Note to the reader: The introduction to this story can be found in the epilogue of "Business and Pleasure" (chapter 51).

Author's Prelude

Ana Grey conceived her and husband Christian's first child during their honeymoon in April 2012. This was an unexpected pregnancy to say the least. Christian always feared becoming a father due to his own very traumatic early childhood. However, as soon as son Theodore Raymond Grey arrived on the scene on January 12, 2013, Christian instantly fell in love. From that moment on, Christian vowed his life to always protect his son by any means necessary.

As son Ted grew older, Ana's heart expanded. She desired for her precious young boy to grow up with siblings, unlike her. After much persuading, Christian eventually agreed with his wife and she gave birth to their daughter Phoebe Grace on March 10, 2015.

Life was good for the two young parents. Business at Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc. couldn't be better. Once Phoebe was completely potty trained, Ana knew that her two babies were indeed growing up fast. She didn't want to seem greedy and ungrateful and ask her husband for more children, so she focused on her two children and the business.

One day – to Ana's complete and utter surprise, Christian brings up the idea of the two of them having another baby. Eventually, the happy couple was doubly blessed. Identical twin girls Bethany Rose and Brianna May were born September 20, 2018 – just ten days after Ana's 29th birthday.

Ana and Christian's joy was now full. Four children and their multi-billion dollar empire kept the two hard working affluent parents very busy. Helping to pick up the slack at home was Mrs. Gail Taylor, formerly Gail Jones. Christian's right hand man Jason Taylor fell in love with Gail and they would eventually marry. The couple currently resides on the Greys' enormous compound on Puget Sound.

When the Grey couple first moved into the massive house from their luxury apartment in Seattle, they decided to add a home for Taylor and Gail on the property. Staying with the Taylors from time to time was Jason's daughter from a previous marriage – Sophie. Just four years older than the Greys' oldest child, Sophie and the Grey children practically grew up together. Ana had quite the fondness for little Sophie, and vice versa. Sophie always hung around the Greys whenever she stayed at her father's house.

Ted, Phoebe and the twins all adored her. And the moment when Sophie turned sixteen, Ana and Christian entrusted her to watch their children for short spans of time until they arrived home to relieve her. This was a regular thing.

Ana always knew that Ted and Sophie had quite the bond ever since Ted was a young boy. But Ana couldn't foreshadow where that bond would lead them – or how that bond would eventually impact their family.

Chapter 1 – Somebody's Watching Me

Monday, August 25, 2031

Ana

It's quiet. Finally.

In my nightgown and robe, I sit alone in the dimly lit kitchen at the breakfast bar with my cup of tea. The girls are all asleep in their rooms, while Christian is working away in his study.

I wonder how classes are going so far for Teddy.

I really wanted to call him this evening, but he's constantly reminding me to stop babying him. It is his second year at Stanford and all – but I just can't help it.

Teddy will always be my little boy.

Its silent moments like these when I can actually sit back, count my blessings, and reflect on life in general. Most of the time, life just…happens. But it's in the still and the quiet where I can actually sit down and assess what's been happening around me.

So, business at Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc. is going exceptionally well. Who would've thought that twenty years ago, I'd be co-CEO of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate alongside my husband.

Running the company was something that I fought against for a long time. But today, I can't see myself doing anything else other than what I'm doing. Just like my husband – I eat, breathe and sleep the business.

However, GEH comes a distant second to my family. In fact, I don't travel for work unless it's absolutely necessary. My priority has always been and will always be my children. I refuse to abandon them, leaving them at home with a nanny.

I want to be there when one of them scrapes a knee, or plays in the band at the school's winter concert. I want to be available the moment one of them experiences their first heartbreak.

One day when I was quite bored, I decided to tidy up throughout the house on Mrs. Taylor's rare day off. While tackling Phoebe's room, I stumbled across a recently graded paper for her English class. Phoebe pretty much gets nothing but A's, so the high marking on the paper did not surprise me. However, when I glance at the subject matter, I decide to read on.

The assignment was to write all about her best friend. I couldn't help but smile as I read Phoebe's touching words about her best pal – all while trying to guess along the way who she wrote about.

Which one of her siblings could it be?
Maybe it's about her cousin Sloan.
Perhaps it's one of her many other close friends at school.

When the paper approaches the final paragraph, my heart is already expanded to twice its original size. Phoebe is such an old soul. She's very wise beyond her years and has a good head on her shoulders. And with this special best friend by her side, she's definitely in the position to continue making smart decisions moving forward.

