CPOV

I felt like a new man, the man I should've always been. One, not angry, not at war with the world but one who was happy and loved.

I loved Ana and she loved me. Maybe that is why we were both given a second chance because of that love or maybe it was because we are both worthy.

I never thought I was worthy of anything but pain in the past, never deserving of anyone's love. Ana's shown me that I am worthy of that and I have a lot of love to give too. To my parents, my true parents who have loved me through my good days and bad, my siblings who've had a hell of a lot to put up with too. My friends, I realise I have those now even though I have only seen them as staff in the past. Taylor, Gail, Sophie too, even Ros when she's not getting on my nerves. Then there is Reginald, the old man who deserves so much but asks for so little, even if that is only a few little words. A smile, a hello cost nothing he has told me in the past and he's right. A little patience cost nothing either and I need to learn a lot of that.

"What would've happened, back at Grey House when we disappeared in a blizzard," I asked Ana as we cuddled on her parent's couch, a roaring fire before us warming the room.

"Nothing, I think we had already left before the snow started to fall."

"You're alive" I spoke, pinching myself that I was really here with Ana and this was not just a dream.

"Shouldn't you be pinching me?" she giggled.

"No, I could never hurt you."

I placed a kiss upon her lips, savouring the taste that was uniquely Ana.

We spent that night or morning as it was by the fire, most of that morning gone by the time we awoke. It was Christmas eve and although we needed to get back to Seattle, we had somewhere else to visit first.

"Christian, we have a problem" Ana laughed as she stood at the open front door waiting for me to put a coat on, one I had borrowed from her father.

"What's wrong," I asked, standing by her side now, looking to the snow slowly falling outside.

"Don't you see it, or more like not see it?" she asked, amused when I looked around again still not seeing what she could see as a problem. "Magic brought us here, magic that I no longer have. Unfortunately, it forgot to bring us transport so unless you can get someone here, we're stranded."

I laughed now upon realising the cause of her amusement before pulling my phone from my pocket. It was the only thing of mine that I'd had with me, that and the clothes I had come in.

"Good Morning, Mr Grey. Do you need me to take you somewhere" Taylor asked upon answering his phone.

Shit, he was supposed to be spending this day with his family, not driving miles to pick me up.

"Is that Uncle Christian" I heard Sophie say in the background while Taylor waited for me to speak.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Taylor, spend the day with your family I will find other transport arrangements."

My words made Ana laugh especially when she told me that we had no chance of finding a taxi in this town on Christmas eve. Normally I would've stayed put, not caring where I spent the holidays but it was important we get back to Seattle by tomorrow as I refuse to miss another Christmas with my family.

"Sir, wherever you need me to take you, it's fine."

"Its more where I need you to pick us up from" I laughed, shocking him as it's usually anger in my voice he's heard over the past month, not humour. "I'm with Ana" I explained. "We got a lift here and now that lift has gone, we're stranded."

"Alright sir, where is it that I need to pick you up from."

I put the phone on speaker as Ana relayed the address to Taylor.

"Can I go too" we heard Sophie ask and before Taylor could say no, my yes was heard by all.

"How long will it take you to get here," Ana asked.

"In this snow, maybe an hour and a half. It's heavy in the city, most of the crazy people who have left their shopping to Christmas eve, now stuck in traffic."

"Drive safely and get here when you can. If we're not here when you arrive, there will be a key under the mat" Ana told him before we ended the call.

Leaving the house, we were on our way to visit Ana's parents. With thinking about hers, I needed to speak to mine. I called my parents home, hoping that when the call was picked up, it was not put down again.

"Grey residence, Greta speaking."

"Greta, it's Christian Grey. Are either of my parents available please," I asked.

Remembering that image of Christmas day in my future, not wanting any of that to happen this time, I needed to reach out to them. I was unsure of what they would say about my absence since thanksgiving, if they would think I had gone back to the way I was.

"Christian," my mother said worry filling her voice.

"Hello mother, I'm so sorry I didn't take any of your calls, didn't see you when you visited."

