Chapter Twenty-four

By the time Christian has, with Ana's help, accomplished the task of voiding his bladder and washing his hands, a nurse enters for his hourly checkup and Ana is evicted from the room for the duration. She's surprised, but pleased to see that Taylor is now on guard and offers him a welcoming smile, saying, "He's fine."

"The damage is only temporary?"

"Oh, sorry, no idea. I just…I'm so relieved that he's not going to keep me from him."

Taylor chuckles and says, "You really have it bad, don't you?"

Wiping the few happy tears from her cheeks, Ana cheerfully confesses, "Yes." And then she tries to summon a commanding air as she says, "Is there any way I can persuade you to get some rest?"

"No, ma'am. I'll be fine. Prescott will relieve me at dawn." With a grin, he adds, "She said something about being threatened by a madwoman. Know anything about that?"

Prescott has obviously spilled the beans on how Ana gained entry into Christian's room, so she lies, "Nope. Nothing." But then her guilt gets the better of her and she blushes before saying, "I'll have to make it up to her, won't I?"

Taylor laughs and says, "She was a little keen to get out of here when I offered to take over."

This reminder that Taylor has barely stopped all day prompts Ana to say, "Did you at least eat? We didn't have time for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am. I grabbed something after calling the Trevelyan-Grey's."

"Are they all coming?"

"Just his mother. I've chartered a jet, and staffed it with our people. She'll be here by tomorrow afternoon."

Ana grins and says, "Well, that should be enough to make him behave."

With a triumphant smile, Taylor says, "Yes. I wouldn't want to cross her." Reaching behind him for something, he produces a sandwich in a clear, plastic cover and says, "Not much, I know. But I figured the evening's activities would have mostly removed your appetite, anyway."

Almost in tears again at the man's unceasing compassion, Ana can only manage, "Thank you."

Ana is forcing down the meager offering when the nurse reappears and says, "Oh, you've eaten. Uh, Señor Grey has chosen fresh fruit, scrambled eggs on toast, and tea for your breakfast?"

Surprised, Ana gulps down the last mouthful and says, "Yes, fine. Thank you. So, it's okay if I stay here?"

With a smile, the woman says, "Yes, ma'am. Your husband was most insistent."

Remembering Christian's casual 'this is my wife' explanation for Ana coming out of the en suite with him when the nurse arrived makes Ana blush anew, but she says only, "Thank you."

As the woman leaves, Taylor removes the meal remnants from Ana's hands and says, "Well, you'd better get some sleep."

"Yes, I suppose so. He says that they don't yet know about his sight."

"It's a good sign. In a healthy body, the cornea will heal itself. And we know Christian is healthy. His doctor will almost certainly return first thing in the morning to check that his eyes are coping with this injury."

Shaking her head at this marvel of a man, Ana says, "How do you know so much?"

With a rueful grin, Taylor reveals, "By witnessing stuff no one should have to."

Suddenly comprehending something, Ana says, "You get nightmares, too."

At first shocked by her words, Taylor then nods and says, "Occasionally."

They both then hear Christian calling for her and Ana giggles, saying, "His patience isn't improved by not being able to see." Quickly kissing Taylor's cheek, Ana says, "I'm glad it's only occasionally. Thank you, for today."

"Any time, ma'am."

Ana enters and closes the door behind her as she says, "I'm here, Christian. Just grabbing something to eat." She laughs on seeing that the spare bed, previously stored against one wall, is now right next to his, and asks, "You had that sweet woman rearrange the furniture for you?"

Patting the empty bed, Christian says, "I rearranged, she was navigator."

Only then does Ana notice that a white linen sheet is not enough to conceal his arousal, and she says, "Please tell me that you're not turned on by an eye exam?"

Somehow, even with the bandages, Ana is certain that Christian then rolls his eyes as he growls, "Ana, we haven't fucked since this morning. Get your ass over here."

Realizing that there is one thing that could distract him even from the prospect of being blind, Ana halts her progress towards him and says, "I'm not sure I want to; you tried to ditch me."

Immediately contrite, Christian says, "And I apologized. Please, Ana. You know I need this."

The hunger in his voice actually makes Ana sway forward, as if her body is literally his to command, but she stands her ground and says, "And I need to know that I'll never again have to go through this. It's time for our twenty minutes."

