A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 3: Ward of the State

Thankfully, Taylor and Ana had managed to calm Christian down enough so he wouldn't attack that doctor again, but hospital security ended up having to escort him out of the ER so the other doctors could do their jobs without interference. Since Christian's brother was a patient there, the security guards were kind enough to only keep him in the lobby instead of kicking him out of the hospital altogether, and Christian didn't object, for which Ana was grateful. The last thing they needed was for the media to get wind of the fact that the Christian Grey got into a fight with a doctor and was subsequently kicked out of a hospital for it.

"Baby, it's getting late," Ana sat down in a chair beside her husband in the hospital lobby, looking at him in concern. She had just come back from the ER, where Kate was now staying with Elliot, and she knew there was nothing else for her and Christian to do here now. "We should probably be going home soon."

Christian didn't answer - he had barely spoken two words since he had been thrown out of the ER. He now just sat in a stiff-back plastic chair, his elbows on his knees and a hard expression on his handsome face as he stared down at the linoleum floor.

Ana let out a small sigh, feeling a bit frustrated. "Christian, I'm sorry that you're having a rough night, and I know you want to be here for Elliot, but it's late and there's nothing more for us to do here."

"My mother's coming," he said firmly, and Ana stopped talking. "Once she's here, then we can leave."

Ana stared at him - he spoke in a stern voice that she recognized from his Dom persona, and she wasn't sure how to argue with him when he was like this. After a moment, though, she nodded.

"Okay."

Ana settled back into her chair, and neither of them said a word as they watched people walk in and out of the hospital lobby. It was past 2 o'clock in the morning, so there weren't very many people around except for a few nurses and a couple listless-looking visitors. Ana and Christian were both attracting a lot of weird looks due to their overly fancy clothes, though Ana couldn't really bring herself to care.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Grace walked through the front doors. She looked more dressed down than Ana had ever seen her before in a black long-sleeved tee, bootcut jeans, and minimal makeup. A small purple duffel bag was thrown over her shoulder, and when she spotted Christian and Ana, she smiled in relief before walking over to them.

"Christian - Ana," she greeted as she approached, and they got to their feet. "I'm so sorry, I was finishing up a shift at the hospital when I got the call from here - these were the only street clothes I had with me. Is Elliot alright?"

"Yeah, he is," Christian assured her, allowing her to give him a one-armed hug and a peck on the cheek. "He's sleeping right now, though."

"Well, that's good," Grace nodded, looking relieved. "He's been through a lot, and he's going to need all the rest he can get if he's going to recover anytime soon."

"Kate's with him right now. I can show you where they are," Ana offered, and she began to lead Grace out of the lobby and down the hallway toward the ER.

"Why isn't Christian coming with us?" Grace glanced over her shoulder, frowning when she saw that Christian was still standing in the lobby with Taylor.

"Um… he's not allowed back in the ER," Ana said awkwardly. "He got into a fight with one of the doctors and he got thrown out by security."

"Really?" Grace stared at Ana in surprise. "Was it because of Elliot?"

"No," Ana said. Glancing around the relatively empty ER to make sure they weren't going to be overheard, Ana pulled Grace off to the side of the hallway and explained to her the situation regarding the little girl who was brought into the emergency room right after Elliot was. Grace listened intently, a serious expression on her face.

"…I'm worried about him, Grace," Ana admitted after she finished telling her everything. "I mean, I know Christian's come so far from the man I met only a few months ago, but what if seeing that little girl made him revert back to all those terrible memories he had from when he was in the same situation? He's never acted out like that before."

"Christian has always been a bit hotheaded, dear," Grace said reassuringly. "Especially when it involves people or issues that are close to his heart. And he's already had an emotionally-trying night, what with his brother being attacked and taken to the emergency room and everything. I doubt there's anything serious for you to worry about, dear."

"So you don't think he's reverting, then?" Ana asked anxiously. They resumed walking down the hallway toward where Elliot's bed was.

"No, sweetheart. I'm sure he'll be alright in the morning," Grace said, and Ana felt reassured. "And if he's not, I'll have a few words with him and set him straight."

"Alright then," Ana couldn't help but smile.

The two of them approached Elliot's bed, where Elliot was still fast asleep with Kate sitting at his bedside, gazing at him in concern. Beside them was the bed containing the little girl, and she was much more docile than Ana had seen her earlier. She now lay huddled under a thin blue blanket with a child-sized oxygen mask strapped to her face. Her big brown eyes stared at Ana as she and Grace approached.

