Ana's POV – Saturday 30 July 2011
"Daddy, I feel bad that Carla is missing out on the wedding, she used to say that she was sad that no-one was there at her wedding and I …"
"Annie, I think her mother would have loved to have been at the wedding, it was her father, a tough talking, strict man who forbade anyone from having anything to do with Carla once she became wild, it was well before she became pregnant with you, it was not you. She told me that once she'd found her wings, so to speak, her father banished her from the house and her mother wasn't allowed to speak to her and neither were her siblings. I actually felt sorry for her mother, she was severely oppressed as many women were of that generation, the father was boss and no-one could act outside of the laws that they set down or they were cut-off. He was a really proud man and her actions brought shame on the family and that was the end of her and unfortunately, her mother was the one that bore the brunt of it. But Carla, well, she doesn't deserve to be here and you don't deserve to be worrying about her and her feelings. You've worried about her too much all your life and she's always taken you for granted. Forget her."
I nod and then having a thought and knowing that I only have a few minutes before everyone else descends on me and I won't have a moment to myself, I hold onto Ray's hand, the only thing grounding me and call Welch. "Hi, it's Ana, ….yes, I'm ready….Sorry to be calling you but did you trace my grandparents…uh huh, you did? Are they still alive? ….. Uh huh… My grandfather passed away several years ago but my grandmother is still alive?... Wow, her too? Oh… Oh….. and she lives where? ….. Oh…..Yes…. Oh… I would like that….Can you do that?... Oh, yes please….Oh thank you Welch, that is so much appreciated, yes, …. I hope so too….. Thank you… Yes, I'll see you later."
Turning to Ray, he pulls me in for a crushing hug, "Baby girl, all I want to see is you happy, you are always looking out for everyone else." He swallows and says, his voice thick with emotion, "I'm so proud of you, I'm glad it was confirmed that you are my daughter, but you were always my daughter." I hug him back and the words pour from him, "From the moment I held you and looked into your eyes, I knew I had to look after you, I just wish I'd done a better job of it but you didn't tell me, you didn't let me help you, you had to be strong on your own. You decided that on your own at too young an age, please don't do that now, be strong, always be strong but let Christian help you, let him be there for you, just as he needs you to be there for him." He pauses, holding me still but pulling me away from his hug to look me in the eyes, "It's obvious the two of you are made for each other, from the second I met him, I knew he was determined to do the right thing by you, he didn't know why but it didn't take me long to know that he loved you, well before he did himself. It is true love the two of you have, savour it, enjoy it and please Annie, please Annie, allow it, take it and make it the best thing possible."
"And no more tears from this point forward," he says as he pulls me back, sobbing against his chest, overwhelmed by his words and suddenly struck by the fact that in a few hours I will be married, "You know I will always be here for you but I also know that you should never need me again to protect you, but I will always be here for you. Remember that." Patting me on the back, I am struck by how much the last couple of months have changed Ray too, he no longer has a huge problem with showing emotion and it's like a shell has broken and the nut underneath is showing through, the beauty of it that had always been hidden by the rough exterior.
"Thank you Daddy," I sniffle and then the door bursts open and there is Mia with what looks like an army of people behind her.
"Morning Ray, come on girlie, we have so much to do, no time to stand around…. And no more tears…" And Ray smiles and kisses me on the cheek and hurriedly leaves the room, I don't think he can handle that much female energy in one hit except for Gail who he pecks on the cheek as well as she surreptitiously hands him a parcel and smiles at me. I have no doubt that some of Ray's favourite food treats are in that parcel and am so grateful that Gail looks out for him as she does for me.
The morning proceeds as expected, with my face being made up, my hands and toes being attended to, everything scrubbed and scuffed and I'm glad that finally my legs aren't looking so damaged and weak. The skin is healing quite smoothly due to Christian rubbing on some emu oil every night to help repair the skin and the swimming has helped build the wasted muscles, I can't thank Claude enough for working me so well that I feel balanced and stronger.
