A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 12: The Differences Between Us

Christian could only watch as Ana drove down the road, and once she had disappeared in the distance he turned toward Leila, who was still standing where he had left her. Instead of looking at Christian, however, she was watching Ana's truck driving away, anger and shock on her face.

"Her?" Leila whipped around to face Christian, her expression angry, as Christian approached her again. "She's the 'someone else' you were talking about, isn't she?"

"It doesn't matter," Christian said angrily. "Even if she was, that's none of your business. You and I are not together, and I told you outright that I didn't want to be with you anymore. How did you even know where I was?"

"Your secretary Olivia told me," Leila said, crossing her arms defiantly. "I called your office yesterday to ask where you were, and she told me at a construction site in Easton. I drove here straight away, and it wasn't too hard to find."

"Then I guess it wouldn't be too hard to find your way back," Christian grasped her upper arm and and began to pull her toward her car. "Leave Leila."

"Wait - you're sending me away? Just like that?" Leila almost tripped as Christian harshly pulled her along. "Ow! Hey!"

"Leila, not only is you being in Easton completely inappropriate, you're in violation of your NDA," Christian snapped angrily, roughly letting go of her arm. "You have no right to be here spouting off about some imaginary boyfriend/girlfriend relationship you think we have. Leave now, or I won't hesitate on getting a restraining order against you."

Leila stared at Christian, shock marring her face as tears filled her eyes. After a moment, she let out a shaky breath, glaring at him. "Fine, I'll go. But once that bitch breaks your heart, don't come running to me."

Before Christian could respond, Leila turned around and stalked away toward her car; he watched as she wrenched open the door, got in the driver's seat, and drove away, the tires squealing in her wake.

Christian turned to Taylor, who was standing several feet away the entire time. "Call my lawyer - let him know about the broken NDA. And next time, do a better job of keeping that crazy bitch away from me."

Taylor clenched his jaw. "Yes, sir," he said stiffly, pulling out his phone. Christian quickly pulled out his own phone and dialed Andrea:

"Mr. Grey - what can I do for you?" Andrea greeted him courteously.

"Is Olivia with you right now?"

"She is, sir."

"Put her on please."

The shuffling sound of a phone being passed over. "Hello?" Olivia answered.

"Olivia, did a woman call you yesterday to ask where I was, and you told her I was in Easton?"

There was a brief pause on the other end. "Um… I-I don't…"

"You're fired Olivia, effective immediately. Clear out your desk and be out of the building by the end of the work day today. Security will escort you out if you do not comply."

Olivia sputtered on the other end, clearly shocked. "M-Mr. Grey…!"

Christian ignored her as he hung up the phone. He hated working with that simpering moron anyway, and he wouldn't be sorry to never see her again once he returned to GEH.

"Mr. Grey, we should go," Taylor said, stepping forward to gaze down the road. He had an urgent expression on his face.

"Why?"

"Because Leila drove off in a different direction than where she came in. I think she followed Ms. Steele's truck back to her house."

In a second, Christian was running over to the SUV, Taylor right ahead of him. Christian got into the passenger seat as Taylor started the car, and in a moment they were speeding down the highway toward the lake, where Ana's house was about half a mile away. Christian's heart pounded, feeling like this day was just getting worse and worse.

Ana's house came into view, and Christian felt his heart drop into his stomach as he watched Leila's car pull away from where it was parked on the side of the road. She drove away, and Christian felt a ball of anxiety in the pit of his stomach grow.

Fuck! Fuck! Shit! Damn it all to hell!

He wanted to track Leila down and demand she tell him what she did, but he needed to get to Ana first.

"Taylor, pull over, right now!" Christian demanded, and Taylor quickly pulled over and parked near where Leila's car had been. Christian jumped out the car, desperate to find Ana.

Did Leila do something to her? Hurt her? Threaten her?

"Ana!" Christian called her name, hoping to God she'd hear him. He was about to go knock down her front door when he saw her out of the corner of his eye, walking around the side of the house from the backyard.

"Ana," Christian felt immediately relieved to see her, and hurried toward her. "Are you okay? Did Leila approach you? What did she say to you?"

