.

Anastasia

"Say you love me... to my face
I need it more... than your embrace
Just say you want me... that's all it takes
Heart's gettin' torn... from your mistakes

Cuz I don't want to fall in love,
If you don't wanna try,
But all that I've been thinking of,
Is maybe that you might...

Just say you love me."

As expected, Christian chickened out the morning after.

He was still sleeping when I woke the few times with Teddy. When Teddy woke for the day, he and I left with Sawyer to grab breakfast. I didn't want to wake Christian since I knew he would have a hangover and moving around in the kitchen, or Teddy crying, would not help his head.

When we came back, I was shocked to find my apartment empty, no Christian in sight but he did leave a note.

I have to go on a business trip.
We'll talk when I'm back.
~Christian~

That was a week ago and he's still gone.

Yes, he calls, sends messages, we've even used video chat, but that night has not been brought up in conversation.

I'm lead to believe one of two things; either he wants to talk in person, or he never meant it. Drunk confessions, telling anyone and everyone you love them because you are feeling good.

The Greys are hosting a barbeque and have invited Teddy and I to join them. At first I didn't want to go, because of the last time Grace and I saw each other, but Mia begged me to come.

Teddy and I are on our way to Bellevue now, I just hope I don't regret this like I do going to lunch with Grace. She has been trying to make it up to me, but all her attempts at another lunch have been denied. I know I have to see her for the rest of Teddy's life, but she did call me a bitch the last time I saw her. We haven't spoken since I told her the truth about her dearest friend which lead to Christian finally telling them the truth.

As soon as Ryan, Teddy's security, pulls into the driveway, I notice that it's not just a family only barbeque. There are more than a few vehicles parked around the impressive driveway.

Sawyer gets out first, helping me and Teddy, and then we make our way through the house to the back.

"Ana!" Mia is the first to spot us and comes running. "How's my nephew doing today?"

"He's doing good, growing too fast, but good."

Mia has taken up the job of being attached to my hip and is introducing me to a few people whom I haven't met before as Christian's girlfriend. Of course, I don't mind, since I kind of am. We are in a relationship again, but it's not like that... yet. I was planning on talking to Christian that night we had dinner, about making us officially official, but after sex he freaked out and has been on a business trip since.

"Ana, dear." I turn hearing Grace's apprehensive voice.

"Hi, Grace." I'm just as cautious as she is. I mean, I basically told her she wouldn't be allowed in Teddy's life because of the people she was associated with.

"I'm so glad you could make it."

"Thanks for inviting us."

There is an awkward silence that I hope Mia fills but when I turn to her, she's gone. Great.

"Ana," Grace calls my attention. "I- I want to apologize to you. I never should've called you names, or been so hostel towards you. I was so blind and I just couldn't see it. E- She, that woman, I thought she was my friend-"

"Grace," I interrupt her, not really wanting to bring up Elena ever again. "I understand, you don't have to apologize. I should apologize for snapping on you like I did and holding Teddy against you."

"No, no, sweet girl, you were protecting your baby, something I should've done with Christian."

"There he is!" I hear a familiar booming voice, interrupting us before we get too deep into the conversation we're having. "Finally I get to meet my nephew!"

Elliot approaches us and asks to hold Teddy.

I happily hand him over to his only uncle, which Elliot is all to please to hear, that I don't have a brother, or any siblings for that matter, so he can officially be Teddy's favorite uncle.

"Elliot, dear, have you met Ana?" Grace asks her oldest son.

"We met once." He nods to me with a much more friendlier smile than at the lunch we had over two months ago. "Sorry about my behavior, Ana, I was... hurt, and I was taking it out on others. If my mother knew how I was treating you and Christian, she would have my ass."

"You were treating Ana badly, too?" She scowls at him before turning to me. "I am so sorry, Ana, you must think the worst of us."

"Wait." Elliot speaks up before I can. "Who was treating you badly? Tell me now so I can give them what for."

"Um..." I giggle, not knowing what to say.

"Ana and I had a misunderstanding," Grace explains. "I'm hoping she has forgiven me, and it is all water under the bridge now?"

"Listen, I totally understand the hurt you all went through because of the secrets Christian kept from you, but I hope we can all move forward and have a good relationship for Teddy's sake."

"Speaking of Christian," Grace smiles, grateful for a subject change. "How is he doing with being a father, if you don't mind me asking? He's just so different now, like a new man, and I'd love to hear how he's doing with little Teddy. I just never imagined this would be possible for him."

"He's a wonderful father, amazing." I tell her honestly. "There where obviously a few bumps in the beginning, but he's great with him."

