Chapter 5: Bonding Time

The next morning

Ana woke up early once again the following morning, and she remembered that it was Sunday the 23rd - the day she was initially supposed to pack up and leave Aspen to head back home to Boulder. Due to the current circumstances, however, she was going to be staying for about three more days until the 26th, where she would spend her time helping out the Grey family with the cooking, cleaning, and perhaps even decorating. While she likely wasn't going to be home until after Christmas Day, she hoped she could at least give her dad Ray a call from the landline phone here on the 25th to wish him a Merry Christmas.

Ana got out of bed and went downstairs, not expecting anyone else to be up, but was surprised to see several people standing around in the living room - Eliza, Elliot, Christian and Sean were all dressed in jeans, boots and long-sleeve t-shirts. They were packing several knapsacks with water bottles, snacks and extra blankets.

"Hi Ana," Eliza looked over and smiled brightly when she noticed her, and the others glanced over too. "I'm glad you're here - all of us were about to head out for a morning hike on a trail we found a couple miles out. Would you like to join us?"

Ana was surprised and flattered at being invited on their outing, but she wasn't sure if it was a good idea due to her current situation. "Wow - I'd love to Eliza, but I think I should be here to start breakfast once the others wake up."

"Oh please - that won't be for another two hours, at least," Elliot scoffed, waving it off. "And besides, what's the worst that could happen if we're not back in time for breakfast? Everyone will have to eat cereal? The horror!"

Everyone laughed, and Ana couldn't help but smile too. "I know, but your brother's paying me to do a job, so I feel like I should at least make some effort to do it well."

"As your employer Ana, I give you full permission to come on a nature hike with us this morning," Christian said firmly, though he smiled at her. "We'd love for you to come with us."

Ana blushed slightly, pleased and also a bit embarrassed. "Okay - a hike sounds like fun," she said happily, and she glanced down at the pajamas she was wearing. "Just give me a few minutes to change and I'll be ready to go."

"Sounds good," Eliza grinned widely, and the others all nodded in agreement. Ana turned around and hurried back upstairs to her room.

Ana quickly changed into a pair of bootcut jeans, a sweatshirt and hiking boots, and pulled her long brown hair back into a ponytail. Quickly grabbing the knapsack Kate had fortunately packed in her suitcase, Ana hurried back downstairs to get ready with the others.

Christian and Sean had gathered some extra snacks and a water bottle for Ana to take with her, and Eliza had the good sense to jot down a note so the others in the house would know where they had all gone off to - once she was done with that, they were ready to go. They all bundled up in their winter coats, hats and gloves before grabbing their knapsacks and heading out the backdoor.

The moment they stepped outside, Ana felt the cool air hit her in the face, and she smiled widely - it was a crisp, sunny winter morning, and the snow-capped trees and mountains along the horizon only added to its beauty. Ana was glad she had remembered to bring her cell phone with her since she planned on taking a couple pictures for some new pieces of art she wanted to paint.

"I'm surprised you didn't bring Lester along with you," Christian walked up to fall in step beside Ana. He smiled at her. "I'd think he would have liked going on a nature hike."

Ana laughed. "He would have, but since he's still kind of a baby, I'm hesitant to take him places that may be too dangerous for him, like into the mountains out here. He'll be fine for a couple hours without me back at the house… as long as Lily doesn't get her hands on him, that is."

Christian laughed, and the two of them continued making enjoyable small talk as they followed Eliza, Elliot and Sean down the path wending through the trees and mountains. Walking out here in the fresh air and beautiful nature was a delight, and Ana wished she could do this sort of thing everyday.

"…So has the Grey family scared you off yet?" Christian asked during a lull in the conversation, glancing over at Ana with a small grin on his face. "My siblings especially can be a bit overbearing at times."

Ana giggled at the absurd notion of the Grey family scaring her off. "No, of course not! I've loved getting to know you guys - you've all been so warm and welcoming to me since you got here, and I'm actually really happy you let me stay for the week with all of you. Truly, I am."