Finally, my eyes encounter the very last sentence of her paper.

"My best friend is my mother, Mrs. Anastasia Grey."

As I recall the very moment, my eyes well up just as if I read Phoebe's paper only moments ago. There's absolutely nothing like hearing the praises of your children. It goes to show that the choice I made years ago to always be there for my kids was indeed the right one.

Wow…what a difference twenty years makes.

It was twenty years ago when I first met my husband. Christian Grey was my boss' boss' boss at the time. Never could I have imagined that I would fall so deeply in love with the sexy, mysterious stranger taking the elevator up to the twentieth floor on my very first day on the job.

When I finally found out that he was the owner and CEO of the company that I just started working for, I was floored. He was way too young to be so damned successful, running a business with over forty thousand employees – at the time. Even today, his youthful good looks remain intact. Today, he's 48 years old, but he looks just as gorgeous as he did when I first laid eyes on him – even with grays peppered throughout the copper in his ruffled, head-full of hair.

People often ask him what his secret to staying so young looking is, and Christian often responds by saying that it's all due to me and the kids. I beg to differ. I believe that it's probably due to great genetics.

In contrast, I'm certain that the kids and I are the ones contributing to his gray hair. He scolds me about worrying all the time, but he's just as bad as I am – if not worse. Otherwise, Mr. Grey and I are still going strong. We make an exceptional team – both in the office and here at home. And well…let's just say that his sexual appetite is keener than ever.

They say that a man's sexual prime is in his 20's. Whoever said that has never met my husband. He continues to endure, and I have a wonderful time keeping up with him.

As for me – let's just say that all of those rumors about age 40 being a woman's sexual prime are panning out to be true. I've always been eager when it comes to getting intimate with my husband. But as of late, much to Christian's amusement – I've been rather um…insatiable. In fact, I've been even more so than normal.

I want Christian everywhere and at all times. In the bedroom, in the shower, on the floor, in the garage. Yes…we are still rather um…adventurous. But with a teenager and two pre-teens still at home, Christian and I have to be on high alert and remain discreet at all times.

There's nothing more traumatizing than catching your parents in the act.
I shudder at the thought.

I've obviously had 'the talk' with the girls. I laugh to myself reflecting back on the horror that Christian had to endure when he was the first of us to have 'the talk' with our son years ago. It was like pulling teeth to finally get Christian to have that man-to-man discussion with Teddy.

Outside of my husband and our children, there are family members and extended family that I continue to hold near and dear to my heart.

My sister-in-law, Mrs. Mia Nielson – formerly Mia Grey is currently living the high life just outside of Los Angeles. She's happily married to legendary actor Clark Nielson after many years, which is a rarity in the town of Hollywood. Mia and Clark have two beautiful children who the girls and I keep up with regularly via hologram. Phoebe, the twins, Sloan, and I will occasionally jet over to spend a couple of days with Mia and her kids – and vice versa.

One of my very good friends, Katie Burns – now known as Katie Kavanagh, lives in New York with her husband Ethan. Ironically, Ethan's younger sister – who is my very best friend – is named Kate. It's so damned confusing having both a Kate Kavanagh and a Katie Kavanagh to contend with.

My best friend Kate who hosts a very popular daily news show in Portland eventually changed her last name to McCall. After a slew of past broken engagements, she finally went through with one and married media mogul Tom McCall. Tom used to work for Kate's dad Eamon years ago before he branched out and began his very own successful enterprise.

Well, it almost seems like a complete waste that Kate even changed her last name in the first place because she and Tom have now been separated for almost three years.

I don't know why they just won't go ahead and get a divorce if Kate isn't willing to work things out. And I'm absolutely certain that Tom isn't losing any sleep these days. In fact, Christian and I on a number of occasions have run into Tom at business soirees with a tall, thin, young thing hanging on his arm. Yet when I call Kate afterwards to tell her all about it, she doesn't seem to care very much about what her still-husband is up to these days.

Honestly, I don't believe that Kate ever got over her break up years ago with my brother-in-law, Elliot Grey – Christian's older brother.

Kate and Elliot began dating before Christian and me, even. I thought that they would beat us to the altar. But unfortunately, the two of them broke up a short time after Christian and I returned to Seattle from our honeymoon. I knew trouble was looming between Kate and Elliot right around the time of my wedding. I honestly thought that the two of them would work things out.

They never did.