"Is that her?" Grace asked quietly, and Ana nodded.

"Yeah. I'm not sure who she is, though," she gazed at the girl sadly. "I hope she'll be alright."

The little girl continued to just stare at Ana, those large brown eyes conveying no emotion whatsoever. Ana's heart completely broke for her.

"You and Christian go head on home," Grace said, placing her hand gently on Ana's forearm, and Ana turned to look at her. "I'll be here with Elliot and Kate tonight, and I can keep an eye on this little girl for you too, if you'd like."

Ana stared at her. "Really? I mean, don't you need to sleep too?"

"I'll be fine, dear," Grace smiled. "I'm used to staying up long hours at a hospital anyway. You and Christian can come back tomorrow, so go and get a few hours' rest before coming back. Okay?"

"Okay," Ana smiled, and she couldn't resist pulling Grace into a big hug. "Thank you, Grace. For everything."

"You're welcome, dear," Grace hugged her back before pulling away, smiling fondly at her. "Have a good night… and be patient with that thick-headed husband of yours."

"I will, Grace," Ana chuckled.

She turned to leave the ER, but right before she did, she glanced one last time at the little girl. She was still staring at Ana, as if transfixed by her, and Ana offered her a small smile and a wave. The girl didn't respond, not that Ana had expected her to, and after a moment Ana turned around and walked out of the emergency room without looking back.

The little girl continued to stare at the exit doors long after Ana had left through them, as if waiting for her to come back.

The ride back to Escala was oppressively silent - Christian still seemed to be in a bit of a funk, and Ana had long since given up trying to get him to talk to her. They just gazed out opposite windows throughout the car ride, and it was with some relief when they finally pulled into the underground parking garage of their building. She and Christian stepped out of the car and into the waiting elevator that went up to the top floor.

The penthouse was completely dark when they entered through the foyer, and so Ana walked over and flicked on a lamp in the great room, sending soft light throughout the spacious penthouse. Ana had expected Christian to head straight for the staircase toward their bedroom, but instead he turned the other way to head into the kitchen. Ana watched him pick up a crystal decanter of Armagnac and a matching glass from near the wine rack.

Ana frowned at him. He wants a drink? Now? "Christian - it's late, and we've had a long night. We should go to bed."

Christian ignored her as he poured himself a glass, and Ana had just about had enough. She marched up to him, reached over and took the glass of Armagnac right out of his hand before he could even bring it to his lips.

"Hey!" he said, annoyed as she held it away from him.

"Stop giving me the silent treatment," Ana said, feeling angry. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

Christian glared back at her for a moment before his expression softened. He let out a sigh. "I know you didn't," he said quietly. "I'm not angry at you, Ana, I'm just…" he hesitated, trying to figure out his own feelings. He shook his head. "I'm angry at myself."

Ana stared at him, her demeanor softening as well. "Why are you angry at yourself?"

Christian sat down on a stool beside the kitchen island with a sigh, furrowing his brow as he stared down at the countertop. "I lost control," he said after a moment, looking back up at Ana with a pained expression. "I've spent my whole life trying to control what makes me weak, but tonight… apparently just looking at a kid who reminds me of myself makes me go completely apeshit and attack a doctor. Why is it that every time I think I have a firm grasp on my life, one tiny random event makes my ironclad control crumble like sand? Am I really that weak?"

Ana looked at him, a sympathetic expression on her face. "Christian, feeling emotion doesn't make you weak," she said, setting the glass of Armagnac down on the table and walking around the island toward him. "You're only human. And you experienced empathy for another human who was in a similar situation that you'd been in." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his hands automatically went to her waist. "That's not a weakness, Christian - fighting to help someone else in need is never a weakness. You were being strong for that little girl, and I'm proud of you for that."

Christian simply stared up at Ana with an unreadable expression. After a moment, he pulled her closer to him before burying his face into her chest, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her tightly. Ana smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him back, enjoying this closeness with her husband.

"Let's get you to bed, Mrs. Grey," he muttered after a moment, and Ana felt him kiss the tops of her breasts peeking out from her off-the-shoulder gown. She smiled.

"Lead the way, Mr. Grey," she said flirtatiously, pulling away slightly but leaving her arms around his neck. Christian grinned salaciously at her, and in one swift move stood up and lifted her into his arms bridal style, causing her to squeal in surprise and delight. He began to walk out of the kitchen and toward the staircase leading up to their bedroom, leaving the Armagnac on the counter behind them.

