Ok I'm uploading these chapters back to back cause last chapter was boring... well it was to me. Also I'm just uploading this because I will never be happy with how I wrote some things.

On another note can we all just take a moment to praise Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey in the new trailer?

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Ok good job. I honestly think he is a great choice (his eyes are literally fucking grey I didn't even know this was a thing.)

ALSO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE FOLLOWS AND COMPLIMENTS LIKE WOW I DON'T DESERVE YOUR LOVE. ALSO THANKS TO THE HATERS CAUSE YOU MAKE ME STRONGER... and made me realize I have asthma attacks whenever I cry - WHAT?

(Symbolism ahoy at the end... Mr. Sandel would be so proud *wipes tear*)

CHAPTER 7:

Convalesce

"Fuck."

I'm staring at her. I should stop but I can't. Anastasia Steele - infamous heartbreaker - is standing in front of me. All at once the pieces fall into place and the puzzle is settled before me.

They are both staring at me with odd expressions and I realize what I've said.

"Fuck..." Is all I say again because I don't know what to do. "...This drink is really good."

Ana is looking at Kate desperately and the blonde jumps in, "Ana this is Nora. Me and her met - "

" - I'm Nora." I stand up, grasping the girl's hand and shaking rapidly before Kate gives anything away. "Nora Smith. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ana."

Ana stays quiet as she sits down, moving her chair closer the Kate. She looks different than she did in the picture I found online. Her face is less flushed - although that may just be because she was standing next to Christian Grey in the picture. He makes every woman he comes in contact with blush like a cherry. I think her hair is shorter too and there is a sense of fatigue in her eyes. Otherwise she looks casually beautiful in her naked face and simple clothes.

Part of me catches onto the fact that she looks an awful lot like me. Take away the expensive clothes and dark makeup and we could practically be related. But then I realize the awkwardness attached to the silence in the air and push the thought aside. Kate looks like an evil queen who's plan has gone exceptionally well while Ana looks terribly nervous.

"Nora, your drink is all gone. I'll go get us some more." We both watch as Kate shuffles from the seat and over to the bar.

Fuck.

I look over to Ana, who is biting her lip and looking down at her hands. After a beat I straighten myself up and say, "Kate didn't say you were coming."

She looks up with me with big blue eyes, "Oh. Sorry, if I'm intruding."

"No no, I don't mind. I just wasn't expecting it."

Yeah, no kidding.

I study her, trying to get a sense of whether or not Kate has told her anything about Christian and I. Trying to move the conversation along I say, "Do you work anywhere?"

"Yeah. I work at a publishing company."

"No way. Which one?" I ask, doing my best to keep the slurring to a minimum. The alcohol has lessened since Ana's sobering arrival but I can feel it easing its way back in.

"SIP."

I raise a brow. She's smart, I can see that. I can also see why Christian was so taken by her. She's different, unlike the kind of girls a man like that would usually go for. From the outside she looks small, innocent - submissive. But there is also a lingering sense of defiance, something I'm not sure Christian picked up on at first or not.

Maybe that's why they broke up?

"Pretty impressive." I smile.

"Thanks."

I should hate her. I should be coming up with a list of murder weapons to kill her with - but I'm not. For some unreadable reason, I like her.

"How about you?" She asks, pulling on a lone strand of hair.

"Hm?"

"Where do you work?"

...Fuck.

"GEH." A voice springs from behind me and Kate appears with new bottles. "Nora was just saying it was her first week."

She sits down, Ana looking at her with a pleading and shocked expression and I immediately feel terrible guilty. I need to get out of here.

"How did it go?" Kate asks, taking a sip.

Ana is quiet, looking at her hands in sudden remarkable interest.

"Fine." I snap.

"I hear the CEO is a real asshole." Kate says.

"Kate..." I hear Ana mutter and the blonde looks at her. Kate sighs heavily and stands back up, tugging Ana along with her. "One moment, Nora."

Kate drags Ana to the bar, immediately turning to talk to her as soon as they reach it.

That's it. I stand up, preparing to storm out but instead I feel a rush of dizziness flood over me. The alcohol is starting up again and I can barely manage to grab onto my purse. After several moments I manage to claw out my phone, receipts and wrappers falling out as result of my clumsiness. I find Carter in my list of contacts and call him.

It rings, rings, rings, and continues to ring. He doesn't pick up and it switches to voicemail. I groan, scrolling down the list again until I find Peter and I decide to call him. All the while I am stumbling towards the door in the most put-together fashion I can manage. When the call hits voicemail I lean into the nearest table.