"Fuck!" Christian visibly struggles with the idea for few seconds and then says, "Fine. But can you please just be here? That scared little boy is fucking terrified."

His voice cracking with emotion on the last word breaks through all Ana's barriers and she's in his arms before finding the strength to say, "Sorry, I didn't think about that. You seem so…okay, with all this."

The harshness of his laugh would be answer enough, but then Christian reveals, "Until you got here, I'd been refusing pain meds, because I was afraid of what horrors sleep would bring and I figured the pain might be enough to keep me awake."

Awash with guilt at making him wait even seconds for her embrace, Ana senses that he doesn't want her apology. Instead, she takes a deep, calming breath and says, "You're an idiot."

Christian tenses at her words, then relaxes and says, "Yes. I'm sorry."

"You said."

"That was for shutting you out. Now I'm apologizing for not listening when you advised that I leave the fucking golf cart to burn."

"Oh. Then, apology accepted. What do you think happened? It couldn't be deliberate, could it?"

"Highly unlikely. But we'll look into it. More likely it was a short, combined with a battery that should have been replaced a while ago. Don't worry, baby, I'll make sure this can't happen to anyone else."

Reassured, Ana is quite for a second and then says, "I think you're getting better at apologizing."

Christian laughs again, this time a contented sound, and says, "Just as well; I have a feeling I'll need that skill for quite a while, yet."

"Mmm…maybe."

Christian kisses her hair and says, "Get some sleep, baby."

Struggling to break free from the grip of exhaustion, Ana says, "I thought you wanted to fuck?"

"It can wait. Thank you, for being ready to fight for me."

Resting her hand on his chest, relishing the comforting feel of his heartbeat beneath her palm, Ana yawns and says, "Any time, Mr. Grey."

Despite the luxurious comfort of the private jet, Grace hardly gets any sleep on the long flight from Seattle. Though it's certainly not the fault of Christian's staff, who attend to her every need with a courteous efficiency. Finally seeing a familiar face on arrival at Mercedita Airport, she's almost in tears as she says, "Taylor. How is he?"

Taking her suitcase, Taylor smiles and says, "Much better today, ma'am. I've taken the liberty of booking a room for you in a nearby hotel. But, right now, I presume…?"

"The hospital. Yes, please."

Once in the back seat of the limo, with Taylor driving, Grace says, "They're keeping him a couple of nights?"

Without looking back, Taylor says, "Yes, ma'am. Just to make sure that the eyes are free of infection. I'm afraid that we weren't too fussy about what water we used to dilute the acid at the scene."

Having already spoken, at length, to Christian, she knows the details. But Grace still needs the answer when she asks, "But it was enough?"

That brings Taylor's glance to the rear vision mirror for a second and he promises, "Yes, ma'am. It was enough. It'll be a few months before he's completely healed. But his eyes are already repairing the damage."

It's enough that Grace is able to relax for the rest of the short journey, using the quiet time to let Carrick know that she's arrived. Taylor accompanies her to Christian's room, where Prescott is again on guard at the door. Grace greets her and is about to knock when Taylor says, "Ma'am?" When she looks at him, he continues, "His face is quite red, with the lower half and neck taking the brunt of the damage. There are a few blisters, especially on his lips, but none serious enough to scar; likewise with the few scratches he received from shrapnel. The sunglasses are to ensure his comfort while they have to keep putting the drops in his eyes."

Grace nods and says, "He'll be sensitive to light. Thank you, Taylor. I'll cope."

With a warm smile, Taylor says, "Of that I have no doubt, ma'am. But there's one more thing…"

In the moment he hesitates, Grace says, "Yes, he told me; he'll be almost blind for a few weeks, because of corneal opacity. It's okay, Taylor." With a grin, she adds, "Maybe he'll finally slow down a little."

Prescott scoffs at the idea, even as Taylor says, "I wouldn't bet on it ma'am." With a nod at the door, he says, "No need to knock. They're expecting you."

With a grateful smile, Grace opens the door and enters. The room is so dark that it takes her eyes a little while to adjust. And then she sees that Christian is on the floor doing slow pushups with Ana sitting cross-legged on his back, reading out loud from a newspaper. On seeing her, Ana offers a radiant smile and says, "You're in trouble now. Your mommy's here."

