Author's Note: In this one-shot, Ana meets with Jose to tell him she's pregnant and it doesn't go too well. I wrote this using the characters from the book, and not as I wrote them in my other story, "Baby on Board".

Disclaimer: I'm not E. L. James, if I were, I wouldn't be posting, I'd be publishing.

I haven't seen Jose since the surprise birthday party that Christian threw for me over three months ago. Shortly after, we found out I was pregnant and with all of the Jack Hyde nonsense, I've been laying low for a while. In fact, Christian only let me begin going back into the office last month when I finally put my foot down and said that I not only had to but I wanted to work.

Jose has called me multiple times since then and I know it sounds bad, but I only picked up a few times. I'm not sure how to feel about this. I know Christian dislikes if not hates him, and it surprised me when I found out from Kate that he hasn't contacted her at all. This didn't surprise her one bit.

"He's always been in love with you!" she had told me when he came up in conversation last week. I didn't want to believe this, but I knew she wasn't lying - Christian had told me the same enough times. She didn't make me feel better with her next thought; "And apparently, he still is. I wonder if he'll freak out when he finds out you're pregnant."

I wasn't sure exactly how she meant he would freak out but I didn't want to find out the hard way. I finally realized I had to tell him I'm pregnant and once and for all put my foot down and straighten him out. I felt bad that I had let it go this long, but I decided that the next time he calls me, I'll finally say yes to having lunch.

Little did I know that call would come three days later. He sounded ecstatic when I accepted his always present lunch invitation and we are meeting today at a local cafe in Seattle.

Christian wasn't thrilled when I told him my plans to meet him but he understood… enough. He has been a lot better since the Jack Hyde debacle; keeping his jealousy to a minimum and trusting me explicitly. It didn't stop him from demanding that Sawyer go with me, which I agreed to easily.

As I sit in the cafe with my tea, I think about my entire relationship with Jose: from us meeting at freshmen orientation, to him helping me with my car, Wanda, and us sneaking out for pizza whenever Kate would bring a guy home. He had always been a good friend but only that: a friend.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Ana, you look fantastic!"

I look up to Jose's smiling face and can't help but do the same. I stand and he pulls me into an embrace. I see Sawyer's lips tighten just a bit over Jose's shoulder and I shake my head at him. I pull back, suddenly very happy that my slightly rounded tummy is barely noticeable. We take our seats and focus on our menus and order when the waitress swings back around.

Finally, we turn our attention back to each other.

"It's so good to see you, Ana. When I heard about that crazy guy who kidnapped you, I went crazy with worry. What happened? How are you feeling?"

I'm feeling like I never want to talk about Jack Hyde ever again. That was such a low point in my life...and in Christian's and my relationship. To his credit, I never felt forced to discuss this with Jose; he had called as soon as he heard but I had already started blowing him off back then, so I promised to tell him more at another time.

"I'm feeling much better, thanks. It was all so horrible. He was my ex-boss and he had...gotten fired," I said simply, not feeling like going into the reason or how he got fired. "He thought Christian was the reason he got fired and he wanted to hurt him by kidnapping his sister and threatening me to bring him money. It's okay, but it was all very scary and upsetting at the time."

He nods, his eyes full of compassion and I suddenly wonder why we aren't better friends. We used to be rather close.

"I'm glad you're doing well. I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," he says with another sweet smile, reaching to the center of the table where my hand is lying next to my tea. I feel myself freeze when he places his hand on mine and gives it a squeeze. Instantly, it's shoved in my face why we aren't better friends. I give him an inch and he takes a mile. With a tight-lipped smile, I casually lean back, taking my hand from his grasp.

"I know! So what have you been up to?" I ask him quickly.

He tells me all about his latest art installations and how a small gallery here in Seattle was going to have his work up for a three month contract. I congratulate him on his success. I truly am happy to hear he is doing well.

"You'll have to come check it out!" he gushes and with a cheesy grin, he adds, "I'll also need a date for the opening. Two birds, one stone?"

I twist my face with confusion. "Of course I'll go, Jose. You know I'll always support your work, but I'll be going with Christian. You know that."

"Of course, of course!" he says, laughing it off like it was a joke, but I see a slight hardness behind his eyes.