As a morning tea break is called and we mill around having pretty little cakes and for me a cup of tea, Carrick enters the room and asks if I can go with him for a few minutes, his face is grave and I worry about what news he may have for me. "Is Christian ok, is something the matter?" I ask worriedly as I totter along behind him in the shoes that will cause considerable pain by the end of the night but look gorgeous.
"It's all ok, I just need some papers signed today," he says, his tone clipped.
As we enter his office, he points to the papers on his desk and says, "Please read them and then sign at the bottom," I'm surprised at his demeanour and then as I pick up the document, I realise why, it is a pre-nup agreement and I sigh.
"Carrick, I will happily sign this document, but please understand that if Christian and I were to break up, I won't ask for a cent. I came into this union with nothing but student loans and I would leave in exactly the same situation. I could never repay Christian for everything he has done for me so far, let alone what he will do for me in the future, I know that and am grateful for it, I would never ask for a cent, so I will sign this document even though I can tell that Christian didn't ask you to prepare it, did he?" Carrick's nervous demeanour tells me exactly what he hasn't said, I heard Christian roaring at his legal team just last week about the fact that he didn't want a pre-nup and I told him then that I was happy to sign it and he erupted in anger at me.
"Can I suggest you don't tell Christian that I have signed this until we are back from the honeymoon and please don't tell him today, you'll ruin the day for him, however, I am more than happy to sign it, so that you feel happy with the union going ahead in a few hours time." I say looking at him squarely in the eye, I can understand where he is coming from and I don't begrudge him doing it although his manner in sneaking it in and hoping that I am distracted with the wedding preparations, is a bit rich. I can't let him ruin today, there are more than enough other people willing to disrupt it and I am certainly not telling Christian, I know his feelings but my opinion of Carrick has dropped somewhat.
I don't know if my face shows my disappointment but Carrick reddens and when Grace appears in the doorway and walks in, looks at the documents and rounds with a look of disbelief on her face, he quickly takes them, taps them on the desk to straighten them and thanks me for signing them without looking at either of us. I smile at Grace to reassure her and lifting my head, straightening my shoulders, I turn and walk back out of the office, hearing Grace raise her voice in anger. There is no way I'd ever ask for a cent from Christian and Carrick's actions while understandable, were not what I expected at all, I thought he thought of me as part of the family but I guess he's seen too many divorces and Christian is worth a lot of money. When Grace catches up to me, she apologises and I say sincerely, "I know you didn't know and to be honest, I don't care but please do NOT mention it to Christian, it will ruin his day," and she nods, I know she had nothing to do with the papers and I will not let it ruin my gorgeous man's day.
We continue with the preparations, my hair cascading down my back is wound up into a bun, my veil is to be held in place by my borrowed item, a beautiful ancient comb lent to me by Christian's grandmother, something old is a beautiful bracelet that Ray had tenderly placed around my wrist this morning that was his mother's and is now to be mine, the blue was a garter belt that Christian had given me encrusted with tiny sapphires and a promise of removal with teeth. Finally, the new was the most exquisite set of necklace and earrings, hand delivered by Taylor with the message that Christian was barely holding it together but it was said with a smile and I hugged him and asked him to pass it back, to which he raised an eyebrow and I conceded, perhaps not.
Finally, after all the girls are primped and primed and dressed in their beautiful dresses, it is time to slide on my dress and as Kate's mum slides it over my head and the ooh's begin, I can feel the goosebumps starting and the hairs standing up on my arms. It's almost time, I am about to marry Christian, I am about to be a wife, I am loved, I can't wait.
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Welch's POV – Saturday 30 July 2011
I rarely see the Boss outside of business and to see him today, pure nerves but not about his decision to marry, if there was ever a decision that he was sure about, it is this one. His nervousness is entirely my area of responsibility - security, and ensuring that no-one ruins the day for Ana, everything about the last few weeks has been to protect Ana after our debacle with Elena and the others. He's not that happy with me and I hope what I have achieved today, without his knowledge will not backfire in anyway otherwise, I think I am toast but perhaps the fact that it is important for Ana might save me, she saved me once years ago, I'm sure she'd save me again.
