Carrick's POV

Grace is running late so I've decided to drive her in on the way to work well, that's the reason I gave her but I am truly intrigued by this girl that seems to have both Grace and Christian in a tizz. I'd give my right arm for Christian to be happy, yes he's rich and successful beyond any of our imaginations but I don't think I have ever seen him happy except when he is flying or sailing and never when he is with anyone. He's always polite and happy to see us but it's the invisible wall that stops us and I think Grace has started feeling it more as she watches our kids getting older without any indication of any of them settling down and providing her with the grandbabies she so richly deserves.

So, "Come on Gracie, I'll drop you off and that way I can pick you up at lunch time and we can have lunch, today is only a half day for me," I say and smile at my beautiful wife, still gorgeous after all these years.

She rewards me with a return smile and says "Sure, and can I twist your arm to come up with me and see the amazing Anastasia?" she has always seen through me and I smirk and hold the car door open for her before scooting around and sliding into the driver's seat. It's like we're still two twenty year olds sometimes and I can't believe how lucky I was to meet Grace and build a fantastic life together, I understand why she wants our boys to have the same.

I saw the flash of anger in Elena's eyes last night when Grace mentioned how it appeared that our Christian is falling in love and I wonder what is going on there. Grace has always been a friend to Elena, while I can barely tolerate her. I have never said anything to Grace because she always believes the best of people and Elena has certainly helped her a lot over the years with the fundraisers. However, it always feels like Elena has done it to maintain a place within Grace's circle in society without any real desire to help any of the beneficiaries and I have always found her attention to Christian disturbing. He says that it is because they are in business together, something about her lending him the seed money for his business when I basically wiped my hands of him when he dropped out of Harvard.

I still regret that, I should have had faith in him but those early teenage years and his familial history really didn't bode well, I honestly thought he'd be out on the streets having squandered all that we had provided for him. It does seem that Elena was the only one to have faith in him at that time and he has certainly repaid that debt and she appears to be a friend of his, one of the few that we know about. Still, if she was a friend, that look should not have crossed her face last night, the flash of anger in her eyes was not that of someone happy with the news. I shall keep an eye on her and an ear on her conversations going forward because if Grace is correct and this Anastasia is making Christian happy, I don't want Elena jeopardising it. He deserves true happiness not the attention of a plastic, society climbing harpy that takes more than she gives.

In no time at all we arrive at the hospital and thankfully with Grace being a doctor, it is easy to find a car park and we are heading up to the rooms chatting about our plans for the day. We nod at Christian's security and as we open the door to the room, we both stop at the sight in front of us. Something I have never seen, Christian blushing and looking like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, gently laying the most beautiful girl back onto the bed, the girl he was most tenderly kissing just a second before, again something I have never seen.

I agree with Grace, our boy is most definitely in love, even I can see it and Grace looks like she is going to burst but ever the professional she rearranges her face and says a happy good morning to both of them, kisses Christian on the cheek and starts to fuss over the girl.

"Anastasia, allow me to introduce my father, Carrick Grey" says Christian, the normal colour now returning to his face and she smiles and shakes my hand saying "Mr. Grey, what a pleasure to meet you."

I truthfully mean it when I say "The pleasure is all mine, Anastasia."

And she responds with a quirking smile at Christian, "Please call me, Ana." I'm guessing this is a private joke between them as he gentle smiles back down at her and I can't believe how different he appears, I do believe he actually looks relaxed. I have never ever seen him relaxed. Perhaps nearly relaxed on the boat or when playing the piano but never when interacting with another person and like Grace, I want to make sure this young lady is encouraged to stay in our lives.

"Well it was lovely to meet you Ana but I must be off to work. Christian, lovely to see you son and Grace, I'll see you at lunch" and with that and a kiss for my beautiful wife, I see myself out and head for my car feeling incredibly lighter on my feet.

Grace's POV

I am so glad that Carrick saw Christian kissing Ana; I thought my heart was going to break out through my chest and it was so cute that he blushed. My boy has it bad and I can't be happier but goodness, I can't embarrass him or Ana so "Dr Grace" it has to be.

"Ok, are we ready now for casting? We had to decide exactly what we were going to do for you. We have various options but since we have put a rod through your femur, we aren't going to cast you from your chest to your toes and this means you'll be a little more comfortable. We have had to wait because we were worried about all the lacerations on your leg but it looks like they are all healing well so we will be putting on a long leg cast where your knee will be bent at around 30 degrees for about 2 weeks or so. This can be quite uncomfortable but it will mean that you won't be moving the leg, rotating it by any small movement and causing longer term problems, with your nightmares I think it important that we start with this option. Then when x-rays show that the bones are healing, they will change it to a straight long leg weight bearing cast for another couple of weeks which helps the fractures heal. After that, if it looks like you are able to put weight on your foot, then you will be changed to a short leg walking cast or a fracture brace and you will have that on for about 6 to 8 weeks" She looks quite devastated by it all but I move to reassure her "I know this sounds like a long time but really given how badly broken your left leg is, it is the quickest option that will allow you the rehab work you need to do" and I see that Christian is rubbing her shoulder gently trying to calm her.

He asks the next question, "Can the cast be wet?" and I can see that he is obviously thinking of the rehabilitation and I have no doubt he is working through what he can organise for her.

I give him a smile and say," The outside, or hard part of the cast, can be made from two different kinds of casting materials. You can have either plaster or fiberglass, but under the fiberglass cast, you can have special waterproof cast liners which will allow it to be wet".

And he simply says, "We need the fiberglass one, that way as soon as she is allowed into water, she can be using the pool at Claude's gym" and I know he hasn't realised that he has said "we" but it is obvious he is going to be standing next to Ana the whole way.

