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

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 15: Recovery and Reconstruction

The next five days were probably the hardest Ana had worked in her entire life, but she wouldn't trade them for the world. Everybody in Easton had banded together to help each other out throughout the recovery process - the high flood waters and damage from fallen debris had forced a lot of residents to leave their houses, and the neighbors who didn't have storm damage invited those affected to come stay with them. Ana and Ray offered space in their home to the Elroy family, whose home had been completely flooded during the storm. The Elroy's had two young twin daughters and a pet cat, so Ted at least was happy to have a few companions to play with over the next few days.

True to his word, Christian had taken it upon himself to kickstart the recovery process of the whole town. After the amount of damage to the town was properly assessed, Christian brought in a team of water damage experts and a clean up crew to get all the floodwaters out of the buildings. The crew immediately began putting up sandbags along people's doors and entry points before vacuuming out the remaining water inside the homes so they would dry out faster.

In addition to the floodwaters, many homes and businesses had been damaged, or even completely ruined, by fallen debris and trees. Paul had ended up fracturing his ankle while trapped under the tree that had smashed his house, and his foot was now in a cast and boot. Thankfully no one else was injured in the storm, so that was one less thing to worry about, but a lot of homes and buildings were still seriously damaged. Once all the floodwaters had completely receded from Easton, then Christian would be able to bring in contractors to rebuild everything that had been damaged.

Elliot was now taking charge of the LCH construction, which still had a deadline of when it needed to be finished. Andy and all the construction workers had been staying at a motel a few miles down the road from Easton, which thankfully didn't get too flooded by the storm, so the construction was still able to commence. Elliot was happy to take over work at the jobsite, and with Christian heading up Easton's reconstruction, it seemed as if the Grey brothers were really making a significant impact on the small town.

Ana spent her days either helping out at the construction site, helping out in town, or staying at home with Ted and the Elroy's. Ray helped out a lot too, having closed down Steele Woodworking for the foreseeable future until a majority of the damage from the storm had been repaired. He spent much of his time helping out Christian and the clean up crew with sandbagging people's homes - a lot of Easton's residents were keen to help however they could, which allowed this reconstruction process to go a lot more quickly than expected.

On Wednesday, five days after the storm had passed, things were finally beginning to look up. The floodwaters had receded enough so the contractors could come in and start reconstructing all the damaged building, which would likely take another week or two. However, the residents of Easton were happy to wait considering all of this was being paid for by Christian Grey.

The Elroys' home was now completely dry and safe for them to live in again, but the night before they were meant to go back home, they decided to cook a big delicious dinner as a thank you for the Steele's hospitality. They invited Christian and Elliot to join them, so the Steele's home was filled to the brim this Wednesday evening with the adults sitting around the dining room table, eating and laughing, while Ted and the Elroy girls played in the next room over.

"Mackenzie, this lasagna is delicious," Ana smiled as Mrs. Elroy refilled people's water glasses. Mackenzie Elroy was about ten years older than Ana, with short curly black hair and a sweet smile; her husband Todd was bald and slightly overweight, but just as kind-hearted as his wife.

"Thank you, Ana," Mackenzie smiled gratefully at her.

"Well, I think this green bean casserole is the best thing I ever tasted," Elliot exclaimed, scooping more onto his plate. He probably had about twice as much food on his plate as anyone else at the table. "Can I have the recipe to give to my mom so she can make it whenever I visit?"

The others all laughed. "Sure Elliot," Mackenzie said amusedly. "I'm just glad you're all enjoying the food. It's our little way of saying thank you to what you've all done for our family these past few days. Our situation had felt so hopeless after the storm hit, and we weren't sure if we would ever get back on our feet. But with your help, we've been able to get our home and our lives back. We couldn't be more grateful for all the help you've given us - there are simply not enough words to express our gratitude."

"To the Steele's and Grey's," Todd Elroy toasted his glass of wine, smiling at everyone sitting at the table.

"Cheers," they all chorused, smiling at one another as they toasted their drinks. Ana glanced up at Christian, who was sitting directly across from her, holding up his glass of beer as his gray eyes met hers. She blushed and smiled slightly before looking away.

Ana knew she and Christian had to have a talk at some point, but with everything that had been going on these past few days, they never got a chance to. To be honest, she was just happy to have Christian back in Easton again, and part of her was afraid anything she said would drive him away again. The two of them got along amicably when talking about the town's reconstruction, but neither of them had breached the subject of their relationship yet.

