parents bed with her mother watching a movie while her father snores in his recliner after dinner. The sun is low in the sky, cooling the air and making it a perfect time for Christian to run.

He hits the pavement a little after 7pm, their security just leaving to settle into their hotel close by. He begins with a brisk walk, warming up before he runs. For the first time in awhile, he feels free. He's felt like a fish in an aquarium with people constantly tapping on the glass to get his attention. Finally, he can be by himself; finally he can run free without having security on his ass. He isn't stupid, he knows it's a must-have so he's dealt with it... he always deals with it... but it's such a welcome feeling when he finally gets time alone.

As he walks through the neighborhood, he sees families gathering in their living rooms watching their evening television, others still at their tables finishing up dinner and a few in their yards catching the last few minutes of daylight before the sun goes down. It all seems so easy. He wonders if his life will ever be as simple as this.

There seems to always be something popping up in his work life wreaking havoc in his mind, whether it be the next series of companies to buy, which ones to sell, old owners threatening his company, which ventures are worth the price and which ones aren't. He is so invested in things like helping the poor and finding alternative energy sources but he has to make sure that he doesn't drive his revenue down so significantly that he has to lay off his own staff. They count on him for their paycheck and benefits and if he goes under, they all go under. He feels the weight of the world is on his shoulders and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Then there are the bad people who want to threaten him, his family, and his friends just because of who he is. He knows he's made severe enemies through the years... it's all part of the business, but he feels he tries to do the best he can and keep who he can from the old staff. Of course that never makes the business owner feel any better. He gets threats on his life as well as his family constantly and so far Taylor and his team has been on top of it. And then comes in Miss Steele who brings in a whole other situation and threat of her own. He supposes, though, that the Hyde fucker wouldn't have gone to her for money if she hadn't known Christian. But, there's always the chance that instead of threatening her for money, he would have just killed her right there in the restaurant bathroom.

Still, she should have known better than to think she could handle it herself. He is so angry that she put her and their baby's life in danger like that. How could she do that? Everytime he thinks about it, he gets angry all over again. If she would have just told Sawyer he was in the bathroom in the first place, it could have been over.

I know she believes that he had connections down here in Georgia and that her parents were good as dead if she would have told Sawyer, but the police have gone through his phone records for his phone as well as the burner phone he had on him and neither had any numbers that were connecting anyone from Georgia. None of the phone numbers he called or received calls from ping'd to anywhere in the south.

Of course, Ana didn't know that then and still doesn't. While she laid in her bed at the hospital, he kept in contact with the police to make sure her parents were safe. Hell, there was no way he'd bring her broken body all the way to Georgia if he thought there was still a threat hanging in the air.

As he runs, he does the best he can to clear his head, but he knows better than anyone that you can't run from your problems. He is angrier than he ever thought he could be with his best friend, but he knew they had to get through it some way. They'd known each other so long and she was carrying his baby... plus, he still loved her. She made a mistake. A terrible, disgusting one, but still, a mistake. He is so thankful that she and the baby made it through her mistake cause he didn't know if he could forgive her otherwise. He's hoping that a little space will help them heal because looking at her just makes him angry. It just reminds him of the blatant disregard she had for the innocent sweet girl growing in her stomach.

As he makes his way back to the house and sees everyone shutting their curtains and tucking in for the night, he knows that his life will never be that simple. He made this life for himself, for his thousands of employees, and for his family. Sure there were threats around each corner, but after what he had to go through the last couple days, he realizes it's something he is willing to take head on. If he can get through this, he can get through anything.

He enters the house and sees that Ray is still snoozing in his recliner, so he ducks his head into the bedroom to check on his girls. Anastasia and her mother are both sleeping comfortably, a package of gummy bears between them, while the Hallmark Channel plays on the television. Maybe for a couple days life can be simple. He smiles at their sleeping forms and heads for the guest bedroom for a shower and sleep.

XxXxXx

"Christian, Christian!" He's being jerked awake by Anastasia's mother.

He sits up quickly, startled. "What? What is it? Is she okay?"

Carla is crying and she pulls on his hand, trying to pull him out of bed. "Ana...I can't calm her down! She's hysterical! She just keeps sobbing!"

Quickly, he follows her down the hall to Anastasia, who is in bed sobbing like Carla said. He knows that her head injury might be to blame so he hurries to sit next to her and pull her into him.

"Ana? Ana, it's Christian. What's wrong? What's happening?" He does his best to push her hair out of her face. "Carla... wash rag!" Her mother who was standing at the doorway chewing her nails, snaps to.

"On it!"

"He's coming!" Anastasia yells through her tears.