"So what have you been up to?" he asks as our lunch gets placed before us. I nearly salivate at the Oriental chicken salad in front of me. Blip has been requesting a wide variety of food and I'm more than happy to oblige. I take a bite and answer.

"Well, let's see. I recently got a promotion at my job," I tell him first, realizing he never even heard about any of this.

"Already? Wow, congratulations! What's the new job?"

"Chief Editor," I say.

"That's like, a senior level job, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is, but before you go there, Christian said he had nothing to do with it. He was surprised I got the promotion as well."

He didn't look like he believed me but he leaned back with his hands up and a carefree smile on his face.

"I didn't say anything!"

I find his mood infectious and can't help smiling as I continue my salad. He finally takes a bite of his sandwich.

"So how's your dating life? I saw all those ladies flocking around you at your Portland show." I hope he has some interests. Maybe I won't have to say anything if this is the case.

"Those girls are of no interest to me," he says very seriously, looking me in the eye, as if defending himself. I force a laugh to lighten the mood.

"Why not? I think it'd be wonderful if you began seeing someone."

"There's only ever been one woman that I've been interested in." He's looking me right in the eye and I can't remember a time I've felt more uncomfortable. I avert my eyes down to my salad.

I'm picking at my salad when I realize this is exactly what I should be shutting down. If I don't say anything, it will just give him the green light to say or do something inappropriate next time. It's not helping either one of us to let this continue.

"Jose," I say carefully, looking back up and noticing his eyes haven't left me. "You know I've always appreciated your friendship but… that's all it's ever been for me: a friendship. Please don't say things like this. I'm not only with someone, I'm married. It's not right."

The corner of his mouth turns down as he thinks over what I said.

"I know, Ana. But I also know that I messed up earlier. I should have been more forward in college. I should have told you how I felt… how I've always felt." He leans further over the table and I instinctively shrink back.

"Please, Ana. I know we could be wonderful together. I'd be completely devoted to you; you wouldn't want for anything."

I shake my head, confused at how forward he is being.

"I don't even know what you're asking from me. I'm sure you would be devoted to whoever you were with, as am I. I love Christian with everything I have; I would never cheat on him." I bring my voice down low at the end, I don't want Sawyer even hearing the word 'cheat' or I know that he'd be over here in a second.

"Dios mio, Ana, I would never ask you cheat with me. I wouldn't have you compromise your morals like that!" Now he leans back from the table, as if disgusted that I would accuse him of that.

"Then what are you asking me?"

"I'm asking you to leave him," he says with such confidence that I wonder who this is sitting before me. It certainly isn't the Jose who I thought would be my friend no matter what. He must see the shift on my face because he quickly starts explaining himself.

"I know this isn't the lifestyle you want. He runs a business and he probably works a lot and can barely spend time with you. That crazy guy attacked you because of him and his family. You fend off paparazzi on a daily basis. I know you like your privacy and you can't have any while you're with him. You're talked about in gossip magazines like you're a gold digger and they speculate and make up stories about you constantly. If you have kids one day, they'll be subjected to the same scrutiny. Do you really want that?"

At the mention of kids I suck in a quick breath and hold it. I don't want that for my kids but neither does Christian. We've already been discussing ways to make both the apartment and the new house safer and more private. Christian's an even bigger stickler than I am about it. I know it won't stop the media from going crazy to get a glimpse of the elusive Christian Grey's baby, but it'll be worth it to still be with Christian...right? Just thinking about blip growing up in the public eye has my eyes glossing over with unshed tears.

Jose misreads my emotions and continues.

"See? This isn't what you want. You wouldn't have to deal with any of this if you were with me. We could live a much simpler life, away from paparazzi and crazy stalkers and just live a quiet, blissful existence. I would worship you, Ana. Please. Please give this serious thought."

I shake my head, over my momentary emotional weakness.

"Jose, please stop this. I've told you; I don't feel for you as you do for me. Please, I want us to be friends, but we can't be with you talking like this!"

He throws his napkin to the table, upset at my denial.

"Is that why we can't be friends or is it because of him? How controlling is he, Ana? Does he even know you're here right now? Or did you have to sneak out because Big Bad Grey won't let you out of his sight?"

