Chapter 12

Christian

I've never personally used my jet for fun. Sure, I've loaned it out to my family for their trips and leisure time, but I've never had a desire for that for myself. Where the fuck am I going to go? I have better things to do.

So, if you had told me five years ago that I'd be sitting here on my jet, holding my girlfriend's hand, surrounded by my siblings and her friends, willingly going on a weekend trip, I would have told you to fuck off, because you clearly don't know me. And yet here we are.

"I didn't need a passport," Ana interrupts my thoughts. "It's in the United States."

I chuckle. "It is." She's been trying to guess where we're going for the last couple of hours. I had Gail arrange luggage for her, so she doesn't even have a clue based on wardrobe. "I thought that was obvious."

"How long is the flight again?"

"I don't believe I've ever said," I say teasingly. She's asked this a few times already. "Long enough."

"Come on! Marty keeps asking me," she almost whines.

"Marty doesn't have to anymore, I spoke to her this morning and spilled all the beans."

"She called you?!" I laugh and nod. "Double-crossed by my mom and my boyfriend," she grumbles.

"I think the word you're looking for is surprised." I rub the back of her hand with my thumb, and I can almost feel her adorable ire cool.

A loud laugh comes from a few rows ahead of us, where Jose and Maya are sitting together. Ana turns to me with a smirk. "Those two. I should have seen it coming. Both human chaos, loveably pushy, and unfiltered as hell."

"Yes… that explains this other connection as well," I comment as Mia bursts into laughter from the row across from them.

"Hey, is this gonna be the whole trip? Pipe the fuck down," Kate grumbles, peeking out from under her eye mask.

Elliot smiles indulgently and pulls it back over her eyes. "Shut the fuck up, guys, my lady is trying to get some shuteye."

Mia giggles. "Sorry!" she whisper-yells. We've been in the air for about an hour now and the Mia, Maya, and Jose Variety Show shows no signs of stopping. At least we brought some in-flight entertainment.

"Does everyone else know?" Ana murmurs, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Yes."

"Oh, you're a bastard."

"I'm a boyfriend surprising his girlfriend. Now stop being such a brat about it, or I'll have to drag you to the back for an etiquette lesson."

I say it to tease her, but her eyes widen. "Damn. Why do I kind of like the sound of that?"

Whoa. Is this just her calling my bluff? I've never imagined that side of my life – former life – coexisting with her, my actual life. "I'm joking, Ana," I scold.

"Oh. Sure," she mutters. You're not a submissive, baby. You never will be. I wouldn't want you to be.

"Why don't you take a nap?" I don't know how well she sleeps in her own apartment, and we left fairly early. If it's anything like my restlessness in my empty bed, she could use one.

She smiles agreeably and lays her head on my shoulder. I think about reminding her of the bedroom, but I like having her here. I use the time to get a little bit of work done, since I plan on being present with her while we're away.

By the time we're preparing to land, I'm the only one still awake. I close the laptop and gently brush Ana's hair back out of her face, rousing her. Meanwhile, the flight attendant has already begun gently waking up the others. Her eyes blink open, and she jolts upward, moving away from me. "Whoa! You okay, baby?"

She looks at me and the blood floods to her cheeks, then she looks down. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I was really asleep." She clears her throat. "Are we landing?"

I nod, still a bit taken aback by her reaction. She glances out the window behind me and furrows her brow. "Mountains… are we in the Rockies?"

"Yes."

"Welcome to Aspen, everyone," the flight attendant says breezily. "Please fasten your seatbelts for landing."

I smile as Ana's eyes widen. "Aspen?"

"Yes."

"Damn. Why Aspen?"

"I have property here." Did she know that? I can't remember if it ever came up.

"Like… you own a condo or something?"

Elliot snorts loudly, hearing her remark. "It's… not exactly a condo. You'll see."

There are two vehicles waiting on the tarmac for us. Mia, Maya, and Jose go off in one, while Ana, Elliot, Kate, and I take the other. I can feel my nerves climbing. Ana hasn't said much since waking up, and there hasn't been an opportunity to pick her brain about it with the others around.

Elliot also seems like he's on edge. Kate is still on the groggy side and he keeps giving her these fleeting, anxious glances. The Grey guys need to get a fucking grip. We're supposed to be here to relax, but as we pull up to the house, my nerves reach their zenith. I step out of the car and hold my hand out for Ana.