Christian collapses to the floor, almost unseating Ana, as he says, "Mom?"

Torn between crying and laughing, Grace does neither and says, "Son, what on earth are you doing? You're supposed to be convalescing."

Ana gets to her feet as she says, "It's the only way I could dissuade him from going jogging."

Confused, Grace says, "But you said…I thought you can barely see at the moment?"

Christian only shrugs, and Ana glares at him as she says, "Exactly."

Approaching and kissing Grace's cheek in greeting, Ana explains, "He can see shapes and colors, but it's all a blur. Oh, and don't open the blinds unless he's got his Ray Bans on, okay?"

Out loud, Grace says, "Got it." But then squeezes Ana's arm and mouths, "Thank you."

Ana smiles again and then kisses Christian's cheek before saying, "Well, I'm off to find more reading material." When he opens his mouth, she quickly adds, "From the gift shop. I won't leave the building without an escort, I promise."

When he reaches for her face, Ana obliges by pressing her cheek into his palm, and Christian says, "Thank you."

Grace knows when Ana's gone from the click of the door gently closing, and still Christian hasn't spoken; his body straight as an arrow and hands held loose at his sides, as if he's expecting her to scold him. His stance transports her back to all those other times, when he'd committed some childish transgression and been caught out. He never denied it. He was too honest or obstinate for that. But just patiently waited for his punishment; a removal of his computer privileges or something similar. The first few times she wondered why he always seemed disappointed. It didn't take long to work out that he was subconsciously craving the beatings he'd become used to. After that, Carrick had to take over the role of authoritarian, because Grace couldn't face that need in Christian without wanting to embrace him, and he'd never been able to tolerate such an ostentatious display of affection. This reminder of how far he's come in his bid to be "normal" threatens her resolve yet again. Gathering her strength with a deep breath, she says, "May I see the damage?"

With a shrug, Christian says, "Everyone else has shone a light in my eyes. You might as well, too. The switch is by the bed."

Noting that the arrangement is pretty much what she's familiar with, Grace flicks on the light, but then takes a second to find the courage to again look at her son. When she turns, he's approached a little, using the bed as a guide. She can't stifle a gasp at his appearance, so much worse in person, despite being exactly as Taylor described, and Christian jokes, "Hey, you should see the other guy."

The fact that he's trying to cheer her up when he's in such a bad way is too much for Grace and the tears she's so valiantly kept to a minimum until now finally fall. Suddenly, Christian's arms are around her and he's saying, "Mom, please don't cry. It's not as bad as it looks, I swear. Please don't cry."

Careful, even now, to respect his boundaries, Grace clutches at Christian's sleeves as she blubbers, "I'm sorry. I'm okay. It's just a bit of a shock."

Of course, he's not falling for it, and just holds her until she's cried out. Finally releasing her, Christian sits on the bed as he says, "Kleenex are there somewhere. Help yourself."

Eventually composing herself, Grace sits in the nearby armchair as she says, "Actually, I thought it might be worse. When you said that you were leaning over to check out the battery, I assumed your eyes would have taken the full impact."

Christian smiles a little and says, "They would have, if weren't for Ana. We've worked out that she instinctively knew the battery was about to explode. I looked up at her when she called my name."

A touch of awe in her voice, Grace observes, "She saved you."

His smile widening, Christian says, "Mom, she saves me every, single day."

So Grace finds a few more tears, though this time Christian only patiently waits for her to finish. Again calm, she asks, "Do you need anything?"

Christian laughs and says, "What; you're going to pop back to Bellevue Square and fetch it for me? No, Mom, we're fine. Thankfully, we already had everything we need. And with Ana being such a bibliophile that she actually brought a few books on her honeymoon, I even have entertainment."

Shaking her head a little, Grace says, "You're taking this remarkably well. Even as a child you were too proud or stubborn to ask for help with anything. And now you'll need help with almost everything for a while. I expected you to be either throwing a Christian-sized tantrum or be closed off, silently drowning in melancholy. Is it Ana?"