"Hey, Ana, can I kidnap Teddy?" Elliot asks, not wanting to hear the girly talk.

"Sure, that's fine." I laugh when I agree to someone kidnapping my son.

"And the two of you," Grace says once Elliot and Teddy have left. "You're co-parenting well together?"

"Actually, we've decided to try again."

"That's great! You're such a great girl for him."

Grace and I talk a bit more, nothing like that lunch date, and then she has to play hostess.

I'm glad we've worked this out, it would be awful if we didn't.

"My brother really likes you."

I turn around hearing Elliot behind me

"I really like him." I tell him honestly.

"No," He shakes his head, confusing me. "I mean, he really, really likes you."

"And I really, really like him."

He seems satisfied and grins widely.

"Where's Teddy?" I ask, not seeing Teddy in his arms.

"Oh," He frowns now. "Mia stole him from me."

The barbeque continues with Teddy being passed between his grandparents, aunt and uncle. They know I don't want anyone I don't know holding my baby so they kindly rebuff anyone who tries.

I was a little nervous coming here without Christian, but I feel very comfortable and safe here. There was one instance where I felt my heart race when I noticed Sawyer check on us and then talk into his earpiece. I had to hold Teddy to calm myself, and then cursed Christian for making me so paranoid.

"Ana," Grace approaches me again. "Have you met my friend Connie?"

"Yes, Mia introduced us early, it's nice to see you again, Connie."

"Hello, again, Ana."

"These are her boys," Grace introduces, "Benny and Liam."

"Liam?" I ask, knowing him from my OB/GYN's office. "Hi!"

"Hey, Ana." He smiles kindly.

Ben runs off after saying hi to hang out with another boy his age, not wanting to hang out with his mother and her friends. And soon, Grace and Connie leave Liam and I alone.

We're talking about babies, Liam wants children but it isn't possible for him so he's considering adoption, but he wants to wait until he finds the perfect partner in life, when I feel someone watching us.

My heart starts beating wildly, and just when I'm about to look around, I feel an arm snake around my waist and pull me to him.

I look up, knowing it's Christian, with a huge smile on my face. He said he wouldn't be home for another day or so, so I'm happy to see him.

"Hi, Christian! This is-"

"Liam." He says for me.

I didn't know for sure if they knew each other, but I guess with their mother's being friends, they would.

"Yeah, he works in my doctor's office."

"I'm her nurse." Liam announces the title proudly with a happy, boyish grin. Not too many men are so proud to say they are a nurse.

"I'm her boyfriend. And Teddy's father."

Boyfriend?! Does he mean it, or is that just what we're saying if anyone asks? Ugh, we so need to talk about making this official. Since he's back, we're going to talk tonight, no interruptions this time.

"Um- uh-" Liam looks a little intimidated, shifting on his feet before he finally excuses himself, rushing away from us.

I'm not sure what Christian said to him, I wasn't pay them much attention, more focused on the fact that Christian called me his girlfriend.

"Did you really have to scare him off, Christian?"

"What'd I do?"

"Like you don't know." I shake my head at him playing innocent. "You're very intimidating, ya know."

"All I did was tell him you're not available."

"So... you're my boyfriend." I bring it up now.

"Yeah," He shrugs. "I mean, yeah."

"Okay," I smile at him. We'll definitely talk more later. "But, you really have nothing to worry about with Liam."

"Yeah, and why is that? I saw the way he was looking at you, he wants what's mine, he wants into your panties."

"He wasn't looking at me in any kind of way you are thinking." I laugh at the obscurity. "He's gay."

"Gay?"

I frown when he perks up. I knew he'd be happy to know that Liam is gay, but not this happy.

"I'll be right back." He taps my ass and then walks off to where Liam is.

"Hey, Ana, where's Christian going?" Mia approaches me, handing me a fussy Teddy.

"I'm not sure."

I know I should take Teddy inside and feed him, and I will soon, but I want to know what Christian is up to.

I watch as he talks to Liam, more friendlier than before, and it only confuses me further. And then he brings Elliot into the conversation.

What is going on?

"Oh!" Mia cheers, obviously having figured it out before she skips off.

Christian sports a lazy, satisfied grin on his face as he strolls casually back to me like he is king of the world.

"What just happened?" I ask him.

"Elliot came out of the closet recently, he told our parents yesterday."

"Elliot's gay?!" I squeal, only to look around making sure no one overheard me.

This must've been the secret that Elliot told Christian that night he came home drunk and giggly.

"Yeah, and he's single so I asked if Liam was, and he was," He winks at me. "So I introduced them."

