Fifty Shades Shattered

Chapter 31: Estate Letters

Christian

Ana has been a little distance the past week or so, it came as a shock for both of us when we learned that Elena was dead. I think the bigger issue was that her body had been mangled and left in an abandoned house outside of Seattle. I had taken to hanging out on the back deck of the house whenever Ana or the kids were all outside. I could never turn down watching my family just being normal, even though we all knew things were anything but that.

"Christian, I still think you glancing over your laptop watch me with those sneaky glances our just foreplay," Ana says as I just smirk. Yes, she knew me better than anyone else did.

"I just enjoy watching my lovely wife being all domestic," I smirk as she lightly kisses my forehead. I knew she was just as much on edge as I was, but like she had pointed out we needed to be able to act normal for the children. Of course I agreed because they were innocent of anything to do with Hyde. Hyde wanted Ana and me to pay, he would use them if he could, but I wasn't going to give him the opportunity.

"How are you holding up with the whole Elena issue," she asks as Grace chases after Teddy.

"I am trying to wrap my head around it. I mean I don't want to know all the gritty details, but I just hope she didn't suffer," I half mumble knowing exactly how Ana felt about Elena.

"I know you cared for her in a strange way," she starts but I give her a look that she knew meant stop. "Christian she was your lover at one point in your life, it's not wrong to hope what you are hoping. I didn't like her for what she did, but I would never wish something like that on her," she says softly as I see our baby stringing in her arms. I never grow tired of watching any of the kids moving or just being so peaceful in an ignorant way of everything else in the world but what was right in front of them.

"Thank you, I mean I know you didn't like Elena but she was my friend," I say as she nods her head.

"How did the reading of her will go?" she questions as I just laugh slightly because she is going to kill me. I mean I never understood half of what Elena did, but this is more than even I could handle.

"Do you really want to know?" I question as she lifts her eyes to meet mine dead on.

"Of come Christian she probably left you everything. I mean she really didn't have anyone other than you," she snaps as I just shake my head.

"No, I didn't get anything," I say giving her a tight smile.

"No, oh hell no, my children are not going to be tainted by her crap," Ana says coming to the conclusion that I thought she would see first. I shake my head once again.

"She left it all to you, every last penny is yours," I mutter as I pull out an envelope addressed to her in Elena's handwriting. "She left this letter for you as well. When you are ready we can sale or donate or whatever you want to do with her things," I say as I reach for our sleeping daughter and call the other two children in. I knew Ana would need a moment to come to terms with this. I could handle the kids snack.

Gail has the children seated and a snack in front of them. I watched for about 15 minutes as Ana paced the length of the deck with the letter in her hand before she moves toward the dock. I noticed Sawyer join her about 10 feet away from her as she sits down on the dock and lowers her feet into the water. I see her look back at Sawyer and shake her head at him, and he backs off slightly but staying close just in case. I move back to the children. After their snack I take them in the media room to watch Frozen. I don't get it but both kids loved it.

***Shattered***

Ana

As Chrsitin and I talked about Elena I realized that she was all alone for the majority of her adult life. She only had really Christian she could depend on. As we jostled about her will and who got her things I was surprised when he didn't get them, but then it hit me she probably left them to our children to spite me. Yet, she floored me by doing something I never in a million years would have thought, she left everything to me. Why, we weren't friends, we were enemies. I held the letter Christian gave me that she left for me, but I didn't know if I wanted to open it or not.

Before I knew it I was walking toward the dock. I wanted to be away from the house where my family was. I didn't want them to be tainted by her words at this moment. For some reason I felt ashamed for even wanting to know what she had to say? I sat down on the dock lowering my feet into the cold water as I toyed with the letter. I see Sawyer off to the side and just shake my head letting him know I was fine.

I steady my breath as I rip open the envelope, and pull the paper out. I open the sheets with trembling fingers.

"Anastasia,

I never really understood what my darling Christian saw in you; no it wasn't just about sex with you. He was different whenever he spoke of you his eyes would light up. You had changed the cold stone iron fisted giant into a man worthy of love and repentance. Yes, love and repentance. I knew from the moment he withered around after you broke up with him the first time and he flew to Georgia to see you, there would never be another person for him. He had found his saving grace, and that was you.

I never intended to ever give him up to you freely, but when he came to me after he found out you were pregnant I saw he was no longer mine. It hurt when he cut all ties to me, he had been a friend to me in the worst of my days, and that was hard. I should never have gotten involved with Linc again, but he had hated Christian as much as I hated you. So, we got back into the cruel game of life. I was thankful when I escaped before things went down, but if you're reading this it didn't go the right way.

The only way you would be reading this letter is if I am dead. I know it wouldn't be at Christian's hand because no matter what he might have been or could have been he wasn't a murderer. No, my death would have come at Jack Hyde's hand. He was the one behind so much that has happened to you and Christian. He helped Linc set up all the bombs in the penthouse all those years ago. I asked and begged him to let his vendetta go, but I saw a broken man once again when he buried you.

Yet, you were one who never really died. I guess love really does endure all even through death. In the end I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about the way things went. I should have let it all go when Christian gave me the chance. I wanted him still and refused his offer, in the end it was all my own undoing. I lost everything because I couldn't give up the one thing that never really belonged to me

I hope he treats you well; he loves with his whole being. I know whatever Hyde as in store for the two of you will be no walk in the park. He is an evil man. I was never given any details of the plans he or Linc had, but please protect yourself because I know Christian wouldn't survive a world without you in it. Peace to you and your family always. Take care of the ones who matter, I wish I had.

Elena Lincoln

PS I left you everything not as a joke but because I felt you would know how to take care of it. I didn't want to burden Christian with it. Bye!"

I guess that is as close to an apology as I will get from her. I hated her for trying to tear Christian and I apart, but right now I felt pity for her. She had lost everything the moment Christian turned his back on her. She lost Grace and her company; she lost those who she thought were her friends and she lost a friendship that she abused. Yes, out of the two of us I got the better deal. I really didn't know what to do with her crap, but it could wait until hell froze over for the time being. If she was right Hyde would come at us with everything he could. Yes, if he could do what he did to her without a second thought he could do it to us.

"Hey sweetie, you were out there for a long time," Christian says when I walk into the house from the patio.

"Yeah, I'm going to be fine. She just said some things that I would have thought would be easier to handle," I say softly as I hand him the letter.

"I don't need to see it," he says as he pushes it back to me.

"I want you to read it. She actually comes close to apologizing, but really goes around it," I say laughing. "She did warn us though about Hyde coming after us. I mean I know it's a lot to digest, but honey we all know he's after us," I say smiling as I see Gail in the kitchen with both Teddy and Grace on the barstools watching her roll cookies. Yes, they loved Gail's cookies.

Christian wrapped his arms around me as we stood in the dining area watching our children happily chattering away as they sneak cookie dough when Gail turns her back. I knew that all this peace and good weather was just a warning for the storm that was raging on in the distance. I glance out the patio windows to see storm clouds moving closer. Yes, just like in life storms come on go and from the looks of the dark clouds moving our way the storm of our lives was just around the corner.