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

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 26: Making Amends

"Christian, calm down. We can go talk to him…"

"No Ana, we can't. Haven't you been listening?" Christian snapped. "My dad was being completely unreasonable! I don't want to speak to him about this - period."

"What he said was wrong, but that doesn't mean you should shut him out," Ana insisted. "You and I both know that your dad said those things because of his experience as a lawyer. He just doesn't know me very well yet."

"Yeah, and he had his chance to get to know you today, but he chose not to take it in favor of being suspicious of you," Christian grumbled, pacing his bedroom Escala. It was evening now, several hours after they had come back from visiting the Grey's. Ted was safely tucked into bed, and Christian finally had a chance to tell Ana what his father said to him in the kitchen earlier. Ana had suspected something was wrong when she saw the two of them emerge from the kitchen, both looking rather stony-faced, but she didn't say anything then. Now, as Christian explained the conversation to her, it was all making sense.

Christian finally stopped his pacing as he turned to look at Ana, his face distressed. "I feel awful about all this, Ana. I knew you were nervous meeting my family, and I kept telling you not to worry and that they were all going to love you. I hate that my dad had to open his big mouth and accuse you of being a gold digger."

"Christian, please don't worry about it," Ana said sincerely. "Ted and I had a wonderful time with your family today. What your father said to you hasn't ruined the time Ted and I spent with your mother and siblings - in time, I know that he's going to understand how I truly feel about you."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment before walking over and sitting down on the edge of his bed, elbows perched on his knees. "You're taking this much better than I thought you would, Ana. My father doesn't deserve your forgiveness."

"I just know that he's going to see the truth eventually," Ana said, walking over and sitting herself down on Christian's lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. "You and I have nothing but time, don't we?"

Christian smiled lovingly up at her, the tension in his body easing as he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her sweetly on the lips. "Yes we do, Ms. Steele."

"I was wondering if you and I should take your parents out to breakfast tomorrow?" Ana said, resting her forehead against Christian's. "Mia or Elliot can watch Ted for a few hours so it would be just the four of us. We'll have a nice meal and conversation, and maybe try to clear the air of all this nonsense."

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, looking hesitant to agree "Come on," Ana insisted. "Tomorrow will be my and Ted's last day in Seattle - you and I should at least try to talk to him."

Christian finally let out a sigh. "Alright, we'll meet for breakfast tomorrow. But if my dad says anything offensive or mean to you, we're leaving."

"Fair enough," Ana nodded. "And wherever it is we're going, I'm paying."

"You most certainly are not!" Christian exclaimed, and Ana laughed.

"I have to start proving I'm not a gold digger, don't I?" she said, getting up from Christian's lap. "We don't have to go anywhere too expensive. It'll be fine, I promise."

"...Alright," Christian grumbled reluctantly. "You can pay. Incidentally, I reserve the right to insist we all go to McDonald's for breakfast tomorrow."

"Very funny," Ana smirked, leaning down and kissing Christian on the forehead before walking over to the en suite to get ready for bed.

~The next day~

Thankfully, Grace and Carrick had agreed to breakfast with them on Sunday; Christian had called his mother to ask if they were free, and she said they'd be more than happy to go. Ana idly wondered if Grace knew what her husband had said to Christian yesterday, but didn't want to ask. Mia had also agreed to babysit Ted that morning - Ana had considered asking Elliot to babysit since he and Ted got along so well, but apparently Elliot had had a date last night, meaning he was probably still with the girl this morning. It was fine though, since Ted had actually grown quite fond of Mia and her bubbly, excitable personality.

Ana and Christian now arrived at the restaurant, which was a little place called Becketts - a sleek and modern-looking breakfast cafe located just outside the Pike Market. It was still relatively empty this morning, so Ana and Christian were able to spot Carrick and Grace sitting at a table together almost right away. Ana took Christian's hand in her own as they both walked over.

"Christian - Ana," Grace smiled, and she and Carrick got to their feet to greet them. "Good morning."

"Good morning Grace," Ana said as Grace greeted her with a hug. Carrick greeted her with a polite kiss on the cheek and a smile. Christian hugged his mother hello, but only greeted his father with a silent handshake.

They all then sat down just as a waitress came by to take their drink orders. They all asked for coffee, and the waitress said she could get a carafe for the table, which they all agreed to. She soon brought out a french press carafe and set it on the table along with two dishes of sugar packets and half-and-half cups.

"Thank you for inviting us out to breakfast this morning, you two," Grace said once the waitress left, and she poured herself a cup of coffee. "This place is lovely - I don't think I've ever been here before."

"It was Ana's idea, but I've conducted a few lunch meetings at this place before," Christian said as he accepted the carafe from Grace and poured a coffee for himself and Ana. "The food here is amazing, especially their sourdough bread."

