A/N: I loved all your responses to the last chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one ?

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 25: The Parents

Oh my God… those are actually his parents?

Ana felt nothing but shock as Christian acknowledged the couple standing at the base of the steps in front of the Kavanaugh Media building. Ana wasn't quite sure what to say, so she decided to remain silent as she looked at Christian's parents.

They were a good-looking pair: the man was tall and rather strapping with salt and pepper hair, and the woman had shoulder-length brown hair with a kind face. Both of them looked very well put-together in designer business attire, and Ana could completely believe they were a couple who ran a multinational corporation together.

However, Ana also knew all about Christian's past at GEH and how his father hadn't spoken a word to Christian since he left Seattle months ago. So the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Grey were even here in New York City, standing right in front of Christian's place of work, was a huge shock to say the least. Ana looked at Mr. Grey, and she couldn't help but notice the stiffness in his posture as he looked up at Christian. She couldn't tell if he was actually upset to be here or if he just always looked like that.

"Christian," the woman now said, stepping away from her husband as she moved up several steps toward her son. She was clearly very happy to see him again, though was obviously trying to rein herself in a bit in case Christian didn't reciprocate her happiness. However, Christian smiled before moving toward her and pulling her into his arms.

She willingly hugged him back, holding him tight, and Ana couldn't help but smile as she watched mother and son reuniting.

"Hi Mom," Christian said quietly as he held her, and she squeezed him tight.

"It's so good to see you again, sweetheart," she said quietly, and Ana could practically feel the sincerity radiating off of her.

"You too, Mom," Chtistian responded, his voice just as quiet. Ana chanced a glance over at Mr. Grey, and he was looking away from his wife and son embracing as if the sight of them offended him. Ana frowned, though still remained silent.

"What are you guys doing here?" Christian asked after a moment, finally pulling away to glance between his parents.

"Carrick and I are in the city for a few days," Mrs. Grey explained. "I tried calling you a few days ago to tell you, sweetheart. Why didn't you answer?"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but it's been a pretty crazy few days," Christian explained regretfully. "I don't know if I can get into it all right now."

"Of course you can't," Mr. Grey spoke up for the first time, not even bothering to hide his disdain as he finally looked up at his son. Christian looked back at him, and there was a slightly awkward pause as nobody said anything for several protracted seconds.

Christian finally broke his gaze before looking over at Ana. He held out his hand for her, and she walked over to take it. "...Mom, Dad – I'd like you to meet my girlfriend. Ana, these are my parents, Grace and Carrick Grey."

Ana smiled, inordinately pleased at Christian referring to her as his girlfriend. She could definitely get used to being called that. "Hi, nice to meet you," she said, holding out her hand for Grace to shake.

Grace looked shocked and delighted upon seeing Ana. "Oh, Christian. You have a girlfriend?" she gasped, and she took Ana's hand in both her own. "She's beautiful! It's very nice to meet you, dear."

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you too," Ana said, feeling flattered by Grace's genuine delight upon meeting her. She seemed like a very sweet woman, and Ana had a difficult time understanding why she was with a man as cold and aloof as Carrick seemed to be.

"So, how did you two meet? How long have you been together? Oh, I have so many questions!" Grace laughed, still smiling at Ana before looking over at Christian. "I was hoping you, me, and your father could go to dinner together tonight, Christian, but we'd be more than happy to invite your girlfriend to join us. How does that sound?"

Ana said nothing. She would have been fine going to dinner with Christian and his mother, but his father was another story. She hesitated as she glanced between Grace and Carrick, who had maintained his stoic demeanor throughout the conversation.

"Um… I don't know, Mom," Christian spoke after a moment, vocalizing Ana's feelings as he glanced over at his father. "That might not be a good idea."

Grace's face fell slightly as she regarded her son. "Please, darling," she said quietly to him, imploring. "Just one dinner. We're only here for a couple days, and we've missed you so much these past few months."

"Have you?" Christian asked, seemingly without thinking. Ana knew how difficult it likely was for Christian to be face-to-face with his parents again after all the ugliness that went down between them when he decided to leave, and she frowned in sympathy.