Her eyes widen almost comically as she takes in the house. "No… not a condo," she comments.

Elliot laughs and slings an arm around Kate. "I tried to warn you," he calls as he leads her inside.

"Would you like a tour?" I ask. She nods, still a bit stunned.

We're greeted by the housekeeper as we head inside, then I show her the highlights. She looks tongue-tied at the sight of the great room and the kitchen, and there's a ghost of a smile when I show her the library I have here, but her stunned look returns when I show her what is to be our bedroom.

"The view is… wow," she murmurs.

"Yes," I reply, though I haven't given the snow-capped mountains even a cursory glance. "Do you like it?"

"The house?"

"Yes."

She looks confused. "Well… it's gorgeous. What's not to like?"

"Then why do you seem so uncomfortable?" I press.

She blinks a few times, her mouth slack in surprise. "Oh, Christian… no, it's not your decorating. This is just… a lot. You know, my idea of a getaway is camping somewhere that's within a day's drive. I've never… this isn't my life. It's just so different."

I admit, I'm a little annoyed with myself that I didn't see this coming. It's not like it's the first time she's voiced these thoughts to me. "Well… it's my life. And I just wanted to share it with you. Can't we just relax? Leave all the drama behind? Pretend I rented this place?"

She laughs at my attempt at a joke, then shakes her head. "I'm being silly. You're right. Well, the house is beautiful, the scenery is breathtaking, and the man who engineered it all is the best I've ever met. I love you." She curls her arms around my neck and pulls my mouth down to hers. "Mmm, I've missed you. I really don't see enough of you," she murmurs, almost to herself. I don't think I would have heard it if her lips weren't against my skin.

"What more do you want to see?" I say, lowering my voice, brushing my thumb over one of her breasts.

She gasps, then smiles coyly. "How thick are the walls?"

"You know, I've never tested them here. Would you like to?" My dick sure would right now.

"Christian! Ana!" Mia's shrieking voice comes from downstairs. We both groan.

"Rain check?" she says ruefully.

"We have all night." I'm not sure if I'm trying to appease her or me. I adjust myself as she trudges to the door.

We head downstairs to find Mia, Maya, Jose, and Kate being served hot drinks at the kitchen island. "Thanks for the invite, Mr. Grey," Maya says. "This place is… whoa."

"Christian will do, Maya," I respond. Let's distance ourselves from the fact that I'm technically her and my girlfriend's boss as much as possible. It's a touchy subject. "Where's Elliot?"

"Upstairs, still in the bedroom, I think," Kate answers. I feel like I should go see what the hell is going on with him, so I kiss Ana on the top of her head and leave her with her friends. Her spirits seem lifted now. I was a little unsure about how much I'd like having this many people around, but if she's happy, I'm happy.

I walk into the bedroom he's always claimed every time he's been here and find him crouched on the floor next to his suitcase. I knock once on the open door and he whirls around, hiding his hands. "Uh, is everything okay? You look like you're about to piss yourself."

"I can't wait any longer, dude," he mutters. Then I see that what's in his hands is a ring box. Shit.

"Wow. This weekend?" He gulps and nods. I feel a slight stab of… bitterness. Here he is moving forward with the woman he loves, and I can't seem to get it right in stage one. It's complicated, Grey. Give her space. "That's big."

"Yeah, we've talked about this," he says, rolling his eyes.

"Well, do you have a moment in mind?"

"I feel like it'll just… I don't know. Happen. Like, I'll know the moment, right?" He's asking me like I fucking know. "I just know it's gotta be soon. I'm losing my fucking mind over here."

"Well, good luck." I'm not sure if that's the appropriate sentiment for an upcoming proposal, but maybe I'm projecting. I feel like my entire personal life right now is down to luck. "We should get down there before Kate notices that you've cracked."

"Alright," he sighs, putting the box away into one of his suitcase pockets.

No one seems to have missed us when we return, their conversation in full flow. I zero in on Ana, who's absentmindedly twirling her diamond necklace in between her fingers. She does that a lot, and she wears it nearly all the time. That has to mean something, right? She, Kate, and Maya are talking quietly, while Mia and Jose are laughing boisterously.

"Oh, there you guys are!" Mia barely chokes out. "Okay, anyway, girls are gonna go shopping. Well, girls plus Jose. He's an honorary girl. We all like the same parts."