Christian was probably as reluctant to talk about it as she was. At least she wasn't alone in that.

Mackenzie and Todd soon got distracted by their daughters, who had been trying to dress up the cat in a tutu, and Elliot and Ray soon got into a discussion about the Mariners' chances this season. Ana and Christian hadn't said much to each other the whole dinner, but as everyone else became involved in their own conversations, Ana felt obligated to talk to Christian, who was still gazing right at her.

She looked at him, and he subtly nodded toward the front door. Ana glanced over at the door too before turning back to him and nodding.

"If it's alright with everyone, I think I'm gonna go for a short walk near the lake," Christian said to the room, getting to his feet.

"Oh, I'll come with you," Ana said quickly, getting out of her seat as well. The others said goodbye as Christian and Ana got on their shoes and headed out the front door together.

The sun had set along the horizon, causing an inky blue dusk to settle across the entire valley. Ana and Christian walked together around the house and down toward the lake, neither of them saying anything to each other as they went. It was a balmy evening out tonight, with the sounds of crickets chirping all around them; thankfully it hadn't rained at all since the storm last Friday, so Ana felt perfectly comfortable going outside without a raincoat or rubber boots.

"Beautiful night tonight," Christian noted casually, gazing out toward the lake. Ana thought he looked very ruggedly handsome today in an open flannel shirt and t-shirt with dark wash jeans and hiking boots.

"Yeah," Ana agreed, unsure of what else to say. She stuck her hands in her back jeans pockets as they walked down to the calm, sparkling shore of Lake Easton, and Ana gazed into the water, trying her hardest to pull up the courage to say what she wanted to say to him.

Just do it Ana.

"Christian," Ana began, looking over at him, and he looked back at her. "I wanted to find a time to talk to you over the past few days, but I guess I haven't been able to find the right opportunity, what with everything going on."

Christian stopped and turned so he was facing her, a small smirk on his handsome face. "Well, now's as good a time as any, Ms. Steele. Talk away."

Ana, however, didn't smile back as she turned to gaze at him too. "It's not that simple, but I guess I might as well bring it up before I lose my nerve." She took a deep breath before letting it all out. "I know about Elena Lincoln and what she did to you."

Christian's smile faded into an unreadable expression. He didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry if that was a violation of your privacy," Ana went on apologetically, praying she hadn't offended him. "But a couple weeks ago I had been talking to Elliot and he mentioned in passing that you hardly ever relaxed until about a year ago. So later that night, I Googled you and found an article in the Seattle Times detailing exactly what had happened to you when you were fifteen. I'm sorry if I had overstepped my bounds."

Christian glanced down at his feet before shaking his head. "No, it's not your fault Ana. I've had to deal with the public knowing about my past for awhile now, so I expected you to learn about it sooner or later."

"I really am sorry," Ana said sincerely. "About everything… and I'm sorry about what happened to you."

Christian nodded. "Me too," he said quietly. They were silent for a couple more moments, the quiet sounds of the lake lapping gently beside them.

"I understand a bit better now though," Ana went on, and Christian looked up at her. "About how you got into that lifestyle in the first place and... and to an extent why you kept practicing it. I know that BDSM is not in and of itself bad lifestyle, but I guess just not knowing what your history was with it is what freaked me out initially."

"Ana, I completely understand your reaction to what Leila had told you about me," Christian said honestly. "For all you knew, I could've been a sadistic lunatic - I'm not blaming you for what you said to me. I just wish I could have talked to you about it before you saw that article. that shouldn't have been how you learned about my past with the lifestyle."

"Well, it's a bit too late now," Ana smiled sardonically, gazing up into Christian's eyes. "Was the article wrong about you?"

"As much as I wish it was wrong, I'm afraid it's pretty accurate. Elena Lincoln had been a friend of my family's, and she took advantage of me when I was fifteen years old. I'd dealt with a lot of behavioral problems growing up, and so I became her target. She preyed on me - conditioned me to think I was worthless, and that I needed her to help me become worthy of my family's love. She introduced me to BDSM as a method of control, and of course being the horny teenager I was, I was just happy to do it if it meant having sex with a hot older lady. I didn't think of it as the abuse it was, and I had no idea she was doing the same thing to other boys my age too."

Christian paused, and Ana felt sick to her stomach. She couldn't imagine how any person could be so horrible as to prey on children like this Elena woman did.