"We're all happy you're here too, Ana," Christian said sincerely, looking over at her, and Ana gazed back at him. For a moment, they could only stare into each other's eyes before blinking and looking away.

Ana cleared her throat. "I mean, I can't say I know what it's like to have a family like yours… I grew up with my step dad and I have no siblings, so it's kind of nice being around a big happy family like yours."

Christian chuckled, though Ana noticed a hint of sadness in his demeanor. "Yeah, well… I didn't always have that, I'm afraid. I was actually adopted into the Grey family, as were Elliot and Mia, and the place I came from before definitely wasn't a big happy family."

Ana didn't know what to say to that. She remembered Eliza mentioning Christian had had a difficult life, and wondered if this was what he was alluding to. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay… the Grey's are my family now, and I couldn't be happier," Christian said with a small grin. "Though sometimes I feel I could be doing a better job being a part of the family."

"What?" Ana asked, surprised. "Are you serious? You brought your parents, grandparents, siblings and cousins to this beautiful house in Aspen for a free week-long Christmas vacation! How could you think you're not doing a good job being a part of your family?"

Christian chuckled, though it sounded a little melancholy. "Trust me, Ana - most of what I do for my family right now is making up to them for everything I've put them through for most of my life. I won't go into too much detail about it, but as a young man I was involved in some pretty unsavory activities, introduced to me by a supposed family friend. This had gone on for several years without anyone in my family knowing about it, but this past year my mother found out by accident, and let's just say the aftermath wasn't pretty. She and the rest of my family stood by my side throughout it all, even though I didn't deserve it, so I feel like I owe them for all the support they've shown me throughout this ordeal."

The sadness and sincerity in his voice surprised Ana, and despite the many questions she had regarding the 'unsavory activities' he referred to, she felt an overwhelming sense of sympathy for him. The love and devotion he expressed for his family was real, and she could tell he sincerely regretted his actions from the past.

"Your family loves you, Christian," Ana said earnestly, and Christian looked over at her. "Despite what you've done in the past, they clearly care about you enough to stick around and support you. That's what families do for each other, and you shouldn't have to feel like you owe them for anything - I can tell you love them very much, and as long as they know that, that should be enough."

Christian didn't say anything - he only stared at Ana with an unreadable expression on his face, though his eyes conveyed an emotion which caused Ana's heart to beat faster in her chest. They stared at each other, and for several wonderful moments, they were the only two people in the world.

"Ana! Christian!"

The two of them quickly broke their gaze and looked ahead - Elliot, Eliza and Sean were about fifty yards ahead of them, and they were waving for the two of them to catch up.

"Come on you two! We're gonna try to reach that cliff overlooking that valley a couple miles ahead!" Eliza shouted before the three of them turned and continued heading down the path.

Before Ana could make a move to follow them, Christian had reached down and taken her hand in his own. Ana glanced down at their joint hands before looking up at him - he was gazing down at her with that same expression on his face from earlier.

"Come on," Christian said quietly, giving her a charming smile as he pulled her forward. Nodding dumbly, Ana allowed him to lead her down the path toward where the others were walking, their hands still connected. Ana couldn't really register anything other than Christian's hand holding hers, his touch gentle and firm, and the wonderful warm tingles that filled her body as he led her along the snowy path.

It was nearly noon by the time they had all finished their hike. When they got back to the house, everybody else was already awake. Thankfully, nobody seemed to care that Ana hadn't been around to make breakfast for them - everyone except Lily, that is. She glowered angrily at Ana the moment she arrived, and even more so when she saw that Ana and Christian had spent the whole morning together getting to know one another on their hike. Even though Lily clearly wasn't the outdoorsy type, she admonished Eliza heavily for not waking her up that morning to go on the hike with them, and no one really wanted to argue with her.

