I just want all of you AMAZING readers (who have given me the most AMAZING feedback! THANK YOU!) to know that I do not own anything, that the ages are a little jacked up because of the timeline I have started things at, and that I love you all for clicking the link that lead you to this crazy story. Thank all of you that reviewed and/or favorite-ed and/or followed my story.

To my very curious reviewer... Your welcome! Thanks for the questions, you keep me guessing more than I am already.

Chapter 6: Love Songs and Lullabies

Christian couldn't help himself, he stood in a fury and saw red. While Ana instantly grabbed a handful of napkins and slid out of her seat to help Nicolette get the sticky liquid off of her.

"Just who do you think you are?" Christian hissed.

"Tatum McCarthy! I swear if you don't apologize right now-" The brunette cut Max off.

"Apologize? You want me to apologize to the boyfriend stealing twit she is?" The girl huffed, Max sighed.

"For the last damn time, Tatum, Sara Beth and I were not a couple when Nicolette and I began dating, not even close in fact. Now apologize." Max growled.

"Not dating? She always said that the two of you were always at your house on the weekends- if you know what I mean." Tatum batted her grey eyes.

"No. I have never done that with Sara Beth or any other girl-" Tatum cut Max off again.

"Except Nicolette? I know you two have done it."

"Well, we haven't-" This time it wasn't Tatum that cut Max off, it was Christian Grey himself.

"You! Get the hell out of here on your own, or have my security escort you out!" Christian shouted at Tatum- who reeled back and glared, but left the restaurant. "For your sake Maxwell Hartsville, you better be telling the truth when you say you haven't had sex with my daughter." Grey hissed.

"Are you ok?" Ana asked Nicolette.

"Jesus, it was just lemonade- and some other assorted sodas. Dr. Pepper I think." Nicolette paused and licked a spot of dark soda off her arm, before scrunching up her face.

"Nope, that was Pepsi." The adults plus Max laughed.

"Where the hell is management?" Christian huffed. It was Max's turn to shrug.

"Hey Diana!" Max shouted, not a minute later an elderly lady with brownish gray hair waddled out of the back and into the dining area.

"Maxwell was that you? I thought I told you that the next time you try to -" Max cut her off.

"Diana, this is Christian Grey, Nicolette's father. Mr. Grey's wife, Anastasia, and his father Mr. Carrick Grey."

"The lawyer from those commericals?" Diana asked shaking each person's hand- including the security who nodded at their boss and went back to their table.

"Yes, that is me." Carrick smiled, Diana smiled back and looked to Nicolette.

"Oh child! Who decided that spilling drinks on you was a good idea this time?" Diana asked pulling Nicolette to her feet.

"Tatum McCarthy." Max answered. "He threatened to have security throw her out, so she left." Max nodded towards Christian.

"Good for you. I am going to call her parents. Nicolette your work clothes are still in you locker if you wish to change. Which in fact you don't have a choice. Go." Diana ordered, Nicolette shook her head, but obediently left the table and disappeared into the back, Ryan followed, but stayed at the door to the back room.

"This time?" Christian questioned Max when Diana and Nicolette had left.

"Tatum and her small group of friends teased Nicolette endlessly when her mom died. Told her that her mom left because she didn't want her, but wanted to honor her vows to Mr. Johnson. The four girls about tossed Nicolette over the Harrison Bridge when she was twelve. I was about fourteen or fifteen at the time and saved her. Ever since that night, Nicolette and I have been together." Max answered.

"Oh no." Ana whispered.

"Nicolette doesn't like to talk about it, but their words affect her. She wants to believe that she is strong enough to take on the world by herself. And she tried for a while. When she was thirteen she closed herself off from everyone- including me. Took on the stress of her still-grieving father, school, bullies, taking care of the farm. She was about to burst, when I finally sat her down and we talked. Made some promises. I highly doubt that she will go that far into depression again without talking to me." Max spoke, he was about to say more when Nicolette came back, her hair pulled into a bun now and she wore black leggings with a white shirt that had Diana's written across the front in black, she still wore her white sandals.

