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

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 29: Another Life

Silken sheets slid along Ana's naked skin as she slowly roused awake, seeing the sun shine through the east-facing window of the hotel room. After a moment, she registered a man's arm wrapped around her and holding her tightly to his warm chest, and she couldn't help but smile to herself - memories of last night came back to her in full force, reminded by the delightful ache between her legs. Christian had fucked her hard and fast against the door before taking her to the bed and making sweet, slow, tender love to her all night. She must have only been asleep for only a couple hours since it looked like the sun was just starting to peek up over the horizon.

"…Mm, good morning baby," Christian muttered sleepily from behind her, tightening his arm around her waist. He leaned down and began peppering kisses along her bare shoulder and up her neck.

"'Morning," Ana murmured back, smiling at the sensations he was producing on her skin. She glanced around at the beautiful, opulent hotel room that she didn't get a good look at last night when she and Christian were all over each other. The light, cream-colored walls of the bedroom were accented by dark bookshelves and colorful abstract art hanging on the walls; the silk sheets she and Christian slept under were a dark gray color, and Ana wished she could simply melt into all this luxury.

"You like this, baby?" Christian muttered against the skin of Ana's shoulder, and she hummed.

"We should really get up," she said reluctantly, though she leaned into Christian's embrace as she spoke. He chuckled against her.

"Baby, we can stay in bed for as long as we want to," he said, skimming his hand along her naked waist. "Considering you surprised me by coming to the gala last night, there really isn't anything else I'd rather do today than get lost in your amazing, beautiful body."

"But don't you have to go down to New Jersey today?"

Christian didn't say anything for a moment or two. "Hold on a minute," he said before hopping out of bed and grabbing his phone. He quickly slipped on his boxers before making his way into the other room, typing something on his phone.

Ana, yawning widely, sat up in bed and looked around for her bra and panties, which somehow got tossed across the room in her and Christian's haste to get into bed last night. She got out of bed and slipped them on before picking up Christian's discarded shirt from last night and slipping it on, buttoning it up so it just barely covered her cleavage.

"…Alright," Christian reentered the bedroom, still texting something on his phone. "My trip to New Jersey has been cancelled and I have the whole day free now."

"What?" Ana's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Christian. "Are you serious? Why would you cancel your trip to New Jersey?"

"Because I want to be here with you," Christian said, tossing his phone onto the bed before walking over and wrapping his arms around Ana's waist, smiling at her. "The New Jersey trip wasn't a necessity - I was just going to visit them at their new offices since I was already on the East Coast. I can teleconference in once I get back to Seattle, but I want to spend today with my amazing, beautiful girlfriend right here in the city of New York."

"Christian, I never want to get in the way of you doing your job," Ana said, grimacing worriedly as she placed her hands on his biceps. "If you need to go to New Jersey, I'd completely understand…"

"Don't worry about it," Christian said gently, leaning down and pecking her on the lips. "I'm the boss of my own company, and if I decide to cancel a trip so I can spend time with someone I love, I can. Would you rather I leave you here all by yourself?"

Ana couldn't help but smile lovingly up at him. "No, but I was prepared to take a plane ride with Luke back home later today once you left for New Jersey."

"How about this - you and I spend the day sightseeing around New York today, and then later this afternoon we'll take the GEH private jet back to Seattle. We'll then spend the night in the city before heading back to Easton."

"Really?" Ana asked, her eyes lighting up. She honestly really liked that idea. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"Mind? Baby, I'd rather be doing this a thousand times more than I would having to go to work," Christian grinned, and Ana couldn't help but giggle. "We're going to have a great time today. First things first though, we should go eat some breakfast."

"Good idea. I'm starving," Ana said, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.

Christian smiled. "Would you prefer to order room service or go out somewhere?"

"Go out somewhere, I think. I want to start exploring the city - is there anywhere you'd recommend?"

"There are a few places I frequent whenever I stay here," Christian smiled. "Come on, let's go get dressed and I'll take you to one."

Ana smiled before leaning up and pecking him on the lips, and Christian grinned before slapping her on her bare ass. She squeaked, jumping away from him.

"Why don't you get that sexy butt into the shower right now?" he growled, reaching for her waist and kissing her one more time.

"Only if you join me," Ana giggled. The next moment, Christian was chasing her into the bathroom, both of them laughing as they went.

After they showered and changed, Christian ended up taking Ana to Tom's Restaurant on the corner of 112th and Broadway, a cute coffee shop and diner that Ana recognized from the show Seinfeld. They both ordered a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hashbrowns, and coffee - Christian teased Ana the whole meal for not ordering lobster eggs benedict again, and Ana couldn't help but laugh at herself for ordering such a ridiculously pricey meal.

