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A/N: Double update again today =) Hopefully again tomorrow! =) Enjoy and thank you, thank you and thaaank you for the reviews, alerts and favourites. You guys are truly amazing and you empower me to plough on with this story and make it the best it can be =) SO thank you!

Beauty and the Beast – Chapter Twelve

It seemed like hours had lapsed. The three of them had spoken to one another during the time they had been there. They had learnt a lot about Ana and Christian's relationship and couldn't wait for Ana to explain a little more. They all agreed that until she was out of the ICU she would not be pressured into anything.

They knew enough – how Ana and Christian met, why they fell into a world of secrecy, Kaitlyn's gaining input in Ana ending up in the hospital bed before them. They also didn't blame him like Christian blamed himself. They claimed it could have happened to anyone but, Christian felt that without the lies they had woven and without the argument then Ana would have been at home right now with him.

All conversation just ceased as Ana groaned a little, moaning at waking up. Everyone ceased up and everyone was quiet as Ana came to and opened her eyes to the same sight that had greeted her several times since her surgery. For a few moments no one spoke, Ana just tried to gather some bearings together. When she was a little bit more aware se could pick up Christian by her side, her parents here and she wondered if Grace was around or not. She seemed to be here in case something went wrong.

"You came back then," Ana murmured in an undertone as if trying to not attract too much attention. She didn't look anyone directly in the eyes, more or less looked down and away but, she didn't want them to leave. She needed them all and she if she didn't look at them then she could remain in denial that they were pitying her right now.

Christian looked to Carla and Ray, and he then looked back at Ana, never letting her hand go, "Of course we did, baby. This is where we need to be." He knew he would stick by his baby girl for as long as necessary and had even thought once or twice about finding someone in Seattle to stay so he could help Ana with everything. He knew that the outside world would not accept like him. They wouldn't accept her, love her. They would judge her and he wanted to be her dad, the man that fought the world for her.

"It isn't," she denied them being here a right excuse. She felt they had other places to be, other things to be doing than looking at what precious little Ana had become. "You don't need to be here," she began to push them away again. She was scared for them to leave, terrified for them to stay and the confusion she felt only riled her up.

"It's okay," Ray stepped in, knowing he was more scared of working her up again and making her need medical intervention all over again. He didn't know if his heart could take seeing that again. "We can go," he told his daughter and immediately Carla and Christian supportively agreed.

"We can come back when you're ready, Annie," Carla admitted a little roughly. She didn't want to leave at all. "We have no problem leaving.

Christian was the more hesitant one but, he accepted that for now he would have to back away to fight for her properly. "We can let you get some rest, Baby." He then kissed the crown of her head and began to leave with Ana's parents.

They really wanted to leave her and Ana's heart couldn't take it.

"I don't want you to leave," Ana croaked her whispered plea making them all stall. "Please don't leave me," she begged them softly, still half asleep but, the tear that crept from her eye and trailed down her cheek added fervour to her request. "Please don't leave me here alone," she began to cry full pelt, fat, heavy tears streamed her face. "I don't want to be here alone anymore."

As everyone came back, her mother taking one hand, Christian grabbing the other she just broke down and wanted nothing more than to leave this place. However thankful she was for Grace and her help, Ana wanted to just go home, fall into bed and beg this to be an awful nightmare.

And as all three of them took their spots again, Ana didn't say a lot, she just merely lay there staring. What was there to say right now that would break the thick tension? She didn't know, and she wasn't sure there was any reason to really try. She felt she owed them so sort of reassurance but, she couldn't build the words up to say it. However, there was something she needed to say before she bottled it. It was something that would only say once and never say again.

"I saw the detective arrive earlier," she began, "But, I didn't see her," Ana whispered dryly against her dry throat. She closed her eyes, "I was turning back around when something hit me. I didn't know it was a bottle until I was on the floor. All I did was look back at Escala and then turned back and that's when it happened."

"It was near Escala?" Christian asked in shock horror.

Ana just gave a short, slow nod. "By the alleyway by the boutique I always end up," Ana gulped as she remembered the moment. "I stopped to look back up at the apartment but, it hurt too much so I just turned to run home. Except this happened."

Christian's eyes watered. He had watched her walk about from the apartment complex before his anger had torn him away and he loathed himself away from the sight of her retreating figure. Had he just stood and watched, tortured himself for a moment longer he would have been able to get to her, help her and possible make it so she wasn't this critical.