"And what the hell are we supposed to do?" Elliot almost whines. I don't blame him. I feel similarly. What the fuck are we supposed to do? I came here to spend time with Ana.

"I don't know. Whatever you want. We'll get dinner together later?"

"Meet back here first," I answer her impatiently as I walk towards Ana. I kiss her in full view of everyone, not giving a fuck about the propriety. "I thought I was getting you all to myself?" I say quietly, just to her.

"So did I," she says reluctantly.

"Okay, lovebirds, it's just a few hours," Mia says, tugging at Ana's arm. "Sawyer can take us!"

I sigh heavily. "Taylor, too. Stay within their sight."

Ana stands up and looks at me with an apologetic smile. "Don't worry. We'll test out the walls later, promise," she whispers in my ear, sending chills down my spine, right to my dick.

"Why did I bring anyone else?" I whisper back.

"I don't know. Next time, just you and me." Next time. Music to my ears. She leans up once more and kisses me.

"Ugh," Mia groans. "Jose, you get Kate, I'll handle this one." She puts her arm around Ana's shoulders and deftly steers her away, while Jose grabs Kate around the waist and yanks her away from her canoodling with Elliot. I take it back, we should have come alone.

We hear their clamor until the front door is shut. I sit at the island, losing my battle with pouting. "This is bullshit," I mutter.

"It is," Elliot agrees. "But I've got something we could do." I glance up and at some point, he's pulled his laptop out of his backpack and he's walking over to me with it. He slides it in front of me. "Your turn, maybe?"

The Cartier website is open. I'm momentarily confused, but then the dots connect. "Jesus Christ. Ring shopping? I don't know if you've noticed, but she won't even share my apartment, let alone my last name."

"Yet. It might be good to get ahead," he says jovially, taking a swig out of the mug of hot chocolate that Kate left. The housekeeper is visible behind him, looking at us with a startled surprise. She averts her eyes when she sees me looking, but I can tell what it's about. Christian Grey settling down is unheard of.

Or is it?

One fucking step at a time.

I shut the laptop and stand up. "Let's go mountain biking." The decent weather is on its last legs, thank God. I need to move.

He chuckles. "Fine, dude. Bike away from your problems."

"Shut the fuck up, Elliot."

"That's more like it."

I step out of the shower and check my phone, picking it up off the bed. Instead of a text from Ana, though, I get the best-case scenario as the door opens. She whistles when she sees me. "Goddamn. Hello to you, too."

I throw my phone aside and stride over to her, picking her up and kissing her. She wraps her legs around my waist and laughs. "Hello, baby. Did you spend any money?" She shakes her head. "You didn't find anything you liked?"

She shrugs. "You know the kinds of places that Mia likes to go. Not meant for bank accounts like mine. That's okay, though, it was nice just spending time with everyone. Though I might rather have been spending time with you… looking like this…" Her thumb slips under the edge of the towel wrapped around my hips. And then there's a sharp knock at the door.

"Hey, are you guys decent? It's been like thirty seconds, I know that all your clothes might be off." Sweet Jesus. Mia may be my favorite sister, but she's also my least favorite.

"Go away," I snap. Ana laughs.

"Elliot told me that you made a reservation, so I know you don't have that much time!"

I groan, mostly at the fact that she's right. It's about time to be getting dressed. We're cutting it close. "Hold," I call to Mia, dragging Ana into the walk-in closet. "I'd rather you be taking them off, but will you settle for adjusting my tie?"

"Gladly," she giggles.

We come out a few minutes and one against-the-wall makeout session later. I figure Mia has left until the door swings open. "Oh, thank God, I was afraid what I would see," she sighs dramatically.

"Then maybe you shouldn't barge into places you weren't invited."

"You said to hold! Besides, it's for a good cause. Ana, I have the best surprise for you."

"For me?"

"Yes. Here!" She hands her a large box, almost jumping up and down from giddiness.

Ana opens it dubiously, then her jaw drops. "Mia! I thought I said—"

"You said you weren't buying it. No one said anything about me. Besides, you looked amazing in it! It was made for you, and you needed something to wear tonight."

"But—"

"No buts. Get changed, missy. Christian, you'd better come with me. You'll make us late with your libido."

"Are you—" Fucking kidding me? But I don't get a chance to finish.

"Come on, then Ana will get to walk down the stairs and do a big reveal of her outfit like it's some teen romance movie and it'll be great, now let's go!" She gives my arm a good yank.