"We have, darling," Grace insisted. "Please, we would love to have dinner with you tonight. Wouldn't we, Carrick?"

Carrick didn't say anything for a moment as he looked up at his son from the base of the steps, working his jaw slightly as if he were trying to hold back something. "We're staying at The Plaza," he finally said in a stilted voice, as if he were forcing himself to speak, and his face remained an inscrutable mask. "We were planning on dining there tonight at 7, at the Palm Court. You… both of you… are free to join us."

That last part sounded difficult for him to say, and Christian seemed momentarily too surprised to say anything to that. Or perhaps he was just shocked his father was speaking to him at all.

"Okay," Christian finally said, glancing over at Ana. She gave him a small nod. "We'll be there."

"We look forward to it," Ana added, giving Grace a smile. Honestly, she was feeling rather nervous for this dinner, but she knew accepting their invite was the polite thing to do. Also, it seemed as if Christian wanted her to be there, and she wanted to support him however possible.

And who knows? Maybe Christian and his parents could finally work their issues out over dinner. That would hardly be a bad thing, right?

Grace let out a breath, clearly happy to hear them agree to dinner. "Wonderful. We're looking forward to catching up with you after all this time, sweetheart."

Christian gave her a small smile. "Me too, Mom."

With one more hug and a promise to meet at The Plaza later for dinner, Grace, Christian, and Ana all said goodbye before Grace left with Carrick. The pair walked a short ways down the sidewalk before approaching a black car parked on the curb, and a man in a crisp black suit moved around the front side of the car and opened the back door for them. They got inside, and the suit shut the door behind them before walking back over to the driver's side; soon, the car pulled out into the New York City traffic and disappeared.

Ana finally looked over at Christian. "Your parents have a chauffeur here in New York? That's pretty ritzy."

"That was Taylor, my dad's CPO and the head of security at GEH," Christian explained, still gazing out into the street. "He's a good guy… though I'm guessing my dad told him not to engage with me while he and my mom are here in the city."

"I can believe that. Seriously, what is up with your dad?" Ana asked, frowning before shaking her head. "I know you said the two of you left on bad terms, but I wasn't expecting him to be so cold."

"Honestly, his behavior was better than I expected," Christian admitted. "At least there was no yelling this time around. I'm glad you didn't see him the last time we saw each other… it got pretty ugly."

"He sounds delightful," Ana said dryly, and Christian let out a humorless chuckle.

"You have no idea," he said glibly, finally turning to look down at Ana. "Are you okay with going to dinner with us tonight? If you're not ready to have a sit-down dinner with me and my parents yet, I completely understand. I can just meet up with you at your place later."

"I want to go," Ana insisted. "Really, Christian. This is obviously difficult for you, having your parents dropped on you like this so suddenly, and I want to be there to support you. Do you know why they're here, exactly?"

Christian sighed, shaking his head. "I have no idea. It's possible they're only here for a visit, but I have a feeling something else is going on. I suppose we'll find out over dinner."

"And I'll be by your side through it all," Ana said firmly, and Christian smiled at her, all the love and affection he felt for her clearly conveyed in one look.

"I didn't think it was possible to love you more than I did after everything that happened today with Kate and Jack, but apparently I was wrong," he smiled, running his thumb over her fingers and causing Ana to blush. "I was planning on ravishing you the moment we got back to my place tonight, but I won't be able to if we want to make it to dinner on time."

Ana couldn't help but feel immensely disappointed, but she gave him a sincere smile all the same. "There's always after," she promised, a sensual tone to her voice. She took a step forward so their bodies were only centimeters apart. Christian reciprocated her heated stare as he moved his hand and slid it around her waist, pulling her even closer; he leaned down to kiss her, and Ana didn't hesitate to kiss him back.

"I'll hold you to that, Steele," Christian whispered against her lips, and Ana couldn't help but smile. She suddenly couldn't wait for this dinner to happen.

