Ana POV

Ana frowned.

"But you're the one who encouraged me to just go out there and live my life for once. You told me to do things that make me happy. And being with Christian makes me happy."

"I never said you shouldn't be with him. You asked for my opinion, and my opinion is that it is probably too soon for you to be sleeping with him."

"Sleeping with him makes me happy too," she replied petulantly under her breath, though still audible.

"I don't doubt that, Ana. I'm not trying to sex-shame you here. You're an adult woman, and as such, under normal circumstances, need no other reason other than simple desire to decide to engage in intercourse with another person. However, these are not normal circumstances. You're coming off a relationship that used sex as a tool of manipulation. I just want to make sure you understand fully where your head is when you try and make connections with people physically. I worry you might not be emotionally matured enough for sex, especially since Christian represents more than just sex for you. There are feelings involved on both sides. I don't want to see you get hurt, or incur the guilt of hurting Christian, just because you jumped into something you weren't fully prepared for.

"I personally would have liked to see you spend a little more one on one time with him before taking this step. We have a lot of things from your past with Scott that have yet to be worked out in therapy. I would have liked to see you continue to work on some of those things, find your footing a little more solidly in the real world, and build upon your emotional relationship with Christian before taking the step to become intimate. Having Christian for support has been integral to your healing so far, and I don't want you to put that at risk. But I also want to make sure you're completely reliant on you before you jump head first into a relationship with another man."

Ana sighed, but dutifully nodded along as Dr. Whoever spoke. She knew she still had a way to go in therapy. You can't just wipe seven years of physical, mental, and emotional abuse away in a few short months. She knew she had a lot of work to do on herself still, regardless of how far she'd come, and she definitely didn't want to hinder or halt her progress. But the pull to be with Christian was so strong, she also wasn't sure it was something she could fight. He felt right. He felt safe. And she wanted to continue to work and fight and grow with him.

"However," Dr. Whoever said, pulling her back from her thoughts. "This is your life and you will make the decisions you feel are best for you. And if being with Christian is a decision you are going to make, I just ask that you take time to continually reaffirm to yourself why it is that you're doing what you're doing. Ask yourself the questions we've discussed in previous sessions to help you weed out your true feelings from those that pull you back into your previous comfort zones of isolation. 'Why do you want to do whatever it is you're thinking of doing? How will it affect the life you're trying to build for yourself? Who are you doing said action for? What are the possible positive and negative outcomes of performing said action?' You need to ask yourself these things every time in order to make sure the decisions you're making are in your best interest and no one else's. Did you ask yourself these questions before sleeping with Christian?"

Slowly Ana shook her head. She'd acted on instinct alone that night with Christian. Stopping to think about every decision you make was hard. Real life didn't work like that. Sure, it worked on things like applying to college and deciding where to move, but those were logic based decisions. It wasn't human nature to stop to make a pros and cons list of whether to say yes or no to Christian Grey when he's asking if you want to come in his mouth. Plus, how was she supposed to know all the possible outcomes of every action? Huffing out an exasperated breath, she crossed her arms and avoided eye contact with Dr. Whoever.

"I'm not trying to trample on your happiness, Ana. I just want you to continue to build up your confidence in yourself and your ability to make decisions. You coming here and asking me if you made the right decision shows you're still not very confident in yourself to make the best choices regarding your personal life. You were very confident in your decision to go back to school, live on your own, and chase the dream of the life you never got to live. But you're here, asking me if it's okay that you had sex with Christian. You're never going to be one hundred percent sure about every decision you make; that's not how the real world works. But at this moment in time, while we work on building your strength and independence, I'd like you to just be a little more cautious about what decisions you make that are based solely on emotion. Those are the ones that can be detrimental to you right now. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

"Yes," Ana sighed. "I get it. It makes sense." And it did. She had hoped to come in here and have Dr. Whoever tell her it was perfectly fine that she'd slept with Christian because he was worthy of her time and trust. But she should have known better. On some level, she guessed she had known better. That's why she had to come ask. It had nothing to do with Christian specifically. He was worthy of her trust. But she was still working on being worthy of her own trust.