"It's ok" she spoke and I could hear the sadness in her voice.

"I have so much to apologise for, so much to make up for."

"No, you don't son. I know what this time of year does to you, how you feel the need to hide, push everyone away. We all know how you are so when you didn't answer our calls, I told everyone to give you some time and you would call when you were ready."

"Ready, for what," I asked.

"To spend Christmas with us again."

I didn't realise I was crying until Ana brushed the tears from my cheeks.

"I am ready mom and If you and dad don't mind, I'd like to bring someone with me."

"Ana," she asked, hope filling her voice now.

"Yes, Ana."

My mother was so happy to hear that Ana was coming with me, fearing that we had broken up was the reason I needed space. I could've lost Ana forever if someone up above hadn't granted my wish but I suspect should I have continued on the path I was going down we would've seen each other again, up there, not down here.

Entering the cemetery, Ana led us over to the graves of her parents where she placed the flowers down we had collected on the way.

"Did they know about my final wish?" I asked her when she had finished wishing her parents a Merry Christmas and was wrapped tightly in my arms.

"Yes, they encouraged it. I feel very blessed to have had the best of both worlds even if those worlds were down here and up there. I will miss them very much, my grandparents too but I know they will be waiting for me when I return."

"Not for a very long time" I stated, my hold on her tightening.

"No, not for a very long time" she agreed.

As we were leaving the cemetery, I jumped when I heard Ana's squeal. I would say it could've woken the dead but with recent events, I think anything is possible now. The reason for her squeal was just a few feet away now, Ana too as she hugged the younger of the two men who had joined us.

Jose, he was here as alive as Ana and I was now. For her to be here could it be that the accident never happened, it mustn't have, otherwise, I would not have been seeing him too.

"Jose, Jose Snr, I would like to introduce you to my …, my fiancé, Christian Grey," Ana said, proudly as I shook both of their hands.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," I said, before wrapping my arm around Ana and whispered in her ear. "Does he know?" I asked, receiving a shake of the head.

"You too," Jose replied. "Listen, Ana, I want to apologise for you having to drive me home that night. I know it's been a while now but I've not seen you since."

"It's fine Jose, I've been away working. You seem better than you were back then" she stated.

"I'm doing my dream job and with you being away, I suspect you got your dream job too."

"I did and so much more" she replied. "We will leave you to visit your mum, have a wonderful Christmas."

"You too Ana."

Making the walk back to the house, I wasn't surprised to see the car now outside. Taylor had done as Ana asked and he and Sophie were now inside, keeping warm by the dwindling fire.

"Ready to go," I asked Ana once she had made sure the fire was out and everything was switched off.

"Yes, everything I need is already in Seattle or in here," she said, placing her hand over her heart.

Leaving the house behind, Ana blew a kiss to it. Having it as a place we could both return to, to escape and for her to be close to her family would be something she would cherish. I did notice as we left that the dust sheets that had once covered the furniture had not been put back in place so I suspect we would return soon enough.

While Sophie sat beside her father, chatting away to Ana, I sat quietly, just enjoying having Ana cuddled into my side. Time passes by so quickly that I was learning to savour every moment of it. Counting the days was something I had done often this year and that needs to stop now. Every day with Ana is precious and a million more of them is not enough.

"Taylor, can you get off at the next junction please," I asked seeing a sign for something we needed.

"Sir" he replied, not questioning why I would want us to stop in the middle of nowhere.

"Is there somewhere else we need to go?" Ana asked.

"There's something that we need to pick up unless we can share yours."

"Mine, what do you mean," she asked me.

"Your Christmas tree" I stated, seeing the smile fall from her face. "You don't want one," I asked.

"I do" she whispered so that only I could hear. "With the day being what it was and with no plans at that moment for another, I cleared the apartment that I had of the tree and most other things. The only things I did not throw out were a few personal items that I put in my office at Grey House when I went for the ball as I had no clue where else to leave them."

"We will get a tree and go to Escala then, drop the tree off and then go to Grey house to retrieve your box. There is something there that I need to pick up as well."

