Book IV - Chapter IV - Christian and Anastasia Fan Fiction

BOOK IV

CHAPTER IV

WHEN YOU WERE GONE

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Khalil Gibran

The Cranberries - When you're Gone

“Jack called me at the office,” she murmurs; I stiffen immediately with his name. “He gave me two hours to get the money,” she continues shrugging. “I had to leave and it just seemed the best excuse.”

She gave several people a near coronary. I’m still very angry about it, and she’s lying in bed barely recovering. Remember the misery of the last two days, my mouth presses into a hard grim line. “And you gave Sawyer the slip. He’s mad at you as well.”

“As well?” she questions. Does she think I’d be happy about it?

“As well as me.”

She hesitantly touches my face, running her fingers over my two days old stubble. I have missed and craved her touch for days now. I close my eyes, and lean into her fingers. I need her more than my next breath.

“Don’t be mad at me. Please,” she whispers. Mad, doesn’t even begin to cover what I feel. Raging mad, furious, pushed into violence…

“I am so mad at you. What you did was monumentally stupid. Bordering on insane.”

“I told you, I didn’t know what else to do.”

“You don’t seem to have any regard for your personal safety. And it’s not just you now,” I add angrily. She put our baby’s life in danger as well! Her lip trembles. In worry? Concern?

I’m startled with the door opening suddenly because I’m so fixated on my wife.

“Good evening, Mrs. Grey. I’m Dr. Bartley,” the Doctor introduces herself. Anastasia takes in the young African-American doctor with white coat over her gray scrubs.

“Welcome back. I’m going to examine you now,” she says and starts examining Anastasia thoroughly. She checks her vision by shining her light into her eyes, her coordination by making her touch the doctor’s fingers, and then touching her nose while closing one eye and then the other, and finally checks all her reflexes. When Nurse Nora comes in to help the doctor, I go to the corner of the room and call my dad, and then Ana’s mother.

“Christian?” she answers the phone anxiously.

“Hi Carla! Ana’s awake!” She squeals in delight over the phone and I have to pull it away from my ear.

“I’m so happy! Is she well enough to talk to me?”

“I’m afraid not. She has just woken up and her doctor is examining her. I don’t know if she’s strong enough just yet, but I’ll have her call you at the first chance she gets. I just wanted to make sure that you knew.”

“Thank God she’s awake! Thank you for letting me know Christian! Take care of my baby!” she says fervently. “How are you holding up?”

“Now that she’s awake, I’m a thousand times better, Carla. Thank you for asking,” I say and can hear her give a sigh of relief at the other end of the phone.

“Me, too,” she confesses.

“I have better let you go, Carla. I’ll have to call Ray, and Kate to let them know. They too are anxiously waiting to hear about her.”

“Thank you for easing my burden Christian. I’ve been worried sick, and crying over my baby. Take care of her please,” she asks.

“I most definitely will,” I say and we hang up.

I call Kavanagh next.

“Hello Christian,” she answers coolly.

“Kate, I called to inform you that Ana woke up.”

“What? When? Is she alright? What do the doctors say? Can I talk to her? When will she be discharged? Did she tell you what happened? Can I come and visit her? Come on! Answer me!” she speaks in rapid fire. Yep, she’s is in the right line of business, but she needs to learn to wait for the answers.

“When you give me time to put a word edgewise, I’ll answer,” I say, and she snorts.

“She woke up only a very short time ago, I am calling you right after calling her mother,” I say and that earns me an “aaah! Thank you!” from Kate.

“The doctor is just examining her, so I don’t know what they will say about her health. You won’t be able to talk to her right now, because as I said, she’s being examined. As for visiting, I don’t know what her doctor has in store for her, or where they will take her for tests or exams. You can certainly try, but I can’t guarantee her being in her room.”

“Oh! Okay. Well, thank you Christian for letting me know,” she says sniffing. “I’ll let you go  back to her then. It really means a lot to me that you let me know,” she says.

“Thanks. You can let Elliot know. I still have to call her dad,” I say.

“Okay,” she answers.

The next in line is Ray. But he doesn’t answer his phone. I leave him a message letting him know that Ana is awake. My eyes are on Anastasia as the doctor is probing her ribs; she winces in pain. I hold my breath and force myself to remain in my corner. I know the doctor is doing it for her well-being, but all my senses are alert, and ready to stop the doctor, if necessary by force.

“These are bruised, not cracked or broken. You were very lucky, Mrs. Grey.” Ana scowls. I glower at the doctor.

“Foolhardy,” I mouth at Anastasia.

“I’ll prescribe some painkillers. You’ll need them for this and for the headache you must have. But all’s looking as it should, Mrs. Grey. I suggest you get some sleep. Depending on how you feel in the morning, we may let you go home. My colleague Dr. Singh will be attending you then.”

“Thank you.”

Someone knocks on the door, and I look up. Taylor enters with a black cardboard box with Fairmont Olympic emblazoned in cream on the side of the box.

“Food?” Dr. Bartley asks surprised. Give my wife a break! She hasn’t eaten for nearly two days!

“Mrs. Grey is hungry. This is chicken soup,” I answer her question.

Dr. Bartley smiles in response. “Soup will be fine, just the broth. Nothing heavy,” she says looking at both of us pointedly. I glare at her back. She and Nurse Nora leave the room.

I pull the wheeled tray over to Anastasia’s bed, and Taylor places the box on top of it.

“Welcome back, Mrs. Grey,” he says in a gruff voice.

“Hello, Taylor. Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome, ma’am.” Taylor wants to say something else. He hesitates, unable to leave the room. He looks like he has something to say to Ana.

“You worried us all Mrs. Grey,” he murmurs, unsure of his own voice. I look at him intently. He raises his eyebrows.

“I’m sorry Taylor,” Ana replies, chagrined. I don’t want Ana to be upset, but what Taylor says confirms what I have said to her. “I don’t want to be out of turn, Mrs. Grey. But please ma’am, if there ever is a next time; let us take care of the problem. We are trained to deal with it. You don’t know how we all aged with worry and fear for your well-being,” he says as he glances at me. Ana’s eyes flicker back to me. “Gail, Sawyer, and Ryan all want me to tell you that they’re very happy you’re awake,” he says swallowing with a semblance of a half-smile. My wife won everyone’s hearts but also earned all of their anger as well with her heroics.

I unpack the box, taking out a thermos keeping the soup hot, soup bowl, side plate, a linen napkin, soup-spoon  a basket of bread rolls, silver salt and pepper shakers on her tray. Ana looks at her food hungrily.

“This is great, Taylor,” she says enthusiastically.

“Will that be all?” he asks.

“Yes, thanks,” I say dismissing him. I have a lot to speak with my wife. He nods.

“Taylor, thank you,” Ana adds.  

“Anything else I can get you, Mrs. Grey?”