"She didn't say anything," Ana said in a flat voice, moving past him as she walked toward the front door. Something in her voice and expression made Christian certain she was lying.

"Ana," he said again, but she ignored him. Leila had clearly said something to her that upset her, and Christian didn't know what he could say. "Ana, whatever she said to you, it isn't true," he said in a desperate bid for her to talk to him.

"Oh really?" Ana finally turned around, glaring at him. "So you're saying she wasn't your submissive who you contracted for sex on the weekends?"

Christian's heart dropped into his stomach, his pulse skyrocketing as his face went white. He could only stare at Ana, wishing he could do or say something to make this situation better. The cat was out of the bag, though, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"…God, I am going to fucking kill Leila," Christian grumbled to himself.

"Annie?"

Christian and Ana turned to see Ray step out onto the front porch, carrying Ted on his hip. Ted was still wearing his pajamas and carrying a plushy panda in his hand.

"We heard a commotion - is everything alright?" Ray asked, glancing up at Christian with a suspicious frown on his face. Christian looked away, not saying anything.

"Everything's fine, Dad," Ana reassured him, walking up to them. She leaned forward and kissed Ted on the forehead, and he grinned at her. "Do you mind taking Ted back inside for a minute? Christian and I just need to talk - we won't be much longer."

"Sure thing, sweetie," Ray cast one more look at Christian before bringing Ted back inside, closing the door behind them.

There were a few seconds where neither Christian nor Ana said anything, and Ana finally looked over at him, meeting his gaze. Although her expression was less angry than it was before, Christian couldn't deny that she was deeply troubled by what Leila had said to her.

Why the hell did that bitch have to come here and ruin everything?

"I assume Leila followed me here?" Ana asked quietly, her expression unreadable. She stepped off the porch and began to walk toward Christian's rental house, and Christian fell in step beside her, gazing at her warily. "That's how she found me?"

"Yes," Christian said simply, unsure of what else to say. Neither of them spoke as they made their way to the back porch of Christian's rental house, finally stopping when they were on the deck.

"Ana, I can't tell you how sorry I am that she came here," Christian said after a moment, sincerely apologetic. "I hate that she approached you like this. She had absolutely no right to…"

"You don't have to explain her actions to me, Christian," Ana interrupted, crossing her arms protectively in front of her chest. "You're not responsible for how other people act, no matter how crazy or desperate they may seem. I doubt you're ever going to hear from Leila ever again anyway, since she made it clear to me that she never wants to see or speak to you ever again."

Thank God, Christian thought to himself. He didn't say anything, though, as Ana let out a sigh, twisting her fingers together nervously.

"I just… I want to know if what she said was true," Ana looked into Christian's eyes, and he knew it would do no good to lie to her. He took a deep breath before exhaling, deciding on telling her the honest truth.

"Yes, she was my submissive," he admitted to her reluctantly. "I'm a Dominant, and she and I were in a BDSM relationship for the past few months. That day I went back to Seattle last week was when I officially ended things with her. I had no idea she was going to come by today."

Ana looked like she was about to be sick, and Christian hated himself for doing this to her. "The two of you were in a Dominant and submissive relationship... up until a week ago?" she asked, sounding nauseated.

Christian grimaced, running a hand agitatedly through his hair. "It's… complicated. She and I had an arrangement, and it worked for the both of us. That's it, there were never any feelings involved."

"Maybe not for you," Ana stated, frowning heavily. "She told me straight up that she was in love with you! How the hell did she get to that point when there was apparently 'no feelings involved'?"

"I don't know, but please understand that I don't feel the same way about her," Christian insisted. "I never have. When I broke things off with her, I told her that it was because I had met someone else… that was the truth, Ana."

Ana didn't say anything as she gazed down at the ground, clearly in thought. Christian wasn't sure what she was thinking, so he decided to go on:

"Ana, I don't entirely know what's going on between the two of us, but believe me when I say that I have never felt this way about anyone before. I think you're the most beautiful, sweet, amazing, and intelligent person I've ever met. You challenge me in ways I've never known before, and I can't believe how much I enjoy our time together, whether we're at the construction site or spending time with your son. And above all else, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met… life has beaten down on you, and yet you haven't let that get to you. Your heart is so open and loving - not only to Ted, but to everyone else around you. You're amazing Ana, and anyone with half a brain could see that. I sure as hell do."