The afternoon soon rolled around, and the Grey family broke off into two groups - some headed out to go skiing on the slopes several miles away from the house, while everyone else decided to decorate the house for Christmas. Carrick, Justin and Mitchell agreed to go out and cut down a nice Christmas tree to set up in the living room while Grace, Odette, Eliza and Ana went to put up all the Christmas decorations that were currently boxed up in the attic.

Ana had expected Christian to go with Mia, Elliot, Sean and Lily out to the slopes, but instead he claimed there was some work he had to do in his study, and subsequently disappeared upstairs. Ana didn't see him for the rest of the afternoon as she and all the other ladies brought down all the boxes of Christmas decorations and started making the house fit for the holidays.

At around 3 o'clock, the three men had finally come back with the tree (a beautiful 9-foot tall Douglas fir), and by that time the house had really begun to look a lot like Christmas. Wreaths, garlands and poinsettia plants adorned the walls of all the rooms, and Ana and Eliza had taken the time to hang icicle lights along the edges of the ceiling as well as the banisters of the staircase. Little Bradley was playing with his toys in the living room while wearing a cute little Santa hat on his head, and Lester trotted around the whole house, sniffing all the new decorations interestedly. Ana felt like she was living inside an idyllic Christmas card.

"Oh my God, guys - this place looks amazing!" Mia, Lily, Elliot and Sean had all come back from skiing, walking in through the front door and gazing around in awe. "Those lights are so pretty!"

"Are we gonna decorate the tree now?" Elliot asked excitedly, gazing at the beautiful Christmas tree Carrick and Mitchell just finished setting up. It looked a bit sad without any lights or ornaments on it.

"Nope - we're gonna decorate it tomorrow on Christmas Eve," Mitchell said with finality, brushing his hands clean. "That way we can put all our Christmas presents under the tree at the same time."

Several the people in the room looked disappointed. "Aw - I wanted to get in on decorating with you guys today," Mia said sadly, unzipping her puffy coat and starting to take off all her ski gear. Elliot, Sean and Lily all followed suit. "What are we all supposed to do for the next few hours before dinner?"

"We could light the fireplace," Eliza suggested. "Or maybe we could start a campfire in the pit out in the backyard?"

"Ugh, I wish there was a television here," Mia pouted, shaking her head. "I don't think I've ever gone this long without internet before."

Ana couldn't help but glance over at Christian, who she knew had a desktop computer set up in his office. He met her gaze and winked, and Ana had to bite back a giggle.

Mitchell suddenly turned to his wife and whispered something in her ear - the two of them smiled, and Odette nodded at him before he turned and hurried toward the staircase.

"Where's Grandpa going?" Mia asked curiously. Odette merely smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Alright, everyone - Mitchell and I have an idea, and you all are going to indulge us for a bit. Everybody start moving the furniture against the walls so there's a big open space in the center of the living room. Let's go!"

Everybody gave each other bemused looks before slowly complying, working together to push all the couches and armchairs up against the walls. Pretty soon, a large empty space of hardwood floor dominated the living room.

Mitchell now returned to the group carrying a black leather violin case under his arm. "Everybody, partner up! Every guy to a girl."

Everyone continued to look bemused as they glanced at each other, but some people obeyed his request - Eliza and Justin gravitated toward each other and clasped hands, as did Carrick and Grace. Ana suddenly felt very out of place, thinking she had no right infringing upon this family activity, but the next moment she felt someone gently taking her hand. She looked over to see Christian at her side, holding her hand like he had done on the hike this morning, gazing down at her with a smile on his handsome face.

"Come on - I have a feeling they're going to teach us how to dance," he said quietly so only she could hear. Ana blushed and nodded, finally understanding.

"Oh… should I be a part of this?" she asked a bit awkwardly as Christian led her to the open area with the other couples.

"Of course - why shouldn't you be?" Christian asked, and Ana didn't respond.

"Grandpa, I already know how to dance," Mia whined petulantly, standing next to Sean in the middle of the living room.

"All that bumping and grinding you kids do in the club isn't dancing," Mitchell said firmly, tuning his violin, and several people in the room bit back their laughter. "You're going to learn it the way your grandmother and I did - the proper way, with real footwork and actual music. Odette, show them how it's done."

