CHAPTER 16

Ana groaned and was waking up. She opened her eyes and groaned again. It was so bright and she had a severe headache. Christian said, "Hi, baby."

She croaked, "Hi, Christian. The lights hurt my eyes and I have a headache." He got up and closed the blinds, turning the lights down in the room.

Christian said, "Try it now, baby."

Ana opened her eyes and said, "That's much better. I was getting nauseous from the light." Christian sat down next to her, kissed her lightly and held her hand.

Christian said, "I've missed you."

Ana asked him, "How long have I been out"

He said looking at his watch, "About ten hours. I saw your wound. He did a good job, the stitches are tiny, mom said they will fade." Ana smiled.

Ana said affectionately, "I love you." He kissed her hand.

Christian said softly looking in her eyes, "I love you too, baby."

Ana said, "What do I have to do to get out of here and be with you?"

Christian smiled at her and said, "Call the nurse and she'll get the doctor." Ana started searching the blankets for the call button and pushed it. The nurse came in and went to get the doctor.

When the doctor arrived, he said looking over her chart, "I'm glad you're finally awake. I am Dr. Bradley. Your surgical wound closure went fine and the bleeding was minimal after closing. The bandages need to be changed every day for the next seven days after that it will need air. We need you to set an appointment within seven to ten days for stitch removal, but I am sure Dr Trevelyan can do it for you also. Do not get it wet and be careful how you wash your hair to avoid the incision. You can go home the day after tomorrow. We need to have you under observation for your concussion being it's your second one this year. Do you have a headache?" Ana nodded. He got the nurse to get her a pill when she wanted it and to maintain a normal diet.

Two days later, Ana was at Christian's penthouse and staying there with Mrs Jones watching over her and giving her headache pain meds because this time the headaches were migraines when they hit. She slept most of the time and Gail would wake her up to feed her. Christian would come home and lay down with her for the first few days when he would find her asleep.

The headaches were slow to improve over the first week. Ana would work from Christian's penthouse remotely. She would have to rest from time to time because it could cause the headache to resurface.

—--

Lily Markinson was charged with assault 2nd degree with intent to do bodily harm and Theft 2nd degree. There was a minimum of three months in jail, $25,000 in fines, a settlement for restitution was set up and it was placed on her permanent record due to the assault 2 being a violent offence. They tried to negotiated her charge down to assault due to it being her first offense but being Ana was in the hospital for more than two days, they would not budge. There was a restraining order placed on her for Ana's protection. The Grey's told the Markinson's that Lily was no longer invited to any functions or permitted on all Grey properties. The Markinson's were embarrassed and humiliated by their daughter's behavior reducing their social status.

—--

Once Ana was feeling better after a couple weeks, they went over to the Grey's for brunch on Sunday with Christian. Ana was in a light blue sundress with small yellow polka dots, sandals that criss crossed tied up her calves and had her hair french braided with a blue bow on the bottom. Christian was in his khaki shorts and dark blue short sleeve shirt with tennis shoes.

Grace greeted them at the door and said, "Come in. I'm glad you're feeling better, Ana and could join us today. Are the headaches better?"

Christian said mimicking, "Oh, hello, Christian. Geez mom."

Grace says, "Oh, hello, Christian." She turns back to Ana and walks away with her arm around her shoulder. He rolls his eyes at her.

Carrick walks up and kisses Ana on the cheek as he passes Grace and Ana. The family was all in the living room together.

Mia said patting on Ana, "I'm glad you're feeling better, Ana. Mom said the headaches are subsiding."

Ana smiled and said, "They are. I dread getting them because they are migraines. It's been three days since my last one."

Mia said snapping, "I hate that bitch, Lily, for hurting you."

Elliot chimed in, "I would have beat her up for you, if you asked." Mia pushed him over on the sofa giggling.

Ana smiled and said, "I'm glad you broke the bitches nose and charged her for theft."

Mia grinned and said, "You're my friend, of course I would at least do that." Ana hugged her.

Christian walked up and handed Ana a glass of white wine, because red aggravates migraines, while kissing the side of her head. Christian took her over to the sofa and took her glass and sat his glass down too on the coffee table. He went down on one knee and took her hand. Everyone gasped.

Christian said very heartfelt, "I love you Anastasia Steele. I never thought I could love until I met you. I couldn't stop thinking about you after I saw you for the first time standing alone at the gala last year. You were dressed in a beautiful golden gown that looked painted on your perfect figure. We went through bumps and skips, but I can never go on in my life without you next to me. Anastasia, my love, will you marry me and be my beautiful wife?" He was nervous and had a fleeting look of fear flash quickly across his face.

Ana went down on her knees, held his face and stroked his lips softly with her thumb. She said, "Oh Christian, I will love only you until the day I die and afterwards. Yes, my sweet love. I will marry you and be only yours as you already are mine." She kissed him passionately. He was so relieved and kissed her, holding her to his body. His family cheered and clapped as Mia recorded the whole proposal on her phone. They had a wonderful dinner as a happy family.