Anastasia glances at me eyeing my clothes. “Just some clean clothes for Christian,” she says. Taylor gives her a genuine smile.

“Yes, ma’am.”

I look down at my shirt, perplexed.

“How long have you been wearing that shirt?” she asks.

“Since Thursday morning,” I reply, giving her a lopsided smile.

Taylor leaves to fetch my clothes per my wife’s request.

“Taylor’s real pissed at you, too,” I add grumpily as I unscrew the lid of the thermos to pour some creamy chicken soup into the bowl.

“I gathered as much,” she murmurs softly.

Ana closes her eyes, and inhales the aroma of the soup with steam curling on its surface. She dips her spoon and tastes it, savoring in her mouth.

“Good?” I ask, perching on the bed once again.

She nods delightfully, not sparing a word, and continues to eat as if she’s been starving. I’ve never seen my wife this ravenous. She stops to wipe her mouth with her linen napkin.

“Tell me what happened—after you realized what was going on,” she demands. Remembering the pain, I feel the constriction in my heart, and the exasperation courses through me anew. I run my hand through my hair again and shake my head. She continues spooning the soup into her mouth like there’s no tomorrow. The sight of it makes me overjoyed.

“Oh, Ana, it’s good to see you eat.”

“I’m hungry. Tell me,” she probes again.

I frown remembering the pain. “Well, after the bank called and I thought my world had completely fallen apart…” I pause. The pain is so new; her questions reminding me of the agony, driving the knives into the unhealed wounds of my soul. It’s unbearable. She stops eating. Her face falls.

“Don’t stop eating, or I’ll stop talking,” I whisper in an adamant tone. But I can barely hold an impassive face without falling apart again. She doesn’t eat. I glare at her. She slowly dips her spoon back into her bowl, and starts eating again. My breathing slows down, my heart rate is barely back to normal, and I resume talking.

“Anyway, shortly after you and I had finished our conversation, Taylor informed me that Hyde had been granted bail. How, I don’t know. I thought we’d managed to thwart any attempt at bail. But that gave me a moment to think about what you’d said… and I knew something was seriously wrong.”

“It was never about the money,” she snaps at me, an unexpected anger flaring at her face. “How could you even think that? It’s never been about your fucking money!” she nearly shouts, but she must be in pain, because she winces. My jaw drops open with the ferocity of her profane declaration for a second. I narrow my eyes on her.

“Mind your language,” I growl at my wife. “Calm down and eat.” She just glares defiantly instead.

“Ana,” I warn her.

“That hurt me more than anything, Christian,” she whispers. “Almost as much as you seeing that woman.” Her face falls in agony caused by heartbreak. Seeing what I have been feeling reflected on her face, and telling me once again what I have done wrong makes me wince as if she slapped me on the face. All of a sudden the burden I have been carrying for the last few days starting with our fight over the pregnancy weighs me down; I feel emotionally depleted, bone tired, weary. I close my eyes for a short while, shake my head, and resigned to what’s to come.

“I know,” I sigh. “And I’m sorry. More than you know.”  I have been burning in hell for the past couple of days, tormented with what I’ve done, worried to death she wouldn’t wake up, and I wouldn’t get a chance to get myself forgiven by her. I look at my wife, my eyes are incandescent with penitence.  “Please eat. While your soup is still hot,” I plead her in a soft voice. She picks her spoon up and continues to eat. I briefly close my eyes and breathe a sigh of relief.

“Go on,” she whispers, as she takes a bite of her white bread roll.

“We didn’t know Mia was missing. I thought maybe he was blackmailing you or something. I called you back, but you didn’t answer,” I scowl. “I left you a message then called Sawyer. Taylor started tracking your cell. I knew you were at the bank, so we headed straight there.”

“I don’t know how Sawyer found me. Was he tracking my cell, too?” she asks.

“The Saab is fitted with a tracking device. All our cars are. By the time we got near the bank, you were already on the move, and we followed,” I say and she starts smiling ear to ear. “Why are you smiling?” I ask curiously. Is this amusing to her?

“On some level I knew you’d be stalking me,” she answers still grinning.

“And that is amusing because?” I ask.

“Jack had instructed me to get rid of my cell. So I borrowed Whelan’s cell, and that’s the one I threw away. I put mine into one of the duffle bags so you could track your money,” she answers.

I sigh. “Our money, Ana,” I correct her softly. We knew that she borrowed Whelan’s cell phone because he told us about it. It was later found in the dumpster, or so Welch tells me. “Eat,” I remind her. She rips a piece of bread roll and wipes the bowl clean, then pops it into her mouth. As she’s chewing her last bite, “finished,” she says.

“Good girl,” I answer.

There’s another knock on the door. Without needing an answer, Nurse Nora enters into the room, carrying a small paper cup. I clear her tray and start putting the items back into the box.

“Pain relief,” Nora says smiling, and shows her the pill inside the cup.

“Is this okay to take? You know…with the baby?” she asks tentatively, eyeing me.

“Yes, Mrs. Grey. It’s Lortab—it’s fine; it won’t affect the baby.”

Anastasia nods, gratefully. She swallows the pill down with a sip of water.

“You ought to rest, Mrs. Grey,” Nurse Nora orders her, but looks at me pointedly. I nod.

“You’re going?” Ana exclaims, completely panicked.

I snort in a most ungentlemanly manner. “If you think for one moment I’m going to let you out of my sight, Mrs. Grey, you are very much mistaken.” First I thought I lost my wife, and then I feared she died. I’ve been in purgatory in the past couple of days. Why on earth would she think that I’d let her out of my sight?

Nora huffs and hovers over Ana readjusting her pillows to lie her down.

“Goodnight, Mrs. Grey,” she says, and gives me the evil eye with her deprecatory glance and leaves the room. Her dislike of me surprises me, not that I give a shit about it. “I don’t think Nurse Nora approves of me,” I murmur to Anastasia.

I stand by the Ana’s bed. I’m dead tired. I eye my chair that’s been my companion in the past couple of nights.

“You need to rest, too, Christian. Go home. You look exhausted,” she tries to persuade me.

“I’m not leaving you. I’ll doze in this armchair,” I protest.

She scowls at me, and then shifts onto her side in the bed.

“Sleep with me, then,” she asks.

I frown. I want to. I really do. In fact, there’s really not a thing in the world I want more than to hold my wife in my arms all night. “No. I can’t,” I say halfheartedly.

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You won’t hurt me. Please, Christian.”

“You have an IV.”

“Christian. Please,” she demands. How can I say no when she’s like that? How can I deny her of  sleeping with her when that’s exactly what I want, what we both need?

I peer at her for a moment indecisively. I am fearful of hurting her, but I need to hold her. Didn’t I read somewhere that even sick babies heal faster when they’re held?

