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A/N: I'm running out of updates! I didn't wanna catch up on myself with this story but, being ill has killed me! Anyway, here's a chapter! Enjoy and thank you!

Beauty and the Beast – Chapter Thirty

Making it back to the room nearly four hours ago, Ana was still yet to take off the hoody she had hugged around her like a second skin. She was wearing a shield and all the time she was in it a part of her felt safe and secure and like no one could hurt her.

Since being back she found herself back in bed, covers over her, people surrounding her, drugs administered and Grace stressing how much Ana just needed to rest and recuperate. From the look on her face, Ana realised that Grace was apologetic over the way Ana had came back into the sanctum of her room. She'd even had a brief session with Flynn where he had stressed the same apology.

Ana had felt a panic attack coming on the moment she felt her lungs seize up. It was in the moment of seeing just one person point at her that she felt like the entire population was doing the same thing. She wanted nothing more than for the floor to swallow her whole and devour her into its haven but it never happened. Instead what she got was Christian helping her back inside, his hand rubbing her back to soothe her and a hubbub of commotion around her.

Chaos had broken loose literally.

Since getting back to the room, Ana had found the chaotic atmosphere shatter and lose its power. This was the calmest she had felt. This was the most content she had been able to be since she was admitted. There was no fear at the moment and she wondered if that was the cocktail of drugs she was continually given. She just dread to think what she would be like once she was given the Prozac. It worried her to think she was going on medication and she knew the moment she started taking them she would truly believe she was a depressive.

Right now she couldn't believe it because right now, she was happy or at least to an extent she could say the feeling in her was happier.

"I want to know how you two met," Kate started to say, snapping Ana back to the reality in the room and she knew that getting Ana to talk was only going to happen in this window of her good mood. "I mean, your first meeting went appalling."

"Remember I upped and left?" Ana started, pointing the question more so at Kate and she saw her nod, "And you thought it was an actual fail?"

"Don't remind me," Kate groaned and remembered that night like it was yesterday. She had known Ana and Christian were perfect for one another, she hated that it ended how it had.

"I'll remind her," Christian jumped in with much chagrin, he leaned in and rubbed his jaw as his smirk grew, "This girl here," he reached up and took Ana's hand in his, "Was waiting for my just outside the bar."

Kate's jaw dropped.

"We went to another bar just up the road and I don't know," Ana shrugged, "We connected. I saw him with Elliot and knew I wanted more. I just left because I felt I couldn't be enough seeing as he was fresh from a relationship. When I got outside I didn't want to let this moment pass."

"And I thank God every day she didn't," Christian spoke sincerely and rose her hand to his mouth.

"I didn't know you had the balls," Kate quipped impressed, nodding her head in approval at Ana. "I'm not saying I'm happy with how you kept it quiet for so long but, I can't stay angry when I can see how real this is for you two."

"I do love him," Ana admittedly in quiet tone and she felt her eyes water a little at the thought in her head. "The reason I left that night, Christian, was because I just wanted everyone to see this. I wanted them to see how happy you made and how happy I was about a future with you. When I heard you tell your mom that money was enough for you and that a woman wouldn't settle you I just felt like the walls were closing in. I had to get out."

"Hey," Christian calmed her rambling of woes and qualms and felt his own eyes water. "I know we got lost in that life and it didn't seem like I wanted to show you off, Ana. But I did, I so did. I was just trying to find the right time."

"You two got your wires so badly crossed it's unreal," Kate muttered unhappily, divulging their real problem. "Both of your seemed to lack communication right there on not coming out with the fact you're dating. If you'd just talked it out we wouldn't be at this point."

"Yeah we should have," Ana whispered back and looked at Christian's hand in hers. She could dwell on what had happened but, it wouldn't change the fact that she was disfigured.

Christian pushed some of his hair back out of his face, "Life would be so much simpler." He furrowed his brow as he imagined a life with just full publicity and he saw it for its real worth – simple. "God, I fucked up, baby."

"No," Ana told him, calming his heating tone. "No you didn't. We both did. We both agreed. We both believed that at the time our jobs would benefit better without the media getting wind of our relationship. Looking back, it's a really crap reason we did it for but, we did it and we have to live with it. Simple as." Ana tried to show her optimistic side but, finding it in the Pandora's box of her mind was a struggle. "We just need to get passed this."

"Do you think Kaitlyn would have done this? Like really," Kate asked, jumping the gun a little with her question but, she was waiting for the meddling bitch to appear again.

"Yes," Christian and Ana spoke in unison before Christian continued. "She had threatened Ana already. Threaten to destroy her before she could really take off. She threatened to get me sued for some absurd reason or another and she promised we would regret adding publicity to our belt.

"She might not have done this though if there was so much coverage," Kate tried to rationalise the situation. She wanted to find a loop hole somehow, somewhere.

