Sorry it's been a little while.
Flynn's POV:
On Saturday, Christian called to schedule anappointment for Anastasia and him. They definitely need counselling, but I am concerned about how this session is going to be. They're both such hot headed people, but they do truly love each other. I greet them in the waiting room and Ana seems more tense than usual. They say there 'hello's before following me into my office. I take a seat in my buster leather chair. Christian and Ana sit on the leather couch. When I see them together, they are always so close, but right now another person could sit in the space between them comfortably.
"So, why did you want to see me today?" I ask. This is the way I always start joint sessions. It's interesting to hear what each person thinks they need help with.
"Well, Anastasia and I think we need to talk some things through."
"I think you both are right" I say.
"We both wanted to come after the kidnapping. Christian thinks it's his fault." Ana says to clear the air a little.
"It is my fault. If I had never had a relationship with Elena, she wouldn't have done this. Also, if I wasn't a stupid prick, I wouldn't have broken up with you." Ana places her hand over Christian's.
"Let's talk about this rationally, Christian. Jack would still have made a pass at Ana and got mad at her rejection."
"Not to mention if Elena didn't do what she did, we probably never would have met, Christian." Ana adds.
"I guess it not... The fact that it's my fault—it's the fact I couldn't protect her."
"Do you think Anastasia need to be protected? I remember you telling me that she once kicked your ass. The bottom line is that this happened and no one can be blamed except for the people who committed the crime."
"You're right. I have been coming to terms with that since we found her. She just means so much to me and the thought of anything bad happening to her kills me. I died a thousand deaths when she was kidnapped." Christian says and I'm shocked. In the years I've worked with Christian, he has never told me I'm right.
"I'm not going to leave this, but it's not something you two need to talk about together. Before we get to what's bother you two, how have things been,Ana?"
"I'm still a little jumpy but other than that, things are good. Christian has helped me a lot."
"I'm glad to hear you're doing better. I want to talk about why you two are so distant right now." I say and Christian looks over at Ana with a worried expression.
"Well, Christian invited my mother to come visit without talking to me about it." Is she fucking serious? What the fuck was he thinking? I just stare at Christian.
"Okay, why did you do that, Christian?"
"Well, I asked Anastasia why she wouldn't marry me and she made this list. I haven't met her mother, we haven't gone to therapy, I haven't asked her father, we haven't talked about kids and how we'd raise them, or lived together long enough to see if it can work. So I called her mother to cross one of the thing off of the list." This is news to me. Christian talking about marriage? How did he just say that so nonchalant? The man who has been dependent on Dom/Sub relationships for the past thirteen years wants to get married.
"Alright, Anastasia, why did this bother you so much?" I know why, but Christian doesn't.
"He didn't talk to me about inviting her. We just had a conversation about him wanting to marry me and he doesn't even treat me like an equal." Anastasia's voice is sad.
"I think you're being more than fair, Ana." I say reassuring her.
"Anastasia, I'm sorry. I have such a good relationship with my mother it didn't cross my mind to ask."
"I forgive you, Christian, but from now on, you have to talk to me about decisions like this."
"I think that's more than fair." Christian says.
"Is there anything else bothering the two of you?"
"No." They both say in unison.
"Well, there's something I want to say. There is no reason you two needed to come here and talk about this. I think what you guys need to do is practice communication." I give them an assignment to talk about their day every night before bed and they walk out of my office hand in hand. Christian is a changed man thanks to Ana. It's absolutely amazing. I'm so proud of them both.
Anastasia's POV:
Well today's the day, Carla is arriving— riding on Christian's private plane. Of course he has a private plane. I decided not to go with Sawyer to collect her from the airport. The more time I have before I see her, the better. I warned Sawyer before he left that she can be rude sometimes—well most of the time. I call Taylor, Gail, and Christian to the kitchen.
"Is everything alright?" Christian says. No everything's not okay because you invited my mother here. It's only two days I recite over and over.
"I just want to give all of you a heads up. Gail, my mother may act like she owns the place and I would like to apologize in advance for her behaviour. Taylor, if she makes a pass at you, well, I'm sorry. Christian, if she says anything about your money, I want you to know I love you for who you are—not because of your money." They all laugh, but they will see soon enough.
"Anastasia, I know where your heart is at." Christian says and kisses the top of my forehead.