“Please,” she begs again as she lifts the blanket, inviting me into the bed.

“Fuck it,” I say, and take off my shoes and socks and climb next to my wife. Gently, ever so delicately wrap my arms around Anastasia and when she lays her head on my chest, I am finally in heaven, my burden lifted. I kiss her hair.

“I don’t think Nurse Nora will be very happy with this arrangement,” I whisper mischievously, and somehow I’m delighted with the idea of making Nora mad.

Anastasia giggles, but stops quickly. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts,” she complains, halfheartedly.

“Oh, but I love that sound,” I say forlorn, my voice low. Pain, agony laced with enormous guilt goes through me again. “I’m sorry, baby, so, so sorry,” I utter my apologies, kissing her hair again and again, inhaling her scent. I’m sorry for everything. Sorry for fighting with you; the reasons of which now seem insignificant. We are going to be parents. I’m unprepared, scared shitless, incompetent, and that every time I think about it, worry spreads over me like the bubonic plague because I am completely scared of the kind of father I would be. The hand Anastasia puts over my heart relaxes me and centers me here. I gently put my hand over hers. I want to hold her tight, but I know I can’t do that tonight knowing she’s barely healing. But the strength I want to exert is not only because I reaffirm touching her, or fulfill the hunger and yearning I have for her. It’s to soothe the overwhelming love I have for her. I let my love embrace her tighter, rather than my arms tonight. I have yearned, coveted, begged for this embrace. It’s not just holding her person but her embracing her soul; her spark, embracing that disobedient angel that is my wife in her fragile body.

Pregnant silence grows between us. Each of us wanting to say something but holding back. Anastasia is the first to break that silence.

“Why did you go see that woman?” she asks finally. A stab in my heart. My biggest regret.

“Oh, Ana,” I groan in pain and penitence. “You want to discuss that now? Can’t we drop this? I regret it, okay?” I plead with her.

“I need to know,” she presses on. Anastasia is nothing if not persistent.

“I’ll tell you tomorrow,” I mutter, completely irritated. I don’t want Elena getting between us. It’s a done deal, a finished story. I want to change the topic. “Oh, and Detective Clark wants to talk to you. Just routine. Now go to sleep,” I coax her. She is silent for a moment.

I kiss her hair again, feeling her, I close my eyes. Anastasia gives out a heavy sigh. She’s thinking, and she’s not done interrogating me. I know she will continue with it, and I want to tell her, but not now, not when I am just holding her for the first time in what feels like eternity.

“Do we know why Jack was doing all this?” she asks curiously.

“Hmm,” I murmur. I had not expected that line of questioning. I’m tired, and ready to sleep with my wife. I don’t want the bastard or Elena tainting this moment. “Later,” I say yawning. My breathing slows, my chest slowly rises up and down in gentle breathing, her head on my chest, lulling, also tired. There is not much I want right now, because I have everything I need; love of my life in my embrace in the night fall. Inhaling the scent of her hair, feeling the taste of her skin, and her delicate breath caressing my chest. Her smile, laughter and giggle and the memory of her kisses are intoxicating me, pulling me into sleep with promises of more. I finally give in to the beckoning darkness and drift into sleep.

*****❦ ♡ ❧*****

“God damn it to hell Ana! Why can’t you tell me what is wrong?” I ask. Her mood has been all over the map.

“I’m pregnant!” she spits it out. I’m not shocked with the news. I still ask her, “What?” in horror.

“Don’t you want the baby?”

“I don’t know what I want! I can’t be a good father! You’re having a baby with the wrong father material. I’ll end up screwing this baby’s life up! I’m not ready to be a father…” I shout my frustration.

“You would make a wonderful father!” she says fervently.

“I won’t! How the hell would you know?” I feel the anger rise in me. Uncontrollable, overwhelming, incapacitating anger. Fury even!

“It’s unexpected, but I want this baby. He’s ours,” she whispers.

“I can’t! I’m not ready! I can’t share you with anyone! I’m the one who needs you, and you go and get pregnant! I haven’t even had you to myself for a year! One fucking year! Why would you do that to us? Why would you forget to get your birth control shot? Was it on purpose? A scheme?”

“No! If you don’t want our baby, you don’t want me! We come as a package. No baby, no Ana!” she shouts.

“Is that what you want?”

“No! That’s what you make me do! I want to have my baby!”

“Christian…” calls a soft sultry voice. Her blonde head is clearly visible in the dark. Her blue eyes are shaded with her long fake eyelashes.

“You don’t need her or the baby! You deserve me! What I have to offer. What my body can do for you… Remember?” she croons.

“I want Ana to want me!”

“But she doesn’t want you… She only wants the baby and your money, and maybe another man who can be a daddy to her child. A normal man like Jose or Ethan… Don’t worry,” she shakes her head. “You don’t need a baby, Christian. You are a Dom! You are the Master of your craft! You’re the master of all women who wish to submit you. Except that cunt…”

“She’s the one I want!” I bellow.

“But, she can’t possibly fulfill all of your desires. Look at her! And she is pregnant…” she spits in disgust.

“With my child!” I retort. Why do I suddenly feel the need to protect Junior?

“Remember how much you loved tying me up, flogging me until my buttocks glowed with a warm shade of pink just like the way you like it and then fucking me senseless? You can do that again to me—“ I cut her off.

“I don’t think of you that way Elena!”

“What? You think she desires you? She wants the baby!” says Elena pointing Anastasia’s growing belly. “How can she possibly fulfill all your desires like that? Whereas I have proven to you that I can in any way fulfill your heart desires, Christian...” she drones like the she-devil.

“I can make you beyond happy by submitting to you at… all… times... You can gain the control back in your life. 24/7 round the clock, Christian! No one will take a single breath without your permission. Come,” she says with a crook of her finger.

“I love my wife!”

“You love what I’m offering more… come,” she beckons me again.

Ana’s body gets heavy with the child.

“Look at that!” Elena says with revulsion in her voice. “She is disgusting! Large…unable to accommodate you, and your needs. I’m offering you this to do as you wish,” she says running her hands over her barely clad body her whip in hand. She holds it and traces a line with the whip over my arm making me flinch immediately.

“Don’t! Don’t touch me! Only Ana can!”

“Come on Christian!” she bares her teeth like a predator. “Don’t you remember this?” she shows me a vision of a submissive tied with changing faces, and suspended, legs in stirrups in dim light in my playroom. “Look how sexy this is! Observe the breasts with those clamps providing the maximum pain and pleasure to fulfill the need in your dark side…”

I turn away. “I no longer want that!”

“How about this? Can she do any of this?”

The changing images of subs gagged, tied in various enticing positions, submissive, bent to receive anything I can give, whipping, fucking, spanking, belting… I turn away.

“Anastasia is all I want. She’s what I need!”

