"Yeah?"

"Ma'am, there is a call for you on line one," my assistant said, breaking into my busy morning meeting. I rolled my eyes and let out a huff at the interruption.

"I believe I said to hold all my calls," I reminded her warily.

"Yes Ma'am," she replied. "But it's Taylor." I looked up at the phone on my desk when she said that.

Taylor is- No, was one of the best security men I had ever had. Discreet, intelligent, fast, and very insightful. He had trained all my current security personnel, and rumor has it I have the best of the best because of him. I looked up at the three men sitting opposite me and nod. They all returned the nod, getting up and leaving my office, the last closing the door behind him.

"Thank you, Diana. Put him through," I said, reaching for the phone. "Grey here. What can I do for you, Taylor?"

There was a small pause on the phone. Taylor never pauses, he is always precise, his words measured out, knowing that my time is precious. "Ma'am, I think you need to come here," he said quietly. My mind stopped working then for a moment, the pen I had been using to correct some notations on a recent contract stopping in middle of a sentence.

"What's happened," I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The silence stretched between us as he tried to answer my question. Very unlike Taylor. "I will be there in less then four hours," I said, getting up from my desk and closing my paperwork.

"Thank you," Taylor said, and then he hung up on me. Something very odd must be happening because that is a breach of protocol. What ever is happening, it has clearly shaken Taylor.

I grab my leather jacket from the coat stand at my office door and leave the room. Diana, my assistant, jumps up from her desk and follows me as I head for the elevator.

"Cancel all my appointments for the next two days. Get me Welch on the phone, and then contact Stevenson and have him pack me a bag for overnight and meet me at the airport. Diana nods, taking notes on her pad.

"Anything else, Ma'am?" I shake my head no as we reach the elevator. I hit the call button and the door immediately opens. We enter, and I punch in the roof access button.

"I will call you tonight if I will be longer then two days." Diana nods. It took forever for the lift to get to the roof, once it did, the wind whipped into the elevator, biting into the skin. Diana stood in the lift, awaiting any last minute instructions, but I had none. The doors closed as I approached the helicopter.

Maxwell, the co-pilot held the door for me as I neared, giving me hand signals as the rotor began turning. I got in, grabbing the headsets as I sat.

"Ma'am," Pinkerton's voice rolled through the headsets. I nodded.

"Airport." Pinkerton gave me a thumbs up and as Maxwell settled into his seat. I pulled out my BlackBerry, sending off a message to Taylor alerting him to the fact I was in the air. Before sending it, I contemplated asking for information.

From: Shana Grey
Subject: Arrival
Date: June 5 2011 19:08
To: Jason Taylor

In the air now. Should be four hours.
What can you tell me?

~ S

I waited, staring at the screen. Waiting is not something I do well. I think it's a Grey trait. None of us can ever wait for anything. Especially Christian. Instant gratification, that one.

From: Jason Taylor
Subject: Arrival
Date: June 5 2011 19:12
To: Shana Grey

There will be a car waiting for you.
It's not business related.
I think you may be the only one who can help him.

J. Taylor

What the hell does that mean and what the hell is going on?

I sat back, closing my eyes and allowed old memories to come forward.

My parents had died in a car accident when I was four, and my Dad's brother and his wife took me in. They had been trying to adopt, but as in all things that are worth it, patience and time was required. Papa Cari and Momma Grace loved me like their own and I never felt anything less than love. Shortly after they took me in, we were blessed with Elliot, who became my big brother.

Not too long after that, Christian arrived. He was a "tough nut" Momma Grace would say. He would need extra understanding. He had lost his words so he didn't talk. He flinched at most noises, so we had to be soft around him. Being mute and scared of his own shadow was bad but he had a worse issue, of course. Haphephobia. Of course, she didn't use the "big word" to explain to us children, but she did try to tell us that he didn't like it when anyone touched him.

When he first arrived at the house, I kept my hands behind my back because then I couldn't accidently touch him. Elliot, well he kinda liked having a small brother, but he also liked to play rough house and Christian couldn't. But what we could do was play explorer. And boy did we love to play in the dirt and the muck and climb like we were monkeys, and we could run.

That was how we got close, him and I. We were running in the field near the house then. It was a construction site, for some new, expensive homes that were being built, and it was a child's dream for exploring. But I got injured. I had fallen and my leg had been broken. Christian ran to me, and Elliot, he stood there, frozen. It was an ugly break, the bone protruding out of the skin below my knee.

Christian took charge then. He hollered at Elliot to run and get Momma Grace, and then, for the first time, he held my hand. His eyes were wide, but he was watching me, and telling me it would be okay, and Momma Grace would be here soon. It was the first time he spoke since he had come to live with us. My little brother was taking care of me.

After a trip to the emergency room, we came home, my leg all wrapped up, and Christian never leaving my side. At night he would creep into my room, lay down on the floor next to my bed, and hold my hand. During the day, he would stay near me and we would read, or watch TV, or he would listen while I played the piano. We became very close, and I was the only one who could hug him.

When Mia came to live with us, he doted on her as if she was a precious china doll. She helped him come out of his shell more, and the four of us were like the four musketeers.

Don't get me wrong, Christian was not an angel. But then again, neither am I. Oh the amount of trouble he used to get into at school. Quick to anger, but, most times, despite what the adults said or thought, he never started the fights, but he was always the one ending them. Never a good way to earn a good reputation.

Then things changed. He was fifteen, and I was sixteen. I knew something was different. Everyone was happy to see that he had stopped being so violent, more in control of himself. They never understood why though. They followed the old saying of not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

They should have looked.

I certainly did.

I had spotted the pattern in his personality quite easily, and, being the nosy sister I am, followed him one day. To her house. Even now, thinking about it, my teeth are grinding and I so want to destroy her.

My eyes opened at the memory and I pulled my BlackBerry back out.

From: Shana Grey
Subject: Question
Date: June 5 2011 19:31
To: Jason Taylor

Does this involve that bitch?

~ S

From: Jason Taylor
Subject: Re: Question
Date: June 5 2011 19:33
To: Shana Grey

No. Anastasia Steele.

J. Taylor

Who the hell is Anastasia Steele?

I did a quick Google search on her, and found one picture.

Of her and Christian.

Christian is never photographed with a woman... a date? Does he date? He doesn't date!

From: Shana Grey
Subject: Who?
Date: June 5 2011 19:37
To: Jason Taylor

Who is Anastasia Steele?

~ S

From: Jason Taylor
Subject: Re: Who?
Date: June 5 2011 19:40
To: Shana Grey

His girlfriend.

J. Taylor

Okay... Am I in a parallel universe? I re-read Taylor's answer three times before sending him a reply. I know Christian. I am the only one in the family that knows him.

From: Shana Grey
Subject: What?
Date: June 5 2011 19:42
To: Jason Taylor

When you say girlfriend, you mean something different, correct?

~ S

"Ma'am, we caught a good tailwind. We should arrive earlier then scheduled," Pinkerton says to me over the comm. I acknowledge it as I wait for Taylor's response.

From: Jason Taylor
Subject: Re: What?
Date: June 5 2011 19:46
To: Shana Grey

No. She was his girlfriend.

J. Taylor

Well now... this is new.