CHAPTER 14: THREE DATES

It was already dark when Christian entered Anastasia's house. He told Taylor to take the night off and sent Gail with him. The poor man had been waiting with the facility's security pretty much 7-24 for the past six weeks. Despite his anger at Taylor for letting Anastasia keep her situation from him, he understood their reluctance. They probably thought that he'd rush home and left his treatment unfinished. They were probably right. He had some time to cool off and think about it on the jet so he was fairly calm but still worried.

He looked around quietly, trying not to wake her up. The first floor was with a huge living room, with a TV unit and a soft-looking couch. He smiled at the floor-length bookshelves on the other wall, his little bookworm. The kitchen looked clean and the fridge was well-stocked. He knew that Gail would take care of her but he still worried. He went upstairs quietly and found the master bedroom Taylor told him. The bedroom was all pastel purples and creamy whites, but the object of his worry was sleeping in the middle of the fluffy bed. He took a deep breath, feeling his anxiety leave his body. She looked peaceful in the dim light of her bedside lamp, nowhere as his horrible imagination. An angry-looking scar marred her forehead but other than that, she looked like the Anastasia he saw 2 weeks ago. He stopped by Escala to take a shower and pack a bag, so he just took off his shoes and laid down next to her as gently as he could. He turned towards her, his eyes memorizing her face. He couldn't wait to tell her everything he thought about, his desires, his dreams. But he needed to make sure that she was okay first. He reached out and took her hand, letting her soft breathing lull him to sleep.

He woke up with a squeal and a tiny body squeezing his tight. He was startled one moment, after 6 weeks of no human contact, it felt weird for a second. But his body knew this one. He relaxed and chuckled without opening his eyes, squeezing her back.

"Christiaann!" She screamed happily. "You came back!" Her tiny arms squeezed tighter, making his ribs protest. He opened his eyes and looked down at the messed up brown locks and bright blue eyes, her smiling face. He smiled back, his hands brushing her hair away so that he could see her better. He let his hand linger on her cheek.

"Yes, Miss Steele. I wasn't expecting you to be happy, though. Didn't you get my e-mail?" She rolled her eyes.

"I did. But I still missed you. And you can't kill me when I'm at bedrest, this is like against all the rules of war." She winked cheekily, making all his anger melt away. He bent his head and kissed her forehead.

"I understand why you wanted to keep it from me, but no more secrets, okay? Tell me what happened."

"The last week my feet started to swell so much that I called my doctor. She said that I should've gotten tested for pre-eclampsia. I was getting ready for my appointment, I slipped in the shower. Prescott offered to put a bar in the shower before, but I didn't think it was necessary. Obviously, I was wrong, I couldn't hold on to anywhere and I fell. Thankfully I managed to protect my belly so she's fine, but I needed 4 stitches." She gestured to her forehead. "I don't have a concussion or anything, thankfully. But I officially have pre-eclampsia. They kept me in the hospital for 3 days and I need to be monitored very closely. The doctor actually wanted to keep me there the whole time but I'd lose my mind if I stayed in the hospital for 9-10 weeks. So we compromised. I'm on bed rest, meaning that I can only get out of here to go to the toilet and stretch my legs by walking around the house 2 times a day. It's also making me mad but I have no other choice." If he wasn't worried, he'd have laughed at the annoyed expression on her face.

"Do we need a nurse? I can get one here, to take your blood pressure regularly. So that we can know when to take you to the hospital?" She sighed.

"No, Luke bought a device to measure my blood pressure, he or Gail is doing it regularly and they take notes. We'll have to go to the hospital if it reaches 90 mmHg." He nodded, making a mental note to talk to Sawyer and learn how to use the said device. She reached up, caressing the frown in his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to leave the program early. I could see how much it benefitted you."

"I understand why you didn't tell me. It's okay. I'm just glad you and the baby are okay. And yes, the program did benefit me. Of course, I'm not "cured" by all means but I'm definitely better." Her eyes searched his eyes, obviously happy by what she had found. She smiled, lowering her hand and caressing his cheek.