“What does she have to offer?” she barks, and grabs my hand to hand me the whip, and her hand touches my chest, burning me…

“Don’t touch me! Ever again! Only Ana can!”

“You want me! You need me! I made you what you are! You are me…”

“You’re wrong Elena. I no longer want you. I only want my wife. I love her more than life itself.”

“She has nothing to offer except a growing belly,” she laughs, and pushes Anastasia to the cold concrete floor with the bottom of her high heeled black leather boots. Ana’s body falls onto the ground with a thud. When Ana screams in pain, my heart shatters. Elena’s face changes to Hyde.

“Do you know who I am little bird? I know who you are!” He says and lifts his foot up to kick my wife already writhing in pain. I jump on Hyde, attacking him to protect Anastasia. I lift my fist up and blow a punch on his side, and another one on his chin. He tries to push me away. We roll on the ground. He hits me with a left hook. I feel nothing. He lifts his leg in an effort to kick me off him. I grin with malice in my gaze. He lands a punch on my side, and I retort by punching him in the face again. His lip splits and blood oozes out slowly dripping.

His hands grasps my biceps, a wild grin comes to his lips. The face changes back to Elena.

“That’s right baby… Do it again! I know you love it! Hit me! Hurt me! Fuck me! Do what you want with me!”

I scramble away from her like I’ve been hit with a bolt of lightning.

“Get it through your head! I don’t ever want you! No more! Ana is all I want!” I scramble to my wife’s side holding her in my arms.

“Well…” croons Elena. “I suppose I can always train your son,” she says as she rubs the hair of a copper haired young boy.

“Noooo!” I scream in agony. My voice is choked and silenced in my throat. My eyes opens up immediately; sweat pouring out of me, my breathing is so rapid, my lungs are ready to burst. When I take in my surroundings, my heartbeats start slowing down. I look down, swallowing.

“Thank God!” I whisper. Ana’s here with me, sleeping curled in my chest. We’re at the hospital. I slowly get up trying not to wake Ana up, and get off the bed. Nurse Nora comes into the room, and she looks at me with her eyes narrowed. If she’s seen me sleep with Ana in her bed, she says nothing.

“Mrs. Grey should be sleeping another couple of hours. I gave her pain meds earlier. It puts her to sleep because she’s weak,” she says.

“Thank you for letting me know,” I say and slowly get out of the room. Taylor is waiting outside.

“I need you to run me to Escala quickly Taylor. So I can clean up,” I say.

“I brought you clothes and toiletries  yesterday.”

“You did?”

“Yes, sir. You were asleep, so I left them on the chair in the corner,” he says.

I get back into Anastasia’s room, and taking the bag, I go to the en suite bathroom. I lock the door and quickly shave, and take a shower. Finally feeling completely clean washing off the last three days not only dirt and grime, but also the misery, I come out of the bathroom refreshed. I fold the dirty clothes and put them back in the gym bag Taylor brought to take home. I’m now dressed entirely in black; I could be mistaken as Jonny Cash’s backup singer if he was still alive. I go back out again to meet Taylor.

“Let’s go grab some breakfast for Mrs. Grey,” I say, and he gives me a rare genuine smile.

“Yes, sir. I know just the place nearby.”

Sawyer is just outside of the double doors entering into Anastasia’s hospital ward.

“Sawyer, move down to Mrs. Grey’s door, and have Ryan wait at the entrance here,” he orders as we exit. “No entry is granted to anyone except the Doctors on the list, and her assigned nurses and family,” he reminds him of the visitation rules. “You have today’s staff list?” he asks him.

Sawyer takes a list out of his pocket. “Yes, T. I’ve memorized the names and the faces,” he replies.

“We’ll be back in about thirty minutes,” I say.

“Hospital’s cafeteria isn’t too bad, but this place is very close, right by the hospital in fact. The food is great, and they’ve got fast service,” Taylor says.

"Let's take a detour, first. I want to see my sister for a few minutes. Do you know what room Mia's in?”

“Yes, sir. She's one floor below,” Taylor replies.

“I want to stop by her room before we go pick Ana's breakfast up.”

There's another one of Welch's men at the entry to the ward, and by Mia's door.

“Where are her own security personnel?” I ask frowning.

“They're all in the vicinity, sir. The blend in the ward sir, just in case someone tries to get into the ward avoiding our security with the pretense of hospital personnel.

“Good,” I reply.

When I open the door Mia is dressed in her jeans, blouse, an high heeled pumps, talking to a male doctor with my mom. They all turn to look at me.

“Christian!” she shouts excitedly.

The young doctor's eyebrows shoot up.

“If you have no other questions Miss Grey and Doctor Grey, I will leave you alone with your boyfriend,” he says. Smooth.

“That's my brother, silly!” she replies her doctor playfully, and I can see the happy glint in the doctor's eyes. I scrutinize the doctor up and down . I thought my sister was going out with Ethan Kavanagh.

“Hello, darling,” my mother greets me. The doctor nods.

“I see. When you have rested for a few days, make an appointment with my office, and we'll check your progress, and test if the drugs you were administered had any effects on your body, Miss Grey. Good day, Miss Grey, Doctor Grey, Mr. Grey,” he says as he leaves the room with another backward glance towards my sister.

Mia jumps into my arms, hugging me hard.

“Hi Taylor!” she greets him, and to his surprise, she gives him a hug as well.

“Thank you for coming to our rescue and please thank Ana for coming after me to save me from those maniacs.”

“I will. Are you discharged?”

“Yes, I am. We're going home--” she says and my mother adds:

“Where I will make sure that she will not leave my sight again till she is 30!”

“Oh mom! I'm okay now.”

“My is right. If you had not relented on your security, we would have avoided all this, because those fuckers wouldn't get a chance to kidnap you! As it is, both you and Ana got hospitalized as a result, and both of you could have died!”

“I'm sorry Christian! I'm so sorry!” she says worried as I crush her to my chest.

“I've died a thousand deaths since the kidnapping. Seeing Ana cold on the concrete, and you lulling and lifeless in Sawyer's arms... I lost myself. My world collapsed, imploded,” I say kissing the top of her head.

“I feel awful, angry, disgusted, and guilty. I'm so sorry Christian! I'm sorry for getting rid of the security, I'm sorry for Ana being kidnapped, the ransom, what you and mom and dad and Elliot have been through. How's Ana? Mom said that she woke up.”

“Yes, she did,” I say with relief. “She too might be going home soon. They'll probably do some tests on her and examine her before they give the green light.”

“How are you feeling son?” my mom asks as she gives me a hug.

“A thousand times better now that Ana is awake. I was just going to go and pick her breakfast. She's still sleeping,” I say. “She still has a lot of healing to do. Has a lot of bruises, and she's still extremely weak. But I thank God every minute to sparing Ana's and Mia's lives, and that they're both getting better. “

“Oh, Christian!” Mia gushes, and hugs me again. “I'm so glad to see you.”