Stopping at the farm where the Christmas trees were sold, we all got out only to see the lot empty. Not one tree was left, only broken branches discarded in the corner, this was Christmas Eve after all.

"Can I help you all?" a man said coming from the little shop which in fact was a wooden shed. He looked cosy and warm in there but now had to emerge, gloves on if only to tell the strangers there were nothing left.

"We were looking for a Christmas tree," Sophie said, sadly.

"Sorry, miss, they're all gone, the last one was picked up this morning. You're all leaving it a little late aren't you, it's Christmas eve."

"We know," I said to the man. "Do you not have anything left."

"Sorry, no, well except from the beast."

"Beast" Ana enquired before he pointed to a tree on the other side of the shed, one that must have been at least a few feet taller than it.

"We'll take it," I told him, seeing shocked faces all around.

"Um, Christian have you forgotten where you live and how small the elevators are," Ana told me as I turned to her.

"Where we live now," I said, seeing her smile and the nod of her head. "Where we live until we find a house, a home that is just ours."

A home that will be filled with the love we shared, one that had no ghosts from my past. The only ghost I want to remember is the one who brought me back to life, the one who is cuddled into my side.

I paid the man, hearing his gleeful reply when I also paid him to transport it into the city. Taking my phone out, I was happy to hear my brothers voice, hear his laughter too at my request.

As we arrived in the city, the truck and tree not far behind, I instructed the man to park up in the construction site which was beside the apartment block that Ana had been living in.

Getting out of the car, I was immediately pulled into my brother's arms, his words of welcome back and about time filling my ears.

"Can you get it in?" I asked.

"Do you doubt my work" Pete the crane driver said.

Elliot, whose company had won the contract to tear down the building that was here, putting in its place a high-rise to rival Escala. His company had also in place the permits to have the crane on site, one that was now hoisting a giant tree into the air.

I always wondered how the tree got into the foyer at Grey House, this tree here was bigger than that and may need more than a little trimming once it was up there.

"Will the floor hold" Ana giggled as we watched the tree rise before we left it in Elliot's expert hands as we moved over to my, no our apartment watching it rise now towards us.

"It held your tree and that grew out of the floor and was bigger than this," I said, answering Ana finally when our first Christmas tree together was in place.

Looking at it now, it was too big for the room but seeing Ana take the saw Elliot offered her, my brother and I looked on as Ana trimmed the tree, making not only two wreaths with the spare branches as she twisted them into place but she also decorated the mantel with them too.

"Now that looks like a real Christmas tree," Elliot said, patting my shoulder.

"It does, now we need a few things to decorate it with."

While Ana continued to make things with the leftover branches with Sophie, Elliot accompanied me with Taylor to Grey House.

We entered Ana's office, picking the box up before taking the elevator up to my floor and entered my office.

Walking towards my desk, the train, the little steam engine was there waiting for me. I had last held it on my bedroom floor when Jose had arrived but I knew not to look there as here unless it was on the Christmas tree was its rightful place, beside the helicopter Ana had made me.

I could hear Elliot gasp upon seeing the train here as he was the only one I had told about it when we were children.

"You had another made," he said as I opened the perspex box it was in, taking it carefully in my hand.

"No, Ana did. She found it" I said, giving him no more details than that.

As he carried the box back to the car, I carried the train like I had done so long ago, like it was the most precious thing in the world. It was very important to me and it meant the world that I could see and touch it again but nothing in the world could compare to my girl.

When we arrived back at the apartment, the tree now had lights upon it, lights Ana told me she had strung herself, no help from others this time except Gail who had purchased them the year before only to have so many decorations up in their small apartment that she had nowhere to put them.

On top of the lights, ornaments now hung, those we had taken from Ana's box. Pine cones that had been covered with glitter, paper chains that had been put together delicately. These were all Ana had made whether as a child or more recently even bows that had been made from the ribbons that had once been strung around gifts.

"How are we going to get that up there," Ana asked of the paper and cardboard angel she held in her hand.