With a smile that says it all, Christian then reveals, "Yes. Somehow, when I'm with Ana, vulnerability becomes a kind of strength." He hesitates a moment and then confesses, "I tried to hide from her when there was a chance that I was blind."

"I take it you didn't hide well enough?"

"No. She and Taylor searched every corridor of the hospital until they saw Prescott."

Smiling, Grace says, "Well, that was careless. You know what John Flynn would say about that."

"That I self-sabotaged. Yes, I thought of that, too." Shaking his head, Christian continues, "I certainly can't imagine a life without her."

"Then doesn't it work out well that she feels the same way?"

"Yes. Yes, it does. I'm glad you're here."

Though he can't see it, Christian knows the love that is shining from his mother's face when she says, "My son needs me. Where else would I be?"

Under Ana and Grace's constant care and gentle bullying, Christian makes it through the hospital stay with his sanity intact and no assault charges against his name. Despite everyone's objection, Grace returns home alone via a commercial flight. Christian only relents when she assures him that it will be first-class, because he could only offer her a reclining seat on the GEH jet. Alone in each other's arms in the bed on the plane, Ana says, "Okay, now I'm glad that your mom isn't on the other side of that door."

Idly caressing her body, Christian says, "What do you have in mind, Mrs. Grey?" When a giggle erupts from her, he raises an eyebrow and his voice contains a dangerous edge when he asks, "Something funny?"

Still vibrating with suppressed laughter, Ana says, "I'm sorry, darling. But…did Mia ever make you watch the second Shrek?"

Christian's glare dissolves into a smile and he says, "The cat?"

"Yes. With those dilating eye drops and that purr in your voice just now…it's uncanny."

Swiftly imprisoning Ana's hands and pushing her arms up above her head, Christian covers her body with his as he quotes, in a terrible Spanish accent, "You have made the cat angry. You do not want to make the cat angry!"

Giggling again, Ana begs, "No, please, Christian. Don't do any more."

Still in the ridiculous accent, Christian says, "It is too late for you, señora. You have awakened the cat, and he must have his way."

While Christian continues his seduction as Puss in Boots, Ana is helpless with laughter. In the passenger cabin, Prescott looks at Taylor and asks, "What the fuck is he doing to her now?"

Putting his earphones firmly in place, Taylor's ears are soothed by Bach as he says, "I never want to know."

John Flynn welcomes them into his office, saying, "Well, you two have had adventures, I hear?"

Smiling, Christian sits down with Ana on the sofa, never letting go of her hand, as he says, "You could say that." Touching a fingertip to the side of his brand new Oakley, yellow-tinted safety glasses, he asks, "Okay if we dispense with your rule about tinted eyewear for this session? I'm supposed to wear them at all times for a couple of months; a precaution against further injury."

Sitting nearby, John says, "Of course. And how are you?"

"Healing. Frustratingly slowly. My sight isn't yet completely restored, but I'm able to manage most things by myself."

"Except make a cup of coffee."

Christian smiles at Ana's comment and then explains to John, "I may have inadvertently smashed a mug."

"Against a wall; the reason why he now has to wear safety glasses at all times."

John asks Ana, "And how did you feel about that? Oh, did Christian tell you that I record these sessions?"

"Yes, thank you. Uh, I was angry, if that's what you mean."

"Well, that much was obvious from your tone. I meant; did you feel threatened by this violent act?"

Finally understanding, Ana smiles and says, "Oh, nothing like that. I wasn't even in the room. Christian would never risk me like that."

"I'm very glad to hear it. So, you still feel safe with Christian?"

Beaming at her husband, Ana says, "Completely."

As if their good humor is infectious, John is smiling when he asks, "Then why are we here?"

Ana looks to Christian, who only stares back at her. So she turns to John and says, "Christian is still afraid that he'll inadvertently hurt me, either physically or emotionally, and I'll leave him again. No matter how often I tell him that's impossible, he can't believe me…it's as if he's stuck in the moment when we broke up."

John ponders her words for a moment and then says, "Hmm."

Christian laughs and explains to Ana, "One of us is in trouble. He always makes that sound just before he makes me see a new truth."

"I do?"

"Every single time."

Shaking his head, John says, "I'll have to watch that." Sitting up a little straighter, he says, "Christian, please tell Ana the circumstances under which one of our sessions will be immediately terminated."