“How did they convince you to go with them or did they force you in the vehicle?”

Mia sighs.

“I was so stupid. I have heard the name Elizabeth Morgan before, I think. When I came out of the gym, she came up to me running and said Ana was in the hospital and she was unable to reach you. She said as a family member she came and found me there, and was taking me to the hospital to be with her. I didn't think! She didn't give me time, because she did look anxious and worried. But now that I think about it, the anxiety was because she was going to kidnap me; and not because Ana was in the hospital. I told her my mom is a doctor and that I would call her. She told me to call in SUV. So without thinking, I entered into her vehicle. When I turned back to toss my gym bag, I saw Hyde. I was shocked to see another person in the car. He said, 'hello' grinning, and put a towel on my face. I'm told that it was chloroform. I don't remember the rest until I woke up at the hospital,” she says shaking her head.

I realize that I have gone rigid in my places, my knuckles gone white because my hands are fisted so hard. Mia realizes that. She takes my hands into hers. I look down.

“We're okay now Christian. Thanks to you and Taylor and Sawyer and Welch and all of your men! I'll never complain about security again.”

“Thank Anastasia! Without her, none of this would be possible. We wouldn't know you were kidnapped, and I wouldn't think of chasing Ana and end up finding you both,” I say still rigid.

“I don't know how to thank her. It was brave, and selfless, and most courageous thing anyone has ever done for me! She's my savior, guardian angel,” she whispers. She must feel tired, because she sits downs on her bed, yawning.

“She's still under the influence of the trace amount of tranquilizers still in her system. I had better take her home, darling,” my mom says.

“Yes, of course mom. I just wanted to make sure my sister's okay. I can't stay too long either. I don't want to leave Ana alone. I want to be back before she wakes up. The nurse said she might sleep two more hours, but I want to be back way before than that,” I explain.

“I love you Christian! I'm so grateful to you, your men and most of all Ana!” Mia says picking up her purse, and giving me a goodbye hug.

“I love you darling.”

“I love you, mom.”

“I will call you later to find out about Ana,” my mom says, then kisses my cheeks.

“Oh, what the hell!” I say and hug her to her surprise.

Then we leave.

When we get to the bakery; I see the modern setting, and people in line with for their breakfast orders. I order a breakfast for me and Ana, and Taylor gets coffee. Her food is packed to go, and taking a seat, I eat my egg white omelet and toast and drink my coffee. By the time we get back to Ana’s hospital room, it’s been forty four minutes since we left. I go into Anastasia’s room with her food safely wrapped into a paper bag. But Ana’s bed is empty. I panic immediately. Did they take her for more exams? Sawyer was at the door but he didn’t say anything.

“Ana!” I shout for her.

“I’m in the bathroom,” she replies sounding like she has something in her mouth. Maybe she’s brushing her teeth. I hear the water run. I put her oatmeal with dried fruits, pancakes with maple syrup, bacon, orange juice, and the Twinings English breakfast tea on the tray with wheels. When the sound of running water ceases, Ana opens the door and comes out.

“Good morning, Mrs. Grey,” I say happier than I felt in days. “I have your breakfast,” I smile with the pride of someone who is taking care of his wife. She grins ear to ear when she sees me, and climbs into her bed. I pull the tray with wheels, and reveal her breakfast. She takes her orange juice and gulps it down quickly then digs into her oatmeal. I sit down at the edge of her bed watching her in amazement. I have never seen her eat with so much gusto before. Ever! The way she appreciates her food and takes it in is so fucking sexy. I smirk, shaking my head. All this time I tried to get her eat a little more, and she always ate like a bird. And now seeing her devour everything on her plate gives me a particular joy. And getting her eat only took knocking her up.  So, that was the key. I smirk again.

“What?” she asks with her mouth full of pancakes.

“I like to watch you eat. How are you feeling?” I ask.

“Better,” she replies again between a spoonful of oatmeal, a bite of bacon and a forkful of pancake washed down with a gulp of Twinings tea. I am completely amazed.

“I’ve never seen you eat like this,” I say to her curious gaze.

She looks up at me and her face falls. “It’s because I’m pregnant, Christian.”

I snort in response, and an ironic smile creeps up on my lips. “If I knew getting you knocked up was going to make you eat, I might have done it earlier,” I say trying to soften the mood.

“Christian Grey!” she gasps, shocked at my remark. She sets the oatmeal bowl down on her tray.

“Don’t stop eating,” I warn her.

“Christian, we need to talk about this,” she says softly.

I still, fear taking over again. “What’s there to say? We’re going to be parents,” I mutter shrugging, trying to look casual, but failing miserably. Anxiety and panic are crawling over me, suffocating. My eyes widen with fear. Anastasia pushes her tray aside, and crawls down the bed to me, and takes my hand in hers, immediately helping me find my center, but the ever present fear is still strangling me.  

“You’re scared. I get it,” she whispers. Does she? She’s never been in my shoes, or lived through the horrors I have lived. She doesn’t know my deficiencies. I gaze at her using all my effort to look impassive.

“I am, too. That’s normal,” she whispers.

“What kind of a father could I possibly be?” I ask in a hoarse, barely audible voice, finally voicing my fear.

“Oh, Christian,” she sniffles, trying to stifle a sob. “One that tries his best. That’s all any of us can do.”

“Ana—I don’t know if I can…”

“Of course you can. You’re loving, you’re fun, you’re strong, you’ll set boundaries. Our child will want for nothing,” she tries to reassure me.

And also fucked up to the point of having nightmares about my train wreck of a past. My days or nights aren’t free of the worry and fear that I’d be a sucky father, and fear that my child  would be abused because of my fucked up parenting skills. She doesn’t know the kind of nightmares torturing me at night.

Fear, the fresh sting of my earlier nightmare freezes me in my place; I stare at her. Doubt is written all over my face. This is one thing I am afraid I won’t be good at; something I will screw up, and it will end up being detrimental to more than one person.

“Yes, it would have been ideal to have waited. To have longer, just the two of us. But we’ll be three of us, and we’ll all grow up together. We’ll be a family. Our own family. And your child will love you unconditionally, like I do,” she says her eyes brimming with tears. I don’t doubt her love for me. Not anymore. Can a child, our child love me like she does? I am unlovable yet, Ana loves me, and I nearly lost her. The emotions flood over me unbidden, fresh. But my wife is my rock. Here she is in her weak state, still bruised and battered, but braver than I am, giving me hope, elating me. What have I done to deserve her?

“Oh, Ana,” I whisper hoarsely. Pain and anguish of her near death is still so real, so close, so overwhelming. “I thought I’d lost you. Then I thought I’d lost you again. Seeing you lying on the ground, pale and cold and unconscious – it was my worst fears realized. And now here you are – brave and strong… giving me hope. Loving me after all that I’ve done.”