"I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He turned his face and kissed her palm. Suddenly nervous about what he was about to say. He caressed her cheek and looked into her eyes. "Anastasia, I love you."

She felt like her brain stopped working for a moment, she couldn't register what she had heard. Was she dreaming? Anastasia was sure that she'd never hear those three little words from Christian Grey. She was speechless. Her eyes kept swaying between his, trying to see deception or maybe emotional desperation. Was he saying that because he felt grateful for her support? Or maybe because he wanted to be there for the baby. But she already told him she was ready to co-parent. Why would he lie? She could see him getting twitchy and nervous as the silence stretched.

"I-I'd understand if it's not the case for you anymore. I know I hurt you a lot but I wasn't ready to accept any positive emotion in my life. I am now. I'd understand if you don't feel the same anymore but you should know that I'm going to try my hardest to make you love me again." His face was determined, his voice strong. She felt tears spilling down her cheeks. He gently wiped them.

"Please don't cry, pretty girl. Say something." He whispered. Even though both had been through all the "intimate" experiences a couple can experience together, this one felt more intimate than the rest. He felt his heart beating in his chest. He meant what he said, they talked in detail about the possible scenarios with his therapist. He was prepared for rejection and fighting for her.

"Do you mean it?" Her voice was so quiet, his heart ached for the way she was asking that question. Almost like she expected him to say no. He took a deep breath and put himself out there again.

"Anastasia Steele, I love you. I think I loved you since you fell into my office, I was just a stupid man to refuse to acknowledge it. I love you. I want us to be a family, I want to be a real father to your daughter, will you let me?" She made a choking noise and pulled him down to hug him tight. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. She didn't say it back, but her hug and tears gave him hope. She cried for a few minutes before pulling back and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her pajama. He noticed the tiny ducks on them for the first time, smiling.

"I-I dreamed of this moment for so long. But now, I can't believe you mean it. I don't mean to say that you are lying but maybe you feel grateful for me and mistaking it with love?" He sighed.

"I know I'm not, but I also understand why you won't believe me. My actions lately didn't leave much to trust me, did they? But don't worry about this, okay? I'll make you believe me." She smiled at the final way he said it, it was almost like he was talking about a business deal. She nodded.

"And.. You want to be her father?"

"Yes. I think I was so scared of wanting her, this was probably why I kept telling you I can never be a father. I thought it was impossible because of the things I did and the things that happened to me. These intense therapy sessions showed me how much I wanted that with you. I'm still not like you. I mean, you wanted to be a mother, unrelated to their father. But I don't think I would want anyone else's kid. I want to be the father of your child, not just a father. Does it make sense?" She nodded, caressing his face absentmindedly.

"I think so, yes. But don't think that I didn't want your child, Christian. I just thought that it was impossible because we were over and you didn't want kids. And my condition basically forced me to look for some other solution."

"I know, I know." He tried to soothe her, he didn't mean to come across as accusing. He understood her well. But his realizations came with confessing his love for her to himself first, and then his desire to build a family and a future with her. He couldn't imagine these things apart from her. And maybe it was a mistake, like the therapist told him. Having a plan B was always good, he said. But he didn't believe in a plan b when he dropped out and started his business, he didn't believe in a plan b when it came to Anastasia, either. "I didn't mean to accuse you. I'm just grateful that you accepted my poorly masked offer. I'm glad you are carrying my child." His breath caught when he said the last two words.

She took his hand and pressed it to her side, under her top, where she could feel her daughter wake up. He felt like a bolt of electricity hit him when he felt a tiny foot press into his hand. It wasn't like a kick, it was like someone was gently poking him, to get his attention. He looked down, pressing back gently, which earned him an actual kick this time. He laughed, with tears in his eyes. It was such a surreal feeling. To know that he was the father of this little baby. He caressed her belly for a few moments to get his feelings under control. She was watching him, relieved to see the love and wonder on his face. She needed to be sure that he wanted all in. She wouldn't let her daughter have a father who would abandon her later in life. If he wanted in, he needed to be all in. And judging from the tears he tried to wipe discreetly, he was.