"And I just remember what she said to me," Ana's lip began to tremble as she was cast back to that alleyway. Ever since that moment of her life all she had felt was darkness cloud the peripherals of her life. It was replying the dastardly deed on loop in her mind.

"What?" Christian asked with a greedy notion. He wanted to know and he wanted to be able to ring the detective and give him Ana's recount of what happened. He just hoped that would be enough. "What did she say?"

Ana closed her eyes, bit her lip with nerves and took in an inhale, "He won't want you now." She allowed the sobs to take her other now and the memories were more and more prevalent in her head. "How do I know she's not right?"

"She isn't!" Christian snapped his retort and felt his breathing hasten as he imagined what Ana was going through. He knew he was in this for the long run and the long run now involved a lengthy recovery for Ana but, he wasn't a saint with his temper. He easily sinned with his rage and on the turn of a dime he could snap wildly. He saw Ana looking at him with wide eyes and he closed his eyes, counted to three before opening them again. "She isn't right because I want you," Christian told her, pressing the truth upon Ana. "She doesn't know me. No one but, you knows me. I love you, Ana, and that is final."

"He really does love you, Annie," Ray spoke up, strengthening Christian's claim of the heart.

That was the final thing that Ana needed to break about - Acceptance. She had parents that didn't hold her big, dark, consuming secret against her, they understood it. She felt like she didn't deserve such a thing after she had lied for so long. "I'm sorry for lying," Ana admitted lowly and began to cry. "I wasn't going to continue it. I wanted you to meet him but, I couldn't do that without Christian's permission. I know I told you, mom, but I wanted you both to know and not like this!" She felt the familiarity of stress take over, "I didn't want to tell everyone this way. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen."

"We know," Carla said and sat on the bed, "We know that, God do we and your father understands. Don't you Ray?" Carla asked over her shoulder.

"Yes," Ray said and stood at the bottom of Ana's bed, steadying his stance by placing his hands to the end of her bed. "I know there's a lot to talk out still but, I don't care about that. Right now, my priority is you."

"See, baby, we're all here," He said and sat like Carla on the opposite, his hands wrapping around hers. "That's all we want to be is here for you."

Ana nodded and found a roughness on her hand. Looking down at her hand she was confronted that something that turned her stomach. "What did you do to your hand?" She asked as she saw the cast on it. "What did you do?" Panic took over her tone of voice in an instance. Multiple scenarios fled into her mind, burning her with each moving image.

"I punched a wall," he told her in vain. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pain in his heart and soul but, he'd endure it. He remembered the endorphins that ran rabid into his veins as he made the fist size hole but, once they had depleted he broke.

Christian realised that Ana was his hidden kryptonite. She kept him alive and strong and he loved every day but, something happen to her and he felt like death might as well be his best friend. The thought of spending any time without her broke him in ways no one else ever could. She picked him up and beat him down without him even realising it.

Underneath the cold exterior of Mr Hotshot-CEO, Christian Grey was a weak man. Ana was just his armour. Without her he was vulnerable and running scared.

"You punched a wall?" Ana asked weakly and imagined being there to see it. As she watched him give a coy smirk and laugh at how sarcastic she was being with her frailty she felt like everything was normal and she was just casually winding him up. She could believe that their relationship wasn't teetering on a dangerous edge for her to watch fall to its untimely death. Except as she smiled too, she felt her cheek burst with pain and tension in the bottom peripheral she saw the white bandage lift up. Her smile immediately dropped and diminished.

Was this what it would be like that? Would her cheek never feel the same? Would she ever feel the same? As the questions flourished to life in every membrane of her mind she just shut up and felt her eyes water. She looked to Christian, regardless of her parents being with them and searched his eyes with hers, "I just want you to hold like you always do. Like you did before that argument, Christian."

There were no arguments. Christian didn't even seek acceptance from Ana's parents. She wanted him and she would have him. Christian climbed onto the bed. He took Ana into his arms and allowed Ana to tell him how close and tight he could hold her. He didn't want to hurt her but, she needed his physical contact as much as he needed hers.

As he held her, he felt her break down but, nowhere near as severe as she had earlier. It was more a cathartic release she was feeling right now. She was giving into her pain and worries knowing that Christian was here for her and would let her go. However, he was becoming too aware of the repercussions to his actions. He might not have attacked her but, he was one of the reasons she had left that night.

He knew sorry wasn't going to suffice anymore.