“Yes, I do love you, Christian, desperately. I always will,” she says fervently. After all I did…walking out on her, seeing Elena, she can still love me. I take her head into my hands gently, and wipe her tears away with my thumbs. I gaze into her eyes unable to hide my enormous fear of the prospect of fatherhood and my wonder of her.

“I love you, too,” I breathe and I do what I wanted to do for days; I kiss my wife softly and tenderly, adoring her. If she has faith in me, who am I to disappoint her? “I’ll try to be a good father,” I whisper against her lips. Because I love my wife. I don’t want to screw this up and drive my wife into someone else’s arms, care and life, and my child along with her. They’re both mine!

Truly, Madly, Deeply – Savage Garden

“You’ll try, and you’ll succeed. And let’s face it; you don’t have much choice in the matter, because Blip and I are not going anywhere.”

“Blip?”

“Blip.”

Why Blip? I raise my eyebrows questioning. “I had the name Junior in my head.”

“Junior it is, then.”

“But I like Blip,” I smile shyly, and kiss my wife once again.

I love holding her in my arms, and keeping her in my embrace, but I need her to eat since she has missed quite a few meals in the past couple of days.

“Much as I’d like to kiss you all day, your breakfast is getting cold,” I murmur against her lips, unwilling to break away from her still. Just touching her lights up all my synapses, putting me on full alert of her body. Kissing her and not having sex is like turning my libido on full blast building up pressure and torturing myself with no relief in sight. I gaze down at her with completely darkened, sensual eyes. I want my wife. But, she’ll be off limits for a while if I can help it, so better not torture either one of us with pent up frustration.

“Eat,” I order softly. She swallows. She wants what I want, and that’s something we can’t have. She crawls back into her bed carefully placing her IV lines out of her way in order to avoid snagging. I pull the tray back in front of her. She starts eating her food again.

“You know,” she mutters after she eats a bite of her pancake, “Blip might be a girl.”

A girl? Oh, shit! I know what men want from girls. I run my hand through my hair in exasperation completely alarmed. I am anti-gun, but this might be one reason I might become a pro: to protect my daughter from the predators. I am once again alarmed. A boy, a son I can talk to. But a girl? Oh, shit! Shit! Shit! But then again, I have Ana. She managed to get me see the light. She can do anything! I run my hand through my hair again. “Two women, eh?” When she sees the alarm flash through my face, she asks.

“Do you have a preference?”

“Preference?” I ask, alarmed.

“Boy or girl.”

I frown. I don’t know. “Healthy will do,” I say softly, still bewildered with the topic. “Eat,” I snap so willing to change into a different venue.

“I’m eating, I’m eating… Jeez, keep your hair on, Grey,” she says watching me with scrutiny. I sit down in the armchair that has been my companion while Anastasia was unconscious, and pick up the Seattle Times. The reporters have been camping all over the hospital to get the full story.

“You made the papers again, Mrs. Grey,” I say in a bitter tone remembering the incident with paparazzi.

“Again?” she asks.

“The hacks are just rehashing yesterday’s story, but it seems factually accurate. You want to read it?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Read it to me. I’m eating.”

I shake my head smirking.

Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde – Travis Tritt

Seattle Times

Anastasia Grey, the wife of mogul Christian Grey and his sister Mia Grey were kidnapped by Jack Hyde and Elizabeth Morgan on September 15^th, 2011. Both Hyde and Morgan were former employees of the Seattle Independent Publishing where Mrs. Grey currently works as an editor. Our sources indicate that both Hyde and Morgan had been Mrs. Grey’s former bosses. In order to extract $5,000,000 from the Greys, Hyde and Morgan developed an ingenious plan and kidnapped Miss Mia Grey outside of her gym and called Anastasia Grey telling her to get the five million dollars money within two hours, and deliver it to an undisclosed location without telling anyone if she valued the life of Mia Grey. Mrs. Grey withdrew the money and went to save her sister in-law following her kidnappers' orders to the letter. However, Hyde who had a personal grudge against Mrs. Grey beat her up so badly that she ended up in the hospital unconscious, but not before she managed to shoot Hyde on the leg. Ironically, they are now both being treated in the same hospital.

Mr. Hyde was released on bail the morning he kidnapped Mia and Anastasia Grey. He was in jail for attempted kidnapping, breaking and entering into Mr. and Mrs. Christian’s Grey’s posh Seattle apartment, Escala.

Our sources indicate that the modern day Bonnie and Clyde have been co-workers and sexual partners. Like Bonnie, the sassy Miss Morgan has the sex-appeal, and Hyde has the troubled past. Both excelled in school and ended up working in the same publishing company. They stayed out of trouble until Mrs. Grey started working at the SIP. The young, beautiful and naïve Mrs. Grey has been described as an easy target to reach the unreachable Christian Grey and his millions; the chink in his armor. But not as naïve as they thought she is since Mrs. Grey still she managed to shoot Jack Hyde. The two women have finally been rescued by none other than Christian Grey and his personal security detail.  

The whole incident makes the rest of us wonder with concern whether the Justice System releases dangerous criminals back into the society since the same Justice System released a criminal like Hyde who was in jail for attempted kidnapping, breaking and entering into Christian Grey's home. Clearly the same offender attempted to commit the very same crime upon the same victim within two hours of his release on bail. We have learned that Mr. Grey’s attorneys have made every effort to block any attempt to bail and unfortunately they were unsuccessful in the end.  The question left unanswered is then is this: Who is running our Justice System?

When I finish reading the story, “Please read something else. I like listening to you,” Anastasia says.

I read her a report about a booming bagel business and the fact that Boeing has had to cancel the launch of Boeing Sonic Cruiser; a concept airliner with a delta wing-canard configuration. This is right up in Pella’s alley. This aircraft was distinguished from conventional jet airliners by its delta wing and high-subsonic cruising speed of up to Mach 0.98, which is about 746 mph. I frown as I read it. Maybe I should give Pella a call. He warned me time and again that there were more than one person, and he accurately predicted that one of them was a woman. 

Are there others after me and my family? Who financed Hyde's release? Who gave him the cash? I don’t want to think about those when I’m with Anastasia, but my mind keeps drifting back. She picks up on everything, and considering that she’s not well and pregnant, I don’t want to worry her in any way at all.

When I finish reading, Ana is contemplating on something. Something is brewing in her mind. But then there’s a knock on the door as she opens her mouth to say something.

One of the last people I want to see today enters into the room apologetically: Detective Clark.

 “Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey,” he greets us. “Am I interrupting?”

“Yes,” I snap at him. But he goes on ignoring my protest.

“Glad to see you’re awake, Mrs. Grey. I need to ask you a few questions about Thursday afternoon. Just routine. Is now a convenient time?” he asks.