Ana and Christian ended up leaving separately so they could get ready for dinner at their respective homes, and they agreed to meet up at the front door of The Plaza at seven o'clock. Though Ana had agreed to this dinner, she couldn't help but feel more regretful than ever that they were going to this rather than spending the evening together celebrating Kate and Jack's demise. This dinner was really starting to feel like an unwelcome interloper to their happiness

But she had agreed to go, and so that's what they were going to do. It was warm out this evening, so Ana opted for a knee-length white and blue a-line dress with spaghetti straps and white wedges. She also touched up her makeup and re-curled her hair, taking more care than usual in her appearance – The Plaza was a very high-class establishment, and while this was technically the second time she was meeting her boyfriend's parents, she still wanted to make a good impression.

Even if this dinner could very well end up being a disaster.

Ana took an Uber to The Plaza, and as soon as the car pulled up to the curb, she noticed Christian already there and standing near the door, his hands tucked in his pockets as he waited for her to arrive. Ana opened the car door and stepped out, and she saw Christian turn to look at her. He seemed to freeze in place as he took in her outfit.

"Ana," he said in a husky voice as she approached him, and his eyes raked up and down her outfit, lingering on her bare legs and high-heeled wedges. "God, you look incredible. You're going to make this dinner even more difficult to sit through."

Ana couldn't help but smile. "Well, the sooner we go to dinner, the sooner we can leave," she promised, stepping toward him and taking his hand in her own. Christian smiled back at her before bringing their joined hands up to his mouth and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. He then leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he asked, giving her a soft smile. Even though his tone was self-assured, Ana could tell he was as apprehensive as she was for this dinner. Ana squeezed his hand before they made their way inside together.

Ana had never been inside The Plaza before, even though she's passed by it a few times. It was an extravagant white stone building straight out of classic early 20th century New York City aesthetic: she and Christian stepped into the foyer, and were met with a gorgeous gold-trimmed interior, arched doorways, and a massive crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. Ana couldn't resist gazing around the place in awe as Christian led her through the foyer and down a wide, marble-floor corridor that led to the restaurant.

"Have you stayed here before?" Ana couldn't help but ask Christian. "Back when you worked for your father?"

"Yeah, just a few times on business trips," Christian admitted. "It's definitely one of the nicest hotels I've ever been to. It doesn't surprise me that my parents decided to come here."

"The perks of being rich," Ana smirked teasingly at him, and Christian rolled his eyes in amusement.

They arrived at the entrance of The Palm Court, which was just as lavish as The Plaza's foyer, with gorgeous gold trimming, arched windows, and beautiful palm trees decorating the walls. The large establishment was filled with the general murmur of patrons chatting over their dinners, which were no doubt of 5-star quality. Christian approached the nearby hostess, telling her they were meeting with Carrick and Grace Grey.

"Of course, sir. The two of them are expecting you," the hostess said with polite professionalism, picking up two menus. "If you'll follow me, please."

Christian and Ana followed the hostess through the restaurant, and soon they arrived at a table near the back where Grace and Carrick were sitting, waiting for them. Both of them had also changed clothes since Ana and Christian had last seen them a few hours ago, but they were already so well-dressed that it didn't make much of a difference – Grace wore a nice designer blue pantsuit with a string of pearls around her neck, and Carrick had on a darker suit with a deep red tie.

Both of them looked up when Ana and Christian approached.

"Sweetheart," Grace smiled brightly upon seeing her son, and she got to her feet. "Ana – I'm so glad you two made it."

"Of course," Christian smiled back at her, and the two hugged. Grace then hugged Ana, but Carrick barely glanced up at the two of them before looking back down at his menu.

Well okay then, Ana couldn't help but think as the three of them sat down. Carrick clearly hadn't warmed up to her and Christian yet, but she supposed his stony silence throughout this dinner wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Christian and Ana made small talk with Grace for a few minutes as they looked over their menus. Grace immediately started asking Ana questions about herself, enquiring as to what she did for a living; Ana only felt a little uncomfortable admitting that she worked at Kavanaugh Media alongside Christian, and that that was how they met. The last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to the fact that Christian left the family business for this job.

The waiter soon came around and took their orders. Once they all said what they wanted, he collected their menus and walked away, leaving the four of them sitting there in silence for a few moments.

"…So Mom, how's GEH?" Christian asked in a casual voice, picking up his glass of water to take a sip.