Once they finished breakfast, Ana and Christian stepped outside onto the sidewalk when Ana suddenly got a Facetime call from her dad. She was excited to hear from him and Ted after a long day of not talking to them, and she and Christian both stood together and waved at a grinning Ted through the phone once she answered.

"Hi Mommy! Hi Cwistan!" Ted said happily through the phone screen, waving.

"Hi sweetheart!" Ana said, smiling brightly at her son. "Mommy misses you so much!"

"We miss you too, darling," Ray appeared on the screen next to Ted, grinning. "Hi Christian."

"Hi Ray," Christian grinned. "Good to see you two."

"Annie's surprise to visit you was a success I take it?"

Ana and Christian both laughed, glancing at each other with loving smiles. "It definitely was," Christian agreed.

Ana and Ray spoke with each other for a few minutes, with several interjections from Ted along the way, and after Ana reassured Ray she would be back in Easton by tomorrow did they finally hang up. Christian couldn't help but notice the small tremor in Ana's voice as she said goodbye.

"You okay, baby?" Christian asked as Ana tucked her phone back into her jeans pocket. He placed a comforting hand on the small of her back.

"Yeah, I'm fine - I just miss Ted, that's all," Ana shrugged dismissively. Christian said nothing as he pulled Ana closer to his side, and they began to walk together down Broadway toward the riverside.

"If you want to head back early, I completely understand," Christian said, and Ana looked up at him with a reassuring smile.

"No, it's fine. I just want to enjoy my day here in the city with you. It's not everyday a girl gets to go walking around New York with a gorgeous man on her arm."

"Oh, so I'm just arm candy, am I?" Christian asked teasingly.

"Yes. I'm glad we established that at this point in our relationship," Ana grinned, hooking her arm through his, and Christian chuckled.

"If you say so, Ms. Steele."

~/~

Since they only had a few hours to spend together before they had to head back, Christian and Ana decided to just walk around the city for a bit, taking pictures of the beautiful buildings around them and taking selfies while smiling at the camera with their arms around each other. They walked along the Hudson River toward the Upper West Side, past Hell's Kitchen before making it all the way to the Empire State Building at around noon. It was there when Christian finally called up Taylor to come pick them up with their luggage and take them to JFK since the GEH jet was going to be leaving around one o'clock.

Ana had never been on Christian's private jet before, and she couldn't help but gape in shock and awe as she gazed around at the plane's interior.

"Christian, your plane is amazing," she said, staring at the soft, cream-colored walls, dark wooden accents, and high-end leather furniture. "I almost wish I didn't have to fly commercial."

"With me, baby, you'll never have to fly commercial again," Christian grinned, as she giggled as they took their seats in the tan leather armchairs near the front of the plane. "There's actually a bedroom in the back for longer international flights… but it doesn't necessarily have to be used for sleeping."

"Good, because I'm not tired," Ana grinned, reaching over to skim her hand along his arm. Christian growled before leaning over and kissing her, nipping her lower lip.

Natalia, the flight attendant, now approached them and Christian and Ana pulled away from each other. She asked if there was anything she could get them to drink before they took off, and Christian asked for two glasses of sparkling water. She walked away, and Ana couldn't help but notice the flat, hard expression on her face as she spoke to Ana in particular; Ana made sure to take Christian's hand in her own and lace her fingers with his so Natalia saw.

Once they had their drinks and their seatbelts were on, the plane finally took off. Ana gazed out the window at the world shrinking beneath them, feeling the knot in her stomach lessen the higher up they went.

"Everything alright baby?" Christian asked, squeezing her hand. Ana grimaced at him.

"I'm fine. I'm just a bit of a nervous flyer, that's all - I don't know how you do it all the time."

"It gets easier," Christian assured her. "I used to fly about once a week for work, but I've tried to cut down my travel time since I met you and Ted. This weeks-long trip I took was kind of a result of me putting it off for so long."

"Aww, how sweet of you," Ana smirked at him, and Christian chuckled. "But I didn't realize you were putting off so much work just to be with me and Ted. I never want us to get in the way of your job, Christian."

"Please don't worry about it," Christian said earnestly, squeezing her hand gently. "I used to work my ass off because I had no reason not to. And now that I met you and Ted, I have two wonderful reasons to give myself a break once in awhile."

Ana gazed into Christian's eyes for a moment before leaning over and kissing him on the lips. Christian brought his hand up to cup her face, brushing his thumb along her cheek as he kissed her back.

"I am so glad you came to New York, Ana," Christian whispered after a moment, pulling back slightly so he could look at her. Ana could see the love and devotion in his eyes. "You are the best girlfriend a guy could ever ask for, and I am so lucky to have you."