"I make my own decisions, thank you very much," I tell him flatly, turning my interest from him to my mug, stirring my tea with my spoon. I sigh, realizing this is exactly how I always used to deflect these situations and it was time for me to confront it and him once more.

"If you have to know, I've been enjoying my new married life with my husband," I add extra emphasis to the last word, making him flinch ever so slightly. "Also, I haven't taken your offers to meet up because it always results in a talk like this. You say something out of line - usually not as insulting as you have today - and I admonish you and you slink back. It's uncomfortable, Jose. Maybe I wasn't clear enough in the past but I thought having a husband would really drive the idea home; I'm not interested in you. I never have been. You're a good friend, or at least you used to be, but if you only became friends with me to try to get us into a relationship then we can stop this facade right now."

I suddenly notice how deeply I'm breathing and how my hand on my lap is balled in a tight fist. My eyes darted over his shoulder to see Sawyer looking at me with concern. He lifts an eyebrow as a silent question and I close my eyes and let out a deep breath, shaking my head as a way to clear my thoughts but also answer Sawyer's worried look.

"Our friendship was not fake," he replies quietly. When I look at him again, he's looking subdued. "Of course I want to be your friend, but I won't lie and say I wouldn't have wanted it to go further. All I'm really trying to say is that...I'll probably always be waiting for you."

I open my mouth to shut him down once more but he raises a hand and quickly continues.

"Let me finish. I'll always want you, Ana, no matter what. And if he ever does something to you, anything, I'll be here for you. To both protect and care for you."

I'm still in disbelief over this entire conversation. I wanted to shut him down earlier but he just dug an even bigger hole for himself. What can I say to get this through to him?

"I don't want you waiting for me, Jose. You should have never waited for me to begin with, but especially not now. I have someone to protect and care for me and he is at home right now. He knows I came here to speak with you and he is okay with it even though he always warns me of how badly you want me." I see his mouth form a frown at being told how obvious he is… at least to other people.

"You have to shut this down right now, though. If he ever got wind that you talked to me like this he wouldn't hesitate to protect me, either physically or by ruining your career."

"Is that a threat?" he asks, taken aback. I shake my head once more.

"No, it's a warning. I know how quickly he can snap and I don't know why I'm protecting you right now, but this is the last time. If you say something inappropriate to me after today, I won't keep it to myself any longer."

"You're gonna rat on me to your husband? Is this what he's reduced you to? This level of immaturity?" he spits back, his eyes lit by a fire I haven't witnessed before.

"It is not immature for a woman to tell her husband that another man is hitting on her, which you are and have been doing for quite some time. Actually, it is more immature to proposition the wife to run away from her husband and instead be with someone she has never had interest in."

Jose shook his head furiously.

"You never even tried. You never even tried to imagine us together. To see how good we could be. How happy you would be. You'd rather be with some big shot billionaire than your best friend."

Tears prick the back of my eyes but I refuse to let them fall. This will always be what it comes back to, won't it? My husband was rich and I was not.

"How dare you. You know me better than that."

With that, I furiously dig through my wallet and drop a 50 dollar bill on the table, surely more than covering both of our meals before standing up and storming to the entrance of the cafe. I see Sawyer scramble up to grab the door for me but I grab it first and roughly pull it open to let myself out. He rushes ahead of me to open the SUV door.

It doesn't take a full minute for me to hear him behind me.

"Wait, Ana, please. Just wait a second."

I turn, seeing red as my mind continues to replay everything he's just said to me.

"Why should I? You obviously don't really care about me at all. It's only about what you can get from me."

Sawyer comes back to be beside me. I look up at him, still angry, although it wanes into amusement as I see him shrink back slightly.

"Please wait in the car, Sawyer. This won't take much longer," I tell him. I wait until I hear the driver's door open and close on the SUV behind me before I bring myself to look at Jose. He looks like a sad puppy dog.

"Please, Ana," he starts slowly. "I didn't mean to insult you. I know you're not like that. That's why I know we would be good together. I'm just telling you to keep your mind open."

"And I am trying to tell you close down this avenue of your mind," I retort. "This," I motion to myself, "is not an option for you. Please don't be so consumed by something you can't have. Please move on. I want the best for you Jose, even if you make it difficult for me to want that." I take a deep breath. I have to tell him what I actually brought him out here for.