"Christian Grey, you are something else." I shake my head at him. "Quite the matchmaker."

We make our way inside, where Grace has set up a nursery for Teddy when he is here. Teddy needs to eat and to nap, and since I'm not sure how late we're staying, I decide to let him nap in his little nursery at his grandparents' house.

Christian

After Anastasia feeds Teddy, I can't help but smile as I watch her rock him to sleep. She's such a great mother, a fantastic lover, I can only imagine her as my wife. I know it's a bit soon to ask her, seeing as how I just now officially became her boyfriend, but I've already got the ring, I just need to do a few things first. Like tell her how I feel about her.

My phone buzzes, so I check it.

Seeing that it's business, Moscow Communications to be exact, I ignore it and send him to my voicemail. I just got back from a mandatory week long business trip, I'm not dealing with any business today, I want to spend time with my family.

It goes off again, this time anonymous, and since Anastasia is still rocking Teddy, I answer.

"Grey."

"..."

"Hello?" I say when nobody answers.

I hear someone take a deep breath, like they're preparing for a big speech.

"Ah- Hello, Mr. Grey." I hear a vaguely familiar nervous voice, but I can't place it.

"Hello." I say again.

"How are you?"

"Who is this?"

It's like I said the magic word because mysterious caller laughs.

"I'm calling on behalf of your ex-girlfriend, Anastasia Steele."

"What are you talking about?" I question him while looking at Ana.

"Yes, it seems as if Anastasia wants nothing to do with you. She was only with you for the money and the sex, and let's face it, neither are worth staying with you, am I right?"

"Who is this?" I growl into the phone while glaring at Ana. What the fuck is going on?

I turn around, not wanting Ana to see the furious look on my face. I don't want her to think I'm angry at her, when it's this fucker who is pissing me off.

"Do you know where your little girlfriend and baby are now?"

I quickly turn around, making sure she didn't pull a magic disappearing act. When I'm facing her, she's watching me curiously.

Before I can answer, they continue.

"They're here. With me."

What the fuck?!

I know they're not, because they are right in front of me, in the same damn room, but what the fuck is going on?!

It's obvious this person doesn't know this.

And then it hits me. They attempted a kidnapping and don't know that the kidnapping hasn't happened yet.

My face pales at the thought, and my heart falls into my stomach.

"Christian?" Ana asks, when I pull her and Teddy towards me. I have to have them in my arms, I see them, but I have to feel them close to me.

It's obvious this guy is an amateur... the stupid fuck doesn't even realize he doesn't have Ana or Teddy. But if he thinks he does, who does he have.

"Who was that?" The voice on the phone asks having heard Ana.

I can't say Ana, so I say the first thing that comes to me while putting my finger to my lips to silently tell Anastasia to stay quiet.

"My sister."

"You're back from your business trip?!"

How the fuck does this person know that?!

"Well, we can't have that. Wouldn't want anyone to be involved, and that includes the police. ... Now, you are going to repeat after me. ... Mia, Anastasia left me, she took the baby and is never coming back. I'm on the phone with my lawyer, but they're saying there is nothing they can do so I need to talk to them. And then go somewhere more private so we can talk."

It disturbs me that he knows my sister's name, but then again, we are a well known family in Seattle.

And what the fuck does he mean they're never coming back, then why the fuck would I cooperate? He doesn't want money? He wasn't planning to hold them for ransom?

Not wanting to get him off the phone, I repeat what he said as well as motion to Ana to give me her phone. She looks as confused as I feel, but does so without saying anything.

Using her phone, I send Taylor a distress message and then send Barney an email saying to track the fucker who I'm talking to. I know they're probably using an untraceable phone, but Barney has developed a system that he can pinpoint where the call is coming from, regardless if the phone's location is turned off. I only employ the best.

"In five minutes, I will call you back." He continues. "I'll be sending you paperwork, via an anonymous email, for you to release custody of the baby."

"What about Anastasia?" I ask as Taylor walks in, looking around for the threat.

I hold my phone up to show him and then put it on speaker.

"Don't worry about her-"

"I couldn't do it!" We hear a female yell in the background, interrupting him.

"What the fuck do you mean?!" He shouts.

"They wouldn't let me on the property. Apparently I'm on the proscribed list so I'm not allowed around her or the baby anymore. Her security stopped me, and they wouldn't tell her I wanted to see her. I couldn't even call her because she blocked my number-"

"Shit! Do you realize what you've done?" He yells, and then we hear a smack. "Why didn't you call me?!"

"I couldn't get through!"

"That's because I made the call!"

