A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy the epilogue to this story.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Epilogue: Dearest, loveliest Anastasia!

~9 months later~

The sound of a blaring alarm clock pulled Ana from her sleep.

Christian always set his alarm super early, even on the weekends, and this Saturday morning was no different. Ana groaned as she lifted her head off of Christian's chest, which had become her makeshift pillow at some point during the night. Her hair was a snarled mess, and her eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and after a moment or two she succumbed to her exhaustion and placed her head back onto Christian's chest, slipping back into nothingness.

Christian shifted underneath her as he reached over to the bedside table, turning his phone alarm off. "'Morning baby," he yawned, running his hand gently along her back, clearly wanting to wake her up too.

"Mm," Ana groaned, still too tired to get up. She nuzzled her face into his chest, keeping her eyes closed.

"Come on, baby. We have to get up soon," Christian murmured, leaning forward to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "We're heading down to Portland today to visit your family and Elliot."

"'M too tired," Ana muttered, her voice sounding muffled against his shirt. "Five more minutes."

Christian chuckled softly. "You always want five more minutes, babe. And I always end up being stuck underneath you whenever you do."

Ana couldn't help but smile against him, and she immediately slid her arms around his torso and hugged him tightly. Christian chuckled again.

"You're cute in the mornings," he said, bringing his hand up to brush along her messy hair. Ana finally opened her eyes and lifted her face, gazing at Christian with a small smile on her face.

"And you're cute all the time," she said, moving up so her head was more level with his, and Christian cupped her face in his hand before kissing her. Early on in their relationship, Ana had been embarrassed to kiss him right when they woke up due to morning breath, but he had made it clear to her that he didn't care about that, so Ana decided not to let it bother her.

In the nine short months since Ana and Christian had begun dating, the two of them had fallen head over heels in love, and Ana could hardly believe this was her life now. After getting the associate editor job at SIP, Ana had ended up bunking with Charlie at her apartment. It was a bit cramped, with the two women having to share the one bedroom, but it ended up not being a problem because Ana had soon begun spending all of her evenings over at Christian's. Ana still split the rent with Charlie until about four months later, when Christian officially asked Ana to move in with him at Escala. She happily accepted, and the two of them had been living in domestic bliss ever since.

Getting to be with Christian was a dream come true for Ana, and it wasn't just because his high-ranking status in Seattle allowed them to go to fancy galas and events together nearly every week. Christian was sweet, caring, kind, and the most generous man she'd ever known; he adored everything about Ana, which everyone around them could hardly fail to notice. He was still a bit shy in public at times, but he had opened up a lot more since he and Ana had gotten together, and Ana had learned not to judge him for his character flaws since he didn't judge her for her own.

"If we get up right now, we might have time for shower sex," Christian now murmured against her lips, and Ana smiled against him.

"So what are we waiting for?" she whispered. In a moment, she had jumped up off the bed and rushed toward the en suite. Christian laughed before quickly getting up off the bed and following her; he scooped her up off her feet before either of them reached the bathroom, and Ana squealed in delight as he carried her bridal style in his arms over the threshold.

A few hours later, Ana and Christian were on their way to Portland. Ray and Carla were throwing a big barbecue for all their friends and family, and Christian and Ana agreed to drive down for the day to attend. Christian took the larger Audi SUV since they were lugging along some camp chairs and coolers with them. Both he and Ana were dressed down in casual summer clothes, which included shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses, and baseball caps.

"It's too bad Charlie couldn't come along with us today," Ana said, texting on her cell phone. It was such a gorgeous day out today that Ana had cracked the window open, allowing the wind to blow through their hair. "It sucks that she has to work at the campus library on weekends now."

"Hey, if that job helps pay for her tuition, it's hardly a bad thing," Christian said. "Plus she seems a lot happier since she and Jose broke up."

Charlie had decided to break up with Jose about three months ago, having felt bored and stifled by their relationship for too long. It was apparently pretty awkward though, since Jose either couldn't or wouldn't understand that their relationship was actually ended. For the next three weeks or so he proceeded to act as if they were still a couple, and Charlie had to constantly repeat herself, as clearly as possible, that they were over.

"Charlie does seem happier, but I think it has more to do with the fact she's started spending time with your cousin William," Ana said, shooting Christian a grin. "I know that he likes her, don't even try to deny it."

"I wasn't going to deny it," Christian chuckled. "I know that William's been coming by a lot more often, and I'm pretty sure it's not for you or me."

It was true, since Ana and Christian had gotten together, William had come by to visit more and more often. It didn't escape their notice that he often asked about Ana's 'cute' friend or that he would spend hours in conversation with Charlie if the four of them happened to be hanging out together. Charlie, whom Ana had expected to act shy and awkward around William, really didn't seem to mind his attention. Perhaps since the two of them had started out as friends she wasn't as uncomfortable around him as she would be if he were just some dude hitting on her. Ana sincerely hoped Charlie and William could find their way into having a real relationship - Ana only wanted what was best for Charlie, and William seemed to truly care about her.