Knowing how pedantic he can be about certain things and I have a feeling that her recovery will be one of those things, I have no doubt she will improve beyond what would normally be expected. "Is that what you'd like Ana?" I ask, I know that Christian is used to having his own way with decisions but it is her body.

Ana smiles shyly and says "I don't know who Claude is but I think for me it's always safest to go with the option that is waterproof, I'm known to be rather clumsy" and she looks at Christian who simply smiles across at her…. Ooh, they have inside jokes already and my heart is all aflutter from the normalcy of it.

"Ok, well let's get this done then. I must warn you, it will be uncomfortable and painful and I really don't suggest you get it wet – once you are down to the short leg cast, then it isn't such an issue but just consider how much of your leg is covered by cast and how you won't be able to itch it" at her worried look I shrug and say "At least you're not in the full body cast, we considered it because of your pelvic crack but as long as you aren't moving too much, you should be ok."

I stop and address my next question to Christian "Christian am I boring you? You have just yawned 3 times in the last 5 minutes and I need you paying attention" While I was kidding, I am a little concerned that he hasn't been sleeping and he confirms it by saying he didn't get any sleep last night but that he is fine. I don't think he is, he is steadfastly not looking at Ana as he says this and knowing my boy, I know that he is feeling guilty about something to do with Ana, hmm I wonder what that is… And then it is confirmed by her reaching over and tugging at his sleeve to get his attention and cocking her head to the side and then giving a little shake of her head and he simply shuffles and looks away – oh my boy is guilty of something!

I call the orderly to come and push the bed to the casting room and as he starts pushing, I say "Ok let's get going, you are both going to be needing sleep soon if I am reading this situation right and Ana, you will be taking the pain medication, otherwise you'll be having more than hallucinations" I didn't expect to hear a gasp in echo behind me and when I turn, both of them are rearranging their faces to impassive…what is going on? No, really, it's like when Christian and Elliot were in trouble, neither would say anything to incriminate the other and despite desperately wanting to know what is going on, I like that Christian has Ana in his corner already, willing to not rat him out.

While applying a cast is not normally too painful a process, the fact that Ana has had such devastating breaks to the 3 bones in that leg means that any incidental movement causes pain and I can see her holding so tightly onto Christian's hand and simply squeezing her eyes and mouth shut so that she doesn't make a sound. An involuntary whimper at one point has Christian looking devastated, he slides down so that his arm is around her shoulder and he is whispering into her ear. I can't hear what he says but she calms but his face stays contorted with distress. I swear if he could carry her pain for her he would and my thoughts dart involuntarily and cheekily forward and wonder what he would be like if she was in childbirth, I almost chuckle out loud but compose myself. I can't believe how head over heels he is and I have no doubt that he has no idea and I just wish these two had met in a situation where Ana wasn't in such pain.

Her next gasp hurts me as well as I can imagine that bending the leg which has been kept straight for the last few days must have been painful and I realise that what is hurting my son is hurting me. His terse, "Mom, is there anything you can do for the pain right now, Ana shouldn't be hurting so much, she doesn't like taking the drugs but surely you can override that, there's no reason for her to be in so much pain."

Spoken like the CEO he is, he just can't understand that you can't control everything and especially when the quiet pained voice finally gasps out "No Christian, I will be fine, I don't need anything, just keep going."

And BAM, my old son is back in full force standing up and shouting "NO Anastasia, there is no need to be a hero, you are taking some pain relief, your body is shaking like a leaf from the pain."

My estimation of the girl skyrockets at what happens next. Ana's lip trembles for a second, I am sure she was shocked by his reaction and then she says calmly as she looks up at him "No, it's my body, I say no to more drugs. When it's your body you can do what you like. Please" and her voice trembles "Please don't shout at me."

Christian doesn't know how to respond, no-one ever stands up to him, let alone a little slip of a girl and he stands there running his hands through his hair, it's obvious he is exasperated and his tiredness is not helping as it looks like he is struggling to put coherent thoughts together and he finally says "Argh, I can't do this" and he turns and stalks out of the room.

Ana looks devastated and I quite frankly would like to give my youngest son a clip behind the ear for his insensitivity but she is the important one here and I say "I'm sorry on his behalf, he doesn't know what to do about your pain, I'd say he would happily take it all from you and bear it himself if he could, it's just tiredness and frustration talking, don't worry he'll be back. Look this is almost finished here and I am sure when you are back in your room he'll be there for you again." And she gives me a weak smile and I have to remember, she doesn't know my son and I would put all my money on the fact that right now he is somewhere feeling incredibly guilty for his little outburst.

Christian's POV

Fuck! What have I just done? I have just shouted at Ana. I am the lowest lowlife shit there could be, the girl is showing all the strength in the world dealing with the pain and I shout at her. For fuck's sake when the hell am I going to grow up? But why the hell will she not listen to me, she doesn't need to be in pain? She has suffered enough and now I am adding to it.

"A coffee might help," is Taylor's contribution to my internal flagellations and he follows that with "And some flowers and chocolates for Miss Steele," and continues walking next to me, looking straight ahead and pushes the button for the elevator that will take us to the gift shop level.

Taylor goes to find a coffee and I stand there looking at the woeful display and then I see it, tucked away behind a variety of tacky gifts, a hopeful looking ginger bear, not sad, not happy but hopeful, with gloriously soft fur and soft pads on his paws.

I get a "Nice choice Sir," when I raise my eyebrow at Taylor's smile as I walk out to him and the welcome looking coffee with my bear and an armful of flowers.

"It'll last longer than chocolates" I smirk.

I need to get back to Ana and say I'm sorry so I impatiently press the elevator button as we watch the display showing it crawl up the levels. As it reaches our floor, I practically sprint in to be greeted with a snarled "The bitch's got you all bent out of shape hasn't she – just look at yourself!" and the door closes behind me.