I don't know who was more devastated by their breakup – Kate or me. I had delusions of grandeur. I dreamed of building yet another house on our property at The Sound and having Kate, Elliot, and their future children living just across the meadow from us. All of our children would grow up together and become the best of friends – just like Kate and me. I envisioned our families having barbecues together at the bay every Sunday.

However, life did not pan out accordingly. Elliot would eventually marry a socialite skank named Lily. It was a shotgun wedding of sorts. Lily got pregnant sixteen years ago with their daughter Sloan, and a quick marriage soon followed. That joke of a marriage was doomed from the very beginning. Lily was a close friend of Mia's for many, many years.

That was until Lily did the unthinkable.

Almost two years ago, Lily left Elliot and Sloan behind for a girls' weekend with Mia in LA. Lily never came back home. She met and so-called 'fell in love' with an actor friend of Clark's, never to be seen by us in Seattle again.

The selfish little bitch left Elliot and their daughter in order to pursue another man with a terrible reputation, simply because he had one… A reputation.

Elliot seemed to be much too simple for Lily. He's a hardworking man with no interest in the sort of circles that Christian and I associate ourselves with for the sake of our business. Elliot revealed to me on one occasion that Lily would often compare their marriage to my marriage – mine and Christian's.

From the start, Lily and I never got along. According to Mia, Lily's always carried a torch for Christian, but he never gave her the time of day. Then when Lily finally made her way into the Grey family through Elliot, she remained on a self-imposed quest to one-up Christian and me.

Lily Grey is a poor excuse for a human being.

The only good thing that came out of that whole situation was Sloan. Sloan is a beautiful, smart, and wonderful young lady. She's about the same age as my Phoebe, and they are like two peas in a pod. The girls attend the same school and even hang out in the same circles. I'm so glad that the two of them are as close as they are.

I make sure to include Sloan in everything that we do as a family whenever possible. She's like another daughter to me. Sloan absolutely needs a mother figure in her daily life since her own mother abandoned her.

And whether or not Christian will admit it, he has a very special place in his heart for his niece. When Sloan's here at the house, Christian treats her just as he does Phoebe and the twins. He gets it that Sloan requires extra care.

He's sadly been in her shoes.

Christian knows how it feels to love your birth mom, only to be abandoned by her. In the case of Christian's birth mother, her dependency on drugs took away her ability to love and care her son. For Lily, it was her greed and her desire for attention that took precedence over Sloan.

These days, Elliot's been quite busy with several large contracts at his company, Grey Construction. Sloan even does some office work for her father after school whenever she can. She has often said that she enjoys working alongside her dad.

And Elliot would move heaven and earth for that sweet girl. He's a wonderful father – just like his brother. The Grey men are very dedicated and protective over their children.

It absolutely breaks my heart that Elliot doesn't have a loyal and dedicated woman by his side to share his life with. He truly deserves that.
And Sloan deserves a mother who will love her unconditionally.

As I sip my now cold tea with a heavy heart, I hear footsteps – breaking my train of thought. I look up and see my husband entering the kitchen.

"Mrs. Grey – I thought you'd be in bed by now," he says with a raised brow.

"Me too. I was thinking about Teddy earlier – then I made tea," I sigh.

"Ted is fine. Stop worrying."

"I'm his mother, so of course I am going to worry."

"You're wasting your time, baby. He is safe – I assure you," he murmurs, smoothing down my loose tendrils of hair.

And after almost twenty years of marriage, I've learned not to ask 'why' if I really don't want to know the real answer to the question. Whatever the answer is, it will be 'typical Fifty'.

This is the very same man who over the years had CPO Luke Sawyer keep watch over me – even outside of my knowledge. Sawyer, who still works for us after all these years is now responsible for keeping an eye on our girls.

God knows who Christian has on hand at Stanford to keep watch over Teddy.

Ever since his senior year in high school, things haven't been quite the same between Teddy and his father. As a result, he's been sort of standoffish towards everyone else in the family as well.

My once carefree Teddy has been keeping way too much to himself these days.
It's heartbreaking.

….

Tuesday, August 26, 2031

Ted

Cheerleader Rebecca – an attractive blonde with perky tits and a nice ass is usually the first person to roll her eyes at me in a crowd. But behind closed doors, she's quick to drop down to her knees before me. Literally.

That Rebecca has the jaws of a beast. No wonder the football team keeps her around.