"Alright everyone - we're going to begin with a simple foxtrot," Odette spoke to the room. "Everyone, turn to face your partner."

Ana, still blushing profusely, turned to Christian, and he turned to her, smiling widely. Beyond him, Ana saw Lily paired up with Elliot, and she was glaring over his shoulder to Christian and Ana as if they had personally offended her.

Odette showed them how to clasp their partner's opposite hand and hold it up in the air - the man would then place his hand upon the woman's waist, and the woman would place her hand upon the man's shoulder. Everyone complied to Odette's instructions, and Ana couldn't help but feel a tingling sensation due to Christian's proximity. She blinked and glanced away, trying to regulate her breathing.

Mitchell and Odette then demonstrated to everyone the proper steps that went with the foxtrot - two steps backward (forward for the man), one step to the side, rotate, and repeat. Everyone moved per their instructions, and Ana had to admit this clunky footwork all felt incredibly awkward.

"Grandma, Grandpa - do we have to do this?" Mia whined, glancing down at her and Sean's feet as they tried to do the rotating step.

"We just need to try it with music, that's all. Mitchell?" Odette turned to her husband, and Mitchell walked back over to the side of the room to pick up his violin.

Once he began to play, everyone listened attentively. He had struck up an upbeat and fast-paced melody, his skill clearly shining through, and several people smiled in delight upon hearing him play. Odette clapped along with the music, keeping the rhythm.

"Come on everyone - from the top!"

Christian pulled Ana closer to him, and she looked up to see him smile down at her. She couldn't help but smile back.

The couples all began to foxtrot - tentatively at first, but the longer they danced and the more Odette encouraged them, the more confident they became. Pretty soon, the four couples were gliding effortlessly around the room in a perfect circle, and Ana couldn't help but immensely enjoy dancing around with Christian to his grandfather's beautiful music.

"Oh my God, this is so fun!" Mia squealed happily, and the others all laughed.

"Follow my lead," Christian said quietly to Ana. Before she could ask, Christian suddenly let go of Ana's waist, still holding onto her left hand, and twirled her around twice, still keeping in time with the music. Ana laughed delightedly as he pulled her back into his arms, and the others all whooped in appreciation.

"Little bro's got some moves!" Elliot hollered, and the others all laughed.

"Well done, Christian!" Odette said happily. "Move in sync with your partner, everyone. Don't be afraid to improvise - go wherever the music takes you!"

The next hour or so became much more fun as all the couples danced around while Mitchell played his violin. Mia laughed and giggled happily as Sean twirled her around and around, and Eliza and Justin caused a riot when he literally picked her up in his arms as they danced in a circle. Everyone was clearly having a wonderful time, and Ana couldn't remember the last time she had had this much fun. She also couldn't remember how much she enjoyed dancing with someone, but Christian's arms around her as they moved together felt too good to be real, and she was almost sad when Mitchell finally put down his violin and everyone stopped dancing. They all immediately began to applaud, and Ana finally noticed how out of breath and exhausted she was.

"Goodness, you were amazing Dad!" Grace beamed, clapping along with everyone else. "That was so much fun!"

"Thank you for teaching us how to dance, Grandma," Mia smiled widely, walking over to hug her grandmother. "You're an amazing teacher!"

"Oh, you're very welcome dear," Odette hugged Mia back. "I always find dancing to be a wonderful activity that frees the soul and brings people closer together. I truly hope it has done so for all of you."

Ana blushed as she glanced over at Christian, who was still standing beside her. He met her gaze, and he looked as if he wanted to say something, but Grace approached them before he could:

"Ana, dear, would you mind helping me get dinner started? I'm sorry I didn't realize how late it was," Grace said apologetically to her.

"It's no problem," Ana said quickly, and she followed Grace into the kitchen without meeting Christian's gaze. The feelings currently coursing through her body caused her to become a bit lightheaded, and she was afraid being in close proximity with him for any amount of time now would make her forget all logic and reason.