~the next morning~

Ana slowly blinked open her eyes as the Saturday morning light shone through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows. She was still groggy from sleep, but even in her half-awake state she could feel the softness of the down comforter around her naked body and Christian's hard masculine body spooning her from behind, his arm wrapped around her waist. She snuggled into his embrace, feeling remarkably comfortable.

"Mmmm," Christian groaned from behind her, shifting slightly as he began to rouse from his sleep. She felt his arms tighten around her waist slightly while his scratchy beard tickled the crook of her neck, kissing it.

Ana giggled. "Why, good morning, Mr. Grey."

"Good morning to you, Mrs. Grey," Christian grinned back, his voice still hoarse with sleep. He suddenly let out a yawn, lifting his arm up and stretching as he did so. "What time is it?"

"Um… a little after seven," Ana glanced at her phone on the bedside table before rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Do you have to work this morning?"

"Yeah, I have a teleconference with the CFO of one of my subsidiaries at eight," Christian rubbed his eyes too, trying to wake himself up more. "Hopefully it won't take more than a few hours."

"That's good. I have a few errands I wanted to run this morning anyway," Ana said, yawning. "So you think you'll be done by noon today?"

"I should be. Why?"

"I was hoping we could go back to the hospital around lunch today and visit Elliot," Ana said, sounding almost hesitant in her suggestion.

Christian didn't respond right away, and after a moment he grimaced. "Will I even be allowed back in that hospital? I'm pretty sure they'll remember me as the crazy guy who attacked a doctor last night."

Ana couldn't help but snicker at him. "I'm sure it'll be fine - Taylor and I spoke with the security guards at the hospital last night, and they said you'll be allowed back in the ER today since your brother is still a patient there. As long as you don't attack anyone else, it'll be fine."

Christian smiled slightly, but his eyes still looked a bit troubled. Ana knew a part of him was still worried about the idea of returning to the hospital and possibly seeing that little girl again.

My poor fifty shades.

Ana leaned over and pressed a kiss to Christian's cheek. "Come on - let's take a shower and get dressed. We have a big day ahead of us."

Christian looked at Ana and his eyes softened into a smile. "Yes, ma'am."

Ana giggled as Christian grabbed at her waist, tickling her, and the two of them hopped out of bed and hurried into the en suite so they could shower together.

Later on in the morning, as Christian was occupied with his call, Ana and Sawyer headed out of Escala to run the errands she had planned to do. They ran to the bank to fill out a few necessary forms for her and Christian's joint bank accounts before heading over to the local flower shop to find a bouquet of flowers and a get well card for Elliot. She and Christian hadn't had a chance to do it last night since they had been coming from a charity dinner when they got the call about his injury.

As Ana wandered through the flower shop, searching for the perfect bouquet of flowers, she noticed a shelf full of plushy stuffed animals near the store window. The stuffed animals all ranged in size, from tiny little beanie babies to large pillow-sized animals, but Ana immediately spotted a cute plushy elephant that was about the size of her head. She picked it up, and decided to purchase it along with the flowers and the card.

Elliot probably didn't care much for stuffed animals, but Ana was sure the little girl would like it.

After Ana was finished with her errands, she and Sawyer swung back around to Escala to grab Christian and headed back to the Overlake Hospital Medical Center. The two of them rode mostly in silence, though it wasn't the cold silence from last night - Ana simply gazed out the window, lost in her thoughts, and when she glanced over at Christian, she saw him doing the same thing. She hoped he wasn't stressing out about how he was going to act around that little girl again - Ana was confident he was going to be okay, like Grace had assured her last night, but she didn't want Christian to worry about it too much.

They finally arrived at the hospital, and Christian carried the bouquet of flowers and card in while Ana clutched the plushy elephant in her hand. The two of them made their way through the ER toward where Elliot's bed was.

"Hey guys," Elliot smiled and waved as Christian and Ana approached him. He definitely looked a lot better since last night - more color had returned to his cheeks, and his eyes shone with his usual good humor. Grace and Kate were sitting at Elliot's bedside, not looking quite as chipper as him, but smiling at Christian and Ana all the same.

"Hey Lelliot," Christian grinned, setting the bouquet of flowers on the small table at the end of his bed. "How're you feeling today?"

"A lot better," Elliot grinned, gesturing to his bandaged arm. "The doctors say I could probably go home sometime later today."

"That's great!" Ana smiled.

