„Take her home, Christian, I'll handle the rest." Gideon told Christian while Ana was shaking hands with the police officer that had asked to talk to her.

„Gideon, I hope you don't mind me taking the afternoon off, I had about enough for one day." Ana told him and he rolled his eyes.

„Call your assistant and let him know that you won't be in until Thursday, I mean it, Ana, you need some time to yourself and the police will have more questions soon enough, so please take the next two days off."

„Fine, I'll give Hunter a call once I'm home." She pouted and Christian walked to her car with her.

„Do you want to drive?" She asked with a smile because as always he was eyeing her car with childish delight.

„Really?"

„Sure catch." She said and threw her keys to him which he caught and then opened the passenger side door for her before he got in himself.

„That's a great car, Ana." He said and suddenly she felt like she needed some fresh air.

„Do you have to go back to work right away?" She asked him.

„No, I have already canceled everything for the rest of the day, why?"

„I don't want to go home, I need some fresh air, can we go to a park, have some ice cream and stay outside for while?"

„Can I show you something else instead and we get ice cream on the way?"

„Ok." She said and so they got ice cream and then he drove a little out of town, stopped in front of a huge gate, typed in a code and then drove up a long driveway until he stopped outside of a beautiful house or mansion to be more correct, but she was surprised when he led her to the most beautiful meadow instead.

„I thought this way we can avoid the paparazzi." He said and they sat down.

„It's beautiful here... whose home is it?"

„I own the house."

„Really you want to move here?" She asked surprised and sad because then she wouldn't see him as much.

„I bought this house the day you went missing, Ana. It was meant to be our home. Elliot remodeled it for me because I was hoping one day it would become our home." He told her quietly hoping that it wasn't too much for her to take in after the events that had just taken place.

„I would like that." She said and he smiled, but she looked unsure suddenly.

„What is it?"

„Today when Jose stopped by at my office to pick me up he hugged me and it felt wrong. My instincts were all telling me not to go anywhere with him. At the restaurant, he drugged my drink while I was using the restroom. I dumped it and ordered something new while he was away from the table because again everything inside me was telling me that I shouldn't trust him to watch my drink for me and I went to his place with him even though something just felt off to me... and it had me thinking that I have to learn to trust my instincts more. I just don't want to believe that someone would want to hurt me because that is not the world I want to live in."

„I get what you mean, but sadly that is not the world we are living in. There are just too many people who enjoy to bring misery into other people's lives, so the next time your instinct tells you that something isn't right trust it." He said and she looked around.

„You know, I never pictured you as someone who would enjoy to hang out in a meadow like this."

„I do enjoy it but the main reason I kept it like this is that I knew you would enjoy it."

„Why did you wait, you had no way of knowing that I would be back." She said and took her hand.

„Because I never met anyone I wanted to share my life with other than you. I would rather not be with anyone than to be with someone who isn't you." He said and Ana felt tears prick her eyes and in this moment she trusted her instincts when she reached into her purse and retrieved a small black gift box.

„What is that?"

„The morning before I left for New York, Mia called me and told me about your birthday that would come up on Saturday. All day I was trying to think of something to give you for your birthday and then at the airport, I wanted to grab a magazine and saw something. Over the time in New York, I didn't keep any of the things I had in with me... except for this. I carried it with me every single day as a reminder that one day I would go back home and could give this to you." She said and handed him the tiny box.

He looked at it and slowly opened it. Inside was a keychain with a picture of Seattle on it.

„Turn it over and press the little button." Ana said and when he did the word YES! flashed on the little screen.

„You... does this mean you wanted to marry me?" He asked looking at her with so much hope in his eyes it hurt her heart.

„Yes, of course I wanted to marry you. While I was away all I could think of was that you would end up thinking that I ran because of you, that after Leila pulled a gun on me and you proposed things had gotten too much for me when that wasn't the case at all. I thought about coming home so often, but I just couldn't bring myself to face you and tell you what had happened with Jack and the tape still out there... in hindsight, I should have come to you right away... I'm sorry, Christian." She said because even though she knew he wasn't blaming her because he was too happy to have her back in his life, she couldn't stop thinking of all the hurt her choice to run had cost him.

„Ana, if you don't stop with the apologies I will take you across my knee." He said and to his surprise she giggled.

