CHAPTER 17

The next morning, Carrick walked into the interview room with a Seattle Police Department detective to find Ana in an orange jail jumpsuit, handcuffed to a table and in leg shackles. It was just before her hearing.

Carrick demanded, "Release my clients from restraints! It's ridiculous to have leg irons on her!"

The chief detective of the Lake Stevens Police Department said, "Her resisting arrest had her using military combat moves against us. For our safety, she is restrained. We went to the house she said had the kidnappers. She massacred all five men. One she shot and shoved in a garbage can with a lid on it. Another she jammed a screwdriver through his carotid artery. She shot two through the head and one bled out from the abdomen."

The SPD officer shouted, "You corrupted our crime scene?! It was our jurisdiction to process it as reported to the FBI! You were notified of this yesterday!"

The LSPD chief shouted back, "Judge Markenson issued a search warrant to us to investigate and process it before we were notified!"

Carrick said to Ana, "Don't say a word to anyone."

Ana said stoically, "All I've said is where it happened and that I was kidnapped. Oh, and that the gun and car were theirs." Carrick nodded.

—--

When Ana entered the courtroom shuffling with leg restraints still on and handcuffs, she looked around and saw Christian sitting in the pews behind the rails looking very angry. He looked her in the eyes. Her eyes started tearing up and she said moving her lips, 'I love you.' He smiled at her. All he wanted to do was hold her in his arms, tell her everything was going to be alright, while ripping everyone apart for treating her like this.

Ana and Carrick sat down at the table in front of Christian. Christian whispered behind her, "I love you, baby. It will be alright." She turned her head and looked at him.

The judge entered the courtroom and the bailiff shouted out, "All rise!" Everyone stood. "His Honorable Judge Markenson is residing!"

The judge sat down and said, "Please take your seats." Everyone sat down.

The judge said, "In this arraignment, in the case of Anastasia Steele vs the Lake Stevens Police Department. She is being charged with Disturbing the Peace, Resisting Arrest, Possession of a Stolen and Concealed Firearm and Murder of five Men. How plead you?" He looked at Ana. Carrick nodded to Ana.

Ana stood up and said, "Not guilty to all charges." The people in the court were all whispering.

The judge said, "The hearing is set for the day after tomorrow at 3pm. Court is adjourned." He hit his gavel on the wooden block.

Carrick was granted access to the judge in his chambers with the prosecuting attorney. Carrick said, "You know as presented by evidence that my client was a victim of a kidnapping by five men in Seattle two blocks from Grey Enterprise Holdings headquarters one day prior to her arrest here in Lake Stevens. She is an Executive Assistant employee at GEH to the CEO and COO of the company. She escaped her captures after having to kill them to get away. She came to your precinct to get help and report the incident. Your desk Sergeant blew her off and told her to sit down. She was frightened and scared. Your officers locked her in a room. That is not proper procedure or due process! She fought back when they grabbed her to take away her phone. She only used it to call for help because she was trapped in that room, not arrested or told why. Your department has victimized an already traumatized victim of a violent crime that occurred in Seattle and ended up in Lake Stevens. The FBI deemed the jurisdiction to be Seattles. Your department processed a crime scene belonging to Seattle, possibly corrupting the case. If you don't back off, I will be filing charges today for Anastasia Steele for Unlawful Imprisonment, Unlawful Arrest, Failure Of Due Process, and depriving her of her Civil Rights against the Constitution of the United States. In accordance, I'll be charging you anyway for the Seattle Police Department against the Lake Stevens public officials, Interfering with a Crime Scene Investigation, Tapering and Retention of Evidence of a Violent Crime, and Unlawful Jurisdiction and Trespassing." The judge looked pissed.

The judge said angry, "You can't do that, we had a right to investigate a crime committed within our city limits. The FBI had not notified us of a jurisdiction decision."

Carrick said, "If you would have reported it to the FBI they would have told you then, but you issued a search warrant without proper notification."

The judge then said, "Your client came in here violently out of control."

Carrick said, "Your officers would not listen to her reporting the kidnapping. She became upset because they ignored her after the trauma she had been put through. Locking her in a room and not reading her rights or arresting her is unethical and illegal. Do you really want to go through this and make public that the Lake Stevens Police Department restrains victims without Mirandaizing them but locks them away against their rights? This is an election year, are you doing this to make a name for yourself against Christian Grey's fiancee? I can save you time and taxpayer money to tell you that you will lose with Seattle Police backing me up on this. They are pressing their charges anyway against you. Are you so sure you want to proceed this way?" The judge looked at the prosecutor. The prosecutor was in shock at everything Carrick said. He was evidently not briefed thoroughly.