I am at full, chaotic, drunkenness now. My mind is charmingly numbed and my mind drifts away from the task at hand.

What was I doing?

I look down, my phone in hand and my contact list still present.

I was calling someone... Who?

I spot the first name I see and attempt to read it out.

Chr - ris - ian... Ian?

I don't know an Ian...

Christ - ian...

Christian... I know a Christian.

...My dad used to be a Christian.

I hit the call button, sloppily standing from the table and heading for the door.

It rings, rin -

"Grey." He clips.

Grabbing onto the handle I shove the doors open, spilling into the street. The rain is falling again and I turn onto my back, the water seeping into my sweater and sending shivers up my spine.

"Who - who ish diss?" I slur, laughing because I don't remember even calling anyone.

"Nora? Are you drunk?" His voice is hard.

"Excuse you, mister. I am pufectly fine, thank ya."

"Where are you?"

"I don' know. Lemme - lemme get up and see." I roll over, my hands turning icy as I touch the cold cement and stumble up into a standing position. I look up at the big bright sign above the building, narrowing my eyes and trying to focus.

"Nora, where the fuck - "

"Shh, I'm tryin' tuh focus, ya hooligan. It starts with a - a uh... F, I think."

I squint my eyes, the light becoming less blinding and I see the letters make sense. "Fifties... Yeah - that s'it."

"Stay where you are, I'm coming to get you." And I hear a click. His voice sounds hard and... angry.

I shrug. "Alright, whoever - whoever you are. You live by a Mickey D's? I haven't eaten for like... an hour. I'm fucking hungry..."

There is no response.

"Hello?"

I groan and realize he hung up. Making my way back to the ground, I roll onto my back once again and feel the rain poke my skin. Exhaustion hits me like a wrecking ball and I will myself to sleep. My head is fuzzy and every bone in my body feels like a 100 ton weight. When darkness almost takes me I hear a voice in the interim.

"Nora?"

"Nora!"

"Nora, wake up."

"What the hell...?"

"Nora!"

Kate is pushing me and I look at her with a glare, rubbing my face and trying to get rid of the exhaustion. Slowly I push myself up so I'm sitting and realize Ana is standing there too. They're both looking at me, Kate with her arms crossed and a frown hinting her expression.

"What?" I ask.

"Are you drunk?" Kate snaps.

I look around and throw my hands up. "Duh."

"Come on, I'll take you home."

I cross my arms and stand up shakily. "No... I'm getting away from you. Yer - yer bad news."

"What?"

I pull my gaze from Kate and look to the girl next to her, "Ana, I'm sorry."

"For what?" She raises her brows.

"That yer friend is such a - such a..." I shake my head. "Bitch."

Kate gasps, "Excuse me?"

Ignoring her, I grab Ana's shoulders. "This is really... not how I wanted us to meet. If even... at all."

Ana bites her lip. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"He misses you, ya' know. He like - totally digs you." I chuckle drunkenly.

She looks down at her feet and I can feel the sadness grabbing at her. Ana misses him too. I feel like maybe I've cut between them. That maybe I'm just going to complicate things. I should leave him, I should go and let him find his place with her because they miss each other so much. Christian... Christian... is going to be here soon.

"Oh fuck. You gotta leave." I start pushing them both - forcing them down the sidewalk.

"What? Why?" They both protest.

"'Cause you really don't want to be here."

"Nora, your blackout drunk. We can't just leave you here." Ana turns around and I'm shocked at her sense of hospitality, even towards me.

"Yes we can..." Kate mutters.

Ana stares back at her, "Look at her, Kate."

Pushing Ana back towards the blonde I say, "No, shezz right. You can leave me. I'ma cruel bitch - just leave me here."

"See? She agrees so let's go, Ana."

"You bring her here to convince me that Christian is over me, and now you just want to leave her here?" Ana turns back towards Kate and I shift from foot to foot, unsure of what to do.

"Why do what to help her?" Kate scowls.

"Kate..." Ana sighs.

"She sleeping with Christian, Ana."

My eyes widen and I say, "I am not! Get yer facts straight, lady."

"She's drunk, Ana. Trust me, I saw her at Christian's this morning."

Ana starts fidgeting as she says, "That... doesn't prove anything."