"Easy" I replied, getting down on my knees before I stood with her sat on my shoulders.

Ana let out a sequel as all the others laughed as I walked closer to the tree. Even with Ana where she was, it was still a bit of a stretch to get the angel in place but she was finally there looking down on us from the top of the tree.

"I think next year, you all need to get a smaller tree" Elliot laughed. "Either that or purchase a thousand more ornaments for these branches."

"No, I think it's perfect for our first Christmas tree, or it will be in a moment," I told him.

From my pocket I pulled out my train, seeing the smile fill Ana's face. Placing a kiss upon her lips, I hung the train from the tree, its funnel shining brightly next to the lights.

"Merry Christmas Christian" Ana said, looking up at me.

"Merry Christmas Ana, it's going to be the best one yet."

….

Christmas morning soon came and so did the panic that I had purchased no gifts.

"Christian" Ana giggled from where she lay in our bed while I paced, "Come back to bed."

"Ana it's Christmas day."

"I know, look it's snowing again. We've got a white Christmas," she told me excitedly.

"We've had a white December" I stated, knowing I had spent most of it looking out of this very window at the streets below. Tuning back to her now, my focus was only on her naked body which was revealed to me when she lifted the sheets.

"You're a temptress Anastasia Steele" I stated getting back into bed and covering her body with my own.

"I will do anything if it gets you to focus on what really matters."

"Which is," I asked, covering her nipple with my mouth, hearing a moan before her reply.

"You worry about gifts when the only thing any of us want is you."

"You have me Ana, all of me."

"I know and you have me too" she replied. "Your family, they want no gift from you either except for you to spend the day with them because nothing can compare to that, all they want is your time."

"I have a lot of that to give" I stated. "And now, so do you."

"Yes, time spent with family is an important part of today but at the moment do you know what I really want," she asked as I shook my head. "To spend time with your cock inside me."

"Demanding little thing aren't you" I laughed.

"Yes, and you wouldn't have me any other way."

She was right, I would never want Ana to change, it was me that needed to and I'm well on my way to doing that. The past needs to stay there and not interfere with the future because, for the first time in my life, I'm looking forward to it.

….

Stepping into my parents home with Ana by my side, I held tightly to her hand. I wasn't nervous being here even though I felt the need to apologise constantly for the way I had behaved the past month. I just liked to feel, liked to know she was here.

Being told by my father that he would not hear a word of apology even after I had told them that I had brought nothing with me, no gifts, not even a bottle of alcohol to share with the meal ended that conversation as Christmas with my family begun.

They had gifts for me as I expected them to, a few for Ana and for both of us as well. Those had been purchased months ago Mia had told me and she was very happy to be able to give them to us now. Gag gifts like two mugs, mine saying the boss whereas Ana's stated the real boss brought humour to the room. I would get everyone in this house something once Christmas was over, the first thing I would be buying though would be a ring for Ana.

Dinner was delicious and we stayed longer than I had ever stayed before. Entering our apartment, the only light was from the fire and the fairy lights that lit the tree.

"Come with me," I asked Ana, taking her over so we were standing in front of the tree.

Turning to the tree I chose one of the bows she had carefully created and started to unravel it.

"You know, I don't normally take the tree down, remove the ornaments until the new year," Ana told me with a smile.

"I know, I apologise for ruining your delicate work but I wanted to make something for you like you have made all this for us."

"What are you making," she asked as I now had a single strand of ribbon in my hand.

"Hopefully, a ring."

With my words, I got down on one knee in front of Ana and proposed. I spoke words I never in my ever hating past state, I thought I would say to anyone. Love being the main one, a word I had said many times over since coming back to my girl.

When she said yes, my heart bloomed, my excitement fighting to get out but I restrained myself for just a few moments as I carefully wound the ribbon around her finger before tying it in a bow.

"I know that's twice I've asked you now and I will ask you again when I get you a real ring but until then."

"This one is perfect and no matter how many times you ask, I will always say yes."

Getting to my feet, I swung Ana around, our excitement filling the room.