"You said she was supposed to call him after we had her."

"Yeah, well, I got a little excited because I thought you could at least do one fucking thing right!"

We hear another smack and then it's quiet on the other end until we hear, "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!" like he's just now realizing, or remembering that the call is still connected and we can hear everything, and then the call disconnects.

After that, I begin explaining to Taylor what happened.

"I already notified Barney to track the number. The guy said he had Ana and Teddy, I doubt it was a ransom kidnapping, it sounded as if he had no intention of returning them. The guy sounded familiar, but I couldn't place the girl-"

"Kate." Ana speaks up.

I turn to look at her.

She looks terrified, holding a sleeping Teddy close to her chest, and I feel like the world's worse asshole again for letting her hear what was said. I wasn't thinking clearly and I needed Taylor to hear the man speaking since he sounded familiar to me, maybe Taylor would've known who it was, so I had to put the call on speaker. But I didn't even consider who the female could've been.

"What?"

"Kate." She repeats. "The girl on the phone, it was Kate."

"Who is the guy?" I ask, hoping she knows since she knows Kate and who she hangs out with.

"I- I don't- I don't know." Anastasia looks as if she is about to break down. "Christian."

"Shhh." I pull her into my arms, holding both her and Teddy safely there. "It's okay, baby."

"We need to get out of here." I say to Taylor. "It's public knowledge where my parents live as well as where Ana and I live. We don't know who she is working with, but Kate knows too much and they will likely know everything that she knows, and I don't want to give this fucker any more advantages. We need to go to the house."

He nods and then leads us out.

Just outside the door to the room we were in, Sawyer is waiting. Taylor briefs him shortly and we're on the move.

Ryan is stationed outside and is already in the SUV, waiting and ready.

When this is over, Sawyer and Ryan are getting a raise. This could've ended so much more badly than it is. These fuckers could've succeeded in kidnapping my family.

"Christian, Ana." My mother runs over to us. "Are you leaving already?"

"Yes, sorry, Anastasia isn't feeling well." I use this as an excuse since Ana really doesn't look well and I don't want to worry my mother about the situation.

"Oh," She looks at Anastasia concerned. "Well, I hope you feel better, dear."

Ana only nods.

Once we're safely inside the SUV, Sawyer joins us while Taylor gets inside his to do whatever damage control he needs to as well as go to the police and find out what Barney knows.

"Ana," I call to her, wanting to hold her but Teddy's car-seat is in the middle, blocking me from her. "Baby, we have to go, put Teddy in his seat."

She shakes her head, telling me no, "I want to hold him, I have to hold him."

"I know, baby, but we have to leave. Teddy needs to be safe while we drive."

"Someone- They tried to- And Kate- She helped."

"I know, I know, baby. But I need to get you two safe, and to do that, we need to drive there. Which means, Teddy needs to be in his seat, you can't hold him while we're driving. I promise everything will be fine. We're not going far and you can hold him again soon, okay?"

She finally nods and very reluctantly places Teddy in his car-seat, strapping him in so we can drive, keeping one hand on him while I keep one hand on hers and email Barney to see what he found.

Nothing. Yet.

"Where are we going, Christian?" Anastasia asks when Ryan pulls into a driveway, typing in a code to open the gate.

To be honest, I wasn't ready to show her this, but it is the only place no one, not even my family, knows about.

"Home."

"Home?" Her eyes move away from the house and snap to mine.

"Come on, I'll show you."

We get out, with me carrying Teddy's seat and walk to the front door.

"I wanted to wait to show you this, I wasn't expecting my hand to be forced so soon."

"What do you mean? Show me what? Who lives here? Why are we here? Don't leave me, Christian."

"I will never leave you." Again.

"Then what's going on? What is this place?"

Sawyer enters the house with us while Ryan pulls into the garage and then patrols outside.

"Do you remember when I took you sailing for the first time? We saw that house and you said you loved it, how beautiful it was."

"Yes."

As we enter the house, we head towards the great room located in the back- with the floor to ceiling windows showing the beautiful view of the backyard and Sound.

"Wait. Are you saying... Is this... Did you buy the house? Is this that house?"

"Yes, it is. I bought it for us."

"Us?"

"You and Teddy... and me, if you want."

"Are you saying we should move in here... together?"

"If you want." I repeat, nervous and not wanting to pressure her. "We don't have to, though, it's all up to you. You and Teddy could stay here instead of at Escala and I can come on the weekends, if you want. I could keep some of my things in the guest room, or, all of my things... in the master bedroom, with your things.

