Chapter Six

"Do you need a ride home?" Her silhouette moved closer to him until she blocked out the lights of her car and he could make out her confused expression.

Christian just stared at her in silence, his breathing still ragged and his exhausted body and mind beyond all rationalization of what was the right thing to do.

Ana shuffled from foot to foot as the silence stretched on between them. "Look… I don't know why you're so upset with me, but-" She blinked back the hurt in her eyes and shook her head.

"I-" He began before his shoulders slumped and he gave up his fight with a sigh; all his energy spent for the night, mentally and physically. "I'm not. It's just…It's … I'm complicated." He finally relented.

"…Oh… Complicated. I had kind of already got that figured out, but..." She rocked back on her heels, nodding to herself as she looked around for a moment as silence stretched on around them.

Ana rubbed her arms and shivered against the cold, looking back at him. "So? Are you getting in?" She shrugged her head back towards the car.

Christian looked over Ana's shoulder at the battered up Beetle, its driver's door open enticingly.

"Will it make it?"

Ana looked Christian over. "Will you?"

Christian felt weak; he had barely eaten that day and barely slept the night before and he was still three miles from home. He glanced over his shoulder as if he expected Elena to be watching him before his anger boiled back up inside him. Fuck it, he was in this situation because of her and had been punished for nothing, so he may as well take the fucking ride; he'd earned it.

"Fine." He gave a nod, wishing he had a jacket to offer her as her breath misted over.

"Fine?" Ana blinked.

"Fine, I'll take the ride." He nodded again before he stepped around her and headed towards the car.

Ana jogged to catch up to his long strides. "I think the words you were looking for, were along the lines of 'yes' 'please' and 'thank you'?" She quipped a little out of breath.

Christian stopped and turned to look at her, taking her by surprise and causing her to barrel into him. He caught her at arm's reach, saving her before she touched him.

"Thank you," she said out of instilled politeness. Christian held his breath for a long moment before he slowly uncurled his fingers from around her forearms to release her and took a long step back.

"Where are your keys?"

"My keys?"

"To the car."

Ana's eyes widened in realization. "You are not driving Wanda!"

"Wanda?"

"Wanda!" She pointed to the battered up VW bug as Christian arched a brow.

"Wanda… I see… And I'd much prefer it if I drove."

"Well…. Tough. Would you prefer a long walk home to being a passenger?" Ana folded her arms over her chest and lifted her chin indignantly and to Christian's disbelief he found himself having to hold back his laughter.

"Fair point well made Miss. Steele," His voice buoyant with his amusement. She wasn't as meek as he had first thought.

She made her way back to the car, slipping into the driver's seat and closing the door with a creak and unhealthy sounding bang behind her.

Christian followed after her, pulling open the passenger door, doing so needing far more force than he was sure it should have, as the stiff door handle and hinges fought him.

He sat down on the seat, the worn springs in the cushions doing little to support him as he sunk down. Ana turned the key in the ignition and the car, Wanda, struggled to life with a rumble and shudder. Christian and Ana, both ricocheted around inside on the decrepit suspension as they eased their way back out onto the road.

"Your parents let you drive this?"

"My dad bought Wanda for me for my sixteenth… I love this car!"

Christian puckered his lips and held his tongue, not wanting to mock her for her devotion however misguided.

"When did you get it fixed?"

"That's where I've been tonight. José Rodriguez, you know him? His dad's a friend of my dad's. He fixed it for me."

"Yeah… I know Rodriguez…" Christian nodded. "He probably should have followed behind you to make sure it made it home."

"It? Wanda… And I guess he just has confidence in his work." She shrugged.

"And what about the fact you pick up random boys from the side of the road you barely know?"

She looked at him openly, brushing her hair back behind her ear as it fell into her face. "I know you Christian…"

"Watch the road." He meant it to come out as a sharp warning but he cringed as he heard his breathy tone. She spared the road ahead a glance before returning her attention back to him. "What happened to your wrists…And why are you out here? Where have you been?"

He set his jaw and sucked in a breath. "All the questions…It would seem that you don't know me so well after all Anastasia..."

Suddenly a raccoon ran out in front of them, its eyes glowing in the beam of the head lights as it raced across the road for its life. Ana swerved to miss it and Christian instinctively grabbed the steering wheel to correct the car and stop it from leaving the road.

"Fucking Christ Ana!... You'd kill us before a damn raccoon!?"

Ana's knuckles were white against the wheel as she took a shaky breath. "You're being dramatic. Are you always so highly strung?"

"Dra-Dramatic!" Christian's brow creased as he braced his hand on the dash and he leaned forward. "Dramatic?"

"Yes…"

Christian sat back in his seat and shook his head. "Dramatic." Repeating the word as if he was testing it out. He sat there quietly for a moment, running his finger over the top of his upper lip and staring out at the road ahead, lit only by the cars' headlights. "Do you like raccoons?"

"Do you have homicidal tendencies towards raccoons? Is that another issue of yours?"

"Another issue!? …What are my others?"

Ana shifted in her seat, either deciding on her answer or whether to answer at all "Well… Mood swings, irritability, being a recluse, roaming around in the middle of nowhere in the dark..."

Christian lifted his hand, he'd gotten the point. "I sound like your typical horror movie psychopath. Perhaps you really shouldn't have picked me up on the road side."