The four of them continued to make small talk about what they were going to get to eat before the waitress came back to their table. They told her what they wanted, and she wrote down their orders before taking their menus from them and assuring them that their food would be out soon.

"…You're getting lobster eggs benedict? Really?" Christian asked Ana as soon as the waitress left. "Don't you think that's a bit pricey for a breakfast dish?"

"Who cares? I feel like treating myself today," Ana said innocently, smirking right back at him. Christian shook his head.

"What's wrong with Ana's meal?" Grace asked curiously, glancing between the two of them.

"It's nothing. It's just that when I told Christian I wanted to go out for breakfast today, I insisted on paying for everyone," Ana explained. "I may not make as much as Christian, but I know I can afford to take my boyfriend and his parents out for a nice meal. I feel like it's the least I could do to thank you for accepting me and Ted into your home."

Grace and Carrick didn't say anything for a moment, but then Carrick shifted slightly in his seat, looking uncomfortable. Grace gave him a look.

"Carrick…" she said warningly to her husband. She had obviously heard all about what he had said to Christian yesterday.

Carrick cleared his throat. "I suppose this is the elephant in the room…" he said before looking directly at Ana. "Ana, as I'm sure you know, I had a private word with Christian yesterday about you, and I raised concerns that you wanted to be with him only for his money. It was completely out of line, especially since you and your son were right outside and you guys were meeting us for the first time that day. It was wrong of me, and I truly apologize. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's okay, Carrick. I understand you were just being protective of your son," Ana said to him with a kind smile. "If it means anything, though, I promise you that I would never be with Christian - or any guy, for that matter - just for his money. I was raised by my dad Ray, who practically made it his life's goal to ensure I would grow up to be a strong, independent woman who knew how to take care of myself. He and I run a carpentry shop together, and we do well for ourselves - we keep food on the table for us and Ted, at least, and we're proud of where we come from."

Carrick smiled. "That's great, Ana. Your dad sounds like an amazing man."

"He really is," Christian agreed, and Ana smiled at him. "He raised one hell of a daughter."

Grace and Carrick both laughed as Ana blushed. At that moment, however, Grace gazed at something behind Christian's shoulder with a look of surprise on her face. "Is that Elliot?"

The others turned to look, and to their surprise they saw Elliot enter the cafe with a beautiful blonde woman who looked strangely familiar.

"Oh my God. Is that…?" Ana said, her eyes wide.

"Kate Kavanagh," Christian said, his eyebrows raised in shock.

"Who?" Carrick asked, frowning.

"She's a newscaster for Seattle KOMO news," Ana explained. "She interviewed Christian a couple weeks ago about the reconstruction efforts in Easton."

"I didn't realize Elliot was dating her," Christian said, sounding almost amused. A hostess began to lead Elliot and Kate through the restaurant.

"…Oh my God," Kate suddenly noticed Christian and the others sitting about ten yards away, and she stopped in her tracks, grasping Elliot's arm. "Ellie, isn't that your brother?"

Elliot glanced over and immediately froze upon seeing most of his family seeing him in a restaurant with a girl - a girl he had clearly slept with the night before and was taking out to breakfast this morning. Kate seemed unaware of Elliot's embarrassment as she immediately made her way over to Christian and the others.

"Why hello there, stranger," Kate grinned brightly down at Christian. She was wearing a low-cut black tank top with lace trimming, dark blue skinny jeans, and round-toe black pumps. She looked very casual and chic, yet her soft blonde curls and smokey eye makeup made it clear she put a lot of effort into her appearance.

"Good morning Kate - Elliot," Christian greeted the two of them. Elliot look embarrassed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Uh… 'morning guys," he said with a half-smirk. "I uh… I didn't realize you were going to be here this morning."

"Yeah, what a weird coincidence," Ana said, trying to bite back a smile. This whole situation was clearly embarrassing for Elliot, but it was also pretty funny for everyone else. Ana and Christian exchanged an amused glance.

"Come on Ellie, let's not be rude," Kate insisted before grabbing a chair from a nearby empty table and sitting down adjacent to Christian. "We can all sit together and chat! Won't that be fun?"

Elliot's eyes widened as the others glanced at each other. "Um… maybe we should get our own table, Kate. I mean, we don't want to bother them."

"And we already ordered our food," Ana pointed out, and the others nodded.

"Well we can just order our food along with yours," Kate insisted before waving her hand at a passing waitress. "Excuse me? I'd like a mimosa and the french crepes with low-fat creme fraiche, please."

"Of course, ma'am. Um…" the waitress looked confused as she glanced between Kate and the others at the table.

"She and I are separate from them," Elliot explained to her, sounding almost resigned as he took a chair from an empty table. "Could I get the Greek skillet please?"

"Of course, sir."

The waitress walked away as Elliot sat at the table directly across from Kate, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else than right here.