Ana and Christian finally arrived in Portland. They pulled up in front of the Steele's house and saw that there were already several cars parked out on the street; Christian parked the car before he and Ana began unloading the trunk.

"Hey, there they are!" Ray said jovially when he saw Ana and Christian walk around the side of the house and into the backyard, where everybody else was hanging out. Some of the neighbors were standing around and chatting while Carla and Leila were both sitting together at the picnic table on the patio deck sipping lemonade. Ray stood at the grill flipping hamburgers by himself while Kate and Elliot were at the far end of the yard by the tree line, sitting on the swing bench together. They both grinned and waved at Christian and Ana before getting to their feet.

It had been over two months since Kate and Ana had last seen each other, so they immediately ran toward one another, squealing excitedly before they embraced. Kate looked gorgeous today in cutoff jean shorts and a striped tank top with her blond hair in a low side pony.

"Oh my God, I missed you!" Ana smiled widely, squeezing her sister tightly. "How've you been?"

"We've been great! I finally got that management position at the coffee shop," Kate said, the two of them finally breaking apart. "And I heard you got a promotion too!"

"Yup. I was promoted from associate editor to actual editor," Ana giggled. "Really moving up the corporate ladder."

"Don't sell yourself short, babe," Christian admonished his girlfriend as he and Elliot moved toward each other, shaking hands in greeting. "You got a new office and pay raise with that promotion."

"Really?" Elliot asked, smiling brightly at Ana. "That's awesome! Congratulations Ana."

"Thanks," Ana smiled at him.

"Hey, are you even going to say hi to me?" Leila now approached the group, smiling at Ana with her hands on her hips.

"Ladybug!" Ana moved toward her little sister and wrapped her up in her arms, practically crushing her in a hug. Leila laughed, hugging her back. "How've you been? How are the science camps going?"

"They've been really good," Leila pulled away from Ana and smiled at her. Since the whole incident with Jack Hyde, Ray and Carla had been focusing their efforts on helping Leila get more structure in her day-to-day life, so over summer break they enrolled her in several academic camps and science programs. One of the science camps she was enrolled in had a horticulture program she liked and was genuinely interested in.

"Hey, wanna see my new garden?" Leila asked excitedly, pointing to a newly-dug patch of dirt near the house which had several rows of newly-sprouted plants. "This program I'm in is showing us how to plant and fertilize strawberries…"

The five of them moved over to the little garden Leila had made so they could have a look, and Ana felt so proud of her little sister. Leila had been doing so much better since Jack had left Portland and ceased communication with her, and Ana hoped she would continue to thrive because of that.

True to his word, Jack had gone to stay in New York in Christian's penthouse, and he hadn't come back to the West coast at all since then. Based on what Christian's sources were saying, Jack threw big loud parties practically every night for all his neighbors and other famous NYC socialites. Christian didn't know how Jack was paying for these parties since he didn't have a job, therefore Ana suggested they try to find out if he was doing something illegal to get his funds. Christian initially didn't want to since he didn't want anything to do with Jack anymore, but eventually agreed with Ana that Jack should pay for what he put both their families through the previous year. Christian and his people were currently investigating Jack's finances and would hopefully have something to pin him with in the next few days.

Leila began explaining the different products she used on her garden. "I've been making my own homemade insecticide out of garlic, water, and dish soap that's actually been working really well," she explained. "I've found that aphids like to chew on my strawberry leaves, but the garlic helps keep them away."

"That's really cool Leila," Kate said, smiling widely at her sister. "I'm so proud of you."

Leila blushed and grinned happily. Before anyone could say anything else, however, Ray called them from the grill.

"Hey everyone, the food's ready!"

Everyone now began to walk toward the picnic table, ready to partake in Ray and Carla's delicious barbecue lunch.

A few hours later, lunch was over with, and Kate, Carla, and Leila made their way inside to clean up and wash the dishes. Ray and Elliot were on the patio, chatting with the neighbors who had come by for the barbecue, and Ana and Christian grabbed a couple water bottles before sitting down at the picnic table.

"God, I'm so full," Ana said, taking a small sip of her water. "My mom said she was going to bring out some dessert, but I don't think I could eat another bite."

"Me neither. Your dad's grilled hamburgers are amazing," Christian grinned, lifting his own bottle to his lips and taking a sip.

"He and my mom are going to pack all the leftovers on us, I guarantee it," Ana giggled.

Christian's cell phone suddenly buzzed with an alert, and he picked it up to look at what it was. Ana, who was used to Christian's crazy schedule, figured it was just something work-related and didn't say anything. However, Christian smiled at the screen before holding it out for Ana to see.

"Looks like someone we know just made the news," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Ana looked at his phone screen before her mouth dropped open in shock: it was a news story, and at the top was a picture of Jack in handcuffs being flanked by two cops escorting him out of a building. The headline read: NEW YORK MAN ARRESTED FOR EMBEZZLING MONEY TO THROW PARTIES, FACING 20+ YEARS IN PRISON

"Oh my God, he was actually arrested," Ana gasped, her eyes skimming over the article. "Was this you?"

