Chapter 21

Christian was annoyed.
No, he was more than that- he was pissed the hell off!
On the one hand, the news that Jack Hyde was dead was well welcomed, on the other the news that the police were looking into him was definitely not. Taylor already had Welch and Barney running checks on the inmate that killed Hyde that would be concurrent to those the police were running into his phone records here and in Seattle.

He also wasn't thrilled that they had had to find out about all of this from his father- which meant that he would not only becoming because of the other accusations that Hyde had made, but to deal with the investigation as well. His mother also would be coming, along with Sawyer for their security (yeah, right, he was sure his nosey sister just ordered him there to keep tabs on things), and Nula who would liaise with GHE for PR.

Angrily, he washed his face and stared at his reflection he shook his head: "I really don't need this shit right now," he muttered before reaching for a towel and drying his face thinking that at least Flynn would be coming with them as he heard Ana scream…

"I don't believe you agreed to this!" Mani complained as she threw up her hands while Nula packed a bag.

"It's my job, remember?" Nula shot back as she shot her friend a sideways glance. "What is your problem anyway?"

"Ummm… you can't guess?"

"Mani," Nula sighed, "there is never going to be a me and Christian."

"Well not if you help him and the other woman."

"Ok, one: she is not the other woman. Christian is a free agent. In fact, if there was to be another woman in this imaginary triangle you drew up with would be me!"

"What?"

"She was always there- Christian was involved with her before me and he was in love with her. I always knew about her, Mani. I also always knew that given the chance Christian would go back to her."

Mani raised her eyebrow at that: "then why were you with him?"

"Because it was easy and comfortable? Because we both knew the boundaries the other had and that it would never be more than what it was?"

"But we all thought…"

"What? That we'd get married and live happily ever after?" Nula laughed slightly. "He wanted to be with someone for his own reasons; just like I did. We were a picture perfect couple and yeah, we could've had a marriage that was convenient for both of us, but convenience wasn't what either one of us wanted. Neither of us just wanted to be putting on appearances for years."

"Still…"

"Mani, I'm going with the Greys to handle the media end of things whether you like it or not. I am the one who handles PR for Grey House and Christian and our company can't handle not doing the right thing when it comes to our biggest client, do you understand me?"

"Fine, but I still don't have to like it…"

Detectives Phillips and Monroe shared a pregnant look with each other as their boss walked away from their desks. "You thinking what I am?" Phillips wondered.

Thought you didn't like Grey," Monroe observed as he leaned back in his chair and placed his folded hands on his stomach.

"I don't like the media scrutiny his involvement is going to bring- really we don't need another Jon Benet."

"Things have changed a lot in the time since that case."

"True," Phillips sighed. "But this doesn't seem too…"

"Convenient?" Monroe finished for him. "The killer just happens to get calls from a charity that Grey is a major supporter of on regular basis and now Hyde is killed. Oh and there happens to be a call…"

"From Grey Publishing…" Phillips paused, "didn't Hyde used to work for a publishing house- with Ms. Steele…"

"Right and a guy like Grey would buy a company to keep someone he cared about safe…"

"Even if he didn't know the full scope of Hyde's obsession…"

"So crosscheck old and current employment lists…"

"And then check those that pop out with the names from whatever the company was named before Grey bought it," Phillips agreed.

"And then we'll need to requestion Grey and Steele…"

Carrick stepped out of his closet with a garment bag to see Grace sitting on the bed holding one of the shirts she was folding to her chest with tears rolling down her face: "hey what's this?"

"Why is this happening, Cary? We brought them up right, didn't we? I mean, Christian is… he couldn't have done what they think he did, could he?" she wondered as she looked up at him.

"Do you think he could?" he wondered as he sat down next to her on the bed.

"I would like to think that he wouldn't- or that if he did have something to do with this he wouldn't have been stupid enough to get caught."

"Gracie, you know as well as I do that Christian…"

"Couldn't?" she asked. "Do you remember the same teenager that I do? Because that boy…"

"Would've killed Hyde with his bare hands in that parking lot where Ana was found- whether or not people were trying to stop him. Hell, he probably would have put a few of them in a hospital bed as well!"