"She always does it." She smiled. "It's like she thinks it's a challenge to touch her from outside and she pushes back. One time I pressed too hard and I could feel her stretching her whole body, I felt her head in my ribs and it was like her feet were sticking out from my stomach." He coughed, to make sure his voice was normal before she spoke.

"She takes no bullshit. That's good." She laughed.

"I'm carrying her, for God's sake. The least she could do is to be kind to me." He laughed, too. Enjoying this light moment, after 6 weeks of heavy, upsetting, madding conversations.

"Are you supposed to be eating that?" Her head shot up like lightning, she looked at him angrily.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He wasn't prepared for the angry look on her face, he never saw her like this, even when she slapped him.

"I just meant that it's full of sugar. You are not eating pancakes with syrup, you are eating a plate of syrup with pancakes in it."

"That's none of your business." She glared at him and kept on eating, murmuring how once you got pregnant everyone started being nutritionists. He sighed and returned to his work. He bought a small foldable table so that he could work and keep her company at the same time but she was a huge distraction. Her giggles at the book she was reading, her soft sighs when she took a nap, and even her murderous glare was distracting.

"I have an idea." Her voice was quiet, it came hesitantly. He raised an eyebrow. They were having dinner downstairs, he agreed to let her out of the bed only if he could carry her. She agreed with an intensive eye-roll but he could feel her inhaling him when he pulled her up in his arms. They were seated on the comfortable couch, finishing their dinner. He was curious but also didn't like how guilty she looked.

"I've been thinking all day and... I think... Maybe you should date?" Christian looked at her, confused now. He already planned to woo her with a few "inside date" ideas, since she wasn't allowed to leave the house. Did she want more? But the guilty expression on her face grew as he looked at her confused. She sighed, putting her plate down. "Look, you've been through a very difficult and intense 6-week marathon and I'm very happy to see you feel better. And that you accepted you can be loved and love. But Christian, you never really had a girlfriend, let alone one you think about having a child with. I'm worried that you think you love me simply because I'm the last person you let in. I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering if you'd have confessed your love if you had someone else in your life." She looked at him under her eyelashes, seeing a furious look before he took it under control and took a few deep breaths.

"I can say the same for you, though."

"What?"

"You didn't date, did you? I was your first sexual relationship. I can easily assume to know that you don't know you love me, simply because you didn't know any other men?" She looked at him like a fish, mouth agape, blue eyes huge. She never considered that point of view but she guessed he was right. They were similar in that aspect.

"I understand what are you saying. But I wasn't traumatized and I didn't think that I didn't have a heart." She pressed. Still thinking that she had the right to be suspicious. "I'm not saying that you don't know what do you feel. I'm just saying that you never allowed yourself to see women in three groups: your family, your subs, and the rest of the world. Right now I don't know for sure that you chose me." She looked down, tears filling her eyes again. "You could have anyone in the world and I feel like you think you love me because you didn't look at any other women with romantic intentions."

"I don't understand what you want. That I go and date other women?" She nodded, refusing to look at him. "By your logic, what happens if I fall in love with one, then?" He was so angry that it was difficult to keep himself in check. But he tried to remind himself that Anastasia was much younger than he was, and she was very emotional now. She cried into her hands.

"Then I'll know you didn't love me before you could hurt both of us." She wrapped her hands around her stomach protectively, softening his heart. He reached and pulled her gently, settling her between his legs, her face buried in his chest. He let her cry while he got his thoughts in order.