"Okay, Jesus, let me keep all of my limbs attached." There's no winning this fight.

Ana giggles again. "Be right down, I promise."

Mia clamps her hand around my wrist and leads me down the stairs like I might get lost in my own fucking house that I for some reason allowed her to come to, then comes to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the stairs. "Now you wait here. You'll love her dress."

"I'm sure I will. Thank you for taking care of her… as fucking annoying as you're being tonight."

She smiles widely. "I live to annoy you. It's the reason I'm on this earth as your little sister. Luckily, it also means I look out for the people you love. And Ana is easy to love."

I smile, my heart fluttering at the sound of my sister talking about my love like this. "I sure think so."

"Okay, she'll probably be down in just a second. She isn't fussy. I'll leave you to it."

Mia may be irritating, but she is right. I hear Ana's footsteps just a few moments after she disappears. She pauses for a second at the top of the stairs, and suddenly Mia is my favorite human in the world, other than the one standing before me. She's wearing a wine-colored cocktail dress, cut low enough that it's not overt, but it certainly gets the imagination going. It stops mid-thigh, and her legs look miles long in her stilettos.

"What do you think?" I tear my googly eyes away from her body to see that she looks a bit sheepish.

"I think I need to get you an Amex so you can buy as many of these as you like."

She laughs. "I have a credit card, thank you. Mia is just too generous for her own good. I guess it runs in the family."

"Shall we have dinner? I'll be sure to keep you very close," I say as I place my hand on her lower back.

Maya and Kate have knowing smiles on their faces when we meet the rest of them in the foyer and they see Ana's attire. We take the same groups in each vehicle. I really only have eyes for Ana, and Elliot is the same with Kate, so we're a good match to travel together.

We're dining at a trendy Italian small plates restaurant housed inside one of the resorts. I know that this kind of venue has the potential to freak out Ana, but it's one of the only places with private dining, plus we might have something to celebrate tonight. Mia, Maya, and Jose are waiting there when we arrive. I keep Ana glued to my side as we're ushered to our dining room, but I still notice the furtive glances at her coming from the bar. Only in your wettest, wildest dreams, boys.

I take it upon myself to order wine and appetizers, then put my arm around Ana's shoulders and take a moment to observe Elliot. He looks excited-nervous, like a kid who has a field trip in the morning. Looks like tonight is the night…

"Hey," Ana says quietly, leaning towards me. "You seem… relaxed."

"Do I?"

"You do."

I shrug. "I'm enjoying some off-time. I'm with you. Why wouldn't I be?"

She takes my hand that's laying on her lap. "I wasn't sure how you'd feel with this many people coming. I know you're not Mr. Social Butterfly. Are you really okay with all of this?"

"Yes, I am." I'm a bit surprised myself at how true it is. "This is a good time. I like seeing you with your friends. And it's nice to see my siblings more. I hardly ever used to… but because of you, we're all getting closer together."

"Me?" she says with a confused smile.

"Yes, you. I suppose falling in love changes a person's priorities. That's all down to you." I can't resist leaning in to kiss her, and I delight in the feel of her smile against my lips.

We pass the evening in pleasant conversation, and I'm equally pleased and surprised to report that I contributed to it. I end up in a discussion about fishing with Jose, which I'm surprised is an activity he partakes in given the risk of ruining his nails, but he's pretty knowledgeable. Why did I never used to do this? Have dinner with friends? Talk? Because I didn't want to. Because I had no reason to. Because she wasn't here.

She's the common denominator.

Soon, dinner is mostly empty plates and half-empty glasses. I've been so focused on staring at my baby's profile that I forgot about the major potential event tonight, which quickly turns from potential to actual as Elliot stands up at the edge of the booth. "Where are you going?" Kate says with a smile, looking up at him.

He slowly and somewhat unsteadily sinks to one knee. I feel Ana freeze next to me, and Kate looks absolutely dumbstruck as he clears his throat nervously. "Kate… ever since I laid eyes on you across that bar, you turned my world on its head. If I had known what you'd become to me, I'd have done this the very first night. You've become my best friend, my lover, and my favorite person. Sorry, Mia." I glance at her as she laughs joyfully at the shout-out, tears filling her eyes. "Anyway… what I'm trying to say is… you're the world to me, Kate. Will you marry me?"

Kate stares almost blankly at him for several long seconds. I can almost see the sweat beads on his forehead in 4K before she puts him out of his misery. "Yes. Yes. Oh, yes."