The silence at the table suddenly became more tense when he asked that, and Grace and Carrick could only look at their son. Ana's heart pounded in her throat as she glanced over at Christian, who pretended that everything was normal as he looked at his mother.

"Um… it's going well," Grace said carefully. "Davison took over your old position, do you remember him? And Mia is now Special Events Director, which is what she's always wanted."

"That's great. She's perfect for that job," Christian smiled fondly at the mention of his little sister. "And what about Elliot?"

There was another tense silence for a few moments as neither Grace nor Carrick said anything. "Well…" Grace hedged, looking uncomfortable.

"He quit," Carrick finally piped up, and the others looked over at him. Carrick was looking at Christian with that same stoic expression on his face that he'd worn earlier that day. "He left GEH about a month after you did."

Christian blinked, clearly taken aback by that news. "He did? I had no idea," he said honestly, looking over at his mother for confirmation. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"He asked us not to tell you, darling," Grace explained, frowning. "And we wanted to respect his wishes."

"He was probably afraid he would fail in his endeavors, which is why he didn't want you to know," Carrick said spitefully, the disdain clear in his voice as he looked directly at Christian. "He quit so he could get his contractor license and start his own business. How about that? First my marketing director quits, then my best sales guy follows in his little brother's footsteps – I kind of figured you were the one putting him up to it, Christian."

Ana glared at Carrick. This was the most she had heard him speak all night, and he was being nothing but a huge asshole. Christian seemed to share Ana's thoughts as he glared at his father too.

"I had nothing to do with Elliot leaving GEH," he insisted. "If he left, it was because he wanted to. Maybe as CEO you should try to find a better way to retain your employees."

"Well, maybe my employees just need to learn how to be more grateful for what they have!" Carrick snapped back angrily. A few nearby patrons stopped talking to look over at their table.

Christian continued to glare at his father for a few more moments before glancing back over at his mother. "Why are you guys here?" he asked tersely. "Seriously – I know you're not here just for a visit. What's the real reason?"

"We wanted to see you, darling," Grace insisted. "We've missed you… both of us have."

"You expect me to believe that?" Christian asked, turning back toward Carrick. "I've known you two long enough to know whenever Mom's calling the shots, and it's obvious to everyone here that Dad would rather be anywhere else than at this table. So tell me… why are you guys really here?"

Grace and Carrick didn't say anything for a moment, and Ana felt obligated to speak up: "Look, I know that some unpleasant stuff went down between you guys back when Christian was at GEH," she said uncomfortably. "And I know that it's probably none of my business, but I think that if you guys just talked about it you'd feel a lot better."

"Yes, I agree," Grace said, nodding gratefully at Ana.

"There's nothing to talk about," Carrick said firmly to Ana. "I told Christian the day he left Seattle that if he can truly be successful on his own, then good riddance. He was going to fail in his little excursion, and he shouldn't expect me to accept him back at GEH when he did. And I was right, wasn't I? He doesn't want to admit Kavanaugh completely screwed him over."

"Carrick," Grace chided her husband, looking angry.

Ana felt an uncomfortable weight in the pit of her stomach, and there was a tense silence for several seconds after he said that. Did Carrick actually know about what had happened at Kavanaugh Media over the past few days?

"You've been keeping tabs on me," Christian said quietly after a moment. It wasn't a question, and Carrick's stony look essentially confirmed his assertion.

Christian let out a breath before shaking his head. "Moving three thousand miles away from this family clearly wasn't enough," he said, trying to suppress the anger in his voice. He then pushed back his chair and got to his feet. "C'mon Ana. We're leaving."

Ana knew she should have protested, but honestly she was glad to leave. She got to her feet.

"Christian, please. Don't leave like this," Grace pleaded. "We can talk about it…"

"I have nothing more to say to him," Christian said firmly. "If you guys just came to New York to bury the hatchet with me, then I'm sorry to disappoint. Have a safe trip home."

With that, he took Ana's hand and the two of them walked out of the restaurant, neither of them looking back.

A/N: Oh boy :/ What are your thoughts? Please review!

Of course it's not over yet. Next chapter, Carrick makes yet another appearance.