"Now, all that being said, Ana," Dr. Whoever said, "Assuming things continue smoothly along the path we've been forging, don't stress yourself out about wanting to be at least somewhat submissive in bed." Ana perked up, making eye contact with the doctor again for the first time since the session had started. "Maybe that is simply what you prefer sexually, which is perfectly normal and acceptable. Or maybe it will just take you some time to gain the confidence to feel comfortable not maintaining that role in bed, which is another reason waiting for sex might be for the best. But ultimately, as long as what you're doing is safe and consensual and you feel comfortable doing it, there's no reason for you to worry about crossing paths between your old sexual habits and your new. From what you described of your night together, it was nothing like any experience you've shared with Scott. You're not submitting to Christian's will. He's not dominating you. And as long as you ask yourself the questions we've discussed and come up with an answer that proves you're taking a more submissive role because it's what you enjoy, then it is perfectly fine to do that. To avoid what you enjoy sexually simply because it was stuff you did with Scott isn't a good idea. Doing what you want because you want it, as long as it's done in a healthy, consensual way, is perfectly fine."

Scott PoV

Christian Grey had underestimated him. That wasn't his first mistake- no, that was even daring to look at Ana too long the first time they were introduced in his office. And he'd made a million more mistakes since, from continuing to pursue Ana, actually touching was was his, to breaking into Scott's apartment and taking his personal belongings. All of those were mistakes, ones he would come to regret, but underestimating Scott was his biggest mistake. Because Scott Kennedy wasn't some weak, ignorant, regular jerk off. He was intelligent. He was intuitive. And he was a fighter.

Scott knew he was being tailed. Of course he was being tailed. But did Grey really think he wouldn't notice? Or couldn't find a way to elude his tail when the time came? He'd let that prick track him everywhere for weeks, following him to work, to home, to the grocery store and everywhere in between. He'd set up a consistent routine, to hopefully lure whoever was watching him into a false sense of confidence about their knowledge of him. If they thought they knew his routine like clockwork, they would fall into a comfort zone and become less vigilant. He let them think he was oblivious to their existence, so when the time came they'd have no reason to suspect he'd skipped out on them on purpose.

He'd been planning this meticulously, and it all centered around the gym. He'd been going for weeks, always on foot, so when the big day came, his car still being in the parking lot wasn't a give away. He varied up his time spent there, so they wouldn't come to expect him out at a certain time interval every time he went. Sometimes he'd leave after a half hour, sometimes an hour and a half. He knew a back exit he could get out of, one that claimed to be alarmed but he'd disabled. He expected them to suspect he was just in there for a lengthier session, and whenever they finally did decide to check for him only to find him missing, they'd suspect they just missed him leave.

All these things were done in hopes of buying him more time when the day came when he would need it. They'd think they just missed him somehow, not that he'd intentionally dodged them. They'd be more likely to wait to inform their boss that they'd lost him, thinking they could just find him first, rather than face the wrath of that fucker Jason Taylor. By the time they might suspect he'd done everything intentionally, it would hopefully be too late.

With that part of his plan already in motion, he often sat at his desk, fueling his anger by glancing up at the empty space in his bookshelf, while he devised a plan to mentally get to Ana.

He knew her. He knew every little inch of her mind, and he knew if he could just get her alone, he could reinforce everything he'd taught her in the past, reinforce every idea he'd ever put in her head and get her back. He knew exactly what tender parts to touch in her fragile mind to halt any independent thinking she'd been doing and bring her back to heel.

He just needed to be alone with her. Get her mind back on track, then immediately consume her body. He would bring her close again, and once he had her, he would never give her so much leash again. He'd move them away and keep her on lockdown. No more work. No more people to influence her. Just him. All the time. Only ever him. She'd been happy with him for years. She could be happy with him again. And once she was, he'd make sure to perpetually keep her there forever.

Losing his tail was one thing, but the chances of him dodging his own and then being able to sneak past hers was slim at best. Therefore, he figured the best course of action would be to evade his, then get to a location she'd eventually end up. Then he could take her by surprise. He didn't want to hurt anyone. Murder was never something he wanted to be a part of. Not to mention the fact that it would complicate things. If he could get to Ana, he was sure he could get into her mind again, bring her back to heel. And once he had her, there would be nothing Grey could do about it- she was an adult after all. But if he hurt someone, assaulted them, or worse, he would be susceptible to punishment. He didn't want to end up in jail. He just wanted to fade away with Ana in tow. Sell his company, take the cash and his girl, and go somewhere Grey wouldn't think to look. Out of the country probably.

So that was how he spent his free time now, planning the details of where he could get to her, and where he would take her once he got her. It was hard to try and come up with anything concrete since he couldn't very well follow her around, get to know her routine, or even visit where she lived. That would raise too much suspicion with whoever was watching him.