"Some of my guys were working together with the NYPD," Christian said, turning the phone back around and looking at the screen. "So we likely had something to do with it. I'd have to get a full report from the police in order to know for sure."

"Did you want to go do that now? I can tell my family you need to head back to Seattle for a work emergency," Ana said, glancing over at her father sitting a few yards away.

"No, that's okay. I'll have Taylor get the report for me tomorrow," Christian said, turning his phone off and slipping it back into his pocket, much to Ana's surprise. "I just want to enjoy today with you."

Ana blinked, raising her eyebrows. "Are you sure? You're usually a total workaholic, and putting your mortal enemy away in prison for good is kind of a good excuse to be working."

"My 'mortal enemy'?" Christian chuckled, sounding amused. "Is he like my Lex Luther or something?"

"Yeah, basically," Ana said. "Are you sure you don't want to call up the NYPD right now?"

"Completely sure," Christian said confidently, and he held out his hand for Ana to take. "Want to go take a walk around the yard?"

Ana agreed, figuring he was still processing what had happened with Jack, and took his hand. The two of them began heading toward the far end of the yard by the tree line, their fingers laced together while chatting with one another about everything and nothing.

"…Do you remember the first day we met?" Christian suddenly asked after a lull in the conversation. Ana couldn't help but giggle.

"Yeah, it was my dad's birthday party last year," she smiled. "You said something rude about me to Elliot, and I decided right then and there that I hated your guts."

Christian cringed, causing Ana to laugh again. "Yeah, that wasn't my finest hour. But I changed my mind about you soon enough."

Ana looked over at him. "When did you change your mind about me?" she asked, and he glanced over at her. "I'm just curious… you seemed so indifferent to me at first, and I was so rude to you, I just don't know what I did to make you attracted to me."

"I'm not sure what it was," Christian said after a moment of thinking. "I always thought you were very pretty, but I don't know what it was that made me want to date you. For those first few months after meeting you, more and more I found that I couldn't stop thinking about you, and pretty soon I was in the middle before I knew I had begun."

Ana smiled at that answer. "Well, my attraction to you definitely started a bit later. I feel like it began when I got to see you at GEH for the first time after my interview at SIP…"

Christian didn't answer, and Ana realized he was no longer walking beside her. She stopped and turned around, noticing he had stopped walking a few paces behind her. He was looking at her with an expression of such love and emotion it took her by surprise.

"Ana," he said. "I'm sorry, but I feel like I can't wait any longer…"

With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box before getting down on one knee.

Ana's heart suddenly went into overdrive as her hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh my God," she whispered, tears blurring her vision.

"Ana, you are the love of my life," Christian said, his voice hoarse from emotion as he gazed up at her. "You are the most amazing woman I know, and every single day I feel so incredibly lucky to call you mine. Will you marry me?"

Ana didn't even have to look at the ring he was presenting her to know her answer. "Yes, of course!" she said, tears streaming down her face.

Christian's wide smile was so full of love and happiness, Ana couldn't resist throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him the moment he got to his feet. Christian wrapped his arms around Ana's body, lifting her up off her feet as he kissed her back just as exuberantly.

They heard cheers in the distance, and they broke apart to see everybody was on the patio watching the two of them. They all began clapping while Elliot gave an excited whoop.

Ana grinned and giggled, embarrassed but also pleased that everyone she loved got to witness the happiest moment of her life. "Did they know you were going to propose?" she asked Christian.

"Your dad knew," he said, placing Ana back down on her feet. "I asked for his blessing a few weeks ago."

"I love you so much, Mr. Grey," Ana smiled, gazing into Christian's eyes while cupping his face in her hands.

"I love you too, Future Mrs. Grey," Christian grinned, causing Ana to giggle. "Do you want to put on the ring now?"

"Oh my God, the ring!" Ana said, her eyes widening. "I almost forgot."

Christian chuckled and he took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. It was a perfect fit, and the beautiful square-cut diamond looked absolutely stunning.

"I love it," Ana said, her eyes welling with tears again as she turned her eyes back up to Christian. "It's perfect."

"So are you," Christian said lovingly, cupping her face in his hand before wiping her tear away with his thumb.

Ana didn't say anything else as she leaned up to kiss Christian once again, her joy and happiness filling her with such contentment she almost couldn't believe this was actually her life.

It was funny how a man whom she had initially hated and believed to be the most arrogant asshole in the world would end up being the man she would spend the rest of her life with. Ana may have had her own faults, but Christian was the man who had helped her become a better person, and she only hoped she did the same for him. Both of them had grown a lot since last year, and Ana knew there was nothing that could stand in their way.

Ana couldn't wait for the rest of her life with Christian to begin.

THE END

A/N: Thank you all for reading! :) If you enjoyed it, please review.

Special thanks to Jane Austen and her beautiful story Pride & Prejudice which provided the inspiration for this fic. This was definitely a passion project for me, so thank you to those who enjoyed this story as much as I did :)

Until next time,

StrawberryPajamas