„Maybe I wouldn't mind that... but only if you still have a set of those silver balls." She added making him smirk too.

„I will make sure to order some just for you."

„You don't keep them in your playroom anymore?" She asked and he took a deep breath.

„There is no playroom anymore."

„Why?"

„Shortly after I had come to the realization that Elena had been only using me I was home one night, I had a bit too much to drink and suddenly I was so angry... I baseball bat and just started to beat on everything in that room until it was one giant mess. I told Taylor to clear the room and since then it's just an empty room... Ana, did you really want to become my wife?" He asked needing to hear her say it again.

„Yes, you know I love you..." She said and stopped when he gasped. „Did you think that would be past tense now?" She then asked and he slowly nodded.

„Christian, for four years all I could think off was to find a way to get back to you without Jack and the tape coming back to haunt me... when I was finally free to move back to Seattle and was looking for a place I specifically looked for apartments at Escala... because I just needed to be as close as possible to you. There have been a number of men who wanted to take me on dates but I never even thought about it because I knew that one day I would come back to Seattle and do whatever I could to make you forgive me for leaving... so we eventually could have a second chance..."

„Why do you insist that I have to forgive you, Ana."

„Because I know deep down you are mad at me for not coming to you when I should have. And I'd rather we get through this now instead of you brooding over it because you believe what happened to me is bad enough." She said and he remained silent. She was right, he was hurt and disappointed that she didn't trust him enough to come to him when something so horrible had happened to her but she was also right that he felt like she had been through enough and didn't need him to add to that.

„I take your silence as agreement." She said after a while.

„I'm not mad... hurt and disappointed would be more accurate. I just would have wanted for you to be able to trust me to help you no matter what."

„I know... I can see that now, but back then... I guess I was too scared to get rejected and left without help by someone I love again." She said and that had him frown at her.

„Again?"

„After my parents divorced my mother remarried shortly after and we moved to Texas to live with her husband. Steve... he was a disgusting human being, I have no doubt in my mind that he didn't marry my mom because of her but because of me."

„You? What does that mean, what has he done to you?"

„It started out innocent enough, he would brush against me in the hallway, walk into my room while I was changing as if by accident. The first time I knew something about him wasn't right was when I was swimming in the pool and got out. He told me that I shouldn't hide my tits under wide t-shirts because they were much too nice to be hidden. I didn't even know what to say to that and over the course of two weeks he would make a lot more inappropriate comments when my mother wasn't at home or within earshot. I didn't want to call Ray and decided just to make sure to make an effort to not be alone at home with him. And then my mother told me she would be gone for a weekend to meet with some friends in Vegas. I was terrified of what Steve might do if we were alone for an entire weekend, so I told my mom and she didn't believe. She called me a liar and grounded me for three weeks."

„What happened that weekend, Ana?"

„At first he didn't do anything, he would just look at me creepily. Then on Saturday, I was in the shower and had made sure the door was locked. It was a walk in shower with glass walls, when I turned around I found him naked by the sink jerking off while watching me. I just grabbed a towel, locked myself in my room, stuffed whatever I could fit into my backpack and left. I called my Dad and told him that I wanted to come home. He had an old army buddy in Texas who picked me up at a train station, drove me to the airport and put me on the first flight to SEA-TAC where Ray picked me up. When he asked me why I didn't want to live with my mother anymore I couldn't tell him, I was terrified he would react like my mother did and call me a liar. So, I lied and told him I just missed him so much and didn't want to live so far away from him. I'm sure he knew there was more to it, but he never pushed me."

„So, he didn't care?" Christian asked appalled.

„Oh, he did... three days later he told me since I was almost sixteen now I needed to see a gynecologist and that he had made an appointment for me. I guess that was his way of making sure no one hurt me. He tried to talk to me about it but I would just change the subject... but ever since it's always been on my mind that when push comes to shove I can only rely on myself to get me out of that situation." She said and he took a deep breath before he took her hands in his.

„Can you try something for me?"

„What do you want me to try?"

„I want you to try and start to see me as the one person in your life you can trust with anything. No matter what happens you can always come to me and I will always believe what you tell me... can you do that for me, Ana?" He asked and she felt tears pricking her eyes.

„I can try." She said and he smiled at her. She wanted him to be that person in her life and she hoped that one day she could be that person for him too...