Ana pursed her lips and wrung her hands over the steering wheel, narrowing her eyes at the way ahead as if beseeching the broken white lines of the road that surged towards them hypnotically to carry with them some sort of clever retort.

"My house is a hidden right coming up…" Christian spared her as they took the corner and they both jostled around on the decrepit suspension of the car.

Ana just nodded and leaned closer to the steering wheel as if this would help her to look for it. "Here, by the white tree…" Christian pointed his hand quickly across her. Ana turned the wheel sharply, driving through the open wrought iron gate way, and started up the driveway. Her lips falling slacker the closer they got to the house.

"Why is everyone so rich here?..." She muttered.

Christian looked up at his large, double fronted white house, his lips twisting to a frown. "It's only money Anastasia."

Ana slowed Wanda to a stop, the porch light shining brightly above the double front doors. "Only rich people say that…"

"There are many ways to be rich; money is just one of them." Christian replied as he watched her look up at the house forlorn.

His words brought her attention back to him. "So profound and cryptic for a Thursday night Christian."

A smile tugged at Christian's lip as he shrugged, deciding on silence rather than disclosing any truth.

"I should get inside…" He moved to take hold of the door handle.

"Are you going to Kate's party tomorrow night?"

Christian looked back at Ana clueless. "Party?"

"Everyone is talking about it… Her parents are going away and it's her birthday in a few weeks…"

"Trust Kavanagh to want two birthdays."

"You don't like… Is that your Mom?" Ana pointed towards the house over Christians shoulder.

Christian's head whirled around to indeed see his mother peering out of the door, her eyes as wide as saucers as they took in what she was seeing.

Christian ran his hand through his hair and leapt from the car. "Mom, hey, sorry I missed dinner and I'm so late…" He said stepping in her way, trying to divert her. She dismissed him with a swipe of her hand, not even looking at him as she stepped around him and made a beeline for Ana. "Oh It's absolutely fine darling …Who is your friend?"

He turned to see Ana, looking nervous and shell shocked, clearly lost at the etiquette of meeting boys' mothers as he was at mothers meeting girls.

Ana began to wind down the window, the manual mechanism obviously stiff as it slowly inched down, the strain on her face at the effort it took to do so easy to see before she gave up, unbuckled her belt and got out of the car.

Christian's shoulders slumped; his mother meeting a girl he's technically brought home, this, he knew, was all of Grace's dreams come true and all of Elena's nightmares.

"Mother…" He said resigned "This is Anastasia Steele, Anastasia, my mother Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey…"

His mom turned to scowl at him. "Christian, so formal, you'll scare the poor girl. Please, Anastasia, call me Grace…"

"Ana. Um. Most people call me Ana." Ana nodded and gave a sweet, nervous smile as her cheeks coloured pink to see even in the dim light of the night. Grace clasped her hands on her heart and her face softened endeared.

"Where have you kids been?" Grace asked as she checked her watch as Christian shot Ana a glance of alarm and sucked in his breath and pursed his lips as his mind raced for an answer.

"Err… Christian helped me study…. English lit… I'm new to school, I have to catch up." Ana nodded along to her own lie. "Sorry we stayed out so late…"

"Ana had car trouble, we lost track of time." Christian kept his eyes on Ana, obviously surprised and grateful she had lied for him as her blush crept to her neck.

Grace's smile widened. "Oh that's fine! Time flies when you're having fun. I hope you're settling in here alright Ana? …Christian it's very sweet of you to help her. Would you like to come inside Ana? It's cold out here I could make some cocoa?"

Christians gaze intensified as he gave a shake of his head behind his mother's back, which Ana mirrored. "Er, no, no thank you Dr. Trevelyan Grey. I should get home."

"It's Grace, please. And come round any time." Grace beamed between them before her face suddenly fell as a realisation seemed to dawn on her. "Oh, I'll let you kids say good night!" She smiled and hastily retreated back inside.

Christian looked back at Ana, digging his hands in his pockets as he rocked on his heels. "Thank you. You didn't have to cover for me. But thanks."

"Well, it seemed I did. But why? Where were you tonight?"

"I. I just had something to take care of…"

"Something that had you in the middle of nowhere looking ready to collapse? The same something that hurt your wrist?"

"Ana, for fuck sake please. Ok. I owe you. I'll find a way to repay you, but please can we just keep this between us, please? Just not tell anyone."

The cool wind whipped through her hair and she hugged herself against its chill taking a moment as she took in the weight of his plea, disappointed he seemed ashamed. "…Sure. Secret's safe with me…. I'll see you at school?" Ana shrugged and moved to get back into Wanda.

Christian nodded, watching her closely. "Are you sure that thing will get you home?"

"Yes!" Ana rolled her eyes as she slipped back into her seat and Christian instinctively moved to close the door for her. "Anyone ever told you that it's impolite to roll your eyes?... I'll see you tomorrow Ana."

He closed the door before she had a chance to reply and turned, quickly making his way through his front door and out of sight. Ana marvelled at his easy grace enviously and let out a long slow breath. Of all the guys to get a crush on, she went and chose the most complicated.

A/N: Please not, no Racoons were harmed during the writing of this chapter! Lol.
More importantly, thank you so, so, so, so much for all your faves, follows and reviews they feed my soul and inspire me. THANK YOU! xxx