"You should know, we're going to have a child." I hold my breath waiting for his shock or fury or overreaction. It doesn't come.

"I know you'll want that one day, I'm just saying, before that day, please give us a thought," he insists once more. I shake my head.

"You misunderstood me. We are having a child." I watch his face as the truth falls upon him. His mouth hangs open and his eyes shoot to to my stomach and back to my face. I nod.

He closes his mouth and averts his eyes to the ground. He finally looks defeated. I'm sad that It had to come to this, but he just wouldn't listen any other way.

"I'm due in May. I thought you should know from me and not through some news source. I won't be able to hide my bump much longer so we'll have to publicly confirm it. I had hoped that you could be happy for us, but I think today proved that you can't; at least not right now. I hope you can move on, Jose. And maybe, one day, we can be friends again."

"We can be friends right now, Ana," he says sadly, though I can hear in his voice that he doesn't believe it either.

"No we can't, Jose. Not while you disrespect my husband and myself like you have."

His eyes finally reconnect with mine and he looks confused.

"How did I disrespect you?"

"By insinuating I was being controlled by Christian. By saying that I chose him because of his money. But mostly by not taking my words to heart when I told you over and over again that I wasn't interested in you. If you give no weight to my words than you have no respect for me and friendship needs trust and respect, neither of which I have for you, nor you for me, right now."

I have to bite the inside of my lips as his eyes fill with tears. I've never seen him cry before and it shocks me that this was what finally made his emotions crack.

"I don't want to lose you, Ana," he says pitifully. I shake my head.

"I'm not yours to lose. I'm Christian's. I probably have been since he and I met. Please hear me and respect me when I say he is my forever and I won't ever want anyone else."

We stand in silence, his glossy eyes connected with my determined ones. I stay as strong as I can before he again looks down in defeat.

"Goodbye, Jose."

I turn to get into the back of the SUV, but not before I saw Jose turn his head to the side and his hand reach to his face. I don't see the tear, but I know it's there and it doesn't make me feel any better.

I close the backseat door soundly and sink into the seat.

"Ma'am?" Sawyer asks.

"Bring me home, please." We pull through the parking spot and make our way out to the road, my eyes closed the whole way so that I cannot turn and see if he is still standing there.

When I get home, I find Christian in his study. He's been working most Saturdays in order to clear his schedule so that he can hopefully spend the entire first month of blip's life at home with us.

He looks up from his papers as I walk in, looking surprised but happy to see me.

"That wasn't very long," he comments but pushes himself back from his desk and opens his arms, welcoming me into his lap. I cross the room swiftly and fall into his lap, my side to his front, and bury my face into his neck as he holds me tight.

"What's wrong, baby?" he asks with a hint of concern.

"It didn't go very well," I tell him quietly, eyes closed, happy to be in his arms which tightened ever so slightly around me at my response.

"What did he do?" he asks me in an equally quiet voice. I sigh.

"He said some hurtful things." I pause, thinking back over this horrible afternoon.

"You were right," I continue. "There's only one kind of relationship he's interested in having with me and it isn't friendship. Him and I can't be friends, at least not right now."

"Did you tell him about Blip?" he asks, his hand rubbing soothing circles over my new belly. I smile when he uses the nickname I inadvertently gave our son. I nod.

"And?"

"He cried," I say simply. "I think he finally realized that even though I've never shown any romantic interest in him, his chances were finally gone."

"They've been gone for a while now," Christian says moodily, reaching his other hand to my stomach. I nod once more and sigh, content to be in his arms, smelling his scent, and forgetting about this afternoon.

I don't know how long we're sitting there when I feel his hand slip slowly from my stomach and to my exposed knee. He rubs it slightly and then drags his hand back up, taking my skirt with it.

"Christian," I chastise without much weight in my words, my body betraying me as it shivers in anticipation.

"Relax, baby. Let me take your mind off things."

And I let him do just that for the rest of the afternoon.

Author's Note: Whew! Finally shutting Jose down once and for all! Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, I went through a long inspiration drought. I'm finally back and I have a new story in the works! Hopefully I'll be posting that and another one shot in the upcoming months.

As always, hope you enjoyed! Please review/follow/favorite!