Ana didn't get a chance to say anything before Christian was kissing her again, his passion and love for her evident, and Ana could do little more than kiss him back with equal fervor.

A ding filled the cabin, and the seatbelt light blinked off, indicating it was safe to stand up. Pulling away from each other, Christian and Ana quickly undid their seatbelts before getting to their feet. In one swift motion, Christian had scooped Ana up in his arms bridal style before walking toward the back into the bedroom, Ana giggling as they went.

About four hours later, the GEH jet landed at SeaTac airport. Ana had never traveled this far across time zones before, so the fact that it was still early midday here in Seattle was a bit disorienting. It was about two o'clock now, and Ana already felt hungry for dinner. So she and Christian, once they had loaded all their things off the plane and into the car, decided to head out to the Mile High Club for an early meal before they went back to Escala.

"Hey baby, I was hoping after dinner you and I could stop somewhere before going back to Escala," Christian said as he navigated the streets of Seattle. Taylor was initially going to drive them, but Christian decided to give him the rest of the day off to spend with Gail, whom he hadn't seen in awhile.

"Sure, no problem," Ana said while gazing out the window at all the familiar buildings. "If you need to stop by GEH, I understand."

"It's not work-related," Christian said as he pulled into the parking lot of the Mile High Club. "I want to show you something - it's a surprise."

"Then let's go right now," Ana insisted with a grin. "Dinner can wait - I want to see the surprise."

"Not a chance, Ms. Steele. You said you were hungry, and I intend to feed you," Christian smiled at her, parking the car in one of the reserved parking spaces. "Come on - dinner first, then I'll take you to the surprise."

Dinner at the Mile High ended up being very enjoyable since it was so early in the day and hardly anyone was there, meaning Christian and Ana got to eat in relative privacy. Christian had gone and ordered their dinner ahead of time - baked cod with lemon and rosemary on a bed of brown rice and fried asparagus. The chef came out and personally gave them their food, and it tasted delicious; Ana couldn't help but notice that Christian, while engaging throughout their meal, also seemed a bit nervous. It made her wonder what he wanted to show her after their dinner was over.

Finally, their dinner and dessert was finished, they got back into the car and began driving toward their destination. "Are you finally going to tell me where we're going?" Ana asked, gazing out the window in avid interest.

Christian didn't say anything for a moment or two, and Ana saw him running his hands nervously along the steering wheel as he drove. "Well… to be honest, I'd been thinking a lot about our conversation when you and Ted visited me here in Seattle."

"You mean when we had a fight?" Ana asked, feeling a bit worried as to where this was going.

"Sort of," Christian said, glancing over at her. "I understand where you were coming from when you said you didn't want me making decisions for you and Ted, but I also hope that you would still consider the idea of you and Ted moving here to Seattle someday."

"Of course, Christian," Ana said reassuringly. "I do appreciate you giving me time to think about this. However, I feel like we're at a point in our relationship now where we can talk about the possibility of me and Ted coming to live with you here in the city soon."

"Really?" Christian asked, looking surprised as he glanced at Ana again.

"Yes really," Ana smiled, reaching over to take Christian's hand in her own. "I love you Christian, and if these past few weeks have taught me anything, it's that I hate it when you're away from me. I want to be the one that you come home to after work and after business trips… Easton may have always been my and Ted's home, but now I'm starting to feel like our home is wherever you are."

"Baby," Christian said, sounding touched. He brought Ana's hand up and kissed her knuckles sweetly. "I feel exactly the same way. I don't ever want to be far away from you and Ted again - even if I were away on a business trip, I would sleep so much easier knowing that you two would be home when I got back."

"So is this what my surprise is about?"

Christian hesitated as he pulled the car into a side street that looked a bit more residential. "Well... yeah, basically. I remembered that you felt uncomfortable with the idea of you and Ted staying in Escala, so I've been exploring some other options…"

Ana could only stare in shock as Christian pulled into a long, winding driveway leading up to a magnificent Victorian-style home with a realtor sign at the front of the lawn. The house had beautiful dark blue paneling and brown stone walls that made it look both rustic and beautiful.

"You bought a house?" Ana asked in disbelief.

"Not yet," Christian said as he parked the car. "I would never buy something so big without consulting you first - I've just been talking to a realtor and exploring some options of what you, Ted, and I can do for living arrangements someday in the near future. When I found out this house was on the market, I just knew that this could be the one for us. I wanted to show it to you before we made a final decision together."

Ana didn't say anything as she simply gazed at the house. So many emotions were running through her body, and her mind seemed to be in a million places at once. "Christian, I… I can't believe it," she said after a moment, flabbergasted. "You really found us a house?"