After I explode, she wipes the excess from her mouth before standing to her feet.
We face off at the center of my closet-sized dorm room after I retrieve my pants from my ankles.

"Whatcha got here to eat, Grey?" she asks, all bubbly and casual – as if she didn't just have my cock in her mouth.

"Nothing." I narrow my eyes at her, hoping that she catches the hint to climb her ass back out of the window that she crawled in.

I'm finished with you. You can go now.

"You're probably the richest kid here, but no one would ever know it by this place," she frowns, panning her surroundings with an expression of pity.

"My folks believe in keeping me humble," I say, tongue in cheek.

"I'd say. Hey…" she starts, closing the gap between us once more. I wince.

What's her angle?

"Why don't you ever end up having sex with me? Since freshman year, I've come here only to blow you. I mean…I enjoy doing it – don't get me wrong. You're um…great, and all. You have a great cock, so I'm sure you're killer in bed," she heavily flirts.

And there she goes.

"Well, Rebecca – I enjoy what we've got going here. Don't you? I mean…I'm not like those other guys just wanting to pound you out. You know…like Chase and all of those other meatheads on the football squad."

Honestly Grey – what makes you think that having this girl sneaking over here just to blow you is any more honorable than fucking her?

"I do like what we have. But one day, I may want you to be my boyfriend, Grey," she says sweetly.

I laugh, which takes her by surprise.

"Really Rebecca? I heard about you telling your sorority friends that I'm an asshole."

"And you are an asshole, but I think it's rather sexy. You're sexy," she purrs. She inches her head towards me with her lips puckered outward to kiss me, but I place my palm flat over my mouth to block her. I step back.

"Rebecca…this isn't working."

"What do you mean?"

"This. This isn't working for me anymore."

She looks appalled.

"Well who are you fucking then, because obviously you're fucking someone – if it's not me!"

"Quiet," I shush her.

Damn girl – it's past curfew and I'm toast if the RA catches you here.
She remembers herself.

"Who is she?" she whispers loudly. The anger and jealousy rages in her glare.

"There is no one – but if there were, don't you dare claim that I'm the only guy on campus that you're doing this to," I chastise.

"If you are honestly committed to me, I will be committed to you and only you. All you have to do is say the word, Grey – and I'm a one-man woman."

Yeah, Becky – it's time for you to go. It's been fun.
Peace out.

"Rebecca…I'm gay," I say dramatically. Her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

"Noooo! I don't believe it!" she gapes at me.

"Believe it. That's why I won't have sex with you. Haven't you put two and two together yet? I mean – we've been doing this…arrangement for a year now."

She stands there and I can see the hamsters churning on that wheel in her little brain.

How did she get into Stanford again?

Then I quickly recall what just happened here moments ago.
Oh…I know how.

"Oh my God. Ted…"

She caresses me on the shoulder and gazes at me with compassion.

"I know it's gotta be extremely hard keeping such a secret, but you can trust me. I won't tell anyone. You're so brave, Ted," she says, pitying me.

Hey, whatever it takes to get her out of here.

"Does your family know?"

"No – they don't."

"Wow – I feel so honored that you would even share something so…so sacred with me. I feel so much closer to you now," she pours out.

And you didn't feel close enough to me when you were swallowing my semen?

Yeah, I'm done with this girl.
She needs to find another boy-toy to play with.

"Rebecca, I need to get ready for bed. I have an early class tomorrow. We'll talk later."

Or not. Preferably 'not'.

"Oh – of course. I'll call you. Maybe we can do lunch tomorrow or something?"

"Sure."

Jesus, I need to lose her.

"I'm here for you whenever you need me. I'll be your shoulder to cry on, Ted. You can trust me with anything."

Give me a fucking break.

"I know, Rebecca. Thank you," I say, pretending to be sincere.

She hugs me tightly – damn near strangling me before she walks backwards towards the window. She doesn't take her sad eyes off of me.

"Damn – I can't believe that you're actually gay. I didn't want to believe it. I mean…the boys would always joke about you being gay, but I didn't see it. They said that you were such a prick because you were hiding your true identity."

Nope, she's not making this any better with her filter-less babbling.
I'm pretty sure that her jock pals didn't want her spilling out all of their badmouthing to me.

"Goodnight, Rebecca."

"Until tomorrow. Call me if you need anything. Okay?"

"Okay."

She climbs out the window.

Jesus. Finally.

I walk up to the window and lock it as she performs the walk of shame across the field of green grass.