Ana still didn't say anything, and when she finally looked up, Christian could see there were tears in her eyes. "Christian, I… I don't know what to say to that."

"Just tell me that you won't let what Leila said stop whatever's going on between us," Christian said, unable to keep the desperation from his voice. More than anything, he wanted Ana to see him for the man she'd known for the past couple weeks - not the one he'd been in the years before he met her.

"It's not that simple, Christian," Ana said, her voice a mixture of heartbroken and resigned. "I've told you before that I don't date because of Ted. I don't want to bring someone into both of our lives only to have him end up hurting both of us. Whatever you choose to do in your personal life is your own business, but that doesn't mean I want to drag my son into whatever it is you get into… whips and chains, or whatever it may be."

"It's not like that, Ana," Christian insisted, gazing at her beseechingly. "I don't want that type of relationship anymore. Please believe me, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you and Ted, and I swear I'll do everything in my power to not let my past affect whatever's happening between you and me."

Ana shook her head again, gazing down at the ground as she tried to fight back her emotion. "I'm sorry, Christian," she said quietly. "Whatever's going on between us, it needs to end now. The best thing we can do now is maintain a professional relationship when at the jobsite, and that's it."

Without waiting for a response, she began to move past him to head back to her house.

Christian felt his chest tighten as a surge of anger overtook him. "So that's it then?" he asked harshly, looking over at her, and Ana stopped walking. "You're going to give up what we have before it's even begun? I know that you want to protect Ted, Ana, but I also know that deep down you're just scared to put yourself out there and actually be happy for a change. Don't use your son as an excuse to dismiss something that could potentially happen between the two of us, because you know as well as I that we would be good together."

Ana still stood there, her back to Christian. He thought for a second that she was going to turn around, but after a moment she continued to walk away back toward her house, not looking back.

Ana

Ana was currently standing in her kitchen, hours after she and Christian had spoken outside his rental home, as she busily cooked dinner for her and her family. She was making baked chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, buttered rolls, and asparagus stems; in the living room, Ana could hear Ted's favorite cartoon playing on the television, while Ray sat in his armchair reading his newspaper.

Cooking helped distract Ana from what had happened earlier today. Christian's final words to her rang inside her head, and she couldn't help dwelling on them even now as she pulled the pan of chicken from the oven. It was all she could do not to go up to her room, away from the rest of the world, and break down crying over the decision she had made.

Did I really make the wrong choice?

Through her jumbled thoughts, Ana suddenly heard the doorbell ring, and Ray got up from his armchair to answer it. She listened as he walked over and opened the door.

"Christian," Ray greeted, and Ana froze in place. "How's it going? You here to see Ana?"

"No, I actually came by to say goodbye to you all," Christian said, and Ana held her breath, listening with rapt attention. "I'm heading back home to Seattle tonight, and my brother Elliot will be here tomorrow to oversee the construction with Ana. Can you let her know?"

"Sure thing, son," Ray said. "I'm sorry to see you go. You've really done a lot for Easton in the short time you've been here."

"It's a great town," Christian said sincerely. "I'm going to miss staying here. Thank you for making me feel so welcome."

"It was my pleasure, son."

Ana heard the patter of little feet running from the living room to the front entryway. "Hi Cwistian."

"Hey there, Ted," Christian said, and Ana could practically hear him smiling. "You having fun watching your cartoons over there?"

Ted giggled. "Yeah!"

"Well, I just came here to say goodbye to you, buddy," Christian went on. "I have to go back home to where my job is, so I won't get to stay here and hang out with you anymore."

"Oh," Ted said sadly, and Ana's heart clenched.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm sure we'll get to see each other again," Christian said reassuringly. "But until we do, be sure to take good care of your mommy, alright?"

"Okay," Ted agreed.

Ray and Christian chatted for another minute or so before they said their farewells, and Ray closed the door behind him. Ana stayed in the kitchen the entire time, hidden from sight, and after a moment she felt a tear or two slip silently down her cheek.

A/N: Sorry to leave you all on such a sad note :( However, next chapter something big is about to happen.

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