"There's my girl!" Max shouted happily.

"Haha, Max. Now where were we before we were rudely interrupted?" Nicolette asked, rolling her eyes no less.

"Don't roll your eyes, it's rude. And we were talking about our plans for leaving. I know it's short notice, but since you will be having nearly everyone in town over tonight, I figured we could leave tomorrow morning- afternoon at the latest. Dad needs to be back at work Monday." Christian answered.

"Tomorrow?" Nicolette asked, she squeezed Max's hand.

"That's what I was thinking."

"Look, Nicolette, I know you must be afraid of living with two complete strangers, but that is what this lunch is for- to get to know each other. Why don't you tell us your hobbies?" Carrick asked, Nicolette blushed.

"I, uh, don't know- does cooking for the Hartsville boys count?" Nicolette snorted.

"You don't cook for us all the time." Max snorted, Ana and Carrick watched with amusement- while Christian watched with anger in his throat- as Nicolette turned her head and raised her brows at her boyfriend.

"Ok, just most of the time." Max compromised. "And you do more that cook for us and do our laundry..." Carrick cut him off.

"You do their laundry?"

"The first time they tried, the house was flooded for nearly two weeks." Nicolette replied, Ana snorted.

"Men right?" She and Nicolette high fived.

"What else do you do, other than housework?" Christian asked.

"She sings, and plays nearly every instrument out there." Max replied, Carrick whistled.

"Really?" Ana asked.

"Yeah, music, she lives for it. Well, that and books, but." Max snorted.

"I'm not even that good at it." Nicolette rolled her eyes in an attempt to be modest.

"Mmmhmm, sure."

"Christian plays the piano." Ana smiled.

"Really?" Nicolette cocked her head.

"Yeah. What's your favorite part about the piano?" Christian asked in an attempt to gain some control over the conversation.

"I love how it can carry a lively beat, or a classical tune. You?"

"The classical sound. Favorite color?" Christian asked.

"Probably blue, it makes my hair stand out." Nicolette joked.

"Grey." Christian answered. Nicolette's face scrunched up.

"Ironic, huh?" She asked.

"You have no idea..."Ana muttered, Christian had to stifle a laugh.

...-...-...- PARTY TIME!

Ana remembers the one party she went to when she was in high school. It was a rich kid's house and was packed full of drunk or soon-to-be drunk teenagers that were all practically in their underclothes. Ana ended up leaving early because some guy wouldn't take no for an answer and she was not going to be taking any chances.

This was nothing like that. Four pick up trucks were parked, two on either side of the house, blasting country music from the same commercial-less radio station. All of the teens were out in the back wearing boots, jeans or shorts with t-shirts and the occasional long sleeved shirt. The guys wore cowboy or camo hats while the girls wore either camo hats or bright orange hats. You could hear laughing over the music. Most of the kids out back were teenagers, but you could spot some younger kids in the croud.

"Pretty cool ain't it? I remember these parties when I was younger, my brothers would take me while they were in high school. They were so much fun." Mike said to Christian as both men watched Nicolette laugh as she sat on a stack of hay bales.

"SUNDOWN!" Someone shouted, all of the teens- and the few kids- whooped and hollered.

"Let's get this fire started!" Someone shouted after the noise died down.

Then screams filled the air as sounds that resembled gunshots reached the adults ears.

"Ana/McKenzie stay inside!" Christian and Mike shouted as they reached for the door. They ran past the ledge before they noticed all of the teens on the ground, the older siblings were covering up their younger siblings and Christian spotted Ryan covering Nicolette while Mike noticed that the fire was lit.

"Who's bright idea was it to light the fire with fireworks!?" Mike shouted as the teens slowly rose to their feet. Ryan got off of Nicolette and helped her stand.

"Sorry sir, it sounded so much like gunshots, I just reacted without thinking." Ryan apologized.