"I don't agree with this line of thinking, because we can use it for breaking up, very easily. I can tell you, you never got pregnant before, you think you love me because you are pregnant with my child. I can tell you, you never lived with a man before and you think you love me because you got used to me. Etcetera etcetera. But I can see how much this pleagues your mind and I'd rather test your stupid theory to show you it's stupid instead of having you wonder if I'd choose someone else rest of our lives. So, okay. I'll date. I give you 3 dates."

"10."

"10? Woman you have lost your mind if you think that I moved in to be away from you 10 nights." She laughed, still in tears but not shaking anymore.

"5?"

"3."

"5."

"3."

"Ugh!" She bumped her head to his chest, "you are impossible. Okay, three dates with three different women. And no kissing or any funny business." He smirked.

"I don't know... How am I supposed to know if I really like someone without kissing them? What if they are the love of my life and I didn't know because I didn't-" He was interrupted by her grabbing his head and kissing him with everything she had. It was the type of kiss he read about, the type of kiss poets wrote sonnets. Both of them were breathing very hard when they broke apart. He caressed her face and smiled. "See? That kiss shows me how madly I love you." She smiled brightly, kissing him again.

Two days later, he was ready for his first date. In his dark suit, he looked like he was going to a business meeting instead of a date, as Anastasia told him. He didn't tell her but he didn't like to show his "casual" side to those women, it was bad enough that he was following along her stupid theory. He opened the door to let Jean in at 7 o'clock sharp.

"You must be Jean." He tried to look relaxed and smiled. He heard so much about Jean but hadn't met her before. "Come on in." She looked at him curiously but she entered, smiling. It was obvious that she was familiar with the house, so she quickly put her jacket and bag at the entrance.

"You must be Christian. Welcome back." He smiled tightly. She was welcoming him to his own house? What an entitled woman! But then, he felt bad, maybe she meant his stay at the facility, not the house.

"Yes, nice to meet you. I had Taylor call you because I need someone to tell the stubborn woman upstairs that her idea is stupid." She chuckled.

"I already did!" Her laughter died down and she leaned, whispering. "She's just terrified that you'll regret not meeting other people. Humor her, please."

"I'm already doing that." He rolled his eyes and gestured himself. "I have a date. I'll be back in a few hours, I didn't want her to be alone and write scenarios in her mind. I'm only doing this because she wants it. Please remind her of that." She took in the love in his eyes and smiled, sincerely this time. She liked his "no bullshit" attitude.

"Will do. Have fun on your date, but not too much." She warned, already walking away without hearing his reply. He sighed and went out.

"You dumb bitch."

"I know..." She wailed, still crying since she heard the door close after Christian left. Jean wasn't helping with her insensitive comments. "I just- I just need to know that he chooses me."

"Dude, have you seen him?! If he wanted someone else, he'd get them already. I don't understand why you insisted on making him see other people. You two admitted your love to each other and you have a baby on the way. Why make it harder than it is?"

"BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW!" She wailed again and cried harder. Jean sighed, getting up from her chair and sitting down next to Anastasia in the bed, petting her shoulders.

"What if he falls in love with her?" She hiccupped. "What if she's prettier than me?"

"You are stunning! Have you looked in the mirror lately? Your skin and hair is shining, your tits look fabulous. Any man who wants someone else isn't worth having anyway."

"What if he falls in love?"

"He won't. He wanted me to remind you that he's doing this because you wanted it."

"He did?" She looked up, tears finally stopping. Jean nodded and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her sweater.

"I think he really loves you, Steele. But he's going along with this so that you know. Anyway, do you know who's the girl?" She shook her head. She specifically told him not to tell her. She didn't want that information in her mind. She leaned to her friend and kept crying. Even though a part of her agreed that this was stupid and she was crying for nothing, a part of her wanted to be sure.