I stand there, watching them go back and forth but not bothering to listen. I could run and see how far I make it with the alcohol in my system. I could stay here until they figure it out and let Christian come. I could push them down the street and go home with them - which would result in a practically apocalyptic response from Mr. Grey.

But before I can make a decision I hear a car door slam behind us. Ana and Kate are still wrapped up in their conversation and don't notice me turning around. It's the man of the hour, the Romeo to our Juliet, and I almost keel over with panic.

Christian is charging towards me and I don't think he notices Ana standing 8 feet away with her back turned. He is staring directly at me and he looks amazing. Through the strange haze the alcohol gives me he looks like some mythical war hero dashing towards the enemy, grey eyes blazing and jaw clenched. His hair is completely disheveled - probably the outcome of some serious hair pulling - but he looks like beauty personified.

It's too late. I know this. What comes next, I have no idea. So I stand stock still, expressionless, letting the pieces fall where they may as he continues moving towards me. I see his car on the street behind him, and wonder if he drove himself here.

"Get in the car." He snaps.

I cringe but don't move, letting the inevitable happen as I watch his expression change in the next few seconds. This is what I see: Anger then frustration, realization then shock, guilt and then shame.

I haven't turned around yet, but I know Ana has. Kate is silent but I can feel the snarl she gives Christian, except I don't think he sees her. I don't think he sees anyone but Ana.

He's still staring passed me, the only sound hitting our ears is the clap of showering rain. My hair is completely soaked now, the sweater doing nothing to hide my shivering. I think he is going to say something, but he doesn't. He is staying completely still and it feels like hours have passed but it's been mere seconds. Christian glances at the ground, then back up - grey eyes filled with so much pain it makes my chest burn.

He opens his mouth a bit and I think he is about to say something but he doesn't. Christian Grey is speechless. All he does is stand there, licking the rain water from his lips and I can't even begin to imagine the thoughts storming through his mind. He wants to reach out, I can see his hands flexing at the idea, except nothing happens.

I hunch over a bit at the sight but what he does next shocks everyone including me.

He keeps his eyes focused on the ground as he takes a step towards me, grabbing my upper arm and slowly leading me back to the car. Christian doesn't speak, doesn't look at anyone, he just places me in the passenger seat and gets into the car. He is radiating tension and I want to help more than anything else in the world right now, but I'm immobile. I can't manage to do anything but stare ahead at the grey street ahead of us.

He looks haunted - dead - as he starts the car and drives through the night. I don't know what time it is but I don't ask. I can feel fatigue wash over me but I don't move to sleep. Every little movement I think about doing I shut down because I feel unworthy of anything.

I look at him, frustration eating at me because I have no idea what he is thinking. We have gone through quite a lot and I don't know anything about him. But I see the loss in his eyes, the sort of emptiness you would expect from a survivor of war. Except I can't even begin to imagine what war he's gone through because I don't even know what he is really like. What the real Christian Grey thinks about behind this wall he's built up.

His right hand is curled into a white-knuckled fist on his thigh. I look down at my own, contemplating things I wouldn't have usually contemplated in my past. Moving my hand over to the arm rest I let it settle there, palm open and exposed. Christian glances over at my side of the car and I know he has noticed me. When his gaze floats back to the road, I sigh and look out the window.

He has to meet me somewhere in the middle. He has to let me know about him and in return he has to know about me.

So do it, damnit. Meet me half-way, you stubborn bastard.

The rain hasn't calmed and I watch the sky envelope in complete darkness. No one is on the road. It's vast and empty and alight with the shine of open shops and restaurants.

I wonder what he's feeling. I wonder if he's angry. And then I wonder if he even can feel angry right now. He looks so utterly lost and alone and I can't do anything about it. At least, not immediately. And although this experience has been a painful one, I think it has finally set something on track. He's seen Ana and instead of running back to her he's turned away. Something has begun this night. He's torn off the bandage and now we are on a road to recovery. He can finally move on. He can begin to convalesce.

IF HATERS WANNA HATE DON'T HATE ON THIS CHAPTER CAUSE I SERIOUSLY DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS ONE. BUT THEN AGAIN THAT'S THE POINT OF HATERS - TO HATE AND MAKE PPL FEEL BAD SO WHATEVER.

I feel like, hey... it's been 3 months. Christian gets it's probably too late. He isn't going to make a big deal on trying to get Ana back anymore. I feel like this is how he would react, to be honest. I came up with like 3,854 reactions he could have had and this was the one that felt right to me.

Don't judge me but I honestly thought I was super hilarious when I wrote this chapter.