As expected Grace and Mia went crazy into wedding planning mode over the rest of their visit. They threw hundreds of questions at them. Ana said laughing, "We haven't decided most of these things together. He just asked me and we need time to discuss things. I didn't even know he was going to ask me at all."

Mia sighed and said, "How like Christian to keep it such a quiet secret from everyone." Grace nodded in agreement.

Christian laughed and said, "Ok, you two, it's time to take my beautiful fiancee home and tuck her in bed . I can't let her get over tired." Ana stood up and walked to him as he wrapped his arms around her.

Grace said smiling, "Thank you for coming over. I really hope those headaches go away soon, Ana."

Ana said thank you. Christian walked her to the car and they went back to Escala.

The following Monday Christian announced, publicly through his PR department, submitting a picture of him and Ana wearing the engagement ring a message. He said that he and Miss Anastasia Steele were engaged but no date has been set. He asked for them to give them their privacy in the meantime until it is announced.

—--

Elena was sitting in her cell staring at the paint peeling off of the ceiling. They had taken away her phone and visitation rights and she was bored. Someone walked by her cell and through a newspaper in.

Elena was curious and got up and started going through the paper and on the entertainment page, there was Christian and Ana. It was the article announcing the engagement. Elena flew into a rage and shredded the paper into little bits making it rain paper in her cell. She was enraged, screaming and throwing a fit saying, "He's mine, goddamn it! I created him! He belongs to me!!"

The guards came in after a while tired of her ranting and drug her off to the infirmary. They had to sedate her to stop the screaming.

—--

A few days later, Elena was out walking in the yard outside in the fenced in perimeter. A big woman passed by her and bumped into her saying, "Die baby raper." She jammed a homemade shiv into her side with a twist. It happened so fast Elena didn't know it happened until she saw the blood on her clothes. The guards took her to the infirmary and they stabilized her long enough to get to the hospital to prepare her for emergency surgery.

—--

Grace saw Elena come in in the ambulance. They rushed her to surgery.

When she was out and stabilized in ICU, Grace would visit once a day to see if she had woken up. Grace wanted to know if she had done any of those horrible things she did to those other children, to her son. A news report said there were six children involved with her coming trial and she had been charged with six counts. But, Grace knew she was stealing from her son the whole time he was helping her. Her son wanted to help her because she helped him get his business launched with her $100k. Her son gave her a million dollars in return for it. Elena then continued stealing money when he helped with her businesses which Grace couldn't understand why she would do that to her son. Grace needed to know if she may have molested and hurt him like those other children were. It was driving her crazy to find out if her suspicions were true or not.

Grace stopped in ICU for the third day in a row and found out that Elena had been upgraded to her own room in the prison care department. Grace went to go find her there.

When she got to the right room, she peeked in the door and saw Elena laying in the bed looking up at the ceiling.

She walked into the room and went up to her bedside. Elena turned her head and just looked at her not saying a word for a long time.

Eventually, Elena said weakly, "Where have you been? I have called and called but you never answered."

Grace said stoically, "You have been proven to have stolen from Christian, I told never to talk to you again."

Elena said puzzled, "And here you are talking to me?"

Grace asked curiously, "Why would you steal for years from Christian after he gave you a million dollars for your one hundred thousand dollars?"

Elena said huffing, "You wouldn't understand. He owed me. I saved his life."

Grace asked hesitantly, "W… What did he owe you for doing and for how long would you think he would have to pay?"

Elena said with a small smirk, "Are you sure you want to know, Grace? He owes me for the rest of his life."

Grace said emotionlessly, "I need to know."

Elena tried to laugh but winced in pain. She said, "You made it easy. You gave me the information I needed to get him to come to me and control him. He had such a beautiful body and boy could he fuck like pro. His endurance was unrivaled by all of them. I would push him to his limits and he would come back for more. I taught him how to do it himself to other women, but that bitch has gone and fucked up everything in my life. I had him under my control and she came around and turned him against me. A low class little bitch like her. A fucking event coordinator."

Grace said, her voice shaking, "She's a multi billionaire like him and always has been. I only asked her to do the event because you wouldn't help me. She is brilliant, beautiful and we knew her father. She is marrying my son and healing him through touch. He is happy for the first time in his life. So see, you were always out of your league, being cruel to her because she is so much better than you ever were. Christian is undoing the horrors through pain you did to him. They will be two billionaires as Seattle's power couple. If you had helped me last year, they would never have met. It's all your fault they met, your plans failed, you are broke now and broken. You'll die that way or at the hands of your inmates for the rest of whatever moments of life you have left. You lost everything, Elena, and you did it all to yourself." Grace turned and walked straight out of the room. As she walked down the hall she heard Elena screaming from her room echoing down the hallway as nurses were running to her room.