Christian and I both turn our heads when we hear "Angel's mother is coming up." through Taylor's walkie-talkie.
"My nickname is Angel?" I say to Christian.
"Don't look at me! I didn't even know they had nicknames." I stare at him to see if he's telling the truth.
"Sorry – it's just you saved Christian. You are an extraordinary person – one of a kind." Taylor stutters and I run over and hug him.
"You're the best, Taylor." It takes a second are two before he hugs me back. "Your father would be proud and I know Ray is." A single tear falls down my face then my mother walks in the room.
"Ana."
"Hello, Carla." she gives me a hug and Sawyer walks in.
"So where's Christian?" Nice to see you too.
"Mom, this is Christian Grey. Christian, this is my mother." She totally ignores his extended hand and goes in for a hug – Oh shit.
Christian looks like he's about to burst his jaw is clenched and whole body has gone stiff. There is no doubt that Christian has grown as a person since we've met and we've tackled many obstacles together, but touch from a stranger is still definitely a hard limit.
"Carla, Christian has a thing about touch." She pulls away and laughs.
"That must be difficult." Eye roll!
"I can touch him, but not strangers. He hugged his mother for the first time last week and that was huge. You have to understand Christian had a rough start to life." I say, rather annoyed. I want to give her as much information as I can without telling her everything.
"Well, look where it's got him! He's a millionaire that lives in a palace in the sky."
"Let's sit." Christian says. He's rather good at changing the subject.
We walk over to the couch and Carla hammers Christian with questions which are mostly about his money. I swear, if she could, she would take him for herself. I am sitting here while my mother flirts with my boyfriend. Could this be any more disturbing? Christian's phone ringing pulls me out of my thoughts.
"Excuse me, ladies." Christian walks into his office and closes the door, leaving me alone with the wicked witch of the west. At first, we sit in silence before she says "Ana, you look like you've put on weight. Is there something you want to tell me?"
"Are you asking if I'm pregnant?" I ask and my face goes bright red. I am absolutely mortified. My inner goddess is helping my subconscious pick her jaw up off the floor.
"Yes."
"No, mother, I am not pregnant." I spit back at her.
"Why are you getting mad? I was just asking a question."
"Maybe it's because I had an eating disorder and you just asked if I was pregnant. This is your problem, Carla, you don't think about anyone but yourself."
"Wow, where is this coming from?"
"This is nothing new!" She's been here three hours and we'realready fighting. Christian comes out and saves the day.
"We're going to spend the day with the family tomorrow." He kisses my forehead. I don't know if he heard our conversation, but he can tell something's wrong.
Gail's dinner is delicious, but I barley manage to eat. I can tell Christian's annoyed and I don't care.
Right after diner Carla leaves for the hotel since she's a head in time.
"Let's go to bed." I say to Christian with a fake smile.
"I couldn't agree more." I thank the heavens that he doesn't bring up the food—that's the last thing I need right now. I sigh and grab his hand.
We walk upstairs, change, brush our teeth and wash our faces in silence. Once we climb in to bed he asks me "What's wrong?"
"Is itthat obvious?"
"You look like a sulking puppy. Spill the beans, Miss Steele."
"My mother said something. It's not a big deal."
"If it wasn't a big deal, it wouldn't have bothered you so much. What did she say?" There is genuine concern in his voice. This is why I love this man body and soul.
"She asked if I was pregnant and said I look like I've put on weight."
"What? Didn't you have an eating disorder? How is that appropriate to say?"
"Now you wonder why I had an eating disorder." I roll my eyes, but Christian doesn't get mad.
I roll on to my side and Christian pulls me as close as he can and kisses my hair. "I'm sorry, Anastasia."
"It's not your fault Christian. My mother has always been this way. She blames me for my father's death."
"It's not your fault though."
"I know that, but what can I do?" I turn around and kiss him before falling asleep.
My sleep is anything but restful. It is dark and I can't tell if I'm being chased or chasing someone. As I'm running I see a frail copper coloured child, but when I run to help him he disappears. I am screaming "Let me help you!" but there is no reply.
When I wake up, I am disoriented. I'm glad Christian is still asleep because I don't want him to know I had another nightmare. He is flat on his back right now, so I use that to my advantage. I climb on top of him and kiss from his neck down to his chest. He starts to stir, but doesn't wake up. My next move is to blow a raspberry on his tummy. He startles me by grabbing my arms.