"Grace said that you dropped out of Harvard?" She asked. Her name was Gwen, she was the daughter of one of Grace's friends. They tried to set up a blind date for a few years back but he kept saying no. Well, not anymore. He tried to be friendly but he made it clear that this was only one date and a second one won't be. She just smiled and told him jokingly that was why she chose a restaurant that she couldn't normally afford. She looked like a nice girl, with red hair, a pale face, and cute freckles. But his heart belonged to a stunning brunette so it didn't go further than acknowledging she was attractive inside his mind.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It wasn't really for me." She nodded.

"I understand. I also dropped out of Law School, in my second year. My dad was furious." She laughed.

"Mine, too." He added. "He wanted me to finish my bachelor's before jumping into the business world. I saw no point in waiting."

"It's like they have this idea of how their children should turn out and we have no choice but to follow that path." She rolled her eyes and reached, taking a sip from her wine. "I'm an interior designer now, and I make enough for myself. But it still isn't enough." She frowned and he saw something deeper cross her face. She leaned down a little bit, looking at his eyes seriously.

"Are the rumors true about you?" Rumors? He felt his heart fall, he talked to his mother about not doing anything drastic other than cutting Elena off but did she talk to someone?

"What?"

"Are you gay?" He took a shaky breath and shook his head. That was it?

"No, I'm not gay." Surprisingly, her face fell. He would've expected the opposite, did she prefer to be on a date with someone gay?

"I was hoping you were. That's why I accepted this date." She rubbed her face, taking a big gulp of her wine. "I'm sorry if I lead you on, I'm not interested in anything. Can we leave?"

"Hey, hey, stop. Tell me, what's wrong?" She sighed.

"I am gay. I was hoping you were, too. So that we can get married on paper and get my parents off my back." He was very surprised. His family and most of their family friends were pretty relaxed people. He knew a few families with gay children and all was well. Was Gwen's family homophobic? She read the confused and worried expression on his face, her own softening.

"I'm not in the closet if that's what you think. It's just... My parents don't believe that I'm lesbian. They think that it's a phase and I'll eventually "grow out of it". I'm nearly 30 and they become insufferable lately, trying to set me up with every man around us."

"Are you in danger?"

"No, no." She smiled, seeing how he was ready to jump in if she was in any danger. "I'm not. It's just, that I don't have a girlfriend, the dates I've been on don't lead to anywhere and I feel tired, too. I guess. I thought a husband who has his own life would be easier. Are you sure you are not gay?" He smiled.

"No, sorry. And I'm madly in love with a girl." He couldn't believe what he was about to offer, matchmaking had never been his call but he had a weird feeling about this Gwen. Good weird. "How about another date?" He smiled at the confused expression on her face while he took out his phone to show her the last photos they had taken at the GEH.

She washed her face and drank some hot chocolate before settling down and watching her series. Her mind was still with Christian when she heard the door open and close from downstairs. She looked up to the watch on the wall, it had been 2.5 hours. Was it a normal time for a date? Longer? Shorter. She had no idea so she tried to keep her racing heart at bay. Jean measured her blood pressure before leaving half an hour ago, to make sure she was good. She was, physically.

He entered the room and relaxed when he saw her safe and sound. He could see that she had been crying from her puffy and red eyes but he didn't comment on them. Dates were her idea, after all.

"Hi." He said quietly. Not knowing how to behave.

"Hi." She didn't look at him, her eyes were still on the TV. "How was your date?" He walked over to her side of the bed, forcing her to look at him.

"My date was good." He kissed her. "And I still love you."

The second date was not as normal as the first one. Mia heard that he was looking for blind dates from her mother and she set up one. With Lily. The one friend that Christian expressed disgust over and over again.

She had talked nonstop and despite him saying that it was a one-time thing, she kept planning their future dates. He had reached his peak when she winked at him and said how fortunate it was that she knew his family already, that it was going to be easier to be "Mrs. Grey". He stood up and informed her with his "dom voice" that this was the biggest mistake of his life and she never had caught his attention and she never would. He didn't wait for an answer, storming out and telling Taylor to make sure she went home safely before taking the car himself.

He could only calm down when he drove as fast as he could.