The judge said, "What of the concealed firearm in her possession hidden in the vehicle?"

Carrick said, "The car was registered to a disgruntled ex employee, Jack Hyde, the initial ransomer. The gun was in the possession of an ex felon formerly charged and sent to prison for rape. He was disarmed by my client when he attempted to rape her in the basement of that house. What the hell do you expect to have happened? My client went through hell to save her own life!"

—--

Carrick and Christian walked in with a small suitcase and handed it to the guard. After a little while, Ana came through the door in the clothes she got from the suitcase he brought her. She rushed crying into Christian's arms as he kissed her face and held her tight. Christian said, "I love you so much baby. I got you. You're coming home with me." He hugged her to his body burying his face in her neck.

Carrick said, "All charges were dropped, Ana. Let's get you home and comfortable."

He patted on her shoulder as she turned and hugged him saying to Carrick, "Thank you, Carrick."

Carrick softly said while patting her, "You welcome, Ana." They all three walked out of the precinct to the SUV.

By the time they got home to Escala, Ana had fallen asleep in Christian's arms. Christian carried her up to the penthouse and laid her on the bed. He took off her shoes and kicked off his own. He climbed into bed covering them both up and held her in his arms.

After a while, Ana was having a nightmare….

—--

Ana was sneaking out of the house window in the dark. It was eerily dark and very quiet. She was barefooted and the snow was crunching under her feet as she made it to the garage. She broke the window on the car with a hammer and opened the door. She leaned down under the dashboard and was fooling with the wires. She heard a noise and slowly sat up and saw Jack Hyde with a bullet hole between his eyes, Jacobs bleeding from a gunshot to the stomach, the guy shot in the head and the guy from the basement with a screwdriver in his throat standing there all bloody holding Christian with a gun to his head. The guy with the screwdriver has a knife to his heart.

Ana asked, "What do you want?"

Jack Hyde said sneering hatefully, "His life." Jack pulled the trigger and the man with the screwdriver jammed the knife in Christian's heart. Ana screamed running towards them kicking and fighting to get to Christian in desperation and slow motion as he was dropped to the ground. Jack and the other three men were standing around her laughing. She was on the ground rocking Christian's body as they were all laughing louder at her. She was grasping Christian crying out loud in wails of pain seeing him dead and all of the blood all over her. Her heart was feeling crushed inside her chest. She kept screaming, "Christian! Don't leave me! God! Please don't leave me! Christian!"

—--

Christian ran into the bedroom to find Ana writhing and screaming for him in the most blood curdling way. Taylor, Sawyer and Gail were racing to the bedroom. Christian got on the bed and pinned her arms kissing her face saying, "Wake up, baby. Anastasia! Wake up, baby!"

Ana's eyes flew open and she struggled, but Christian let go of her arms. She grabbed him, grasping him so tight to her sweating body as she cried out, "They killed you! I couldn't stop them! You were dead! The blood! The blood was everywhere!" She began crying and falling apart.

He said rubbing and holding her, "It was a nightmare, baby. You killed them all, remember? You saved yourself and now you're free and I'm here with you at home in our bedroom. I'm holding you, do you feel me?"

Ana sobbed pitifully, "No, hold me tighter, so I can feel it. I love you so much, Christian. It felt like I was dying inside." He tightened his hold on her. Taylor, Sawyer and Gail looked sad and left them alone together, closing the door behind them.

Time passed and Ana calmed down. Christian got on his elbows and was caressing her face. He said softly, "Everything is alright. Are you feeling any better?" She nodded her head with tears still in her eyes.

She said touching his lips with her trembling fingers, "A little. I don't want to live without you, my sweet Christian. I can't go on without you with me. I'll be all alone in the world again with a hole where my heart once was. You're my whole life now."

Christian said brushing the hair back from her temples, "Good. Will you marry me, Anastasia? I want you to be all mine forever." Ana was surprised and wrapped her arms around him and kissed him.

She hugged him after breaking the kiss and softly said, "God, Christian, I would have married you last Christmas at the dinner table after you said you were thankful for me coming into your life." He was so happy holding her close and knowing she loved him enough to marry him.

He said, "I should have just asked you months ago when I bought the ring. You seem to know everything I'm thinking ahead of me anyway."

She caressed the back of his head, "I told you after my car wreck that fate has cast me into your path twice with unusual timing. I'll never love anyone like I love you."

Christian said, "Let's take a warm bath together, get comfortable and eat. We can do it in whatever order you want." Ana kissed him.