I had a lot to be grateful for on this Christmas day but nothing more so than this woman that I love.

….

Five years later.

"Are you sure Taylor?" I asked amused as he drove us home, his groan the answer that made me laugh.

"No, never but I'm outnumbered on this and I will do anything to make my girls smile. Wait until your girls arrive then you will know what I'm talking about."

Taylor and I were talking about his upcoming trip to Whistler with Gail and Sophie and his daughter's determination to get him on the rink. Give the man skis or a snowboard and he will be at the bottom of the slopes before any of us were even halfway down but put the man on skates as he has just been out to purchase for his family and it was a disaster waiting to happen, his words not mine.

"I will expect you back sometime mid-January then," I said, receiving a look in the mirror that told me not to tempt fate.

I chuckled at his complaints as he drove us, ignoring them as we passed through the gates, taking in all the lights that filled every tree of our driveway, each one of them welcoming me home.

It was December the 23rd, a day in the past that I was not only nervous about but also feared for what event of my past or future we would visit next. There is no fear on this day now and there has not been for the past five years as I looked forward to this day and what it represents.

It was the start for Ana and me, the day we met. It is also an important day in the city's calendar as tonight was the annual charity ball that my company threw.

I would be back at Grey House in a few hours, knowing we had an exciting night ahead. My wife would be with me too as I try and restrain her from running around, wanting to organise everything even in her heavily pregnant state. Twins, two girls we were expecting this time and we were both thrilled about that. They would be little sisters to the boy who was running away from his mother now once the car had stopped and jumped into my open arms.

Teddy was four now and looks so much like me when I was his age. That is where the differences end as this little boy that I now threw into the air was happy, loved and well-fed.

"Daddy, I got kicked" he giggled as I carried him over to Ana who was stood at the door with a beaming smile on her face.

"Who kicked you, little man," I asked.

"It was either Phoebe or Madeline, I don't know which but it was hard."

"You asked them to kick you, sang to them and when you rested your head against my stomach, they let you know they were there" Ana laughed before I leaned down and stole a kiss before my son could complain that his mother's kisses were only for him. Possessive little man, I wonder where he gets it from.

Stepping into the house, we watched Teddy run ahead of us, back to his favourite place where he liked to play, by the side of the Christmas tree.

"You made more," I said of the paper chains that hung from the ceiling of the hallway.

"That was Teddy, I think he wants to cover the whole house in them" she laughed.

Entering the living room, I shrugged my suit jacket from my shoulders draping it over the back of the couch before taking a seat beside my wife. My coat, I had taken off as we had entered the house.

"Are you sure you're going to be up for tonight?" I asked Ana, resting my hand on her large stomach.

"Yes, as long as these two play ball and don't kick my bladder too much. I'm looking forward to it, I mean I love being here with Teddy all day but it will be nice to have a change of scenery for a while."

"You can go out at any time Ana, Sawyer will take you anywhere you want to go."

"I know, it's just having the energy to do something. I napped when Teddy did today so I will be ready, not so much for dancing although I plan at least one dance with you but I just want to enjoy the evening, get out, hear the gossip from Ros and Gwen and eat my way through the menu I've been planning for weeks."

"Even the sprouts," I asked with a smile.

"Especially the sprouts. Who would've thought that my craving with the girls would be sprouts? It does have its advantages" she giggled.

"What's that."

"If come midnight the ball shows no sign of slowing down, I could probably clear the room."

"Go and get a bath" I laughed, helping my wife to her feet.

Watching her leave the room, I got down on the floor to play cars with my son by the tree.

"Daddy."

"Yes son," I replied as he climbed into my lap.

"Can I play with the train" he whispered, his tiny fingers touching the engine that hung from the tree.

"Of course you can," I said, taking it down from the branches and placed it into his open hands.

"Where did it come from," he asked, his fingers tracing over every detail of the train. "It's like Polar."

"Polar" I enquired, thinking it looked nothing like a bear. "Polar bear is there," I said of the polar bear Ana and Teddy had made last year when they filled a sock with rice.