"Teddy deserves to grow up in a nice home, not limited by our apartment building in the city, and I know how much you liked this house. I was planning to show you the house much later, when we talked more about us and the future. We can knock it down and build new."

"I don't want to knock it down." She bites her lip, looking around. "I like it as it is, it just needs little changes here and there, but the house is perfect."

"We can do whatever you want to it, keep it as is and remodel, or knock it down and start over, the choice is yours."

"It's bit big for the three of us." She says, standing in the middle of the empty great room and looking around. "Bigger than what it looked like while we were on the water looking at it from afar."

"It may be big, but... we could fill it up."

"Christian," She takes a deep breath, while turning a beautiful shade of pink. "While I thank you for distracting me from what is happening right now, it is still way too soon to be thinking about... that. We haven't even... I mean, you just announced, what, half an hour ago, that you're my boyfriend. And yes, I'm happy to officially be your girlfriend, but we just got back together, Teddy is still tiny... It's still too soon to be thinking about more babies. It's all a lot to take in."

"I'm not saying right now, I just want you to know that I'm okay with more. I don't want you to ever think I don't want more with you."

"I want more with you, too."

Are we talking about more babies, or more? As in... more!

I decide now is a good enough time as any to confess my feelings for her.

"I don't know why it took me so long to realize you were never my submissive, you were always my lover, Anastasia, and I love you." I tell her for the first time. "There is nobody else for me. I will be forever grateful that you gave me another chance. Now that I have you back, I'll never let you go again. I want to marry you, I want to share my life with you, I want to have more babies with you, I want us to live in this big beautiful house because you are the only one for me."

"I was wondering when you were going to say it."

"What?" I'm confused. Does she love me? Isn't she supposed to tell me after I tell her? I just laid my heart on the line and she's holding it in her hands.

"That night you came back to my apartment drunk, you told me... well, I think you were trying to tell me, but I wasn't sure if you meant it or if it was just you being drunk. Deep down, I think I knew you really loved me."

"Do you love me?" I check.

"Oh, Christian." She laughs, and it is a nice change from her being frightened earlier with the phone call that is long forgotten. "For a smart man, you sure can be- Of course, I love you. I've always loved you. I fell in love with you th-"

Before she can finish, I can't help myself. She loves me! I leap forward, grab her face with both my hands and kiss her hard, like I'm dying and my life depends on it.

"I don't know how to do this, Ana, I've never done it before, but I promise I will love you for the rest of my life."

I kiss her again, just as passionately.

"Ahem." I cough pulls us apart.

"Sir," Taylor steps out of the shadows, making me wonder if he heard everything we said. His cheeks are a bit pink, but that could be from exertion. "Ms. Kavanagh has been taken into police custody."

"Great," I pull myself together. "Did we find out who she was working with?"

"We did, sir."

He glances at Ana, unsure if he should continue in front of her, but I nod, giving him the go ahead. As much as I would like to protect her by keeping this from her, there is no way she will allow that with this concerning Teddy.

"Barney was able to track the phone moments after Ms. Kavanagh sang. It was a Mr. Robert Moscow, sir."

"Fucking hell, are you sure?" I ask, though I know he is.

The voice sounded familiar, he was disguising his voice but it still had that familiarity to it, and now that Taylor tells me who it was I'm able to put it together. And then when I received the phone call from Moscow Communication moments before, it could be that he used the wrong phone. Stupid fucker.

Well, that explains why he was so adamant on merging or selling with a family oriented company and why he wanted Teddy, our newborn son, to attend the business meeting.

Taylor explains how his wife was unable to have children and they couldn't adopt because Mr. Moscow has a record from when he was younger. Their plan was to sell their company to someone who had children, take the child and move, never to be heard or seen from again. It makes me wonder what they would've done with Anastasia.

Thank fuck my security is on their fucking game and are all getting raises, all worth their weight in gold.

With Mr. and Mrs. Moscow in custody, as well as Katherine Kavanagh, we are able to go home. We could stay here, but the house is empty.

Taylor drives us to Escala, and I tell Ana we're staying at my place instead of hers. She is still a little freaked out about the whole thing, which I don't blame her, and my apartment is more secure.

"That's not the passcode." Ana comments once we're in the elevator at Escala.

"I had Taylor change it." I explain, wrapping my arms around her as we ride up. "This new code is random, having no meaning to either of us, so it will be harder for anyone we know to guess."

"Anyone we know?"

"Well... with Kavanagh being your ex-friend, and Elena being mine..."

"We don't have a good track record of friends, do we."

"We'll have to change that, too."

"I like change."

"Me, too." Me, too.

To Be Continued...