"Well, I have to say I'm happy she went to prison for what she did to you," Ana said, a bitter edge to her voice. "She is still in prison, right?"

"Yes, and she will be until the day she dies," Christian said confidently. "If my name has any clout in the city of Seattle, I'll see to it myself that she'll never be freed."

"So…" Ana began, and Christian went silent. "Even after everything regarding Elena's incarceration, you still practiced the lifestyle she introduced you to. Why?"

"It was all I knew," Christian said honestly. "I couldn't tell you all the reasons why I continued practicing BDSM in the years after Elena, but if I'm being completely honest, I do enjoy many aspects of it. You said yourself that the lifestyle isn't inherently bad, and when practiced in a safe environment with consenting adults, it can be very pleasurable. Even vanilla couples practice it from time to time."

"Vanilla couples?" Ana asked, looking confused.

"Regular people," Christian explained. "Normal couples with no kink or fetishes."

"Oh," Ana said before shaking her head slightly. "I guess I have a lot to learn about this lifestyle of yours."

Christian let out a sigh, bringing his hand up to tug at his hair. "But that's the thing though, isn't it? Ever since I met you, I don't want to be a part of that lifestyle anymore. It may have suited me for the past twelve years, but I just don't find it emotionally fulfilling. I don't think I ever have - I'm sorry, but I really can't explain my feelings about it that well..."

"No, I get it," Ana said, her voice oddly subdued. "We stick with what we know, and we do what we're comfortable with. I know how that feels."

Christian knew that she was referring to what he had said to her before leaving last week, and he instantly felt terrible. He walked forward and took her hand in his own.

"Ana, if you're referring to what I had said to you regarding Ted, please know that I've regretted it ever since I said it," he said sincerely. "It was an awful thing to say in the heat of the moment, and I wish I could take it back. I really do."

"It's okay Christian, I'm not angry about it," Ana said, lightly squeezing his hand back. "I know there was some truth behind it… I do make excuses for myself when it comes to Ted. I feel like I've been so focused on being his mother these past four years that sometimes I forget how to just let myself be happy."

"Ana, you are an amazing mother to Ted - don't diminish that about yourself," Christian said firmly. "If every mother was as selfless and kind-hearted as you, the world would be a much better place to live. Putting your own son's happiness before your own is nothing to be ashamed about."

Ana blushed and smiled at his compliment. "You really know how to say the right things to me, Christian."

Christian smiled back at her, and Ana couldn't help but notice his hand was still holding hers, as if he didn't want to let her go just yet.

"I apologize if I'm being too forward," Christian said, taking another step toward her so he was right in front of her, gazing into her eyes while his hand still held hers. "But I really want to know… is there any chance at all that something could happen between the two of us?"

His question caused Ana's heartbeat to skyrocket and her head to go a bit fuzzy. A part of her wanted to scream yes, but she instead cleared her throat, trying to gather her wits.

"If I'm being completely honest, I do really like you Christian," she said honestly. "I think you're an amazing man, and not just because of your wealth and status. Everything you've done for Easton goes beyond anything any of us were expecting, and it says a lot about the kind of person you are that you stayed back here to help us in our time of need. All of us here can't thank you enough for your selflessness and your generosity, but… I don't think I'd be okay with being your submissive. It's just not me."

"I don't want you as my submissive," Christian said earnestly. "And I don't want to be your Dominant. I just want you to be you - any way I can have you, Ana, I'd be happy with that."

Ana blinked, feeling hope burgeoning in her chest. "Really?"

Christian smiled. "Really. You've changed everything for me Ana, and you haven't even tried."

Ana gazed into his eyes, a smile spreading across her own face. Somewhere, deep down in her heart, she knew he was telling the truth, and she couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Well, I think you're going to have to ask me out on a date first, Mr. Grey."

Christian's face broke out into a wide, panty-dropping smile, and he lifted his hand to take her chin in his thumb and forefinger, tilting her face up to him. "Well, let's see what I can come up with then, Ms. Steele."

Without another word, he leaned down and kissed her right on the lips, and she immediately kissed him back. It was heaven, feeling his lips press against her own, conveying the extent of his feelings for her, and beside them she could hear Lake Easton lapping gently against the shore, ambient and peaceful in the summer night.

This moment was one she wished would last forever.

A/N: Thank you all for reading! I hope you all enjoyed that :) Next chapter, Ana and Christian go on their first date.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!