"Good morning." He says pulling me up, so he can kiss me.
"Good morning, Mr. Grey." I say with a wink. He lets go of my arms and flips me on my back so now he's on top. He starts kissing down my neck and a moan escapes me. He looks up at me with a devilish smile and starts tickling me. I burst into a fit of giggle. I can't resist him when he's like this. I don't see this side of him as often as I would like, but embrace them when the time comes.
"Please – please stop." I beg.
"I like when you beg me, Ana." He says deadpan.
He climbs off of me and out of bed. "Where are you going? Stay! Finish what you started."
"Breakfast. You didn't eat last night." Damn, he did notice. I pout, but he doesn't move.
"You can get out of bed and walk down stairs with me or I'll carry your ass down the stairs." I cross my arms and stand my ground.
"Have it your way then." He scoops me up over his shoulder and walks out of the room with ease.
"Put me down!" I shout at him, but he just keeps walking.
I smack his ass hard and he just laughs. Soon enough, I realize why. it's because he spanks me right back with his free hand. He places me on the ground and I rub my bottom.
Christian and I enjoy the rest of our Carla-free morning. We eat breakfast, shower, and he reads the paper while I browse my e-mail. We have to leave soon to pick up Carla and drive to Christian's parents' house. I put on another Rag and Bone outfit Christian bought for me it's a leather-sleeve blazer, mesh knit pullover, heathered tank & panelled leather leggings. Christian's wearing his 'Alston' sports coat, 'Elisha' sport shirt, 'alpha fog wash' slim tapered leg chinos and a leather belt.
"You look good." I grab either side of his sports coat and pull him into me s I can give him a kiss.
"You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." I say with a smile.
We wait outside for ten minutes before Carla comes out. "You in a better mood today?" She asks as she gets in the car.
"Yep."
"Hello, Christian." She says sweetly.
"Carla." I can tell Christian's a little annoyed.
We make small talk on our way to the Grey's. Carla's face lights up when we pull into the drive way.
"I can see where you get your money from." What the fuck!
"Actually, Christian started his business with 100,000 dollars after he dropped out." I say defending Christian.
The Greys are so happy to meet Carla. She is on her best behaviour at first then the wine comes out.
"I thought you quit." I say.
"No, I just stopped drinking tequila." Great. We play board games and talk. Before Carrick says he has an announcement to make, Grace walks into the room with a little girl hiding behind her. "Everyone I would like you to meet Ivy—the new addition to our family." Grace announces with a smile on her face.
Everyone surrounds her except Carla who sits and drinks her wine. "Congratulations." I say and hug Grace and Carrick who both smile. "She's just perfect."
"I think you guys should back up and give Ivy some space." Mia, Elliot, Christian, and Kate are hovering over her. They back up and I crouch down to her level. "Thank you." She says in a shy, quiet voice.
"No problem. I hated the fact adults would tower over me when I was little. My name is Anastasia, but everyone calls me Ana." I extend my hand and she shakes it.
"How old are you, Ivy?"
"I'm four." She says holding up four fingers.
"Well, you are absolutely beautiful." Her face goes bright red. She's a lot like me. "Do you want me to introduce you to everyone?" She gives a small nod.
"Do you want me to carry you so they don't tower over you?" Whenever Ray's friends would come over, he would always carry me.
"Yes, please." She seems hesitant at first, but once she's safely in my arms, she smiles. I introduce them to Elliot and Kate first.
"This is your brother, Elliot, and his girlfriend Kate. Elliot jokes a lot."
"Hi Lelliot and Kate." That makes me smile because Christian wasn't able to pronounce Elliot's name at first.
"Hi, Ivy! I can't wait to tell you some of my jokes."
"Me too."
"Here's one—knock knock."
"Say 'who's there'." I whisper in her ear.
"Who's there?"
"Cow."
"Say 'cow who?'."
"Cow who?"
"No, silly, the cow says moo." She laughs hysterically and I'm just surprised Elliot knows age appropriate jokes. We move on to the next group.
"This is your sister, Mia. Her boyfriend, Ethan, who is Kate's brother. Mia is going to spoil you rotten." I say and she laughs.
"Hi Mia and Ethan." She says perfectly with a smile.