"Actually, if I know Kaitlyn like I think I do then she would have done this whatever," Christian spoke up, his tone gaining edge as his anger began to ripple. "This was orchestrated and she spent months planning it to make sure she had every base cover. I know it."

"That girl was always a nutcase," Elliot grumbled remembering too many bad memories about Kaitlyn Brown.

"Exactly," Christian agreed with his brother. "She would have loved the publicity that came with her doing anything to us."

"She's going to get the same publicity now though," Kate tried to rationalise how Kaitlyn's mind worked but, apparently trying to think like a psycho wasn't as easy as she had first thought.

"But not on her say so," Christian protested back and couldn't help but feel like his voice was just a constant moan whenever Kaitlyn was so much as thought of. "She did this for a reason. She did this for effect. She did this to get caught on her terms."

"No, that's not it. Nothing will not going to work. She's got her alibi," Ana's voice suddenly penetrated the air. "She isn't going to get caught and that isn't something I can live with."

"I will get her put away, Ana," Christian spoke with such certainty it burnt through to his soul. "She might think she is the lucky one that got away with it but, she hasn't fully prepared for what measures I will go to."

"I just want to be safe," Ana breathed, hoping he heard her desperation. "That's all."

"I will make you safe," Christian vowed solemnly. "Mark my word."

Carla cleared her throat after watching Ana's serene body language slowly tense up, "I think it's best we move this conversation onwards. I think Ana's had enough stress today. It's time we just talk about something less nerve-racking."

"Carla's right," Christian breathed a massive sigh of relief at being able to just drop the Kaitlyn problem. He had his own men at work and until he was informed differently, he's top and main priority was Ana.

"I got something we can discuss," Kate blurted out and narrowed her gaze onto Ana and Christian again. "I've been thinking about if there were any indicators to you two dating."

"And have you thought of any?" Christian asked, his tone daring her, challenging her with a fury.

"Oh yeah," Kate gloated and flexed in her chair, settling back in a casual poised position. Escept her words weren't at Christian after his taunting dare but, at Ana. "When you went away," Kate began to piece it together, "You said you were going to Australia."

"I did but with Christian. We went travelling," Ana grinned and remembered how perfect those three weeks were just living simplistically and not having to worry about getting caught.

Elliot had to laugh, "Bro, you are a dark horse aren't you?"

"Believe me, it was the best three week lie of my life," Christian grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Business trip my ass. I was celebrating my first anniversary with the girl I loved in Australia and just letting loose."

Ana choked on a quick fit of laugher at the thought. She was pretty sure that Christian's idea of letting loose wasn't what she wanted her mother and father to know. She settled promptly and found that her little moments of ease and normalcy were quickly shrouded with darkness but, she couldn't let go of the memories that kept her sane right now.

"Oh yeah, we had fun," Christian grinned even harder and then allowed his curiosity to bubble. "So, I'm curious," Christian piped up suddenly. Attention turned onto him and he looked between Ana and her mother before settling back onto Ana. "You told your mother?"

Ana blushed, gave an impish smile, "It just fell out." She was tiring now and she was trying to hide it. "It just literally fell out."

"Oh it really did," Carla laughed remembering the night. "She even told me how she wasn't supposed to be telling anyone."

Christian chuckled at the thought knowing how much of a blabber mouth Ana could become when she got started. "So all the time I was keeping quiet you were actually blabbing it around?" Ana nodded at him, a small grin playing on her lips, "I'm glad she told you, Carla, and I hope you understand exactly what Ana means to me. What I feel for her isn't just a reaction to this but, a reaction to my first meeting Ana. That first day I knew she was going to be trouble but, I didn't realise it was going to be something I loved and cherished every day. She made it into my heart in such a way it seemed easy to her and she taught me to love, like truly love. I will forever be grateful for her just for that."

Ana put her hand to her mouth and tried her hardest to just hide her yawn but, she was failing when everyone began looking at her. She felt rude for interrupting but, she was finding it increasingly difficult to just concentrate on the budding conversation around the room.

"You tired, baby?" Christian asked as he caught her trying to hide her notion of exhaustion

"Yeah but, carry on," she told them and smiled. Just because she was tired didn't mean that all conversation needed stall altogether. She liked hearing Christian's voice as she slept. His voice was like her own sweet lullaby.

"What were you saying?" Kate asked, her interest peaking.

"I was saying that the fifteen months I've been in a relationship with Ana have been the best of life. I want a lifetime like them," he smiled as he spoke that line. He looked at her as she began dose, trying hard to keep her eyes open, "I can't think of a better life."

Ana closed her eyes a smile curving onto her lips at his words and let conversation carrying on around her, however long the journey she was never going to doubt how much people wanted to be here with her.