“Sure,” replies Ana halfheartedly.

“My wife should be resting,” I say acerbically.

“I’ll be brief, Mr. Grey. And it means I’ll be out of your hair sooner rather than later.”

Well, the sooner they all get out of our lives, the better. I stand and offer my chair to him, and sit next to my wife on the bed protectively. I hold her hand letting her know that she can rely on me, and squeeze it reassuringly.

“Mrs. Grey, we have a general idea of what happened on Thursday, and we have Miss Morgan’s statement. But we need to get your account of the events. When did Hyde first contact you?”

“It was after lunch on Thursday. I had just come back to my desk, and my cell phone rang. My caller ID displayed Mia’s name, and I thought it was her calling and answered.”

“Then what happened?”

“To my utter shock, the caller was Jack Hyde. He immediately told me not to hang up and that he’s been having a chat with my little sister-in-law,” she says swallowing. “He said…” she stops takes a shuddering breath, and looks at me. “He said…” she stops.

“What did he say Mrs. Grey? Everything you say is important in getting him prosecuted.”

She nods. “He said, ‘listen to me, you prick-teasing, gold-digging whore. You and Grey fucked up my life. You owe me.’ Then he said he has the little bitch with him now that that cock-sucker I married and his whole fucking family are going to pay!” her voice rising. She leans so much into me, if she could go any further we would be fused together! My eyes widen in anger, and I feel that the beating I gave the fucker isn’t even enough in what he put her through.

“Go on Mrs. Grey…” Clark coaxes her. Ana nods, takes a deep breath as another violent shudder goes through her.

“I asked him what he wants. He said he wants ‘his fucking money.’ If things had been different, it could have been him. Then he said he wants me to get five million dollars of my husband's money. I told him that I didn’t have access to that kind of money. But he didn’t give me any choice with his demands. He gave me two hours to find five million Dollars! Just two hours!” she says tears pooling into her eyes. "He kept emphasizing that I couldn't let anyone know. Not Christian, not our security, not the police! He said... he said..." I hold her tighter in my arms.

"Shhh.. I got you. Detective this is upsetting my wife!"

"No, Christian, I want to get over with it, so I don't have to recall it again... Please," she looks at me with tears. My lips go to a tight line, my eyes wide, but I nod.

"He repeated several times to me that he would know if I let anyone know about this and once he finds out I said anything about him, he would kill Mia. Then he told me to keep my phone with me, and added, 'tell no one or I'll fuck her up before I kill her. You have two hours!' Just as I tried to ask for more time, he hung up on me leaving me no other choice. No time... As I left work, I told my assistant to tell Elisabeth that I was not feeling well and that I was leaving! I informed Elizabeth of my leaving, and she informed Jack... I didn't know!" she shudders with a sob.

"Then you went directly to the bank from work?" Detective probes with a straight face, seemingly unaffected, but I can see his pupils dilate. He reins in his emotions well.

"No. I had to go home and find something, a checkbook with my name on it, and I had to lose Sawyer because I couldn't endanger Mia's life," she says and I stiffen next to her. "It wasn't easy. But, I called Sawyer and asked him to help me upstairs, and when he when up, I left the apartment quickly. When I left the building, Sawyer was running after me and chasing my car. I immediately went to the bank and asked for the Bank Manager and told him that I wanted to withdraw five million Dollars."

"What did the bank manager say to that?"

"Well, I forgot that my driver's license still had my maiden name, and the bank manager wanted to call Christian but I found my Amex with my married name on it. The manager said it was unconventional to withdraw that amount of money. I didn't want Christian to know, because I didn't want his life or Mia's to be in danger... I thought I was convincing with the bank manager, but it was still taking a while, and time was something I didn't have; if I was running out of time and consequently Mia was running out of time. I didn't want her to get raped, hurt, and then killed! I didn't want her to be tortured, you see... I was ready to do anything to save her..." Ana says slowly, tears streaming as she recalls.

"But the manager called Christian anyway," she says her face falling. "I had to tell him I was leaving him, so he wouldn't follow me! I had to hurt him, break my husband's heart just so his life wouldn't be in danger!" she utters holding onto me tightly.

"I'm sorry ma'am to have you recall all this. I'll get through my questions as quickly as I can. How did you leave the bank?"

"Sawyer was waiting in the bank's waiting room when I came out. So, I asked the bank manager to take me back to his office. I called Mia's cell phone and Jack Hyde answered. He already knew that my security followed me. He told me to go to the back of the bank. I told the bank manager to take me out from the employee entrance in the back. Then I asked for his cell phone as I went out because I put my Blackberry into the money bag so Christian could track his money."

"Our money!" I grunt. She rolls her eyes.

"And when we came out, I was shocked to find Elizabeth Morgan waiting. She had the black Dodge. After the money was loaded into the Dodge, the bank staff went back in. And Elizabeth asked for my phone and I gave her the phone I got from the bank manager. She tossed it into the dumpster saying it was to throw the dogs off the scent." I am disgusted with the callousness and disregard of Ana's and my sister's lives in Elizabeth Morgan. I will fucking allocate unlimited amount of funds to exact my revenge on all involved parties, and make sure that she goes to prison indefinitely.

"If you don't mind me asking ma'am, how did you think you would get away from Hyde and Miss Morgan?" Clark asks curiously, and frankly I'd like to know the brilliant, I mean idiotic logic behind that as well. 

"I didn't have time to think, Detective. I thought I could just toss the money at Jack, and grab Mia and run..." she says naively, blinking up at him. That was her best plan? I vibrate in anger and frustration, holding the bridge of my nose in order to hold back my headache at bay; the detective's must be feeling the same because lips go into a thin nervous line.

"Then it's a good thing your husband didn't listen to you and followed you anyway. Did Miss Morgan tell you why she was cooperating with Hyde?"

"I asked her why she was doing this, because she didn't like Jack. She didn't answer my question and just told me to keep my mouth shut. When I asked her if he had some sort of hold on her, and she slammed the breaks angrily before I had a chance to put my seat belt on. At that moment I knew she was prepared to do whatever Jack asked her to do because he was holding something over her head, and I realized I may not be able to get away as quickly..." she says staring ahead as if she's reliving the horror of the events of Thursday, and I along with her.

"When Elisabeth arrived at Jack's hideout, Jack came out and he looked quite different. His hair was cut short, earrings removed and he was wearing a suit. He looked like he was ready to take off to someplace. I asked him where Mia was. He says 'first things first, bitch,' and had Elizabeth check the money, and confirmed with her that she threw away my cell phone. Then out of nowhere he backhanded me across the face. It was so unprovoked, and ferocious, it knocked me to the ground. I just remember my head thudding on the concrete, and the excruciating pain in my head. It filled my eyes with tear, and my vision got blurry immediately, and my skull was pulsing with throbbing pain. I think I screamed. I wanted to protect our baby, but I couldn't..." she sobs with her hands covering her face. I am resonating with anger and tension once more. I run my fingers up and down on her back to soothe her. 