"Uh, it's been a while, but I seem to recall that a direct threat of violence against you, or if I'm very worked up and refuse to calm down."

John nods and says, "And do you remember what would make me resign as your therapist?"

"I think it's fucking unlikely that you'd develop a crush on me, so actual violence against you was given as the reason."

"And?"

"And…oh, stalking your family."

"And are you in constant fear that any of those events will occur?"

With a smug grin at Ana, Christian says, "No. I know where the line is and I'm not stupid enough or crazy enough to cross it."

Of course comprehending this none too subtle point, Ana says, "Yes, I get it." To John, she says, "Do you have pen and paper, please?"

Reaching behind him to fetch the items from his desk, John hands them over. The men patiently wait while Ana jots down a few notes. When she's done, she hands the notebook to Christian and the pen to John. After a few seconds reading, with the notebook only inches from his injured eyes, Christian looks at her and asks, "That's it?" At her nod, he says, "I hope you know that I'd never do any of these things?"

"And haven't I been telling you that?"

Christian chuckles and says, "Yes, you have." Returning the notebook to John, Christian says, "Well, I think we're done here."

Clearly skeptical, John says, "You're no longer afraid that Ana will leave you?"

As if it explains everything, and perhaps it does, Christian smiles and says, "She loves me."

"I'm very glad to hear it. Do you have any other concerns? Oh, Ana, have you seen Dr. Brandt, yet?"

"Just once; more of an introduction than a session. Our timeline was thrown off a little by the accident. I'll see her again while Christian is in New York."

Christian nudges her and says, "Tell him what I scored."

Rolling her eyes, knowing full well that she'll "pay" for it later, Ana explains, "Madeline has, after many years of research, devised a multiple choice quiz that can help someone determine whether they're submissive, dominant, neither or both; zero being completely submissive, and one hundred being totally dominant…though she's never met either of those extremes."

Leaning forward, John says, "And?"

"And Christian scored ninety-eight."

John smiles at Christian's obvious pride and says, "Can't say I'm very surprised. This makes it all the more amazing that you two seem to be working out. Do you mind revealing your score, Ana?"

"Thirty seven. Madeline suggests taking the test again in six months. She expects it will be different then. There were a lot of questions I couldn't answer, simply because I don't have enough experience."

"So, does this mean you're going with domestic discipline?"

Unsurprised that John knows about it, Ana says, "A trial run." Again clasping Christian's hand, she reveals, "So far, it's been both rewarding and challenging."

John chuckles and says, "That pretty much sums up your relationship so far, doesn't it?"

Ana mirrors Christian's smile back at him when she says, "Yes, it does. I suspect it always will."

"And that's okay with you?"

Ana turns her smile on John and explains, "He loves me."

Christian lifts her hand to his lips and says, "You stole my line."

Ana laughs from almost too much happiness and lies, "Sorry."

John claps his hands together once, saying, "Well, I don't recall a session ever being such a smile-fest. Unless either of you need to see me in private, how about we end on a high note?"

Not taking his gaze from Ana, Christian says, "Fine by me."

They're almost to the door when John says, "Oh, wait up."

On seeing that he's tearing the top page from the notebook, Christian stops him with a gesture, saying, "I'm pretty sure I got it."

After seeing them out, John gets to work ensuring Christian's privacy and preparing for his next client. About to shred the note, he glances at it and smiles as he reads:

If you ever deliberately exceed my limits, I will leave you.

If you ever kidnap me, or have one of our minions do so (good luck with that), I will leave you.

If you ever discipline me in public, I will leave you.

If you ever deliberately hurt our children, I will leave you.

If you ever cheat on me, I will leave you.

After I've left you, we will meet back here and discuss the reasons why until I'm satisfied that you'll never do it again, and then I'll return to you.

Author's note: The following excerpt was written in my head, but then didn't fit into the chapter. I liked it too much to keep it to myself, so please forgive the unusual format. We begin in the consulting room of Dr. Madeline Brandt M.D., Ph. D., Psy. D., eight days after Christian's accident:

"Good morning, Ana, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

Accepting the hand shake, Ana says, "Morning, Madeline, I'm sorry that I missed the first session. Not a very good start, I suppose?"

