Authors Note: Thank you all for your support after the last chapter, it was very much appreciated.

Grace's POV - Sunday

My beautiful boy and his angel girlfriend, I don't think I could ever see too much of them, the way she looks at him and the way he just shines when she is in the room is a sight to behold. It is such a pure love and so much more than I had ever hoped for Christian, to just have had him happy would have been enough, to have him in love with such a beautiful girl is so far beyond my wildest dreams.

I see the deep breath she takes as they walk out of the elevator and are overwhelmed by everyone, Mia comes running, screeching out his name and he hurriedly lets go of Ana's hand to catch Mia as she launches herself at him, sobbing onto his chest, another miracle as he barely flinches. While comforting Mia, he reaches and pulls Elliot into a hug with a smirk and a quiet "Lelliot, happiest I've been to see you," to which Elliot for once has no answer and looks suspiciously like he might join Mia in tears.

Unbelievably Christian looks surprised at the response of his siblings and reaches for Ana's hand again but she has been swamped by Kate's sobbing hug and they cling together like sisters and wipe each other's tears when they finally pull apart, "You look healthy," Ana finally says and this elicits a giggly gasp from Kate.

"I should be saying that to you, I just have a tan but you look so well, it's so good to see you walking around and looking gorgeous and happy. Ana, you look happy." She sounds surprised like she has suddenly realised what it was that had been missing and then asks as if to make sure she isn't just dreaming it, "You are happy?"

I watch as Ana blushes and nods her head profusely, she steals a glance at Christian, the smile widening if that was possible, "Yes, Kate, over the moon, so happy," and they hug again, Kate reflecting her smile.

I don't hear anything else because Christian has disentangled himself from Mia and is reaching for me, my heart beats harder, it feels like it is to the point of bursting at the fact that I just can't get used to, the fact that Christian is willing and wanting to hug me, after all these years of barely being able to touch him. Carrick joins us in the hug and resting my face against my son's chest I offer up thanks for them both being alive and basically fine when the alternative was very much almost a reality.

It is lovely to see out of the corner of my eye, Ray, who had been standing back, engulf Ana in a hug and hold her as she breaks down again in the face of his love, it is obvious he thought he'd lost her and I'd never seen a more shattered man than he, last night. My heart had broken for him then as he tried valiantly to hold his emotions in and I am so happy for him now, I could not imagine losing any of my children, let alone an only child that has been your whole life.

"Daddy, I'm so glad to see you," I hear Ana say, "At the worst point last night, when I thought that we wouldn't make it through, that we wouldn't survive, I thought about your experiences overseas and I resolved that we would make it, that we would survive, that I couldn't put you through something like this again. I thought through all the survival things you taught me and remembered about what you'd said you'd done in a similar situation when one of your company was suffering from hypothermia and I did the same to Christian. So you helped save him Daddy, thank you again for saving me, if Christian had died last night, there is no way I would have been able to go on." Ana dissolves into tears and Ray holds her tight again, his face buried in her hair and I have a no doubt that the feeling is reciprocated.

Christian having also heard what Ana is saying lets me go with one last squeeze and walks over to Ana and Ray, "I did not know that, thank you Ray for equipping Ana with so many skills, I hope she never has to use them again." Ray releases Ana enough to put out his hand to Christian who grabs it and squeezes.

"I'm just glad she listened to me, I always thought she wasn't paying attention and I'm very glad she was," Ray says with a gentle smile towards Ana who smiles back at him and I am so glad that Ana has had Ray in her life, after the awful things that have happened to her, it seems that Ray really was the only person she was able to rely on.

I watch Christian with interest as Ethan comes forward finally to hug Ana, say hello and that he's happy that she is well. Christian stiffens and looks at him with distrust and a fair degree of anger and I hope Christian is able to control what looks like jealousy but is in fact a constant fear of abandonment and I see that John Flynn has noticed as well and will hopefully help him deal with these sorts of situations so that Ana isn't the one bearing the brunt of the consequences.

When Mia bounds over and slips her hand into Ethan's, Christian's face turns impossibly more thunderous and I feel for the poor boy who steps back, releasing Ana. Ethan's unease is palpable to the point that it looks like he wants to shake his hand out of Mia's but she, determined as she is, doesn't let go and so he watches Christian like a hawk until Ana curls into Christian's side and he is distracted by that and leaves Ethan to live another day.

I feel sorry for any boy who wishes to date Mia, her brothers have constantly made the lives of dates difficult however both have in their own ways been less than perfect with their women, hopefully now though, both seem to have found their perfect matches and I hope that they will allow Mia some extra space.