"Hi, Ivy. Do you have any dolls?" She shakes her head to signal no.
"I know what to buy you then." Mia says enthusiastically.
"The next person I want you to meet is very special to me." I walk over to Christian and introduce him.
"This is your brother, Christian. He calls your brother Lelliot too. I'm going to teach you how to wrap him around your little finger."
"Hi, Ivy." Christian extends his hand, which she shakes. Christian pretends like she hurt him because she's so strong. Her laugh is contagious. I can'tbear to think about what she went through before she came here.
"Do you want to meet my mother?" She nods and we walk over.
"Ivy, this is Carla."
"It's nice to meet you, Ivy." She says.
"You too, Carwa" I can't help smiling around her. Christian comes over and asks to show Ivy something. We get her dressed in her coat and boots and go into the backyard. Somehow I'm able to walk on the grass with heels as I'm holding Ivy.
Christian stops in front of a beautiful tree house. "Ivy, this is where I would come when I wanted to be alone. I don't live here anymore so you can have it. You're still small so maybe wait a year or two, but I want you to use this." She jumps out of my arms and runs into Christian's.
"Thank you, Cwis" I start crying. This man didn't think he was capable of being anything but a monster. Someday, he is going to make a great father. When were walking back Ivy is on my back. Grace meets us at the door and Christian takes Ivy away to take off her boots and jacket.
"You're great with children." Grace says with a smile.
"Thank you, I want a whole bunch of them."
"Well, I'll love all my grand babies. I know this is a lot to ask, but Elena was the god mother for all of my children and for obvious reasons, she's out of the question. I want you to be her god mother." I am dumbfounded.
"I would love that." I wrap my arms around her and Carla is glaring at me. Christian and I play tag with Ivy around the house. I am chasing the both of them when she stops and stares at the beautiful grand piano. She walks up to it and hits a key, which startles her at first.
"Would you like to learn and play?" I ask and she nods her head.
"Christian play beautifully maybe he could teach you." Her face lights up.
"I'd wove that."
We head back into the living room and Grace calls everyone for dinner. Ivy sits between Christian and I during dinner. I help cut her food into small pieces for her.
"How were the sales for your first week?" Kate asks. Carla hasn't mentioned anything about my book.
"25,000 books."
"That's amazing!"
"I guess everyone wants to know what Christian Grey's girlfriend's life has been like." I say and shrug.
"No, you are an amazing writer. We all read your books and cried. People didn't buy it because of Christian, they bought it because you're an amazing writer. By the end of the month, I wouldn't be surprised if it was on the New York Times Best Seller List." Graces says with a smile.
Once were all done with dinner, Grace asks me to tuck Ivy into bed. I read her a story and she falls asleep before it's done. I quietly walk out of the room and hear a huge commotion downstairs.
"Stop acting like Anastasia is your daughter." I hear Carla shout.
"She saved my son! She is a part of our family now." Grace says back and I can tell that she's crying.
"You were never the mother Ana needed you to be. Christian invited you to Seattle so you could meet him and you yell at his mother. Ana finally has a network of people who love and care for her. I have wanted to say something to you for a long time. You need to learn what it means to be a mother. Did you congratulate her on her book? No. Did ask about her injuries? No. Did you ask about her seizures? No. Anastasia has helped everyone here be a better person and doesn't need you ruining the best thing that has happened to her. " Kate defends Grace.
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Carla says and slurs her words. I run down the stairs crying.
"Carla, stop it. I should have stood up for myself years ago. These are the most amazing people and you have no right to say these things to them. I'm going to call you a cab and you're going to go to the hotel and back to Georgia tomorrow. The next time you speak to me, you better apologize." Everyone is silent until Carla leaves.
"I can't believe you're treating your mother this way." She says before she gets into the cab.
"It's the same way you've treated me for years." I slam the cabs door and tell him the address.
I take a deep breath before going back inside. Everyone apologizes and congratulates or thanks me for standing up to her. We stay for a half an hour before we go home and go to sleep. On our way in Sawyer says "If it makes you feel better, she grabbed my ass." I chuckle.
"It does."
Gail adds, "If you lived with that woman and turned out the way you did, you are much stronger than I thought." I hug everyone before getting into bed and I eventually fall asleep.
Thoughts? xoxo