Finding out that Ray was Ana's biological father was the best news I'd heard all year. I remember how shattered he was when Carla dropped him and hooked up with Frank Lambert, clung to him when she discovered she was pregnant and then married him. The light died in Ray a little when she hooked up and when Frank was killed, Ray dithered for a month until watching Carla ignoring Ana to wallow, somewhat validly in her grief, he stepped in and re-established the connection with Carla and cared for Ana. While Carla paid attention to him, still ignoring Ana, Ray carried that little baby girl around everywhere, she quieted immediately when he was in the room and slowly his light came back on as she blossomed under his care despite Carla's obvious lack of affection.
I remembered Carla's stories about her father and how strict he'd been, her mother seemed to have been a quiet but steady influence in her life but once she went off the rails; her excommunication from the family was complete. Chasing up her family has been an interesting exercise so I was pleased to be able to tell Ana about her grandmother, her Nonna as she would be known, this morning. I smile as I think about the conversation and then a harsh clearing of the throat by the Boss brings me back to where I am standing and the work I still have to do.
If I don't secure this venue completely, there will be no wedding and not even Ana will be able to save me. I have security on the water, I have already had three paparazzi boats stopped from coming near the dock, the entire perimeter is being observed and controlled from a central control room and while the marquee stops the helicopter annoyance a little, there have been various hovering overhead and the noise is deafening. As we creep closer to the time, it appears that they have finally understood the message that there will be an official photograph released via Kavanagh Media and yes, that meant a confirmation of the wedding but the hounds seem to have retreated a little and the helicopters have retreated to a less noisy distance and no doubt have long range lenses trained on every gap in the property.
Of concern was the development yesterday of the firing of Gretchen, given her actions and that she knows exactly what is happening today, I've had a tag on her all night and day and we are tracking her phone and every other communication. One of the pretty boys may or may not have been allocated to take her out and keep her occupied and from all reports, there was success in the operation and she is still sleeping in, hopefully that will last the whole day and we aren't dealing with a disgruntled, unrequited lover with unprecedented knowledge of the whole day and proceedings.
The jail has been warned and given the last debacle, has assured us that extra measures will be put in place today to ensure that none of the miscreants have an opportunity to impact the ceremony.
I have little Joey manning the dock and more men surrounding this house than any President has ever had around him, Taylor I won't be relying on as much today as I think this wedding means more to him than most and with his own wedding now only days away, I can't guarantee that his mind is as focussed as it should be but I know that no-one is getting near the Boss or Ana under his watch. Ray is under strict instructions as well and while he is to everyone else, just the father-of-the-bride, he is so much more, we have discussed all manner of things with him and he is very much one of the team, if anything happens, Ray will be rolling around with the rest of us. No-one is going to lay a hand on Ana that isn't approved and quite frankly, the Boss would be happy if no-one touched her at all but we have to be sensible.
The last person that I speak to is Gail, she may well be the housekeeper but she is the brightest of all the women in Ana's posse, while all the others are fussing around her, Gail is acting as both a support for her and also a liaison with Sawyer outside the door, nothing is going to happen in that room without one of us knowing about it immediately. Gail proved her worth in the bank incident and I know that Taylor has said it for years but her discretion and her brains means she'd have a spot on our team if the housekeeping was to fall apart at some point in the future.