"We'll look into buying it only if you want to," Christian said reassuringly. "This is in a really great neighborhood, and there's a school and playground nearby for Ted. If you're still on the fence on whether or not you want to move to Seattle, then we don't have to look at it, but I hope you'll at least give it a chance."

"Christian, this is amazing!" Ana said, turning to smile at him. "I love it! Can we take a look inside?"

"Yeah, of course," Christian said, looking surprised and pleased by her approval. "There's no open house, but I have a spare key from the realtor."

They both exited the car and made their way to the front door, and Christian unlocked it. They both walked inside into an empty house devoid of furniture - but even without furniture, it was a beautiful, open-concept living room dominated by a grand sweeping staircase leading up to a gorgeous second-floor balcony. The floors were a dark hardwood, and the walls a gorgeous forest-green color with cream paneling. The kitchen to their right matched in austerity with stone tiles, real granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances.

"Christian, it's…" Ana shook her head, gazing around the area in awe. "It's absolutely perfect. I love it."

"Really?" Christian smiled. "I loved it too the moment I first stepped inside."

"It's incredible. How much is all of this going to cost?" Ana asked, walking forward as she continued to gaze at her surroundings.

"Don't worry about the mortgage. I can pay for it," Christian said dismissively, but Ana shot him a look.

"If we're going to do this together, Christian, then I want to contribute," she said firmly. "I may not make as much as you, but I do have my own savings, you know."

"Alright, fine," Christian couldn't help but smile. "We'll figure something out. Maybe a joint bank account?"

"Now there's an idea," Ana grinned, and Christian chuckled as he took Ana's hand in his own.

"C'mere - let me show you the backyard," he said before pulling her toward the patio door which led out to a raised deck overlooking a meadow. Beautiful lush grass and trees led out to the shore of Lake Washington in the distance, about half a mile away. It was pristine.

"Wow Christian," Ana sighed, gazing around at the natural beauty around them. "This is spectacular. And look -" she pointed in the distance, where mountains were visible along the horizon. "The Cascade Mountains. I feel at home already."

"I'm at home wherever you are, baby," Christian said, squeezing her hand gently. Ana looked at him with a loving smile on her face. "And with Ted, of course."

"Of course," Ana giggled, turning to gaze around the meadow again. "I think he's really going to like it here."

"So is that a yes?" Christian asked, sounding hopeful. "You think we should make an offer on this place?"

"Yes," Ana grinned widely at him. "Christian, this place is amazing, and I completely trust you when you say this was the best place you found for us. I'm ready for the three of us to make the commitment of living together here in Seattle. I know that it took me some time to get to this place, but I love you with all my heart and I am ready for Ted and I to move on to this next chapter in our lives."

Christian didn't say a word as he took Ana's face in his hands and kissed her fiercely on the lips. Ana grasped his lapels as she kissed him back, feeling all the love and happiness he was conveying with his lips. Her heart pounded loudly with love and excitement for what was to come.

Christian finally pulled away, still holding Ana's face in his hands as he gazed into her eyes, a powerful emotion filling his expression. "I want to marry you, Ana."

Ana didn't say anything for a moment, staring at him as if unsure of what he had just said. "What?"

"I said that I want to marry you," he said again, taking his hands away from her face and grasping her hands in his own, gazing earnestly into her eyes. "I want you to become my wife, and I want us and Ted to truly become a family. I understand that you and I have barely started this whole process of moving to Seattle to live together, but I don't care - never in my life have I been more sure of something than I am of you becoming my wife. I want to marry you, Anastasia Steele."

Ana felt her eyes fill with tears as emotion and love filled her heart. "Are you serious?"

Christian smiled before letting go of her hand and getting down on one knee before her, causing her to gasp. "I'm sorry, I originally had something more romantic planned," he said with an apologetic smile. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a velvet ring box before opening it, and Ana covered her mouth with her hand. "Ana Steele, will you marry me?"

It wasn't even a question in her mind. "Yes," she said, an emotional sob escaping her lips. This whole thing felt like an amazing dream - she couldn't believe this was all happening. Christian had actually just proposed to her!

Christian's eyes were glassy with emotion as he got back to his feet, grinning widely as he took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto Ana's finger - a perfect fit.

"I love you so much," Ana cried before wrapping her arms around Christian's neck and kissing him fiercely. He immediately kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her up so her feet were off the ground.

A trip to New York, a new house, and now a brand new fiance… Ana couldn't imagine her life getting any better than this.

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did please review :)

I'm going to be wrapping up this story soon, in case you couldn't tell already. I'll likely write one more chapter before finishing up with an epilogue. Thank you all for sticking with this story till the very end! :)