So everything he had to work with was all due to some deep research he was able to accomplish online. He spent so much time building his business over the years that he hadn't spent as much time as he'd have liked honing his tech skills. But once upon a time, he'd been extremely knowledgeable when it came to computers, and to a lesser extent, quite capable at hacking into them. It had always been more of a hobby of his than anything, never using it in any malicious way, just as a way to challenge himself. So he'd fallen back on those skills to gain him access to as much current information about Ana as he could find. It's how he knew where to find her, knew she was enrolled in school, her class schedule, and what kind of car she was driving now. It wasn't much, but at least it gave him a place to go, and Grey's men likely wouldn't suspect he would know where to look.

So that was his plan. To leave the gym and get into her apartment before her final Thursday class. Grey would be in Seattle working, far enough away to give Scott a little peace of mind. He would have time to work on bringing Ana back around to his side, then leave with her before Grey inevitably showed up on the weekend to see her.

He just hoped it was all enough. He didn't like the idea of incomplete plans leading him into this situation, but he knew there was no way to plan out every detail. His plans only took him so far, and from there, he had to just hope luck would take him the rest of the way.

Over the days leading up to the execution of this objective, he's slowly added to a collection of important things in his car. He knew, since he was being watched, that he couldn't just pack up a couple of suitcases and toss them into his truck without arousing suspicions, so he'd taken a small bag, a box, a container each day for a couple of days and stored them in there, so when he took off, he had everything he needed, from his important paperwork like birth certificates, bank accounts and passport, to clothes and other essentials he might need until he could set them up somewhere permanent.

Today was the last day though, he thought, as he pulled his gym duffle over his shoulder, filled with the last of the things he couldn't leave behind in his apartment. Tucked into the side pocket was a firearm he had but had never used, just something for home protection. He truthfully wasn't a big fan of guns, but better safe than sorry was a good enough reason for him to have one on hand, and he was definitely happy he had it today. He didn't plan to use it, but it could be helpful to use as a scare tactic if need be. Preferably not on Ana, since he wanted to regain her trust, not scare her. But if something went wrong, and Grey or one of his men showed up, it could buy him space, and time, if they were worried he might use it on them. Or her.

He forced himself to casually walk the few blocks to the gym, walking to the locker room to change his shoes just like he always did. Only this time he also changed his clothes, finally pulling a baseball cap down low over his eyes. He waited for a chance to silently slip out of the back door without any other members noticing, when the opportunity finally presented itself, he took a deep breath.

This was it.

He pressed his back against the door, slowly pushing it until the lever released from the frame. With the fluidity of a man confident in his actions, he slipped from the door, hearing it quietly click back into place behind him. He waited for a long moment, looking around to make sure no one was coming from either direction, and slipped down the alleyway, toward the route he'd mapped out over and over again in his head.

He checked his watch, confirming he had enough time to get to Ana's before the flower delivery service he'd ordered arrived at exactly 6:30 to deliver flowers to the apartment one floor below Ana's. He would be there to offer a friendly hand holding the door once the flower guy was buzzed in, gaining him access to the main building where he would pick the lock to get into Ana's apartment.

He felt the adrenaline coursing through his body, but it was invigorating. Because this was all for Ana. He just wants his life back to the way it was before. He just wanted her back where she belonged.

Christian PoV

"I'll walk her up," Christian said to Taylor, not taking his eyes off Ana. He'd surprised her at school with flowers, picking her up from her last class and telling her he had surprise plans for a long weekend for them this weekend. She didn't have class on Fridays, but normally he had work. However, this particular weekend, he decided to take a day off and whisk her away for a long weekend, just the two of them. Sun, sand, and Ana.

She'd been thrilled to see him, which had quickly erased the nerves he'd felt at popping up to surprise her. He knew she'd talked to her therapist about the progression of their physical relationship, which had resulted in her pulling back from their physical intimacy. He'd been trying to prove to her since that he didn't care if they were having sex or not, that as long as she was a part of his life, the rest of it could wait for however long she needed it to. So he'd been a little worried that she'd take a surprise getaway for the two of them as a push for sex and might be put off by it. But she hadn't. She'd been nothing but genuinely excited and appreciative of what she stated was a sweet gesture on his part. And now they just needed to stop at her place so she could pack a quick bag so they could be on their way.

He grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers with hers while smiling down at her as they walked toward the apartment door. He wanted to kiss her. He'd avoided doing it on campus as it was filled with the gawking eyes of plenty of people who knew exactly who he was. Then he'd again managed to restrain himself in the car, out of respect for her, rather than mauling her in front of Taylor. But now, now they were quickly approaching the privacy of her apartment and he desperately wanted to just feel her mouth on his. So as she pushed the key into the lock and twisted the handle, Christian eagerly shuffled in behind her, determined to wrap her up in his arms the moment the door was closed.