I catch a beam of light as it bounces off the back of her blonde hair, and suddenly see 'her'. No…not Rebecca the BJ Queen.

Her. The one girl who's had, and will always have my heart.

It was a year and a half ago in the late spring, early summer. I skipped high school after lunch and went home to see her…Sophie.

Sophie was 21, I was 17.

She was at her folks' place on our property for a visit, and she would later meet me over at 'the big house' where my family lives.

Sophie and I would eventually make our way over to the theater room to watch an obscure classic science fiction movie. She and I kissed. We kissed nonstop. Being with her was a dream come true for me. I'm convinced that I've always loved her. In fact, I think my first word ever spoken was "Soeee"…my poor attempt at pronouncing her sweet name.

"Teddy?"

I can still remember the traumatic tone of my mother's voice when she walked in on Sophie and me making out in the theater room.

"Teddy – you understand that I have to tell your father about this, right?"

No Mom – you didn't really 'have to' tell him.
If she wanted it to be, it could've remained our little secret.

But noooo.

The moment The Christian Grey found out that his only son skipped class to make out with his driver's daughter – he completely lost his shit. From then on, my father was hell bent on keeping Sophie and I apart.

My loving parents.
Sigh.

Yes…my family.

I vaguely remember Dad's grandfather, Great-Grandpa Trevelyan. He's the man that I was named after. He died when I was quite young. Fortunately, my grandparents on both sides are still alive and kicking.

Growing up, I had to contend with the Grey name. Not only was that a pressing issue, but also the fact that my classmates would always harp on how attractive my parents were got to be rather annoying. Hell, people still gush over them. My friends and friends of my sisters' regularly refer to our parents as MILF and DILF.

Yeah, it's extremely annoying – although I hope I look as good as my dad, the Silver Fox once I reach his age. And my sisters can only dream of looking even remotely as hot as our mother when they reach their early forties.

Hell – it's no wonder Dad kept knocking her up. I'm surprised they didn't continue having children after the twins were born.

And people often tell me that I am the best of my parents.

"Ted, you have your father's dreamy copper hair and your mother's gorgeous blue eyes. I'm sure the girls are lined out of the door just for you!"

"Ted, you think quick on your feet like your father with the book smarts of your mother."

When I was a kid, my dad was my very best friend.

We did everything together. Everything. Baseball games, fishing, mountain biking. He taught me how to play the piano. He would read to me every night until I was able to start reading to him.

It wasn't until he started riding my ass that our dynamic changed. For some reason, my dad remained sweet and gentle with my sisters. Once I turned 15, he became much stricter with me. That's when I became a bonafide mama's boy.

Ana Grey was always the peace keeper in the house.

"Christian, you're blowing things way out of proportion. Teddy made a simple mistake. Please…go easy on him."

I shake off the bittersweet memory and I make my way over to the showers outside of my room. When I return fifteen minutes later, damp and donning my robe, my cell phone is buzzing wildly against my wooden desk.

I'm startled.
Who in the hell's calling me at 1:30 in the morning?

I'm pretty sure that it's my mom. She's probably restless and worried sick about me – as usual. I didn't even bother to call her yesterday, so it's quite plausible that it's her.

When I retrieve the phone and view the screen, I see that it's not Mom. It's Pops.

The man never sleeps.

Shit – what does he want?
Did Mom make him call me?

I pick up just before the call rolls into voicemail.

"Dad?"

"I'll keep this brief. I know what you've been up to. Stop it. Stop it now," he says angrily.

What in the hell is he talking about?

My heart drops down to my gut.
Suddenly, my eyes pan the entire room in search of hidden cameras.
I'm extremely paranoid.

"Ted – you're not in college to fuck around with cheerleaders. You're there because you're next in line to take over the family business. You need to take this more seriously. There's way too much at stake here."

Fuck – how does he know about Rebecca?!

"Yeah Dad…I got it."

"'Night, son."

He hangs up before I can answer back.
I stand in place with the phone still in my ear, stunned.
My mouth is agape.

Did he put fucking cameras in my dorm room?
Did he or his henchmen just watch me receiving oral sex?
The man knows everything. It's disturbing.

I wonder if Mom has ever had to deal with Dad stalking her?

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. As you can see, this story will be multi-dimensional. Let me know your initial thoughts.

Also, I plan on putting out the next chapter of my other incomplete story, "Taking Care of Business" over the weekend before updating chapter 2 of this tale. Thanks for reading! – ST2