Gesturing for Ana to sit down, Madeline sits in a chair opposite and says, "It's not as if you just couldn't find the courage to attend. And how is your husband?"

Ana smiles and says, "Grumpy. But doing remarkably well." Shaking her head a little, she continues, "I was worried that being dependent on others would be too much for him. But he's chosen to look on it as a challenge. Every day he picks a task that seems impossible without full sight and then masters it." With a short laugh, she concludes, "His hands and shins are taking a beating, but his state of mind remains strong and his eyes are improving all the time."

"Good…good. I'm glad he's found a way to cope." Nervously licking her lips, Madeline then says, "Uh, before we go any further, I need to tell you…I'm something of a fan."

"Of me?"

"Of your husband."

With an inward groan of dismay, Ana mutters, "Not another one." At Madeline's raised eyebrow, she explains, "Everywhere we go, women, and some men, fall in love with him."

Shaking her head, Madeline laughs lightly and says, "Oh, no; nothing like that. I've never even met him. It's…my research; in the local world of BDSM he's…he was known as Vincent, but I've deduced that it was Mr. Grey."

Utterly confused and more than a little scared, though of what she doesn't know, Ana's heart is beating loud as she says, "What? What do you mean known?"

"Uh, I'm afraid that the only way I could do such extensive studies in the field is by being impeccably discreet. I only mention this much because to omit it when you're considering me as your therapist seemed worse than breeching that discretion."

Struggling to process this information, Ana considers for a moment and then says, "Okay. So, you're saying that there's stuff you know about my husband, related to his past lovers…playmates, whatever the term is, and you're…what; worried that I can't handle it?"

With a shrug, Madeline says, "I barely know anything about you, Ana. I'm just being careful."

Somewhat reassured, Ana says, "Well, you needn't worry. I know quite a bit about Christian's past…too much, most of the time. I understand why he needed that life and I believe him when he says that he's done with it. Is this going to be a problem for you?"

Madeline smiles and says, "No. Though I confess to more than a little curiosity about Mr. Grey, just because he's somewhat famous, I can easily put that aside and focus on your needs."

Back to confused, Ana says, "But…I'm certainly no expert, and the only actual experience I have of BDSM is through Christian. But aren't his…weren't his tastes a little tame in that world?"

Another smile and Madeline says, "I doubt he'd want to hear it put in those words. But, yes, his requirements contained only a few elements of BDSM. It was more…for a start his appearance is quite striking."

Ana snorts a laugh and says, "Yes, it is." Realizing she's interrupted, she then motions for Madeline to continue.

"And he is…was a true dominant. He never tolerated any switching…do you know this term?" At Ana's nod, Madeline continues, "And…well, you're already familiar with his abilities as a lover. And lastly there was his voice; apparently, his Dom voice is difficult to resist."

Ana again laughs and says, "Yes, it is."

Eyeing her speculatively, Madeline reveals, "I've heard it described as 'everything I desire and all that I have ever feared' by women who still miss him."

"Yes, that sounds about right. It's one of the reasons that I think he might be right about me being submissive; when he commands me in that voice I feel a powerful urge to just surrender."

With a deep breath, and a straightening of her posture, Madeline says, "Which brings us to why you're here today." Handing over a manila folder, she explains, "This is the questionnaire that we discussed. I realize it's quite long, but you don't have to do it one day. And I'd rather you thought about each answer than rush it. Your complete honesty will ensure an accurate result. Uh, you said that Mr. Grey is your first lover?"

Wondering why that should still embarrass her, Ana meekly says, "Yes."

"Then some of the questions may be outside your experience. Just skip those for now. There should still be enough information to help answer your question. The scoring method is on the last page."

Curious about the questions, Ana asks, "Is it okay if I get Christian's help with this? Mostly it seems like he knows me better than I know myself."

Apparently suppressing a smile, Madeline says, "Of course. Just make sure you mark 'strongly agree' for question five." Her brow crinkling for a moment, Madeline then continues, "You understand, I hope, that whatever the result, the choice is up to you and not to be taken lightly?"