They kiss and Ana sags against the back of the seat, a huge smile lighting up her face. "Holy shit," she mutters as the rest of the table bursts into cheers and applause. Kate looks down at the new bauble decorating her hand with tears in her eyes. "Did you know?" Ana whispers.

I can hear the excitement in her low voice. "I knew something." The waiter checks in, probably wondering what all the yelling is about, and I order champagne.

"Kate getting married. Wow." She claps her hands together excitedly. The whole table clamors to see the ring, then the chattering morphs into popping corks and brainstorming venues and menus. I feel Ana's hand on my leg and her warmth radiating next to me, and I'm fully aware that this is a joyful evening. I'm genuinely happy for Elliot. The look on his face is proof enough that this was the right decision for him.

I just wish I didn't feel a sort of hollowness in me – almost a longing – every time I see the empty hand holding mine.

"Christian!" Ana collapses on top of me as she calls out my name, a sheen of sweat across her body. Four rounds. That little machine. She kisses my chest over one of my scars, then lays her cheek over it. "God. I don't know how the walls are doing, but I'm doing fantastic," she sighs.

"I think we gave the walls a run for their money," I chuckle. And perhaps all of the guests. "Let me clean you up, baby." I reluctantly slide her off of me to go get a washcloth. She opens her legs and obliges me when I return, her eyes blinking blearily as she looks down at me. "Enjoying the view?"

"You are the best view," she says with a sleepy smile.

I smile. "Come on, you're beat. It's time for bed."

"One more?" she says, perking up.

"To sleep," I clarify. "You little minx."

"It's only for you. I never used to act this way." Though I don't relish her reference to the previous times she's had sex, I do enjoy that they're always to accentuate how much better it is now.

I pull her against my chest as we lay on our sides, spooning her and nuzzling her neck. "Did you have a good night?"

"Mmm, yes. It was perfect. I can't believe my best friend is engaged."

"I can't believe my brother is tying his dick to one woman."

"Christian," she scoffs. "They're in love. You can tell."

"They are," I agree. I kiss her neck one more time and hug her a little closer, but something doesn't quite feel right. She seems a bit tense. "Baby? Everything okay?"

Instead of answering, she turns in my arms and looks at me. "Christian… I… um… I'm not sure how to say this."

Anxiety situates itself in my chest. "What is it, Ana?"

She props herself up on her arm, her brow furrowing. "Tonight… I just, I've never really thought about us being all grown up like this. I never thought about my friends getting engaged… and even when I met you all those years ago, I never much thought about what we'd be like now. I never… I never knew you'd be so irreplaceable to me. So pivotal, so monumental. And it's not just that we're all growing up… it's being next to you all night. It's having all this time with you. Christian, I… I want to live with you. If you still want me. I want to move in with you. Fuck the rules, fuck the standards, I don't care. I love you. I want you all the time. Do you still want that?"

My mind ceased having coherent thoughts as soon as the words 'I want to live with you' passed her lips. The only recognizable thing happening up there now is pure joy. "Do I still want that?" I say incredulously. "With everything. I want you. God, are you serious, baby?"

"Completely. I hate this. I love you, I want to be with you, that should be enough, and finally, it is. I'm sorry it took me so long to figure that out."

"Apology accepted. When do you move?"

She laughs. "Can we talk about it in the morning? We can let Elliot and Kate have this one night."

Instead of answering, I just position myself above her and kiss her. She grabs my face and kisses me back. "I take it back," I mutter feverishly.

"What?" she gasps.

"Round five it is." I have to have her. This time it's slow, gentle, loving. We take our time, because we know we have it. We can do this every night if we want to. Forever.

Forever.

Maybe I do need to look into Cartier.

A/N: Hi hi hi! Wow, it's been a minute! I promise I have never forgotten about this story, I just am so busy. Between my internship, grad school, Thanksgiving, and then I also just had my birthday, I started writing this a long time ago and then it just took forever to finish. I have a winter break in a few weeks, so hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently, but I don't want to half-ass chapters just for the sake of updates if I don't have the mental energy to give you something good.

No matter what happens, I promise I will not forget about or abandon this story!

Anyway, Aspen! A lot of you guessed that right. Elliot and Kate are getting married, and Christian and Ana are finally moving in together. I promise there's more to come, and I'll do my best to make it soon. Hope you liked this one, let me know. xo