Anastasia was watching another episode of the same show when he entered the bedroom. She didn't look at him and asked:

"How was your date?" He didn't have the patience to shower so he just shook off his jacket and went next to her, under the covers. He hugged her tightly, caressing her belly and burying his face in her chest.

"My date was horrible. And I still love you."

"You know that's cheating, right?" The blonde sitting across him raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow after ordering the most expensive thing on the menu, no wonder on purpose. He shot her an annoyed look but he was grateful that she accepted to come.

"No, it's not. Our deal was to go on three dates with three different women. She never said that they can't be married to my brother." She laughed, finally dropping the angry act. She, like Jean, thought that Ana's idea was the stupidest thing she had heard. But she knew Ana longer and she knew how much her mother's constant change in marital status scared her. She was so afraid of being like her mother that she was determined to be married exactly one time. Kate also understood her distrust in Christian, especially after hearing in detail about the BDSM part of his life. It was no wonder that she was insecure.

"She's going to be so mad when she learns that the third date is me."

"She doesn't have to know." He looked at her with such an innocent expression that one would've thought that he was the best person in the world. She shook her head but she agreed with him, secretly. Anastasia had the habit of overthinking, although she had gotten much better lately.

The conversation flew after both of them finished their first drinks and relaxed a little bit.

They talked about his stay in the facility, he felt that she was truly curious and wasn't looking for gossip, which made it easier to talk about it. He mostly talked about the revelations, about his desire for family. She smirked and explained how she knew that he loved Ana the moment she saw them sitting on the bench in his parent's backyard, her sleeping on his shoulder. How she encouraged Ana to accept his proposal because she knew that he would see how perfect they were together before the baby was here, which he did. He tried to frown, that was a dangerous game to play. But a part of him was happy to know that Anastasia's best friend supported their relationship.

They talked about Elliot, he tried to explain how manipulative Elena could be and how long it took him to see her for who she was. Kate understood, she really did. Especially because she could see how much he regretted destroying his relationship with Ana. A part of her would always be resentful for Elliot, for hitting her when she fell.

They talked about Anastasia and the baby. She was very supportive and tried to console him when he admitted how worried he was. "It's Ana's first time being a mom, too. You both will make mistakes and that's expected. What's important is that you love this baby and you both do your best." And that was how she learned that Christian Grey was a mushy drunk, he hugged her and kept repeating how much he liked her as a sister.

It was nearly midnight when they entered the house, the house was quiet. Taylor and Kate brought a very drunk Christian Grey to the bedroom, where Anastasia was reading a book. She looked up in shock as she watched them struggle to take his jacket off and put him to bed. What was Kate doing here? He opened his eyes and giggled like a small boy before scooching over and hugging her, swaying from side to side. Ana hugged him back in surprise.

"My date was soooo good." He mumbled to her neck. "And I still love you." She smiled, she was worried because he wasn't back yet and her mind went overdrive, telling her that he must've found someone he liked. He passed out, his body getting heavy. With Taylor's help, they laid him down next to her. She looked up at Kate, who was leaning against the door, laughing.

"What are you doing here?" She looked at her friend guiltily.

"I was his date." Anastasia rolled her eyes. She suspected that he'd pull off something like this. Although a part of her enjoyed how unwilling he seemed to spend time with other women.

"And you got him drunk on purpose?" They looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"He really loves you," Kate said, soft eyes looking at the couple in the bed, happy for them. "How about you let him now?" Anastasia looked down, brushing his hair from his face. Yes, she thought. It was time to let him.

AN: Hello everyone,

I actually didn't plan to update until last week but I won't be able to write for some time, for personal reasons. I'm hoping this quick update will keep you away from wanting to kill me, lol.

I don't think I'll take more than one or two weeks.

Imagine how happy I'd be if I saw LOTS AND LOTS of reviews when I came back? Wishful thinking...

Hopefully I'll see you soon.

Thanks for reading.