It had been one of my clean socks thankfully and once filled Ana had used ribbon, once manipulated into place, to make the arms and legs before Teddy had, with his mothers help and safety scissors cut out of material a nose and two eyes for the bear. My wife was all about making things with what we had instead of buying expensive items from the stores. The only Christmas item we had purchased in abundance the year we had moved into our home was the fairy lights that hung outside and now lit the rooms within which were powered thankfully with how many we had, from the solar panels up on the roof.

"Polar Express," Teddy said, bringing me out of my thoughts of craft time in this house and back to the engine he held as carefully as I had done long ago.

"It does Teddy. I was given that train when I was your age, I lost it but your Mommy found it again. She gave me that back and she also made the helicopter for me" I said of the gift Ana had made for the first of my birthdays we had spent together.

Seeing that on a higher branch of the tree, I brought that down too, placing it into his other hand. I watched him play with them then, play and enjoy them as they were always meant to be enjoyed.

….

We walked into Grey House after posing for photographs outside and ignoring questions of when the twins would be arriving. Our private life was just that, private and just like with Teddy an announcement would only be made once Ana and the babies were safe at home and settled in.

Entering the ballroom, I could see Ana itching to speak to Hannah about how everything was going. Even though she was technically on maternity leave, her need to make sure everything was perfect would always win out and she would only settle once the details had been learned.

"Go and see her, but no lifting anything Mrs Grey," I told her, receiving a kiss to my lips.

Every Wish Granted had been going from strength to strength ever since its conception. It was the company everyone wanted to hire and be seen hiring to have the best party in town. The offices she had on the ground floor here had soon grown too small as extra help was needed. Now my wife's company had taken over the whole of the second floor here at Grey House.

"Does she ever sit down?" Ros asked, arriving at my side with Gwen.

"Do you?" Gwen asked her wife.

"Touché" she replied which made us all laugh.

My parents, my grandparents were the first to arrive for the ball, my brother and his wife Kate, my sister and her date too. There would be one extra at our table tonight and he arrived on the arm of my wife.

"I found this one loitering in the foyer, what would you like me to do with her" Reginald asked.

"I'll take her off your hands" I laughed. "I'm the only one who knows how to tame her."

"Tame me, you wish" Ana laughed taking the seat which I held out for her.

"No, never. I love you the way you are" I whispered before placing a kiss upon the top of her head.

When the ballroom filled up with guests, some I shook the hands of, others were quickly ushered to their tables ready for the night to begin. Whereas Ros once stood on the stage to give the welcome speech, that job fell to me now, as it should've always done.

I welcomed the guests, told them to dig deep for such a worthy cause and was soon back in the arms of my wife. I was still not comfortable being in such a large crowd as this but with my family around, I knew they would protect me.

Me, a thirty-five-year-old man who still needed the security blanket of a family around him. No, it's not so much as I needed it now, more that I wanted them to be there knowing that should I have a bad day, they would be there to have my back, my front and everything in-between as my wife tells me often.

Dancing with Ana once the meal was finished, the auction over, I could relax and enjoy the rest of the night. Her dance card only had my name on it but I did let others come in for just one dance, my dad, my brother and especially Reg.

He had just relinquished his hold on Ana and she was back dancing with me.

"It's nearly time" Ana whispered against my lips.

"Time for what" I replied.

"It's nearly midnight, it's time to make a wish, but be careful what you wish for," she teased.

"I wish, I wish, I wish" I spoke aloud before looking into the eyes of my wife. "I wish that there is peace on earth and a hungry belly for everyone. For myself, I've already received my wish, there is nothing else I want or need."

Kissing my wife as the clock chimed midnight, what I said was true. I could have pennies in my pocket, own only the clothes on my back and I would still be the richest man in the world. I had my wife, my children, my family, my friends, there's nothing more precious than that.

~ The End ~

Thank you for reading this story, I hope you've enjoyed it.

I want to wish all those who celebrate a very Merry Christmas and to all of you, a happy and safe new year.

I will be back next year with more stories but until then, take care.

Caroline