"So…" Grace broke the awkward silence, glancing between the two. "How long have you guys been dating?"

"Since last Thursday," Kate said, a sweet, simpery smile directed at Elliot across from her. "Ellie and I initially met in Easton when I interviewed Christian for my news report, but we didn't see or talk to each other again till I ran into him at a bar a few days ago. We've been inseparable ever since."

Elliot glanced down at the table, scratching the back of his head and looking intensely embarrassed. It was obvious to everyone except Kate that Elliot only wanted her to be a casual hook-up, but things had gotten way out of hand. It would have almost been funny if Elliot didn't look so miserable.

"So you're a news reporter?" Carrick asked Kate curiously.

"Yes, I am," Kate smiled brightly. "For KOMO Seattle News. You may have seen my face on a couple billboards around the city."

Kate continued to talk about herself for several minutes afterward, speaking about her career and the work she loved to do; she spoke with clear, trained confidence brought on by years of being a news reporter. The others were all silent as she talked, but they each couldn't help but exchange glances with each other, trying to subtly convey their bewilderment that someone could be so self-centered and obnoxious.

"…You know, I've already said it, but I have to say it again," Kate suddenly smiled at Christian sitting beside her, and she placed a hand over her heart. "What you did for that little town of Easton was truly inspirational."

"It really was," Ana said, smiling at Christian too, and he looked over at her with a genuine smile.

"Oh, did you see my news report too?" Kate asked Ana politely.

"Um… no, I live in Easton," Ana said, frowning slightly at her. "You and I met at the construction site there. Remember?"

Kate looked confused for a second before realization dawned on her face. "Oh, that's right! You were wearing a gray t-shirt. I thought you were one of the construction workers or something."

Ana didn't say anything, though she exchanged a mildly annoyed glance with Christian. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Grace and Carrick do the same thing with each other.

"Wait. So you two…?" Kate gazed between Christian and Ana. "You guys are together?"

"Yes, we are," Christian nodded.

"I had already told you that my brother's girlfriend and her son were visiting for the weekend, Kate," Elliot said, clearly trying to hide his annoyance.

"Oh my God, that was you?" Kate stared at Ana, her eyes wide with shock. "And you have a son?"

"I do," Ana said simply.

"Holy shit, your body looks amazing!" Kate insisted, her eyes roving Ana's features. "Seriously, I would've thought after having a kid, your body would get all bloated and misshapen, but you are seriously hot. How do you do it?"

Ana blinked, clearly shocked by that rude question - fortunately, she was saved from having to answer it by their food arriving. With her lobster eggs benedict in front of her, Ana began digging in, hoping she could avoid talking to Kate. However, the woman in question was relentless:

"You know, I do Pilates," Kate said to Ana, cutting into her crepes before taking a bite. "But I also heard yoga can help women shed those extra pregnancy pounds. Do you do yoga, Ana?"

"No," Ana replied.

"Well then what's your secret?" Kate insisted, and Ana finally let out a sigh.

"Ted's not my biological son," she said simply. "I adopted him after his mother died."

Carrick and Grace looked shocked at this revelation. "Wow, Ana - really?" Carrick asked, gazing at her.

"Oh my God, I knew it," Kate spoke up before Ana could. "I knew a girl's body couldn't look that good after pregnancy. Adoption is definitely the way to go if you want kids, but that's just my opinion."

Everyone at the table was now scowling at Kate, her insensitivity and obliviousness having gone too far. This was clearly a sensitive subject, and she just bulldozed over it with her uninformed opinion. Elliot looked as if he wanted to escape by melting into the floor, but instead he just gazed down at his plate of food and began to eat, determinedly not looking at anyone else. The others ate their food too as Kate continued to blather on, completely oblivious to how annoying she was being, and nobody had the heart to stop her.

After what felt like an age, they had all finally finished their food and the checks came. True to her word, Ana footed the bill for herself, Christian, Carrick and Grace, and Elliot threw a fifty on the table for himself and Kate.

"Kate, I think we should probably head out now," Elliot said, getting to his feet and looking more than ready to get out of this place. "Come on."

"Alright," Kate said brightly as she got to her feet. "It was so nice meeting all of you today! I really hope we get to do it again sometime."

The others mumbled their agreement before waving goodbye to her and Elliot. Ana noticed that none of them had stood up out of politeness when they left.

"Ana, I know I already said this to you, but I think it bears repeating," Carrick said as soon as Kate and Elliot were out of the restaurant. Ana and Christian both looked at him. "I completely take back everything I had said about you yesterday. You're an amazing young woman, and compared to that... thing my other son has decided to associate himself with, you are an absolute angel. Christian, I beg of you - please hold onto this one."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh. "I will, Dad," he said, smiling over at Ana, and Ana smiled back.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, Christian and Ana continue to navigate their long-distance relationship.

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