"Yes. Thank you. I've actually already decided to go ahead. But Christian insisted, and rightly so, that I talk to you first…and then the accident. But I'm keen to start." Shaking her head a little, Ana adds, "I could never, in my entire life, have imagined being…eager to let someone control me. But I'm actually really looking forward to it."

With a quiet smile, Madeline says, "It would appear that the questionnaire is merely a formality. But perhaps it will give you some peace of mind." Suddenly looking nervous, she gestures to the folder and says, "I included another. If he's willing, I'd very much like to include his result in my research. I would, of course, leave out his name."

Noting, with interest, that even the plea doesn't contain Christian's name, Ana finds herself believing the woman and says, "Okay, I'll ask. But you would understand, better than most, that I can't make Christian do anything."

This time with a knowing smile, Madeline says, "And I'm sure the same is true of you; any surrender on your part is a conscious choice, for your benefit as much as his."

Finally relaxed about the whole situation, Ana beams and says, "That's what he keeps saying."

Madeline suddenly stands as she says, "I'm afraid that's it for today. My next client is here."

Wondering how she could know, Ana stands and offers her hand, saying, "Thank you, for seeing me on such short notice. I have to go, too. Christian's sight won't return for a while yet, and he…well, he feels better if I'm with him."

Accepting the handshake, Madeline says, "I'm glad he'll be okay. It can't be an easy time for either of you. Remember that you have my number if it's get too much for you?"

"Yes, thank you. Assuming I don't have any homicidal urges before then, I'll see you next week?"

"Next week."

Secure in the SUV on her way home, Ana opens the folder and starts scanning the questions. She smiles on seeing the fifth: I value my partner's opinion in all things.

Back at the apartment, achingly familiar but elusive music leads her to Christian at the piano. He stops playing and turns his Ray Bans on her to ask, "How'd it go?"

Gently kissing his still healing lips, she then sits beside him and says, "Good. She's nice. And apparently you're famous, Vincent."

That name has an immediate and drastic effect on Christian. He pales, rocks backwards a little and his mouth drops open in shock for a second before he recovers enough to ask, "What did you call me?"

Delighted with the reaction, Ana smiles and says, "Vincent. That was your name, correct?"

His expression closing down in automatic defense, Christian says, "What did she tell you?"

Not wanting him to actually suffer, Ana says, "Nothing, darling. She's more discreet even than you. Apparently she worked out that you and Vincent are the same person, and told me in the interests of full disclosure."

His posture relaxing a little, Christian says, "I still don't trust her."

"Yes, I understand that. But I do." And then Ana stands up and asks, "So, how do we do this?" At Christian's confusion, she explains, "The domestic discipline. You said that we could start the month's trial after I saw Madeline."

"Well, given that we've discussed the parameters, I guess we could start right now. And, I should tell you that ever using that pseudonym again will result in punishment."

Keen to test out just how much control this new level of surrender will give her, Ana holds Christian's gaze as she says, "Whatever you say, Vincent."

Christian's breath hisses in past his teeth, and then he uses his hand to find Ana's mouth before kissing her and saying, "Oh, Anastasia, I love you, and you're going to be very sorry that you did that. Be ready in ten minutes."

Hot pleasure spreading out from her groin at the thought of finally being back in the playroom, Ana eagerly says, "Yes, Sir." Almost to the door, she turns and asks, "For Vincent van Gogh?"

Turning his still hindered gaze in her direction, Christian asks, "What makes you say that?"

With a smile, Ana says, "A tortured, but undeniably talented man who, despite his long struggle with mental illness, rose to the top of his profession; a man with red hair."

Christian smiles and then says, "Actually, make it fifteen minutes. You know it'll take me a while to get there."

Almost ecstatic at the thought that the accident has apparently changed nothing between them, Ana knows the answer when she asks, "But you will get there?"

Ana finally recognizes the song he'd been playing when he croons, "You must not ask for so much."

Beaming her love at him, though he cannot see it, Ana then sings, "Hey, why not ask for more?"

Even with his ravaged eyes concealed, Christian's immediate desire is evident in every line of his face and body. Reaching a hand towards Ana, he says, "Fuck it, I can't wait fifteen minutes for you. We'll go together."

The End

(of Pebble Beach; I'll be back soon with another shade)

Where credit's due: Bird on a Wire, by Leonard Cohen