"No, no, it's fine. You protected Nicolette thinking it was gunshots right away. That's why I want you to be in charge of her security- under Taylor of course." Christian said.

"If you really thought that was gunshots... thanks." Nicolette said after a silence between the four of them.

"I think everybody thought that it was gunshots." Mike laughed.

"I've never seen Carmen shove her brother to the ground that quick before." Nicolette laughed.

Christian gave Nicolette one last smile, before Nicolette returned to her friends and him back to the kitchen window to watch the party.

Nearly two hours later Nicolette came inside, disappeared down the hall, then reappeared with a bag.

"Night dad... Dads... I don't even know anymore.." Nicolette said over her shoulder. "Night, everyone!"

"Where are you going?" Christian asked.

Nicolette paused.

"Out?"

"You don't seem so sure." Mike teamed up with Christian.

"Oh please. Max and I are going star watching, we do this every year. We spend maybe two hours at the bonfire before ditching everyone and filling the bed of his truck up with blankets and pillows. We find some random dirt road to star watch on and talk all night... Can I go?" Nicolette asked.

"No." Christian said as Mike said, "Yes." The two looked at each other.

"What's your issue with it? It's the last time she's gonna see him for a while. If they've done it for the last two to three years, why not let them do it again. It's not like he's gonna hurt her."

"You have a point but-" Christian started.

"But? There are no buts in my house. Nicolette, go on ahead, but tell that boy of yours that I'm gonna be on the porch cleaning my rifle if he doesn't have you back by seven tomorrow morning." Mike interrupted.

"Yes, dad. Night... Everyone." Nicolette turned and headed towards the door, looking over her shoulder once more and then leaving.

"You really trust Max?" Christian asked.

"If you hadn't showed up. I would've let him marry her the day she turned seventeen." Mike answered, turning away from the door and grabbing his beer.

"God, I hope they don't have anymore fireworks."

"Fireworks are the least of my worries right now." Christian laughed, but nodding at Taylor who took out his phone and shot out a text.

-...-...- With Nicolette ...-...-...

Nicolette smiled as she threw her bag into the backseat of Max's truck.

"They let you go?" Max asked.

"Yeah, dad got him with tonight being the last time we see each other for a while." Nicolette answered.

"Don't say it like that. Nikk, I'm always gonna be there for you. You just, you gotta have faith in me." Max whispered.

"I know, and I do, have faith in you. It's just, I'm leaving tomorrow Max, what are we gonna do?" Nicolette asked quietly.

"We are gonna love each other, Nikks, like it's just any other night." Max answered. The rest of the ride to Max's house was in silence. When they got there the two walked to Max's room- where the pillows and blankets for that night were waiting. And just as they reached the room Nicolette came to a decision. When Max reached for the first pile of blankets she stopped him.

And he seemed to be reading her mind.

"You sure, we can't move backwards from this?" Max asked.

"I'm sure." Nicolette nodded.

For nearly two hours the two loved each other in Max's bed, and they took thirty more minutes to get dressed and haul the pillows and blankets out and into the truck, before they drove off.

Max stopped the truck on the outskirts of the town and helped Nicolette out of the car, she wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt, her hair pulled into a bun in a desperate attempt to keep it managed.

Max helped her into the truck bed before climbing in himself, both removing their boots before putting their feet into the bed of the truck. Everything was cushioned with pillows and blankets and Max threw a comforter over them, and pulled her into his arms.

They talked about memories, things that made them laugh, and things that made them cry.

Nicolette had just pointed out a falling star when Max pulled a set of rings out of his pocket.

"Look! Look! Did you see... Max?" Nicolette asked.

"This isn't a marriage proposal, but another promise to you, Nicolette. I want you to know, and every fucker out in Seattle, that you are mine. I want to promise you that the next time I see you- I'm dragging you to a courthouse where we can get married. Can you promise me that?" Max asked.

"Oh Max..." Nicolette whispered tears in her emerald green eyes.