The wonderful Mrs Jones who has been observing, chooses this time to serve champagne to everybody and Christian surprises her by releasing Ana, taking a glass and passing one to Ana before putting a hand on Gail's shoulder and saying "Thank you Mrs Jones, when I was floating in the freezing water, the one thing that warmed my insides was the memory of your chicken noodle soup and I was determined to taste it again."

Gail colours and says with a smile, "I am so glad to see you both back and well Sir, I will head into the kitchen now and set off a pot of chicken noodle soup to celebrate."

Christian chuckles and says, "No, don't go yet, I am about to make an announcement and I'd like it if you were here to hear what I have to say as well." Gail stops and the rest of us move in, clutching our glasses in our hands, we've had more than enough excitement in the last day, I can't imagine what Christian is about to say.

Christian again pulls Ana in close to him, his arm around her shoulders, her arm around his waist, he quickly leans and presses a kiss into her hair and then looks at us all, his eyes lingering on each person until his eyes come to mine and he stops.

"It is lovely to see you all here now, there were some times yesterday when I thought I'd never see you all again." He pauses and swallows, "I realised then what Ana has brought into my life and brought into focus over the last couple of months. I have a family that I have always kept at arm's length for fear of not being good enough, from whom I have always wanted to accept the love being offered but I never felt worthy, thank you everyone for not giving up on me all these years."

As everyone opens their mouth to say something, Christian holds up his hand, "I haven't finished," and everyone stops and waits as he straightens his back, absentmindedly stroking Ana's hair and returning his hand to her shoulder and squeezing gently.

"I'm very glad you are all here today and Dad, I wasn't going to miss Sunday dinner under any circumstances this time," and he grins at Carrick, " I have some wonderful news to share. This beautiful, amazing and courageous woman," and he glances down to Ana who is looking up at him with a smile playing on her lips, "Miss Anastasia Rose Steele, Ana to everyone, has consented to be my wife and there was no way that I was going to let a bit of cold water stop that from happening."

The collective gasp from everyone except Ray who has the most contented smile on his face is followed by a cheer and again a forward rush to congratulate, this one I win and I pull them both into a hug. My son's happy face is a mixture of goofy incredulity as if he can't really believe it himself and pure love for Ana and Ana's face is a study in love, contentment and a touch of fear.

"Welcome to the family Ana, congratulations to both of you," is all I manage to say before Mia in her usual way bulldozers herself into the hug and manages to demand Christian allow her to organise the wedding.

Her "Really, Christian, where is the ring? Were you even organised?" starts Ana giggling and I know there is a story there but I doubt we'll hear it.

Christian rolls his eyes and says, "With pleasure, allow me to return the ring to Ana's finger that I presented and was accepted on Friday night, I asked Ray's approval yesterday," which explains his lack of surprise, "And I was going to announce it at dinner, Ana would have been wearing her ring but we didn't want the paparazzi to see it before any of you knew about it. As to whether you can organise the wedding Mimi, that's up to Ana, I just want it as soon as possible and Mom, can we have it at your house?" With that, he digs the most beautiful ring out of his pocket and slides it back onto Ana's hand with a kiss on her finger and then on her smiling lips before hugging her and releasing her to Kate who is fairly jumping up and down in excitement.

I'm surprised at Kate, for some reason I had pegged her as being quite self-centred but her obvious happiness for Ana shows me that she is a true best friend and I'm not surprised when amongst all her squeals I hear her offering her mother's services to design and make the dress. Kavanagh bridal gowns are well sought after and are always beautiful and when I hear Kate say, "Ana, mom thinks of you as another daughter and it will be our gift to you," it is obvious that anyone that meets Ana holds her in their heart in some way, unfortunately the only person that doesn't is her own mother, Carla and the thought of that evil woman dampens my mood a little.

More so when I hear Ana say that she doesn't feel that she can go see Carla to tell her but will give her a call later before the formal announcement so that she doesn't see it on television which would be mean and my heart swells even more for this amazing girl who would be well within her rights to have disowned her mother, but is still thinking of her feelings, something that her mother has rarely done with her.

To bring the feeling back to a positive happy one, I wait until the final person has congratulated the happy couple before I say, "Yes darling, I would be honoured to host your wedding; it would be my greatest pleasure." There could be nothing better, I didn't expect Christian to be the first one to be married but I love that he wants to hold it our house; it shows how much we mean to him.

"Ok everyone, a toast," and everyone grabs their glass and circles us, "To no more accidents and to a wonderful couple who with everything that has happened, are obviously meant to be together."

The cheer that erupts reverberates through the apartment and then I notice the smiles on the faces of Taylor and Sawyer, the usual taciturn faces are both beaming and Gail has a happy smile and glistening eyes, it is obvious that these stoic and professionally impassive people are all happy for my son and his beautiful fiancée, they, probably more than anyone else here, have seen the positive changes she has wrought on Christian and his life and from the looks of it, couldn't be happier.