"Who's coming?" He is starting to realize she's had a nightmare and her injury might be causing her not to realize it isn't real.

"He's going to hurt you! He's going to hurt them! I ruined everything!" She sobs into his chest.

"Baby, Ana, listen to me. It was a nightmare. No one is coming. We are safe; no one is in trouble. It was just a nightmare." He strokes her hair softly, worried he might hit a painful area.

"But... but it was so real Christian! He said he was going to rape me and make you watch and then kill you and my parents, saving me for last...and...and" She's starting to hyperventilate.

Jesus Christ. His stomach twists wildly at the thought. "It's just a dream. A nightmare. He's dead, remember? The police killed him. Deep slow breaths, baby."

"But..."

"I know, Ana, I know. We're safe though. concentrate on your breathing. I'll help you. Watch my chest, okay?" Placing her hand on his chest, he breathes in and out slowly, taking his time until her breathing slows enough to match his.

Christian takes the warm, wet cloth from Carla and begins to wipe Anastasia's face with it. She tries to grab it to do it herself, but he admonishes her for it.

"Let me do it. You just relax." He knows her face must feel numb and her head light-headed from all the extra oxygen. When he finishes, he hands the rag back to Carla. "Are you feeling better?"

Sighing, Anastasia lays back against her pillow. "No. I've ruined everything."

Christian looks at Carla, knowing he doesn't want to talk to Anastasia with anyone else in the room. Without having to say a word, she ducks out of the room and closes the door behind her.

Getting comfortable, he puffs up a pillow and leans against the headboard next to her.

"You didn't ruin everything." He assures her. "Yes, I'm still struggling with some anger about it and I have to figure out how to get through it, but I'll deal with that after we know you're better."

"You know I'll be fine, right? Every once in awhile, you need to put yourself first. I know I fucked up royally. There isn't a minute that goes by that I wish I didn't make the choices I made. I was so scared that my parents would die... and that it would be all my fault... that nothing else really mattered until I knew they were safe."

He sighs, knowing he has to tell her. "Ana... about that. I've spoken to the police... and, well they couldn't find any evidence that he knew anyone even close to Georgia. He lied to you."

Her chin juts out in a hard line and she grinds her teeth. "How can I be so stupid? I believed him!" Hiding her face in her pillow, she growls into it. "God, no wonder you hate me. I'm selfish and stupid."

"Stop that. I don't hate you. I'm just angry. You put my baby in danger, Ana. You took our child on a suicide mission that she didn't deserve to be on."

She looks down, unable to look him in the eye. "I know. If it hadn't been for her, I really believe the gun would have killed me."

"Ana!" What she says is devastating. "That is not true. Don't you dare say that again. We all need you here with us!"

"I guess." She plays with her fingers. "I know one thing. If we make it through this, I am never doubting your protection again. I obviously don't know what's good for me or the baby. I always thought I could handle anything! That I could figure things out myself... then this happens. My actions didn't just affect me, but everyone around me. He could have killed us all." She sighs, realizing just how far the ripple truly goes.

"I just don't understand why it had to take something so devastating for you to take your own safety seriously."

Anastasia feels miserable about what she did. Her heart aches for everyone involved. She has never seen Christian look so disappointed in anyone before. "I regret everything about it, Christian. You've got to believe me. If I could go back, I would."

He nods. "I know you would." But it's too late.

"I'll do whatever it takes to make it right again. You can throw whatever CPOs you want at me, I can move in tomorrow! You can lock me in your ivory tower and throw away the key and I won't complain. I just need us to be okay."

"Ana... we will be. I just need to work through some things first and I don't think

being together 24/7 is going to help."

Her heart sinks. "So what are you saying?"

"Well, I'm saying that I don't think it's the right time for us to move in together. We both need to work on some things emotionally and I think we'd be better doing it separate for awhile."

"Separate?" She asks, refusing to believe it.

"Yes. Not completely. We'll still see each other and I'll make sure you and the little bun in the oven are cared for. I just can't see it being like it was before... not for awhile." It's hard for Christian to say, but it needs to be said. "I just need some space for a little bit."

"I see. A break."

He nods. "Sort of. But I'm not interested in seeing anyone else either. This is for you and me to get our heads straight."

She mulls it over in her head and she tries to harden her heart a little. "I understand."

Relieved, he sighs. "Thank you for understanding, Anastasia."

"Yep." That's all she manages to get out. Her heart is breaking right in front of him, but she won't allow it to show. She's cried in front of him too many times to count and this wasn't going to be another. She did this to herself. She is broken and bloody on the outside and now she feels the same on the inside. She managed to ruin twelve years of friendship within just a few days. How is she going to go on from here?