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Christian's POV – Saturday 30 July 2011
Having Ana's words on my phone this morning brought me a sense of calm and a smile after I woke with my arms empty, her side of the bed cold and my heart speeding up to a frenzy before I remembered. I wish we'd organised a morning wedding so that I'd be married by now but finally, here I am. Welch has assured me that all is safe, all the guests are here and seated in the marque, the perimeter is secure, the helicopters are moving away, Jose as much as I simply tolerate him, has been snapping up a storm as the girls have been preparing. Jose came past the apartment earlier to take some photos of Elliot and myself, dressing and then playing a couple of games of pool. Once he'd gone, we downed a glass of scotch and Elliot for once wasn't acting the fool, his demeanour restrained, his eyes showing true emotion as he hugged me and it all makes me realise how much Ana has changed me and everyone around me for the better. The Ana effect: I love it and can't wait for her to be my wife, carry my name and never ever leave my side and it's all about to happen. Even the wind stops, just a slight whisper and the birds trilling sounds more like a co-ordinated song than just the normal rambunctious calls at this time of day and then my father walks out and asks, "Ready son?"
I've never been more ready in my life.
Shoulders back, I walk in the side entrance, Elliot is by my side and Taylor is just behind me, stepping into the shadows next to the arch that stands behind the altar, always at the ready, if Ana had wanted a second bridesmaid, Taylor would have been my second groomsman but as it is, he will be just a step behind.
As the music starts, my heart calms, turning to look down the aisle, I catch my mother's eyes, already tearing up and then next to her, I notice two women who seem familiar but I don't recognise and cock my eyebrow at Welch who is standing next to them, his rare smile and nod reassures me that all will be ok and I quickly put them out of my mind as the door opens and my heart skips a beat before speeding up to a rhythm hitherto unknown.
My beautiful girl with a smile as wide as her face, her hand tight on Ray's arm is almost floating down the aisle towards me, her lace and chiffon dress accentuates her beautiful assets, floating material that is classic and pretty, yet totally her and there will never be a more beautiful woman in the world. I can't hear the music, I can't see anything other than her and a gasped, awed, "Madonna" to my right only just registers and then she is here, standing before me and I want to lean forward and clasp her to me but restrain myself and her eyes while dancing with excitement and happiness, calm me immediately and nothing else matters. She is here, it will be minutes and the priest had better not take too long and she will be my wife…. my wife… and the smile on my face mirrors hers and taking her hands in mine, I feel her tremble reduce and stop, I imagine our heartbeats are now in synch and then, taking a breath and realising I hadn't for a bit, I turn my attention to the priest.
Repeating the vows, I say mine, traditional as I wanted but with a couple of little adjustments: "I, Christian Trevelyan Grey take you, Anastasia Rose Steele to be my lawfully wedded wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from the minute I met you and from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to be your strength so that you may always feel safe and to support you in every way possible so that you never have to do it all by yourself again. I promise to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."
Ana's voice is clear and strong as she states her vows, I still can see or hear nothing other than her and her voice, I don't let my brain go anywhere near the stupidity of the other week as she says, ""I, Anastasia Rose Steele take you, Christian Trevelyan Grey to be my lawfully wedded husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise that your wealth or otherwise has never and will never change my love for you, I will love you for richer or poorer as I came to you with nothing and you have given me everything, more, much more than money could ever buy. You have given me love and support and belief in myself, reaching into a deep darkness and shining a light where little has penetrated before. I promise to love you unconditionally, to show you how worthy you are of love, to support you in your goals, and to stand next to you and support you in every way possible. I promise to honor and respect you, trust you to protect me, the whole of me, importantly, I promise to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."
It is all a blur, the rings are exchanged, everything is concluded and all I do is drown in Ana's eyes, she is trusting me to protect her, it really was the only reason I wanted her to obey me and I am humbled that she added that to the vows to show she understood why I was so adamant but also protected her right to avoid an all-encompassing vow that she didn't feel was sustainable given her spirit and my need for control.
Finally, the magic words, "You may kiss the bride" and for once I don't care about who is watching and pull her into the only place I wish I could keep her so that I know she's safe, my arms and crush my lips to hers. Her giggle finally breaks us apart as the marquee erupts into applause and I lean in for just one more peck and then straighten holding her hand and look down at her, knowing I'll never forget that look of absolute happiness and love as she looks up at me.