"I'll get started on some roast chicken, Ana, and you could probably make a side salad," Grace said, bustling to the fridge and pulling out ingredients. "Does spinach with bleu cheese and cranberry vinaigrette sound alright to you?"

"Sure I can do that," Ana agreed, but when she glanced down, she embarrassingly noticed sweat stains on her clothes brought on by the hour of dancing. "Um... do you mind if I run to the bathroom really quick first?"

"Of course not dear, go right ahead."

Ana hurried out of the kitchen and headed toward the staircase. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed the others now pushing the pieces of furniture back to where they were before.

Ana walked up the stairs to her room, and after she changed into a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt, she began making her way downstairs. When she reached the second floor landing, however, she saw Christian walking up the steps toward her, gazing at her with some unreadable emotion on his face.

Ana felt her cheeks flame and her heartbeat start pounding once again the moment she laid eyes on him.

"Christian," Ana greeted him as he stepped in front of her. "Did you need something?"

"No, I just…" Christian hesitated for a moment or two, gazing at her, before smiling slightly. "I wanted to compliment you on your dancing back there. I was going to say something earlier, but you walked away before I could."

"Oh... well, thank you," Ana smiled shyly. "You weren't so bad yourself."

"Well, it's only because my partner was so good," Christian smiled back, taking another step closer to her. Ana felt herself blush a little as she gazed at him, unsure of the emotion that was coursing through her body as she did.

Christian stared at her for another moment before clearing his throat. "…I mean, I just wanted to tell you how happy I am to see you enjoying yourself, Ana. At least I hope you were enjoying yourself... you deserve to have a good time while you're staying here with us."

"I am having a good time here," Ana assured him. "I appreciate your concern for me, Christian, but the truth is I love that I get to stay in this beautiful house for a whole week. Your whole family has been nothing but kind to me, and quite honestly, this is turning out to be one of the best Christmases I've ever had."

Christian looked rather surprised at her admission, but after a moment he gave her a small smile. "Well, I'm glad to hear you say that Ana. I agree, this Christmas is turning out to be a rather special one."

Before Ana could respond to that, Christian glanced up toward the ceiling. Ana followed his gaze and saw a small sprig of mistletoe hanging directly above their heads.

Ana's first thought was to wonder who had put that there, because she certainly hadn't, but the next moment she felt heat spread all the way from her head to her toes as she glanced back toward Christian. He was now staring at her with that unreadable expression in his eyes once again, and it felt like a dream when he took a step closer to her. He was now so close his nose was inches from her own, and Ana couldn't tear her eyes away from his.

The next moment, Christian had leaned forward and pressed his lips to Ana's, giving her a sweet, gentle kiss. Ana didn't respond at first, her heart pounding frantically in her chest, but after a few seconds she tentatively began kissing him back. Christian brought his hands up to cup her face, deepening the kiss, and Ana reached up to grasp the front of his shirt in her hands.

She wasn't sure what was happening or why it was happening, but all she knew was that right now she wanted to kiss him forever, and damn was she going to enjoy it.

This is heaven.

Christian suddenly groaned, opening his mouth against hers as he took several steps forward, pressing Ana up against the wall behind her. Their kiss began to escalate in passion, and Ana felt like she was floating on cloud nine.

"…Ana?" Grace called from the kitchen, and Ana and Christian quickly broke apart. "Where are you, dear?"

Ana swallowed, trying to get her bearings. "I'll be down in a minute, Grace!" she called down the steps before looking back at Christian. His face was still very close to hers, and the way he was currently gazing at her, she knew he wanted to kiss her again.

"I have to go," Ana whispered, her soft voice conveying her regret. Christian gave her an imperceptible nod, and Ana gently extracted herself from him before hurrying back downstairs.

A/N: Yay! Hope you all enjoyed reading that ;) I sure enjoyed writing it lol.

Next chapter - the aftermath! Please review :)