But I am so furious and full of rage, I have half the mind to find Hyde and kill the fucker and end his worthless life! But, that would be too good for him.

"Then I remember Jack following through with a vicious kick to my ribs. It was so hard, it knocked my breath out of my lungs. He screamed at me saying 'that's for SIP, you fucking bitch!' All I could do was to pull my legs up into infant position. Just as he was getting ready to deliver me another kick, Elisabeth told him not to do it there in broad daylight. And that gave me just a second to pull the gun out and shoot. I just remember hearing screeching cars, breaks, shouting, and footsteps. Then I heard Christian... I heard my husband's voice. Then it was lights out for me... until I woke up yesterday," she finishes her statement with tears still rolling down her cheeks, holding onto me as if her life depends on it.

"I wish you'd aimed higher," I mutter.

"Might have done womankind a service if Mrs. Grey had," Clark finally agrees with me about something.

"Thank you, Mrs. Grey. That's all for now."

"You won't let him out again, will you?" Ana asks scared.

"I don't think he'll make bail this time, ma'am."

"Do we know who posted his bail?" I ask.

"No, sir. It was confidential."

Confidential... When Welch checks through my list, I will find the fucking bastard, and I will make him or her pay for it. Hit him where it hurts.

As Clark is leaving Dr. Singh and two interns enter into the room to examine Ana. I wait and keep a watchful eye on my wife. Dr. Singh looks happy and she declares that Anastasia is fit to go home. I have never felt the kind of relief I feel now.

"Mrs. Grey, you'll have to watch for worsening headaches and blurry vision. If that occurs you must return to the hospital immediately," she warns.

Anastasia nod in response, and looks delighted with the prospect of going home.

As Dr. Singh is leaving I stop her. "Dr. Singh, may I have a word with you?"

"Of course Mr. Grey," she says and I lead her out to the corridor leaving the door ajar behind me.

"How can I help you Mr. Grey?"

"Is it safe for my wife to have sex?"

She smiles in response.

"Yes Mr. Grey, it is."

"How long do you recommend her to wait before we can resume our normal sexual activities?"

"There is no danger in Mrs. Grey resuming her sexual life. She will need to take it easy for a little while; perhaps wait a week or so or at least nothing rough until her ribs heal. But as long as she's careful and you're gentle with her, she can still have sex."

"Okay. I just want to be perfectly sure: you're giving us a green light? She can have sex?"

"Yes, Mr. Grey, that's fine," she smiles broadly.

"Thank you," I say and shake her hand.

When I get back into Anastasia's room again, I'm much happier knowing I can make love to her again.

"What was that all that about?"

"Sex," I say with a wicked grin. She blushes.

"And?" she asks.

"You're good to go," I smirk.

"I have a headache," she smirks back at me.

"I know. You'll be off limits for a while. I was just checking."

She frowns, disappointed. She has missed sex, too. I like that. I like that a lot.

Nurse Nora comes into the room, and removes Anastasia' IV. She still manages to give me her stabbing stares. I shall remember Nora going down history as one of the few women who has managed to resist my charms. I smile after her as she leaves the room with Ana's IV stand.

"Shall I take you home?" I ask.

"I'd like to see Ray first."

"Sure," I say. This will be good. Ray will probably give her a piece of his mind.

"Does he know about the baby?"

"I thought you'd want to be the one to tell him. I haven't told your mom either."

"Thank you," she replies happily.

"My mom knows," I add. "She saw your chart. I told my dad but to no one else. Mom said couples normally wait for twelve weeks or so... to be sure," I say shrugging.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to tell Ray."

"I should warn you, he's mad as hell. Said I should spank you," I tell her. "I told him I'd be only too willing to oblige." She looks at me shocked.

"You didn't!" she gasps.

I wink at her. Handing her a bag, I say, "Here, Taylor brought you some clean clothes. I'll help you dress."

As I help Ana to get dressed, I see the widespread bruises over her body, and my anger grows in leaps and bounds. Those who inflicted pain on my wife and sister and anyone involved in aiding them will pay dearly. As we leave the room, I'm extremely relieved that this ordeal is nearly behind us. When we get to Ray's room, I leave the two of them alone. The second I close the door, Ray's angry, and concerned parental voice echoes outside of his room. Anastasia profusely apologizes for being irresponsible, and tries to smooth him over. As I wait by the door, I call my parents to let them know Anastasia is being discharged. My Blackberry buzzes and I see Welch's name on the caller ID.

"Grey," I answer.

"Mr. Grey, Welch's here. I'm on my way to Seattle; we'll be departing Detroit shortly, and I need to see you about my findings tonight."

"Can't it be done over the phone?"

"No. I'm afraid not. It's got to be face to face, sir."

"Okay. My wife is getting discharged today. I'll be taking her home soon. Tonight then. Let Taylor know the exact time you'll be at Escala once you get back."

"Will do, sir. I'll see you tonight."

I hang up. I continue to wait by Ray's door, and I would thoroughly enjoy him chewing Anastasia out for the way she behaved even though I don't want him to get his blood pressure up, but I am now preoccupied with the news Welch is going to deliver. He said he can't talk about it over the phone. It must be very bad. When Ana says her goodbyes to Ray, I take her hand and we leave through the rear exit of the hospital to avoid paparazzi and reporters. Taylor leads us through the employee entrance, and takes us to the waiting SUV.

I make a mental list of things to do to locate the bail poster, and the ways in which I can collect my due for what he did to my wife, my sister, and nearly causing the miscarriage of our baby. But the concern of what Welch might have discovered in Detroit gnawing at me. Anastasia is talking to her mom on the phone, trying to calm her down. I think Carla is sobbing so hard, even Sawyer can hear her in the driver's seat whose gaze Anastasia is studiously avoiding.

I hold Anastasia's hand throughout her conversation with her mom, brushing across her knuckles with my thumb, getting increasingly nervous.

"What's wrong?" she asks as soon as she hangs up.

"Welch wants to see me."

"Welch? Why?"

"He's found something out about that fucker Hyde," I snarl. "He didn't want to tell me on the phone."

"Oh."

"He's coming here this afternoon from Detroit."

"You think he's found a connection." I nod in response.

"What do you think it is?"

"I have no idea," I reply with furrowed brows, still perplexed.

First time in what seems like forever, everything is right between my wife and I. My wife and  our baby are well and in my embrace. She's discharged from the hospital. There is still a lot of unresolved problems with the fucker Hyde, another hidden enemy who aided Hyde. But, right now, we are going home. Home... where I will get to hold my wife in my arms, in our own bed and keep her safe. For everything else, there's always tomorrow.