As we start to walk down, my parents congratulate us and then I am surprised when Ray comes forward with the two unknown ladies both in tears and I stiffen as I realise why they seemed familiar. Ray says as he hugs Ana first and then as he hugs me, "Congratulations Ana and son, welcome to the family." He steps back for a second as I look at him questioningly and the women push past him and I notice the smile on Ana's face and realise that she knows. Her open arms to both calm me immediately although I will have words with Welch at the earliest opportunity, there is no way that Carla's mother and grandmother, so Ana's grandmother and great grandmother, are going to negatively impact on Ana, whatever their story is, I need to know it before I will let them hurt her. With their skin, hair and eye colour, it is obvious to see the link to Ana but what sets them apart from Carla and makes them easier to accept is that both exude the same sort of innocence that emanates from Ana and is completely devoid from Carla, if I'd never had anything to do with Carla and these two and met them for the first time in a different setting, I would be drawn to them and repulsed by Carla as I was when I first met her.
Realising that everyone is waiting and now curious, both ladies step back, wiping tears off smiling faces and then I stiffen but feel Ana's hand on my back as they turn and hug me too, I'm still not used to it but given that they unlike everyone else, have no idea about my issues and Ana is grounding me, I cautiously accept but step out of the hug quickly and they move back into their positions and we continue down the aisle and out to take photos.
As promised, Jose takes a lovely posed shot and it is sent straight to Kavanagh media, Taylor shows me the image as soon as it is released and it is amazing, the helicopters and the boats off the shore disappear and suddenly we are able to take our wedding photos down on the dock and in my mother's beautiful garden as I'd secretly wished was possible. Ana deserves to have beautiful wedding photos and we are able to capture the beauty of the Sound and all the flowers to provide a wedding memory that is unsurpassed, once again I have to admit Jose does have an exceptional ability with his camera. That's as much as I will concede in relation to him and am glad to see him fade into the background as we continue onto the reception marquee.
With everyone ushered into the reception marquee, we start to make our entrance and I am not surprised as to how beautiful it all looks, my mother has outdone herself as have Mia and Kate and the stunned look and the tears that well in Ana's eyes and her whispered, "I never dreamed of a wedding let alone anything as beautiful as this, it's amazing." As the girls are watching and listening, I see their smiles and know that they realise what a gift they have given us and I release Ana's hand so that she can throw her arms around them and thank them with tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Thank you so much, it has all been beautiful, you have done so much, I never dreamed of a wedding let alone something as beautiful as this."
"Ana, you deserve the best," and for once Mia loses her happy bubbly demeanour and true raw emotion shows on her face as she continues, "You have saved my big brother, the best person in the world, you have given him and us a such a gift that I could never repay you, this is nothing to what I'd really want to give you, you asked for restrained, if I could I would give you the world. You have made my brother smile, I love you like a sister and …"
She doesn't get any further as Ana hugs her tight and I pull them both into a hug, my little sister has never been this serious and I try and stay in the beautiful moment rather than think of the reason why she and behind her, I can see my mother are both crying. Ana finally pulls away and reaches for Kate.
"And Kate thank you so much, thank you for inserting all the touches that are me, from having known me so long, for being the reason that I'm standing here today and just simply for everything."
Cuing the tears once again, they cling to each other as I pull my mother into a hug, "I don't think I could ever thank Ana enough, I am so happy for you," she whispers.
Mia has now composed herself and says quietly, "I think you need to make your entrance, we've held you up enough."
"Well you, Kate and mom need to go in so that we can." I add and gently wipe Ana's face with my handkerchief, her radiant smile now back on her face and I can't help but lean down and kiss her.
Again, completely forgetting about everyone until I hear the building "awwww" and purposely turn us so my back is to the room and continue until Ana once again giggles against my lips as the "aww" turns into a collective chuckle and we break apart.
The sound of "Introducing the new Mr and Mrs Christian Grey" sends a shiver through my body and with reflected beaming grins and hand in hand, we walk to our table to start the reception and our married life, together.