And he did just that. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, a giggle bubbling from her throat as both of them took clumsy steps through the living room. He twisted her body and pulled her against, longing to feel her lips on his.

But as they came to the middle of the living room and the wall that had eclipsed the kitchen was no longer obstructing his view, he was met with a sight that halted his playful actions immediately. Standing in Ana's kitchen was Scott Kennedy. And resting on Ana's countertop was a gun.

Christian felt the beads of sweat pop out at his temples as he watched Scott's eyes rove over Ana, a mixture of longing and lust etched in his features that turned Christian's stomach.

"Ana," he exhaled, seemingly in relief, like he was sincerely happy to see her.

But Ana didn't say anything back, didn't address him at all. She just stood there, watching him, her face an unreadable expression. Christian instinctively placed a protective hand across her body, down over her hip. That was when Kennedy turned his gaze to Christian, his eyes hardening, his face washing over with annoyance and menace.

"What are you doing here, Kennedy?" he asked, trying to keep the tone of his voice strong and firm, even though inside he was legitimately scared. He had no idea what to expect out of Kennedy right now, but he didn't want him to think that whatever he had planned was going to go down without a fight.

"I'm here for my Ana," he said simply.

"She's not your Ana," Christian bit back with venom, immediately regretting that he didn't have better control over his emotions. He wanted to show Kennedy he was in charge here, but truthfully he was at the end of his rope with this guy and had very little patience left for dealing with him. He just wanted him expunged from their lives so Ana and he could live without the constant fear of him popping back up.

"She was my Ana for a whole hell of a lot longer than she's been yours," Kennedy tutted condescendingly.

"She was never yours. She's a person. She's her own person."

Kennedy cocked his head to the side, the hard depths of his unyielding stare coupled with the small uptick of his lips twisting his handsome face into something that legitimately frightened Christian.

"Funny, she sure felt like mine. Felt like mine when I sunk my cock into her tight little pussy and took her virginity. Felt like mine when I'd come home from a long day to her on her knees in the exact same spot I'd left her, ready to take my cock to the back of her throat. Felt like mine when you were pursuing her like a lost puppy, but she was at my home, tied to my kitchen table with my dick in her ass-"

"Stop!" Christian boomed, unable to listen to anymore. He felt his stomach turn, felt the mixture of disgust and anger overwhelm him as he made a quick movement toward the sick bastard.

"Ah ah ah," Kennedy warned, quickly grabbing the gun from the countertop in front of him, effectively stopping Christian in his tracks. Christian felt the fear wash over him like a bucket of ice water. The reality of the situation settled in now. He and Ana were in real danger. He quickly rifled through the possible outcomes, trying to think of how they could escape. Could he disable Kennedy? Would Taylor come up to check on them eventually? He felt the guilt quickly well up in him that he'd been too focused on having an intimate moment with Ana to let his CPO come sweep the apartment first. Now Ana's life was at risk, and that was on him.

"I want you to sit down. Over there," Kennedy told him, pointing toward a chair across the room. Christian hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Ana's side, but when Kennedy took an aggressive step in his direction, gun raised, Christian complied.

Kennedy kept the gun steadily aimed at Christian's chest as he crossed the room and sat in the chair, and once he was seated, Kennedy turned all of his attention to Ana. His features once again softened as he spoke to her.

"Anastasia. I'm going to be completely transparent with you here. I want you back. I made some mistakes, but it was only because I was so crazy over the idea of losing you. You are the only thing in this world that can truly center me. You have always seen me as a source of strength, but the truth is, I draw my strength from you. You are the one true constant, the pillar in the center of my life that I use to keep everything going. I need you.

I know things got out of control, and that was my mistake. You have always relied on me to be in control, and I hadn't been, which gave you a chance to lose faith in my commitment to us and my ability to properly care for you. But I won't make that mistake again. Come back to me and I promise I will never lose focus again. You know how good we are together, you know what we had. We can have it again."

Christian's eyes, while they should have been glued on the guy with the gun, simply weren't. They were on Ana, assessing her. Was she okay? What would she do? She wasn't the same Ana that Scott remembered. She'd come so far. And as much as she deserved the chance to stand up for herself, Christian was worried that now wasn't the time, and she might get herself hurt if she said the wrong thing.

But nothing could have prepared him for what she actually did.

Nothing could have prepared him for the moment when when Anastasia Steele locked eyes with her former abuser, took deliberate steps in his direction until she was directly in front of him, then slowly straightened her spine, lowered her head, and dropped swiftly and gracefully to her knees at Scott Kennedy's feet.