"Carrick, this isn't some joke- I mean, I know that Christian never got over Ana, and now I guess I know what and with what that- that thing- did to Mia I wouldn't put it pass him."

"But you know he didn't right?"

"Of course I do!" Grace said as she rose to her feet and threw the blouse into the suitcase before she started to pace. "I guess I was just thinking about what they would be thinking about his motive and it started playing with my head! If people believe…"

"Just like you said about Hyde: it would only take one person thinking he didn't- if the worse should happen," he said calmly as he came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders to get her to stand still.

"And do you think it will happen? That he'll get charged?"

"No…I can't let myself believe that.
But I promise you, I won't anything happen to our boy."

"I know, and I love you for it… now we better hurry up and finish, we need to get to Sea-Tac and I'm pretty sure Flynn is already on his way from what Sawyer said…"

Angie had made to Ana's bed in one leap on her first cry.
Taylor was in the room on her second.
Neither was able to get out of her what was wrong, as Christian rushed out of the bathroom where he had changed and to her bedside.
As soon as she saw him, Ana awkwardly launched herself into his arms and cried into his shoulder as he automatically tightened his hold.

Both Angie and Taylor headed out of the room to give the couple some privacy as Christian sat onto the bed placing Ana on his lap as he calmed her. "What is it, Baby? What has you so upset?"

"It was a dream, but when you weren't here when I woke up I thought it wasn't…" she said as she fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.

"I let Taylor convince to me change while you were sleeping. Angie was here so I knew you wouldn't be alone when you woke up," he said as he placed a finger under her chin and raised her face so he could look into her blue eyes. "What were you dreaming about?'

"You didn't want me…"

"Ana…"

"It was all payback, that's what I dreamed. That you only said you wanted me because you felt sorry for me and guilty that Hyde attacked me and that it fit with your plan to hurt me the way I hurt you and then you just walked away… or dissipated…" she babbled.

"Baby, you know it has only been you, don't you?" he asked.

"It's been ten years, Christian, surely in all that time…"

"We have both had sex with other people, Ana."

"I…"

"Like you said, ten years," he stopped her tensely. "We were always honest about that with each other. How serious the relationships we were in were getting or if there was a lack of one. But one thing that has always been true was that I loved you and wanted a life with you."

"You were with Nula for a year…"

"It was convenient for both of us and that was over what? Seven, eight years ago?"

"Still…"

"You know I was hurt when you walked away- both times," he told her honestly. "But I knew you believed your reasons at the time- at least the first time. The second I knew you were overwhelmed with all that had happened with Ray, and I wasn't going to push you."

"How can you not hate me for what I did…"

Christian shrugged: "Because you are my everything, Anastasia Rose Steele and you have been since you feel at my feet."

"Just like all the other girls," she teased.

"No, because you I actually picked up," he said back automatically and then smiled into her hair at her giggle. "I love that sound."

Ana rolled her eyes at the comment, but snuggled into his arms: "I have so many insecurities to overcome, Christian, are you sure you want to deal with my baggage?"

"Baggage?" he laughed. "Are you forgetting who you are talking to? Your 'baggage' doesn't even equate to a carry on compared to mine. Hell, I'm still fifty shades of fucked up. I should be asking you if you if you are ok with all my garbage."

Ana smiled as she shifted her torso so she could look back at him: "I always have been, but Christian, there is one thing…"

"What's that?"

"Your food issue might just come in handy right now. I'm hungry!"

"Well, then let me get Angie and find out what she brought with her," he shot back as he shifted her off of his lap and onto the bed, causing her to laugh.

"You know I stumbled into love with you and all your baggage years ago, right?" she asked before he could let her go.

"And I tumbled right along with you, head long if not so fancy free, Baby," he responded as he kissed her soundly before pulling away, both of them breathless. Smirking, he buried his head in her hair, inhaled, exhaled and said simply: "food," before letting go and walking to the door, her giggles tinkling behind him…