"The doctors here may say that, but I think he should be admitted for further evaluation," Grace said pointedly, and Kate nodded in agreement. Elliot rolled his eyes.

"Mom - we've been through this. I'm fine."

"Elliot, you could have had a concussion," Kate insisted. "And the doctors here were stupid enough to give you opiates without checking your head first. Something seriously bad could have happened!"

"But nothing bad did happen," Elliot countered. "I woke up this morning just fine. That means my head is okay and my arm can heal so I can go home."

"You don't know if you're fine, dear," Grace said. "Not until the doctors here run a few extra tests…"

"Stop being so overprotective, Mom - I'm fine…"

As Elliot, Grace and Kate argued about Elliot's medical care, Ana turned to look at the bed beside him. The little girl was still there, except now she looked slightly better: her dirty face and hair had been washed and cleaned, and the nurses had changed her out of that tattered old t-shirt and into a child-sized green hospital gown. She wasn't alone, either - a brunette woman in a pantsuit was sitting at her bedside, filling out a form on a clipboard.

Ana hesitantly approached the girl's bed, the plushy elephant still clutched in her hand. "Excuse me?"

The woman looked up from her form, straightening her glasses as she gazed at Ana. "Can I help you?"

"Are you this girl's mother?"

The woman set her pen down on the clipboard. "No, I'm her social worker. Why?"

"Oh. Um…" Ana looked awkwardly over at the little girl, who was staring at her. "I'm sorry, my husband and I happened to be here last night when this girl was brought in by the paramedics. I just wanted to know if she's okay."

The woman softened slightly and gave her a smile. "I see. Yes, she seems to be relatively healthy, despite everything she's been through - just a little malnourished, from what the doctors have told me."

Ana nodded. "That's good." She glanced back at the little girl and offered her a smile. "Hi there."

The girl didn't say anything, and Ana sat herself down in the empty chair at the girl's bedside, opposite the social worker woman. She held up the plushy elephant for the girl to see. "I've got something for you."

The little girl stared at the elephant, not making a move, and so Ana inched it closer to her face until its trunk tickled her nose. The girl suddenly smiled and giggled as she reached up and cuddled the stuffed animal in her arms.

"That's very kind of you," the social worker woman smiled at Ana, who looked up at her. "I've been here all morning and I haven't seen her smile once."

"It was nothing," Ana blushed and grinned slightly. "I'm Ana, by the way."

"Colleen," the woman reached over the bed to shake Ana's hand, which she did. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," Ana said. She felt someone move behind her, and looked up to see Christian now standing behind her chair. "…And this is my husband, Christian."

"Oh… nice to meet you," Colleen said to Christian, a small blush creeping onto her cheeks when she took in his handsome features.

"You too," Christian said, barely acknowledging Colleen as he looked at the little girl on the bed, who was now playing with her new plushy elephant.

"Colleen is this girl's social worker," Ana explained to Christian before turning back to the woman. "Do you know the girl's name?"

"It's Lucia," Colleen said, turning back to look at Ana. "She was actually a Jane Doe up until about an hour ago, but Child Services managed to dig up some records of her at a homeless shelter near where she was found. Aside from that, though, we don't have very much information - not even a birth certificate."

"Who's covering her hospital bill?" Christian suddenly asked, still gazing at Lucia. Colleen looked at him in surprise.

"Um… well, since she's a ward of the state, technically our taxes are paying for her stay here."

Ana looked up at Christian, and saw the serious expression on his face. His gray eyes met Ana's, and they seemed to have a silent, mutual understanding… Christian's hand went to Ana's shoulder, and she reached over to place her own hand on his.

"We'll cover her medical bill," Ana said, turning back to Colleen, who looked at her in shock.

"Really?" Colleen asked after a moment, unsure if she understood correctly.

"Yes," Christian said firmly. "Whatever her medical costs are, we'll cover them. Money won't be an issue."

Colleen looked utterly shocked for a moment, staring at him, before managing to compose herself a bit and clearing her throat. "Oh… well, that's very generous of you. I'll um… I'll go talk to someone in Administration right now."

She got to her feet and walked away, leaving Christian and Ana alone with Lucia. Lucia was still playing with her new stuffed elephant, looking relatively happy and unaware of what the two strangers at her bedside had done for her. Ana glanced back up at Christian and gave him a soft smile - Christian only responded with a grimace and a squeeze on her shoulder. Ana knew what helping Lucia meant for Christian, and she couldn't help but be proud of him for doing this for her.

A/N: Hope you all like that! If you did, please leave a review :)

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